How can a teacher keep up with this constant change throughout his/her tenure? What can we do to continue to develop our good work and serve children well?
First, there are constants we can't forget including the following:
- Use respect at all times
- Seek help when needed
- Put children first in all that you do
- Take care of yourself so that you have the energy to do the job well
- Continue to learn, reflect, revise, and refine. We will have difficult days and when those days arise, we need to analyze what happened and make appropriate accommodations and change
- Pause and take a time out needed during the day if a solution is not clear. This is often better than making a wrong choice.
- Prioritize
The fact that teaching and learning is constantly changing is another reason why we need to team with one another in the profession. Truly we can't have all the knowledge on our own--we do better together.
Therefore our best effort is to be lifelong learners who seek to do our best possible work with each and every child, family, and colleague. This is not a simple task, but instead, a worthy aim and goal that should lead our professional work. Onward.
