Thank you

I want to share a few moments about teachers. I attended a math conference yesterday and it can be amusing to stop and notice how teachers are so similar to one another. With any profession, you have a lot of differences within the profession, however, it was quite obvious yesterday how similar teachers can be.

While sitting in a workshop, I noticed how teachers all had the same reaction when the presenter revealed some resources for math. There was a reaction around the room of excitement about something simple yet so important for teachers. If you are a teacher who has "heart" in what you do everyday, you will understand what I am talking about. I was privileged to have the company of fellow colleagues and there was so much energy between all of us while we discussed our issues with our students' learning and possible activities and strategies for learning.

It was a gentle reminder that we, as teachers, need one another to be the most effective leader in the classroom. I am so glad I am a small part of the big picture in this profession and I am even more appreciative that I have great colleagues to work with. I know they are helping me to grow and improve each day in the classroom.

I am sure you know some colleagues who have had a positive influence in your career. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Evaluations

Have you ever thought about how we evaluate ourselves? We hear that word a lot in the world of education. It becomes a part of our every day language when we are dealing with students and when we reflect upon our own practices.

I believe I evaluate my effectiveness as a teacher upon the successes and failures of my students. We are gearing up for assessments next week and I am anxious for the results. One of the focuses for next week will not only be "how well " the students perform, but the "effort" they exhibit when they take the assessments.

I couldn't help but notice one of my student's reaction to my approval when he showed me his math homework this week. We have been stressing the importance of "showing" your work and "thinking" when solving problems. Our students do not always want to slow down to show all of these things. I knew this student was proud when he was practically putting his work in my face. Of course, I made sure I praised his "effort". I didn't really look to see if the work was correct because I wanted my students to know the importance of "effort". It felt so good inside to see that big smile across his face when I recognized his deliberate efforts. I believe those are the small moments in which we gain momentum with our students.

Does anyone have a moment to share when they made the connection with their students over the past few weeks. I would love to hear about it. How do you evaluate yourself?