New teachers enter the
profession excited about many things; however the very idea that this year will
be the worst year doesn’t resonate in their minds. As a new teacher, my biggest fear was that my
students would not listen to what I had to say, but I realized that listening
to my words would prove to be less important than demonstrating the skill. This realization came with time, and many
tears.
Early on in my career, I
was consumed with print rich environments, student incentives, interactive
small groups and covering EVERYTHING on my schedule for that day! As I matured as a teacher, I realized that I
didn’t
have to get it all done that day. The
kids and their development would help set the pace in the classroom. That
became one of my weaknesses: wanting to get it ALL done.
During a summer program,
as I worked with novice teachers, I spent most of my time exposing my
weaknesses as a new teacher so that they could become stronger. I am not sure that many teachers are willing
to do this in the most raw and uncut ways. When teachers realize that they are
not in that space alone, it helps them grow.
Somewhere along the way, I forgot that and began playing to my
strengths, but I’m wondering if it would
not be more impactful if I went back and revisited the moments when I showed my
hand, my weaknesses. I move in and out
of teacher's classes on a daily basis and am amazed at some of the strategies
that I see. However, I am curious if these
veteran teachers would also feel comfortable speaking about the areas that they
are weakest in?
I present this idea as
many teachers are leaving the profession for varied reasons and those of us
that choose to stay continue to get stronger, abandoning many weaknesses or
converting them into strengths. It makes me wonder if we are teaching our
newest colleagues how to do the same. Our greatest strength as veteran teachers
is our vulnerability when it comes to the development of others.
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