Disney Inspiration: Coach Yourself Forward

In a sense the blog serves as a place to visualize, analyze, take an idea,
vision, goal, experience apart in order to renew, recreate, or develop. 

Educators, probably like many professionals, have to continually coach themselves forward to do a good job. It takes that "pulling up from your bootstraps" everyday to focus your attention and care in the right direction and do the work well. That's one reason why I write as it helps me to forward my work well and move past the obstacles to teaching children with care, attention, and best effort.

Also, goal setting, vision, and looking forward helps to inspire one to move ahead too. The students and I are watching the story of Walt Disney's start. In the film his character discusses vision and how vision, in part, is what pushed him forward.

So on this grey, damp morning in May, I'll take a few minutes once again to consult my vision as I push forward to the good day ahead.

Shared Teaching Model
I continue to be grateful for the great team I work with. My colleagues are committed, caring, kind, and skilled. I am learning so much from them, and I truly love the sense of team we've created with our 68 fifth graders. Our programming has been good and our ability to coach each other forward wonderful. I look forward to continuing this sense of team next year as well.

Math Teaching and Learning
It's clear that math teaching and learning is undergoing lots of change as there are countless articles and examples of this in the education news. I plan to read a lot about this over the summer as I review last year's math teaching efforts and update the work to reflect new research and knowledge.

Outside Consultants and Camaraderie
I've connected with a large number of outside consultants and organizations to learn more about teaching, and those groups have a lot to share. I find that this collaborative learning and growth helps to keep my teaching/learning fresh, up to day, and invigorating. I will continue to look for ways to work within these groups to develop my craft.

Writing: Systems Think and Work
I really enjoy thinking about the ways that systems can change and develop to inspire better teaching/learning. I like the potential that systematic think and action hold. I'll continue to read about this and write about it with a broad lens with regard to education.

Union
I'm learning a lot about the union and there's more to learn. It's a point of listening as I move forward with my role(s) in this regard.

Still smarting a bit about the comments related to "writing too much," I find that it's essential to right the road each day in writing with regard to the teaching path. Teachers like me have to reach deep inside to keep the momentum going, push past the obstacles, and teach well.

I don't think I'm alone in this regard, as there are unique aspects to the job that only classroom teachers, and perhaps only teachers at the elementary level, would understand.

How do you coach yourself forward day after day? What helps you to energize and teach well? Where do you find your sustenance for the job?

With the topic of turnover a big topic in education, I wonder how most teachers would answer this question. Moving forward.