This chapter title made me giggle - You Only Have So Much Time! Amen, Regie! Every year something new has been added to the list of the tasks that were already on the list, but nothing is removed from the list of tasks. We always feel burdened with completing all of the requirements and it is very easy to take the things that are weighing on your mind about your students, curriculum or struggles from the day home with you.
I think the best advice is at the beginning of the chapter. Live an Interesting Life! Yes! We need to enjoy our time outside of the classroom and make memories & experiences that we can bring back to the classroom and help inspire our students or give them a funny story that will keep them hooked into our content that day. We need to take time and smell the roses not just be able to tell our students all about the roses.
As an educator, we need to trust that our instincts about our class are going to help us plan well and that our experience as an educator will help us improve our assessments for our students. This also will allow us to find the best possible way to teach our students especially if we notice that the way I taught last year isn't working for this new group of students then I can pull on previous experiences and try to find the best way to teach the content.
Regie hit the nail on the head with this chapter! We can't be school, school, school all the time. When we do spend our time outside of school focusing on ourselves, we inadvertently improve our effectiveness as teachers by having interesting things to share that help us engage our students and build relationships!
ReplyDeleteReflecting on our craft as teachers helps us continue to meet the needs of our ever-changing learners. Each new "crew" will bring different backgrounds and experiences that may cause us to have to alter our methods, content, etc. I love that each year you are adjusting your teaching for your students!
Hi Parker,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and with Routman, we only have so much time in the day and being mothers and wives and daughters and most of all humans working to spread some joy in this world we have to make sure that we keep our priorities straight and make time for enjoyment and interest. We need to be interesting to be engaging and we need to be readers to effectively teach reading. Thanks! Dawn