See? New content! I promised it would happen...I just didn't say when...
The school year is off and running. I just celebrated my 37th birthday (yeah, that's right -- I'm not ashamed). This summer had some wonderful highs and some disappointing lows, and time quickly went crawling by all at once. The first day of classes seem like they were just yesterday, and yet tomorrow we are officially one-eighth of the way through the school year. Since my students will be getting their mid-quarter grades, I suppose it's time to dust off my personal grade book and assess myself too.
I had a lot of time to think over the summer -- the prize and the curse of not working. While some of my reflection was personal (and, sorry to report, that's how it's going to stay), some of it was professional. I made some goals for myself, and five weeks into school here's how it's going:
Keeping my desk neater -- A-
* I've been pretty pleased with myself here. While I can't yet make the same claim about my classroom cabinets, I am feeling better with my organization. I'm feeling less stressed since I'm not constantly looking for that thing I know I left on my desk, and I'm much more mindful of what I'm keeping and what I'm not. So far, so good.
Staying present -- B
* I broke the watch band of my Garmin several weeks ago. It's been a blessing in disguise -- I'm less distracted by it during the day. While I admittedly worry about the small chance of not immediately answering a call or a text during an emergency, I feel like a better role model not having my phone out when it's not the appropriate time or place. I believe in not asking students to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself, so I feel like I'm moving in the right direction here. The best way to combat my dislike of hypocrisy is to not become its victim.
Trying new things -- B+
* I'm preparing to take on a new role at school that will require me to jump headfirst into new learning. It's scary, but it's exciting! I fully admit that there are things I just don't know much about, so this new role will throw me in the deep end of the pool and force me to swim. I also, thanks to my amazing sister, did something I never thought I'd do -- we got tattoos together for our birthday. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have laughed at the thought. I realized, though, that life is short and sometimes you just have to jump; here's hoping I keep climbing up on the diving board this year.
Adjusting my perspective -- C
* Without a doubt, this has proven to be the hardest for me. Negativity is exhausting, yet for some reason it's a natural default. We can call it venting or stress relief (and, if we're all truly honest, sometimes the valve has to release before the pressure becomes too great), but there's a difference between a moment of unloading and a general attitude. I've often used the phrase "positive presupposition" -- assuming that intentions are always good and presuming the best in others. I question, though, if I'm doing more than just paying lip service. I intellectually understand the concept; do I emotionally put it into practice? Is it enough to strive for it myself, or am I doing a disservice by not encouraging it in others? Or -- as someone in a recent Twitter chat asked -- do I have the courage to encourage it when it's not there?
So, there's my mid-quarter report. I've done what a teacher should -- I've gathered some data and started my analysis. Time will tell if I show any growth...
The school year is off and running. I just celebrated my 37th birthday (yeah, that's right -- I'm not ashamed). This summer had some wonderful highs and some disappointing lows, and time quickly went crawling by all at once. The first day of classes seem like they were just yesterday, and yet tomorrow we are officially one-eighth of the way through the school year. Since my students will be getting their mid-quarter grades, I suppose it's time to dust off my personal grade book and assess myself too.
I had a lot of time to think over the summer -- the prize and the curse of not working. While some of my reflection was personal (and, sorry to report, that's how it's going to stay), some of it was professional. I made some goals for myself, and five weeks into school here's how it's going:
Keeping my desk neater -- A-
* I've been pretty pleased with myself here. While I can't yet make the same claim about my classroom cabinets, I am feeling better with my organization. I'm feeling less stressed since I'm not constantly looking for that thing I know I left on my desk, and I'm much more mindful of what I'm keeping and what I'm not. So far, so good.
Staying present -- B
* I broke the watch band of my Garmin several weeks ago. It's been a blessing in disguise -- I'm less distracted by it during the day. While I admittedly worry about the small chance of not immediately answering a call or a text during an emergency, I feel like a better role model not having my phone out when it's not the appropriate time or place. I believe in not asking students to do something if I'm not willing to do it myself, so I feel like I'm moving in the right direction here. The best way to combat my dislike of hypocrisy is to not become its victim.
Trying new things -- B+
* I'm preparing to take on a new role at school that will require me to jump headfirst into new learning. It's scary, but it's exciting! I fully admit that there are things I just don't know much about, so this new role will throw me in the deep end of the pool and force me to swim. I also, thanks to my amazing sister, did something I never thought I'd do -- we got tattoos together for our birthday. If you had asked me a year ago, I would have laughed at the thought. I realized, though, that life is short and sometimes you just have to jump; here's hoping I keep climbing up on the diving board this year.
Adjusting my perspective -- C
* Without a doubt, this has proven to be the hardest for me. Negativity is exhausting, yet for some reason it's a natural default. We can call it venting or stress relief (and, if we're all truly honest, sometimes the valve has to release before the pressure becomes too great), but there's a difference between a moment of unloading and a general attitude. I've often used the phrase "positive presupposition" -- assuming that intentions are always good and presuming the best in others. I question, though, if I'm doing more than just paying lip service. I intellectually understand the concept; do I emotionally put it into practice? Is it enough to strive for it myself, or am I doing a disservice by not encouraging it in others? Or -- as someone in a recent Twitter chat asked -- do I have the courage to encourage it when it's not there?
So, there's my mid-quarter report. I've done what a teacher should -- I've gathered some data and started my analysis. Time will tell if I show any growth...
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