Discussion/Reflection Questions:
- React to the following statement: Most teachers don't give themselves enough credit for the work they do and the skills they have.
- What are some of your greatest strengths as a professional? Consider both in-class and other professional tasks. How do you know you're good at these things?
- How dependent are you on others' approval? How well do you self-assess?
- How safe is it in your school to be proud of your work? How do others in your school react when someone receives recognition?
- What's your definition of a great teacher? Be specific. What do they do? How do they sound? What would their students say about them?
Suggested Activities:
- Create a list of the things you do well as a teacher. Give an example of each.
- If one of the mind-set shifts outlined in the middle of this chapter is something you could work on, try it out. Create a measurable goal and tell a colleague about it. Have your colleague check in with you periodically about how you're doing.
- Find a colleague who's willing to buddy-up with you. Visit each other's rooms a few times over a couple of weeks, and reflect on what you each do well. Be as specific and non-judgmental as possible
- Create a list of things in your teaching life that you can and can't control. Focus on the ones you can control and give yourself permission to let go of the others.
- Think of a next step for you as a professional. Name a concrete, specific, and measurable goal. Create a plan for working on this goal and measuring your progress. Use the process outlined in this chapter for guidance.
This chapter came at the perfect time in my opinion! We are all in the midst of SOL tests and aren't taking the time to look at how competent we actually are. We see the results and read them as failures when we didn't have the scores we wanted instead of finding the evidences of our hard work and effort. We also don't take as much time to praise each other during the school day because we are so busy and caught up in the anxieties that come with this time of year. We are tired and just like we ask our students not to, we start to let things go and slide by at the most crucial point of our year. I am as guilty as the next person and have been measurably working on trying to get a daily positive compliment in to someone every day. I keep track of it in a habit tracker in my new bullet journal, therefore will have data to help me move forward and mindful of helping others notice competence in their work.
ReplyDeleteThis year has felt different in so many ways, but one of the most noticable is the decline in people "checking in" on how everything is going. I have struggled this year with the fact that there are significantly fewer occasions in which people have sought me out to ask how I'm doing, if I need anything, you are doing great, etc. That doesn't mean there aren't people asking or caring, but I do crave the attention and positive affirmation that I am doing good things more. On the otherhand, it has allowed me to develop a better sense of self-efficacy and confidence in myself. I am constantly finding what works and what doesn't and putting those changes into my practice. I already have a multi-page list of things to improve next year. I know in my heart I am a better teacher than I was last year and I will hopefully continue on that path for years to come.
A few years ago, someone told me I needed to learn how to take a compliment. I didn't realize that I didn't know how to be ok with being proud of myself. I am the paradox he is talking about...I love being praised, but feel uncomfortable in the attention that comes with it. I crave it at school, but runaway from the spotlight when it happens. I feel sometimes as if I am not humble, people will think less of me. It has nothing to do with the climate of our school and I think over this year, I have become much better at letting myself feel good about what I do (of course that may come with a little encouragement from my rocking team). I love that we have the positive behavior referral system and that it extends to staff as well. I think it will help us all build up our self efficacy and confidence levels, and be good models for our students to learn to be ok accepting praise in a healthy way!
None of the author’s observations resonated with me perhaps as much as this: “. . . [S]o many teachers struggle with a sense of competence in their own teaching. . . . . [M]any teachers feel incompetent—which is ironic, because . . . the vast majority of teachers are more than competent” (66). Amen.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, teachers are self-deprecating, focused on the trees that feel less rooted or not blooming brightly, not seeing the well-rooted ones they’ve tended nor the entire forest they have cultivated. I fit that mold, too. I mean, what forest? What flourishing oak, sycamore, birch? Yet, I notice we are often quick to offer grace and reality checks to our peers. We owe ourselves the same! The challenge is, how can we help ourselves see ourselves and believe in ourselves, too?
I understand, it is so easy not to trust what we are accomplishing because we fear that the things we are not accomplishing are glowing in the dark. I think changing the culture of our communication is key. (Healthful communication is key to so much. It's lack of feedback and mentorship, in general, that feeds these doubts, I think. I have experienced this in my limited time as an educator, but in other jobs, as well. This is not just about receiving recognition or about constructive critiques, it’s about modeling. When, in our own education and professional world, are we given real tools to monitor our own progress? (In another chapter, Anderson mentions that principals are too swamped to model instructional approaches or to truly mentor. I agree with that, but my first reaction to those ideas was--“What?! That is part of a principal’s job?!”) I cannot imagine how administrators would have time to model these things within the classroom, but I believe our educator preparatory programs need to focus on these issues for future teachers in real and applicable ways: name the issues, offer scenarios, offer strategies. And, for the teacher with “provisional licensure” or the “career switcher,” at a minimum, there needs to be open conversation within school systems about these realities for teachers, including the battle for self-efficacy. No more silence. I am glad the conversation is opening in some of the FCPS.
Until this revision comes, I think Anderson offers us a great self-monitoring goal-setting system. Very concrete and doable. I look forward to breaking down some problems and setting some goals this summer for the future, using his approach.
I have already written a book here, but Ms. Cromer posted so many inspiring questions at the head of this post. I will respond to #2 because a reminder of my efficacy was why I sat down to this this morning, but w/ few examples b/c I am reaching my character limit. So, some of my strengths as an educator—and as a person. Not sure I separate these days. In most of my life, I am an educator and a person, usually ;). So:
Communication. Accountability. Validating others. Improving on processes. Flexibility—I am happy to say this is a growing strength for me with age and experience. This job with FCPS has been an amazing exercise in flexibility regarding priorities, finding work spaces, schedules (mine, my family’s, each school’s, each teacher’s, sometimes each student’s, the weather’s, health’s, Board of Supervisors’), personalities, expectations, beliefs about gifted ed., etc., etc.! Here’s to continually stretching!