And the 7th Highlight of my PGCE year is…
Blogging, Twitter and PLN’S!
This must be my top highlight from this year! Starting this blog back in January was one of the best, and most influential things I have done!
I was unsure about blogging- I had always wanted to give it a go, but wasn’t sure how people would react. Taking part in the Take One Picture/ITE scheme at the National Gallery really provided me with the ‘omph’ to start this blog and I haven’t looked back since!
Blogging has opened my eyes to a whole new world! It has proved to be a great reflective writing tool and a fantastic way to develop my teaching.
If I am honest, I am still amazed that people actually take the time to read my blog! I never thought I would have anything to say that would be of any particular interest to anyone (and perhaps these series of highlights may not be- apologies if they are a bit boring!)! Every time I look at my blog stats I am pleasantly surprised. I hope I continue to write stuff that is of interest over the next year!
My readers (that’s you!) are amazing to me- you are always willing to help and offer your advice and comments freely- these have been really useful to me over the past 6 months- they have often made me think and reflect and some of what I consider to be my best lessons and ideas have come from ideas that have been shared with me.
I am pleased I have managed to keep up a blog- despite the craziness that is the PGCE (I know I had a bit of a dip in the last month of the course- but I’m blaming that on TeachMeet 
) many people say that I must be crazy to blog during the PGCE- but I don’t think I am! I made sure I made the time to blog as I valued the benefits blogging gives me.
Blogging also introduced me to the wonderful world of Twitter- which again has been so helpful over the past 6 months it’s difficult to quantify! A really do feel privileged to be amongst such great teachers and educators. More will come on Twitter and PLN’s in a different post when I return from holiday!
Through the blog and twitter I also was introduced to the world of TeachMeets which ultimately led to TeachMeet East- but much more on that in a week or so!
I may have got one thing wrong though- assuming that I needed a pseudonym (Tom Henzley) when I didn’t at all (and as most of you know- I’m really Tim Handley! )- and I perhaps need to look at changing that over the summer!
I fully plan and aim to continue this blog into my NQT year- I don’t know where I would be without it!
THANKYOU for all your support and kindness during my PGCE- it really would have been much harder without you!
TH
—
I’m currently away in Greece and these posts have been set to auto post. I’d love to hear your comments as always- most should be approved straight away but if they are not, I’ll approve them when I return at the end of July.
—
