My Goals

      As part of TeachThought's 30 days of reflective blogging I will be spending the next month thinking and reflecting on each day's prompt.  Being reflective is an important component of the IB program. Being reflective is one of the hardest parts for me. No one wants to think back on what they did, or how they could have done better.  This month's blog posts will do just that!
     So starting off for day one I was prompted to write about my goals for the year.  It said to be as vague or specific as you wanted.  Since this is my blog for reflecting on my teaching I will focus on career goals. 
     1.  I want to give more time to the individual student.  Last year I had 32 children and I barely knew some of them.  There was so much I missed out on getting to know each little person.  Some of that due to numbers and some due to behaviors.  This year, it will be different.  I have 22 children.  Ten less! I don't care what anyone says- numbers matter.  Anything under 25 is pretty manageable.  My goal is to know each child, what they like, don't like. Their favorite authors.  I want to acknowledge all their successes (and failures) no matter how small, and use them as a springboard to challenge themselves in a new way. 
    2. I want to stop taking things so personal and let it go. (channeling Frozen here)  I have to remember why I am there. I am there to teach. I am not going to get a bonus if I work late, and miss out on my own family.  I have to stay balanced. This is my job, I will do what I need to create successes for my students. But, to kill myself and come in early and stay late and miss out on life...what is the point! What examples do we set for our own students and children if we ourselves cannot find balance? 
   3.  I do not want my instruction to be driven by standardized tests! I refuse to teach to the test. My job is to teach and teach well.  To teach the standards set forth by the Common Core, but more importantly to teach the child.  To understand that not every child comes to me with the same knowledge and circumstance.  I have to teach the child that I am given and give them the tools to be successful on an assessment- but to teach the whole child. To be kind. To be respectful. To be brave. To be inquirers. To be a leader.