Situation #1:
Many educators have no interest in learning.
I am constantly reading books and articles trying to get better for my students.
Twitter has become a daily stop, providing more personal PD than I can consume.
Some other educators are not as motivated to do this.
Some are not motivated at all.
Some mock me for all of this.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
Situation #2:
Many educators have no real interest in changing their pedagogy.
I see changing my pedagogical practices as inherent to doing what is best for my students.
While wholesale change in practice is rare, I believe constantly tweaking practices to be a necessary part of teaching.
In particular, I see teaching as a synergistic relationship between the teacher and the students.
Some other educators believe that the pedagogy they have been using for years or decades does not and will never need to change, and that the students must adapt to them.
Some don’t even think about their pedagogy, knowing that for as much talk as there may be about change and innovation, they will not be held accountable for implementing anything, and therefore they choose to make things as easy as possible for themselves, regardless of what it means for the students.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
Situation #3:
Many educators are only interested in new technology if it makes their lives easier.
I see changing my pedagogical practices as inherent to doing what is best for my students.
While wholesale change in practice is rare, I believe constantly tweaking practices to be a necessary part of teaching.
In particular, I see teaching as a synergistic relationship between the teacher and the students.
Some other educators believe that the pedagogy they have been using for years or decades does not and will never need to change, and that the students must adapt to them.
Some don’t even think about their pedagogy, knowing that for as much talk as there may be about change and innovation, they will not be held accountable for implementing anything, and therefore they choose to make things as easy as possible for themselves, regardless of what it means for the students.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
Situation #3:
Many educators are only interested in new technology if it makes their lives easier.
I see new technology, hardware or software, as an opportunity to reflect on my educational practices.
I welcome the opportunity to try something new in my classroom that the new technology affords.
Some others only see technology as a means to make their existing practices easier.
Some see it as a detriment to “real” education.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
Situation #4:
Many educators take research-based best practices as inconvenient suggestions.
I am constantly looking for better ways to incorporate current best practices into my daily practice.
I’m discerning enough to check the research methods used in the books and articles I read, but I don’t let a few poorly-executed studies dissuade me from looking at research at all.
Some others see research as too theoretical, and therefore irrelevant.
Some mock it, because taking it seriously would mean they have to change.
Many believe that since no one will hold them accountable for implementing best practices, it’s not worth the effort.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
So, as we enter 2019, I resolve to:
I welcome the opportunity to try something new in my classroom that the new technology affords.
Some others only see technology as a means to make their existing practices easier.
Some see it as a detriment to “real” education.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
Situation #4:
Many educators take research-based best practices as inconvenient suggestions.
I am constantly looking for better ways to incorporate current best practices into my daily practice.
I’m discerning enough to check the research methods used in the books and articles I read, but I don’t let a few poorly-executed studies dissuade me from looking at research at all.
Some others see research as too theoretical, and therefore irrelevant.
Some mock it, because taking it seriously would mean they have to change.
Many believe that since no one will hold them accountable for implementing best practices, it’s not worth the effort.
I used to allow this to frustrate me.
This ends now.
I know that what I’m doing is what is best for my students.
I will still invite others to join me on the journey.
If they accept the invitation, great. If not, that’s their choice.
I, however, will not allow myself to stagnate.
My kids deserve better than that.
So, as we enter 2019, I resolve to:
- Do more to promote discussion-based learning. The results have been amazing in my classroom, both in algebra 1 and in honors pre-calculus. I need to do more to share this with others.
- Do more to promote a gradeless classroom. Shifting the focus in my classroom from grades to learning is still in process, but the results so far are very promising. I need to do more to share this with others.
- Expect to be made uncomfortable by others. In supporting others who are committed to their own growth and improvement, I will see their journey as an opportunity for me to learn and grow and improve in unexpected ways. In discussions with others who, regardless of the reason, are not as committed to growth and improvement as I am (and in some cases are committed to stagnation instead), I will relax, striving to remember that ultimately they are responsible for their own improvement, and that I am not directly responsible for holding them accountable.
- Expect to be disappointed. For a variety of reasons, I will not make as much progress as I would like. Some of this will be my own lack of ability. Some of this will be a lack on the part of others to buy in to the changes I am implementing. And I expect for others to mock me and be angry with me because I am not doing things the way they want them to be done, or worse for indirectly challenging them to change and grow. Through all of this, I need to understand that I only have direct control over me. While I can and need to influence others, the choice to change and grow is theirs.
That looks like more than enough to keep me busy for the next year.
