Thursday, October 3, 2013

Proactive Through Reflection ~ I 'stole' the title from George... Read on!

Hello, hello.  Here we are again.  So, if you are reading this, you will be reading my second 'real life' blog post!  Each time I do this it is my hope that I will start to feel more at ease and more comfortable.  I wonder when that feeling will set in... probably with my luck at post number 932?  

I'll offer you a little spoiler alert for those of you who are reading --> tonight's posting has to do with my life as a teacher.  There.  So, if you would rather not get all deep and mucky with me and go down 'that' teacher road that I sometimes travel on, then you won't offend me in the least if you pack it up and move on to another page.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

Alright, here we go.  As a teacher I sometimes feel all I do is live, breathe, and think of other peoples kids.  Really.  No joke.  I do think of them outside the classroom.  In fact, many days on my way home it is absolute silence in my car while I gather my thoughts and enjoy a quiet moment or two before stepping back into the mom role that I play at home.

As a teacher I feel like I'm always trying to come up with the next best thing that will engage my students, make their learning fun, or challenge them in someway.  I've done lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of thinking about them... but have I always done so much thinking about ME?  About my role in their learning?  About how my reflection on them and their learning and on me and my understanding.  Have I really dug deep and looked at what the true reality is?

After reading an older post from my buddy, George Couros
(well, he doesn't know that I call him my buddy, even though I have been stalking him on Twitter for a few years now, plus, as a total aside... he's such a cutie!) and being asked to reflect on a post he wrote back in 2012, "Another Reason to Blog; Proactive Through Reflection" for my IICT Part 2 course through ETFO, I find myself thinking that I really need to carve out more time to reflect with a sense of purpose.  I think of my drive home tonight from work.  The sun was shining, I was already thinking of two students that I know I need to really check in with tomorrow, to see the whites of their eyes, and about how the day went.  Mentally writing a "must do list" for when I enter the doors of my home.  Thinking of the weekend and how great that will be.  Pretty typical.  

But, did I really reflect about how the past month or so has moved along?  What can I change, even subtly that will allow for greater success within my realm of tinkering?  

I don't know... maybe it's even too deep for me!  But, I think, no, I will try. NO ~ I will make it a point to reflect a little further, a little deeper, and a little more often than in the past.  For, as my friend George says, "If we do not take time to look back, how will we ever be able to move forward?" Good point George, good point.  

As I leave you all, when was the last time you looked back? What would you do differently?  What would you tell yourself then that you have learned from that point?  I'm hoping to paint a new, clearer portrait as I move ahead looking back.  

Thanks for reading,
Be well,

:)
Les













3 comments:

  1. another good read from a great teacher who has had a profound influence on more peoples lives then she knows

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  2. Leslie- you've got such a great writing style, I can actually hear your voice here! I think you nailed a pretty important point- when do we stop and think about how our teaching went, not just how each of our students are doing? We need to do this more often, I think, just the way you did it here. Keep this going. You've got a powerful voice that needs to be heard.

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  3. Hi Leslie,

    Your post struck a chord with me. You're right! We do so much thinking about our students, but when all is said and done - how much of it is productive? Implementing even small changes requires putting our most important thoughts down in writing so we can revisit and revise them as we go.

    Allyson

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