It's time for an end of the semester, beginning of a new semester, reflection. I've reread my August post and was reminded of the trepidation I felt as I began the job of a facilitator for a program of professional development. I have relaxed into the role and approach every new task with a fair degree of comfort.
Research and reflection. Our greatest contributions. I had sufficient time for neither when I was a classroom teacher. Our cutting-edge professional development supports teachers with research to guide their practices. Teachers will soon be delivering their own lessons, with their colleagues watching them, but until then I get to teach lessons to students and watch what happens when we use research-supported writing practices. My latest lesson taught students how to use a text structure for literary analysis; I spent hours studying how other people wrote about literature and paid attention to the structure they used.
And reflection. Heather and I coach group conversations, with teachers across grade levels, following each lesson. How many schools offer time for purposeful conversation focused solely on the research and strategies guiding a lesson--with no talk of chaperoning the school dance or scheduling time in the computer lab thrown in? Conversations in the past two days focused on strategies to make students feel successful and how to write answers on constructed response items that prepare students for college, career, and citizenship.
How have I grown personally? Well, I've certainly found the place where I can do what I love to do which is to think about best practices and create lessons around them, and I get to teach just often enough to satisfy my pleasure in being with students. I'm not gregarious enough to feel completely confident in front of a large group of teachers, but I've grown to feel competent enough.
I will admit to being too focused on content with not enough attention given to the people, teachers and students, using it. It is with a great deal of surprise and pleasure that I notice I am becoming more people oriented. I give credit to sessions in coaching people to think. I've been taught how to craft questions so the person I'm coaching does all the thinking, freeing me to concentrate on fully listening to my conversation partner. My lessons in listening are carrying over to casual conversations as well.
As I begin the second semester, my biggest concern is in managing my time. I likely am doing too much. My mind races when a teacher admits that behavior management keeps her from using small groups in the classroom or when a teacher feels pushed to use isolated instruction in grammar. I want to offer a lesson!
I am an occasional blogger, not disciplined enough to do it every day. However, the benefits of reflecting in a blog or a journal are enormous; I encourage you to find a method for reflection too. Together we can watch ourselves grow.
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