Saturday, November 15, 2014

Scratching the Itch

It has been too long since I last sat down to write. This week was the end of the quarter, so there was a lot to do. Add in my kids' sports schedules and my own workout routine and that made it even busier. All week I knew I needed to sit down and write, but did not think I had "anything to say". I felt like I did not have a "voice"...

Even as I sit here, I am not quite sure what I want to write about...
But I am writing anyway...
I am not sure if any of this will make any sense...
But I am writing anyway...
This will not be one of the most profound pieces on education ever written...
But I am writing anyway...

I think that is it for me. I have reached the point in my reflective process that I need these few minutes to just stop and think. I like to try and block out all of the other things (see first paragraph) and really think about the impact I am having in my classroom and school. This may be the only positive from the new teacher evaluation: an emphasis on educators reflecting on their craft. Stopping the nonsense for a while and HONESTLY thinking about the learning that is taking place in your room or school. Honestly asking ourselves are we pushing the learning forward or blocking it from happening? Are we giving our students a fighting chance in an ever-changing world? Regardless of the latest jargon that people are using, the bottom line is this: are we creating a culture of learning that people want to be a part of? Learning new things is fun. Learning is something that must be shared. Learning is what we need our focus to be on. So again I ask: are we creating a culture that people (students and colleagues alike) want to be a part of?

Whew. That feels better. Thank you for letting me "scratch the proverbial itch".
What are you doing to help push the learning forward in your class/school/organization?