Improving My Craft
I have grown a lot as an educator this year. I have worked hard to improve how collaborative groups function in my class and I have improved my skills in classroom management. I am collaborating more with my colleagues to make common formative assessments and to learn new techniques for helping students discover or construct the concepts I am teaching. I am implementing writing as a tool in my class, having students reflect on their learning and giving students the opportunity to gather their thoughts on paper before sharing with their groups.
The Future
My long-term professional growth goal is to create an environment in which all my students can learn, are engaged and challenged academically, feel free to take risks, and feel valued and appreciated. Basically, I want my students to enjoy my class and learn something, even if they won't work in a STEM field in the future. I hope to reach the students that feel cast aside or invisible, to show not just that somebody cares, but that I care. I would like my students to take the risk of trying to solve problems, learning from their mistakes, and to realize they can make a difference.
I don't have all the answers, I don't know it all. I know that I will make mistakes throughout my career, but in order to continue growing and improving as an educator I approach my profession with an open mind and a growth mindset. My colleagues at my site, within my district, and throughout the world have significant experience and I will continue to seek help and guidance from them. When I design lessons, I will continue to ask myself, "What is it I want my students to learn?" Improvement is something I value, especially for a profession that I love. I look forward to becoming a better educator.
I don't have all the answers, I don't know it all. I know that I will make mistakes throughout my career, but in order to continue growing and improving as an educator I approach my profession with an open mind and a growth mindset. My colleagues at my site, within my district, and throughout the world have significant experience and I will continue to seek help and guidance from them. When I design lessons, I will continue to ask myself, "What is it I want my students to learn?" Improvement is something I value, especially for a profession that I love. I look forward to becoming a better educator.
What Keeps Me Going
My students keep me young and they give me purpose in life. Every morning when I pray, I thank God for my students, my job, and my colleagues. Each school year goes by quickly, and it is so incredibly rewarding to see my students get accepted to universities and watch them walk across the stage at the end of the year to receive their high school diplomas. Within the classroom, watching my students grow and learn, to become willing to try math problems, to be able to explain to their neighbor or friend how to solve a problem or why they are solving it in a particular way--these things drive me.
Quote
"Robert is a take charge person who works until it's done." -- Steve Nielsen
Advice For New Educators
Be open-minded to trying new things in your classroom. It might be a little scary, but it's worth it. If you teach a lesson that totally flops, learn from it and improve. Mistakes will happen and it is impossible for you teach a perfect lesson all the time. The point is, you won't necessarily know where the flaws are in your lesson before you teach it, but you can find them in the moment as you're teaching. At Cal State San Marcos, I learned that our biggest F-word in teaching is Flexible. Your administrators might want you to try something that you haven't done before. Do it, because you just might find that it works and that you really like it.