Yet no one can travel all of these paths thus it is critical to prioritize. I write about this again and again as I'm drawn to so many teaching/learning issues, and I see potential everywhere!
Where will this year's path lead, and what will take priority?
Students First
Whether the student is a pre-service teacher, presentation participant, or young child at my grade-level, my first responsibility is to serve each student well with good listening, apt/timely response, solid relationships, observation, study, and service. This is the mainstay of my work, and I will take my lead from the students I serve.
Team
Our strength as educators is best met through our collaboration with one another. How we work together, share, and support one another in our efforts to teach children well matters with respect to what we can do. Good teammates support one another with listening, observation, collaboration, shared design/effort, respect, kindness, and personal interest and support.
Knowledge Expertise
It is imperative that I know as much as I can about the skill, concept, and knowledge related to my areas of teaching/learning responsibility:
- math education
- STEAM
- learning-to-learn behaviors and mindsets
- blended, differentiated, personalized learning paths
- social/emotional strength and skills
None of us will know it all or have all the answers, but all of us can identify the prioritized paths and move in that direction to teach children well.
