30 Day Reflection: 15 Years Later

This is the 29th day in a 30 day challenge from Teach Thought.

Day 29: How have you changed as an educator since you first started?

Oh, wow. I am not sure if this blog is big enough to document how much I have changed since I first started teaching, but I will certainly try.

 Ways I have changed   
1. I give my students more meaningful work now.  

If you walked into my classroom you might have seen my students doing all sorts of fun, cutesy activities. My students had fun, but the activities weren't tied to my content or any standards. Many times those early lessons were about keeping students busy as I thought that is what a productive classroom looked like.

Now, my idea of productive is very different. My classroom sometimes looks chaotic. Students sit in groups or pairs and wrestle with difficult questions that can't easily be answered by searching on the internet or a fill-in-the blank worksheet.

2. I am not afraid to ask for help now

Early in my teaching career, I was so afraid of making a mistake and looking bad that I didn't ask for help when I clearly needed it. I chose to suffer in silence and spent a lot of time figuring things out on my own.

Some of that time was well-spent, but some of it was frustrating and a big waste of time. Now, I know that two or three heads are better than one. Many times, my colleagues are struggling with the same things. They often have tried and true techniques that could help me out. If only I had known this sooner...

 
Ways I have not changed

1. I still have trouble saying "no".

I am a people pleaser, and I hate to disappoint people. Match that quality with my insatiable need to learn about and grow in my teaching and you have me singing "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No". While I am getting better at saying "yes" to everything, I still don't say "no" to everything I should. It's one of those things I will work on until I retire, I'm sure.
 
 2. I still am a workaholic.

I am working on it. I really am. Thankfully, I have work friends who tell me to "go home" when six o'clock rolls around. They tell me not to feel guilty about taking an evening off or letting a stack of papers sit while I eat my lunch. Part of it is that I have a type A personality and am intrinsically motivated. When you pair those qualities with the responsibility I feel toward my students, it's no wonder I push myself the way I do.