I continue to think and rethink my role as educator.
Our new shared model at fifth grade is AMAZING with respect to the fact that I can much more often reach the level of excellence when it comes to teaching and learning. Now that I'm not spending lots of time trying to balance all the demands of multiple subjects, I am able to teach deep. That's both satisfying and productive when it comes to how and what I do for students.
This shift to the shared teaching model means greater collaboration, greater growth, and greater tailored attention to each and every learning. Terrific!
This change though has meant changes in other areas too. For example, I continued to hold on to past practice, materials, and efforts, and now I realize there needs to be changes in those areas too. You can't add on or change without taking away or modifying. Hence, I'm going to cull my to-do list so that my efforts are more greatly targeted towards math teaching and learning and less in other areas.
In the days ahead, I'll give my classroom yet another makeover to match my focus on mostly math teaching and learning. I'll also adjust my professional learning efforts in that direction in the next few months. I'll focus more on efforts related to the shared teaching model and math rather than other ares of school life.
There's always some angst associated with change. There's also error that occurs and the need to re-right one's direction. The shared teaching model is a model I've desired for a long time and overall the model's result is giving all of us, teachers and students, the chance to learn with greater depth, breadth, and engagement. This is a wonderful step in the right direction. Onward.
