Today was a rough day. It was the type of day I question what I do, why I do it, and if I’m in the right profession. I read a couple of quotes that got me thinking:
1) “In some ways people have to be compliant.”
2) “I was never a perfect teacher. Not all of my students were empowered…”
In Room 303, I’m trying to put forth and teach a growth mindset. On the “compliant, engaged, empowered scale,” my class falls just to the left of engaged. I still have work to do on the engagement piece, but I’m working my way slowly to the empowered piece. In my mind, in order to create a growth mindset atmosphere, I’m trying to incorporate small changes in my room. For example, I’m having students grade and reflect on their own work. I’m having students offer peer reviews and evaluations on their work. Lastly, I’m trying to get away from simply setting due dates so I can get through material. In my mind, a due date says, “Learning ends on this specific day.” With a growth mindset, learning never ends.
With my lack of due dates, some students take advantage of this. Today was one of those days. With the risks and changes I’m taking and making this year, problems will happen. I’ll admit it, I can be inconsistent. But, I’m trying new things, and new things can be messy. At times, I feel that I’m taking the non-compliance and growth mindset too literally. As I was reading today, I read the quote, “In some ways people have to be compliant.” I liked this quote because it serves as a reminder that people need to follow due dates from time to time. However, learning should not stop after the due date.
This entire year has been about taking risks and changing the culture and experience in my classroom. I need to remind myself this is a messy process. There will be ups and downs, but I need to focus on what’s going well. The pictures below represent the positives that took place from my rough day.
What went well today?
- Students helped me come up with a bracket for History Madness and reflected on a lot of past information they learned.
- A student who hates typing his blog, said he would give it one more try – and did an awesome job today.
- Finally, I’m still taking risks everyday. Add all of this up, and you have my “What ifs” for education.
What if all teachers took risks?
What if all teachers took risks? What would be the harm? On a daily basis, we ask students to take risks and put themselves out there. However, most teachers do not hold themselves to the same expectations. Perhaps we should modeling, and expecting, these same behaviors. Maybe learners would be willing to take more risks with critical thinking and creativity. Students would be filling to fail and learn from mistakes. I shared a thought today on Twitter: “failure = learning stops, failing = more learning is needed and will continue.” Overall, teachers taking more risks with everyday lesson can have a huge impact on student growth and learning.
What if school were fun?
I have heard others say that school is not all fun and games. Why not? Teachers and students alike should want to be at school.Teachers should love coming to school. Students should want to be in your classrooms. Learning should be fun. When someone enjoys something, or has a passion for something, more learning and engagement takes place. What if teachers created more of these fun experiences?
Overall, it was a rough day. With my focus on engagement with hopes of providing empowerment, I need to remind myself, “I’m not the perfect teacher. Not all of my students were empowered”…….or engaged for that matter. I need to focus on the small wins that are taking place on a daily basis. It’s too easy to throw in the towel and do it the way it has always been done.
Moler's Musings 