Last year was my first year in first grade. I had a completely new
team, new content, no assistant, and I couldn't wait. The year was
quite the adventure to say the least. I was so excited because I would
be looping with my kids from Kindergarten. However starting a new
grade, with a new team, and being named the team lead is sort of like
walking into a brand new high school and telling the head cheerleader
that you're not their captain. It's tough to find a balance of leader
and colleague. I wanted to make a positive change, and share my
knowledge, but didn't want to come off as a know it all or have them
feel that I'm better than any of them. We had our struggles and
obstacles, our disagreements and many a discussion, however I feel
overall we came out on top and stronger than we started. We made growth
together and that's what I would call a win.
So I decided to start this blog for the main purpose of reflection. Teachers don't become better teachers unless they reflect and collaborate. My principal roots for me in the darkest of times and said to me that she feels I need to keep records of my loses and successes because she can see me writing books one day to help others. If she only knew how much I could blab on! I've always considered myself a terrible writer, so hearing that from her let an inner giggle occur. I do feel I have great ideas and strategies, however I have never seen myself as someone others can learn from. I hope my team would feel otherwise, but I want just that, a team. This year I hope to stress this to my team. Our kids only get the best teaching possible if we are willing to work together as a team to unite and come up with a plan of action. As a leader, I take it upon myself to know ALL the first grade students. I may not know them by name, but I do know them and they know me. I make myself present among the other teacher's classrooms. This may mean bothering them during my lunch time to go hang out in their classes and just observe and let them know, students and teachers, know i'm available. (again with the blabbing!) But the purpose of this is to write all my thoughts down and go through the madness later. The hardest part I have is coming up with the support and research to back up my ideas and madness. I don't know why it works sometimes, it just does! And that doesn't work in the world of education. So I decided to start writing for teachers, for myself, for my team, for my son. Who knows what Ben will become one day. Right now, I know he's an absolutely amazing and wonderful boy who loves people. He's an excellent judge of character, and somehow knows exactly what to do and when to do it to put a smile on someone's face. If he can do that at the age of 2, I can't imagine the good he will bring to this world as he grows. So I'm doing this for myself and anyone with a willing need to read a rambling teacher who needs to build her belief in herself. I have and always will be a person who thrives on the data. The data shows, I'm an awesome teacher. All my kids make growth in every aspect of their education while with me. That's something I can prove. Will what I do with my kids work for you with yours, maybe, maybe not. We're not the same teacher, and they aren't the same kids. The one thing I can say is get to know your students. What do we want in this world? A bunch of kids who can pass the ACT, SAT, and college exams, but don't care about the world around them only themselves. Or do we want a world full of free thinkers, caring, passionate about equality and equity within the world, who may need to use spellcheck or a calculator? I'm rooting for the spell check kiddos and the occasional calculator users. This is about reflection, growth, gains, successes, failures! We need failures to make growth! I'm not the best teacher out there, sometimes I'm a complete failure! It's ok. We're in this together. As I tell my kids, I'm human and I make mistakes, if you don't call me out on them I will. It's ok, that's how we grow and become great. Here's to round 2 in first grade!
So I decided to start this blog for the main purpose of reflection. Teachers don't become better teachers unless they reflect and collaborate. My principal roots for me in the darkest of times and said to me that she feels I need to keep records of my loses and successes because she can see me writing books one day to help others. If she only knew how much I could blab on! I've always considered myself a terrible writer, so hearing that from her let an inner giggle occur. I do feel I have great ideas and strategies, however I have never seen myself as someone others can learn from. I hope my team would feel otherwise, but I want just that, a team. This year I hope to stress this to my team. Our kids only get the best teaching possible if we are willing to work together as a team to unite and come up with a plan of action. As a leader, I take it upon myself to know ALL the first grade students. I may not know them by name, but I do know them and they know me. I make myself present among the other teacher's classrooms. This may mean bothering them during my lunch time to go hang out in their classes and just observe and let them know, students and teachers, know i'm available. (again with the blabbing!) But the purpose of this is to write all my thoughts down and go through the madness later. The hardest part I have is coming up with the support and research to back up my ideas and madness. I don't know why it works sometimes, it just does! And that doesn't work in the world of education. So I decided to start writing for teachers, for myself, for my team, for my son. Who knows what Ben will become one day. Right now, I know he's an absolutely amazing and wonderful boy who loves people. He's an excellent judge of character, and somehow knows exactly what to do and when to do it to put a smile on someone's face. If he can do that at the age of 2, I can't imagine the good he will bring to this world as he grows. So I'm doing this for myself and anyone with a willing need to read a rambling teacher who needs to build her belief in herself. I have and always will be a person who thrives on the data. The data shows, I'm an awesome teacher. All my kids make growth in every aspect of their education while with me. That's something I can prove. Will what I do with my kids work for you with yours, maybe, maybe not. We're not the same teacher, and they aren't the same kids. The one thing I can say is get to know your students. What do we want in this world? A bunch of kids who can pass the ACT, SAT, and college exams, but don't care about the world around them only themselves. Or do we want a world full of free thinkers, caring, passionate about equality and equity within the world, who may need to use spellcheck or a calculator? I'm rooting for the spell check kiddos and the occasional calculator users. This is about reflection, growth, gains, successes, failures! We need failures to make growth! I'm not the best teacher out there, sometimes I'm a complete failure! It's ok. We're in this together. As I tell my kids, I'm human and I make mistakes, if you don't call me out on them I will. It's ok, that's how we grow and become great. Here's to round 2 in first grade!
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