Yesterday I had the privilege of teaching a workshop for teachers in preparation for the upcoming school year. We shared ideas, learned new strategies, and played games together. During one of our interactive games, I asked them to each share a goal that they have for this year as it pertains to their classroom. While preparing for this workshop, I took the time to consider this question in light of my own teaching. I thought, "What is my goal for this year? What specific skill do I wish to "hone in on" as a teacher this year? What goal do I have for my students? As I pondered this question a long list of possibilities coursed through my brain. Then it came to me....Reflection!
I have to confess, I've had this as a goal before. Teachers recognize that reflection is good thing to do. Research even backs this up. To demonstrate my earlier commitment to this skill there is even a space on my lesson plans designated to this endeavor. Knowing how much we cram onto those two pages, carving out space for reflection illustrates how important this is to me as a teacher, right? However, as I look back on my lesson plans for the past three years I can see that I was well intentioned. I started out well (OK - in reality maybe 6 entries over the course of the first month). Then no reflections, not even a scribble for several months, then finally, a few sporadic, hurried comments wedged into the last month of school.
I took the time to reflect on my reflections. I know that this is key to implementing change and a powerful piece in the learning cycle for students. Why is this so difficult for me? I came to the conclusion that I need a plan ...what would help me to accomplish this (other than adding an extra hour onto my day)? Check out this blog http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/316.cfm for some wonderful ideas to help put this into practice.
I am excited about what I will learn about the art/science of teaching and how my student's learning will be impacted as we commit to this discipline during the coming year!
0 comments:
Post a Comment