This blog has caused me to a much more reflective person, especially in regards to my teaching. I always thought that I was, unashamedly, a damn good teacher. When it came time for my annual review or when visitors from the district or “donators” came by, I could turn on the charm and the teacher-talk to really sell the idea of how terrific I am.
I was always a teacher that had a few more lectures in my teaching arsenal then group projects. Partly because I can really work a crowd and partly because I have an ego that needs a bit of fanning now and then. Please don’t think that I was just spouting words out to make myself clever or elucidate ALL of my achiemenrtas or all of my biography. The lectures were truly on topic and moved the curriculum forward – – but – – but, I was clearly the center of the event.
Just recently I have begun to step back from the podium a bit, set up an activity with all of its needed goals, monitoring and evaluation AND THEN simply step back. On Friday, I found myself actually standing in the corner of the room behind all of the seating units watching the work of the students unfold. They were learning. They were focused. They were evaluating. They were doing just fine without me.
Was this teaching? Is this how easy it is? How would my evaluation ever work out if they just saw me perched in the back of the room cheering everyone on?
Have I been wanting to teach to hear myself think? Has it become a greater need for me to teach then for them to learn? More of those damn questions . . .