It ESSENTIAL that to help form my own mind and that of my students is to allow time for dialogue, reflection and inquiry. I also need to not have THE FEAR to let my students explore and form opinions based on the notion of BOTH/AND. This process can be accomplished with safe 6th grade topics (Thanks Kelly) to expose my children to the notion and I can foster it. This process is going to also allow myself growth and having an open mind to this skill and practice myself to formulate opinions, stances, and beliefs so that I TOO CAN GROW! Qually has forced me to think outside of the box to make sure I am not a FRAUD. I believe that I as a teacher do not produce test-takers, and claim to produce LIFE-LONG LEARNERS and I have not done so. I need to help continue to stimulate and help their minds to grow.
Thanks for a GREAT DAY!!! HAPPY READING EVERYONE!!!!! HA,HA
NO FEAR. Disaster is fertile ground.
ReplyDeleteFirst Mary Ann you are definitely not a fraud. And yet sometimes I feel that way too. Parker J. Palmer said, "But at other moments, the classroom is so lifeless or painful or confused...that my claim to be a teacher seems a transparent sham." Sham and fraud...hmmm. Doesn't that fact that we question ourselves about our actions as teachers actually point us out to be better educators than counterparts who never question their roles in the classroom. When you sat in class today wondering how to bring excitement to reading and how to use the essayistic approach in your classroom, heck that mere fact that you were sitting in the classroom approaching a difficult course with a surgery just last week puts you in the category of gifted teacher willing to reflect on your practices and challenge yourself. Go Mary Anne!
ReplyDeleteYou are not the only one. I feel like a disaster most of the time. For me, it is always comforting to know that I am not alone so...never fear! You are not the only one that is stressed. Comfort in numbers.
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