We should always challenge ourselves to learn more. As a teacher in the new technology era, you have to constantly adapt to the ever-changing technological environment and continuously challenge yourself (and your students) in the classroom. TeachThought came up with 50 different ways to challenge you as a teacher and here’s out top 3 favorite ones:

#14. Present at a state or national conference by yourself.

Your students are presenting in front of their peers, so why can’t you? Lead by example! Attending conferences (local, state, or national) is a great way for you to learn and network. If you’re presenting at the conference, even better! By presenting, you can share your experience with other educators and help others by providing valuable ideas and suggestions.

#25. Smile at every student, every day.

We all have that one rough day: forgetting to set the alarm the night before, missing the first train, spilling coffee on your new shirt, losing all your hard work because your computer decided to crash. It may be hard to smile all the time but it’s worth a try! After all it takes fewer muscles to smile than frown! Smiling is a very powerful tool. It is a subtle message that shows that you are kind and polite. Also, smiling puts nervous students at ease because it tells them that everything is going to be ok!

#47. Videotape yourself teaching and share it with the world.

Have some good materials to share? Want feedback on your teaching style or lesson? Have a great class that you wanted the entire world to see? Record it and share it with everyone! You can share it on YouTube, your personal blog, or any social media sites. Not only that this is a good way to get feedback, it’s a great way to pinpoint what you can do better next time. (Don’t forget to share the video with us if you’re using Voki in class!)

Which ways are you planning to challenge yourself this upcoming school year? Let us know below! If you have other ways that other teachers can challenge themselves in class, share it with us here!

Until next time,

Eva D.

The Voki Team

Bio: Eva is the Community Manager for Voki and is part of the Marketing Team at Oddcast. She enjoys playing the piano and knitting on her free time. (She’s also a Rubik’s cube master!) She loves to hear your feedback and comments for Voki!