Online Professional Collaboration

We're doing collaborative plannings in our school and we're learning from each other the best practices of a Professional Learning Community. I have joined and I benefit from Professional Learning Networks too. Sometimes I wonder if there are teachers who also learn from me. I got an email last night:

Maria,

I just came across your site after researching some ideas for the first day in a resource room. Last year I did Collaborative Team Teaching in NYC. A complete mess!! I just moved to Chicago and I was hired as a Resource Room teacher for 6th/7th grade special education students. I am so nervous. Last week I spent majority of the week looking at IEPs, introducing myself to students, and trying to set up a schedule. Tomorrow I begin servicing these students. I have no idea what to do. I wanted to start with some sort of reading and math assessment to see exactly where they are at. Any ideas, suggestions, websites, anything is greatly appreciated. Oh and since I moved from NY.....I HAVE NO MATERIALS!!!!!!! Help!!!

It sounded like me to my colleagues, I replied fast...

Relax. Are you new as a teacher? You can go to my class blog and you will find most of the lessons and resources that you need. I post my weekly lesson plans there, ask me if there's anything that you don't understand. You will need an LCD projector though because I use PPTs most of the time.

Please email me at my personal email: solangala@yahoo.com . My educator's website also has a lot of resources. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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Early this morning I got her reply, seemed like she's ok now...

Thanks so much! Your website is amazing. This is my second year as a teacher but its very different compared to where I came from. I have a ton of freedom to do what I want and I guess that makes me the most nervous. My old principal was crazy! So this feels like its my first year. I have been looking through tons of things on your website and have come up with many ideas. I don't have to submit lesson plans to my principal which is nice. I really appreciate you emailing me back. Hope you don't mind if I pick your brain sometime. Thanks so much. You have saved me!!!

I was also a struggling teacher, I looked for help everywhere and I had to document everything that I was doing so I created my class website (http://digitalanthology.blogspot.com/) and my educator's website (http://teachersol.blogspot.com/) which is now a resource place for special education teachers around the globe. Both websites are very helpful for me too, I use them for future reference, everything I need is in my blogs. Pick my brain, that's fine, in this profession we really call it COLLABORATION. You are an excellent teacher, and do not let others tell you otherwise. Email me anytime.