Five Easy Pieces (Four Years On)

This blog was originally written almost four years ago from a previous account which I no longer use. It has been edited slightly but I stand by the original ideas. 

When I was a teenager I had a complete obsession with Jack Nicholson films. I made it my goal to collect and watch all of his films and acquire a Mastermind-esque knowledge of JN's cinematic history. From Easy Rider to Chinatown through to Terms of Endearment I was hooked. Not only that, I read widely around the making of the films, the politics and people of the time and interviews with the main man. This wasn't part of a film studies course, I was doing this for fun. Why? Well, i suppose it can be partly attributed to my family's predisposition for OCD and partly to the fact that he was, and still is, an amazing actor who has starred in some of the greatest movies of the 20th Century. Since my 'Nicholson phase' I have gone through various obsessions, trying  to fulfil an insatiable appetite for knowledge. For the past couple of years I have become increasingly obsessed with becoming the best educator I can possibly be. To that end I have devised my own five easy pieces to becoming a better educator...

1. Engage. With your peers. I ensure, where possible, that I contribute to at least one PLN each week. We have a weekly voluntary T&L meeting in school which I attend every lunchtime. I also contribute to most weekly #addcym or #ukedchat discussions on Twitter. There is a whole world of ideas out there. Get connected, share ideas and engage in debate. 
2. Create. At least one brand new lesson each week. I'm forever tweaking my lessons but I also ensure that at least one lesson a week is something completely new. This is not a case of baby-out-with-the-bathwater but rather  trying to keep myself fresh. 
3. Share. At least one lesson per week. I borrow many many ideas from other teachers, it is only right that I give something back.  Also, I think long and hard about the resources I am going to share (usually on TES) and adapt them accordingly. I never charge for my resources as  
4. Blog. I try and write one new blog post per week. If I'm writing then I am reflecting. If I am reflecting than hopefully I am becoming a better educator. Don't worry about whether or not people will read it. Just write about what you are interested in and share it. 
5. Indulge. I make sure that I read, continuously, about education. I tend to have two or three books on the go at any given time, dipping in and out of them as time allows. I also read lots of brilliant blogs by educators who I admire. 

Finally, if you've not had the pleasure of watching Five Easy Pieces, then you should, it might not make you a better teacher but it is bloody brilliant.......