Yesterday I made some time to reconsider my professional direction.
I studied the system-wide budget, read colleagues' websites, and took note of recent school committee reports. I thought about where I fit into the puzzle that is my school system. I also noted where others fit in with respect to roles and responsibilities.
In some ways, the budget provided a good structure for organizational analysis and understanding. It helped me to think about my future professional learning and investment of time.
It was a worthwhile process. One I recommend to educators and leaders at all levels as knowing your organization well will help you to make good decisions about your future, and these cold days of winter are a good time to research professional learning opportunities.
For me, the work solidified my choice to lean into the job by focussing on the details of teaching children well--the microsphere of education including classroom set-up, curriculum design, learning experiences, listening/responding to individual students, working with colleagues, and advocacy for children's needs and rights. I find that the details of the job are a good challenge for me, and I like the intersection of focusing on the details with research, design, teaching, reflection, response, and revision. That cycle meets my system-wide responsibilities, helps me to teach children well, and makes me happy too.
I will continue to grow this professional direction with online share/study, attendance at conferences, and working with students and colleagues to design and implement worthy learning events. Specifically at this time the work mostly centers on learning design and delivery related to math/science standards, STEAM lab investigation/exploration, cultural relevancy, and learning-to-learn mindsets/behaviors.
As you consider your professional path, what calls you forward? Why are you moved in this direction? How will you nurture this path? What team of colleagues will you work with to get to where you want to go?
Take some time to organize your files, research your organization, create a learning path, and move forward with your teaching/learning work. This will be time well spent as you continue to do good work and teach children well.
