Day One - My Goals

Prompt:  Write your goals for the school year.  Be as specific or abstract as you'd like to be!

Goals ... The simplest way to start a reflective challenge, yet one of the most daunting tasks.  It seems that taking the goals/ideas from your mind and heart and actually placing them on paper for others to see is really difficult.  Well, here goes nothing!

1.  Achieve a sense of community within my classroom

• So many of my students have entered my classroom at the beginning of the school and leave without "knowing" anything about their fellow classmates.  I find this troubling because I know that each student has something to offer, and when I know that certain students will "click" yet never actually hold a conversation, my heart breaks a little.  This year I'm going to make more of an effort to reach out to all my students to show that it's perfectly normal to make friends outside of their inner circle.

2.  Take the plunge - try implementing PBL in my classroom

• Not going to lie, I'm terrified of trying out PBL in my classroom because I know that this could possibly just blow up in my face.  I've introduced the idea to my students this past week of school, and their enthusiasm in actually trying something completely different helped to soothe my fears.  However, I'm still concerned with the outcome of this implementation.  But with great risk, comes great reward, right? RIGHT?!

3.  Speaking of RISK ... take more educational risks

• I don't mean breaking any district policies, because I do actually love my job (and would love to keep it for a while longer), but trying things without allowing my fears to take hold.  I was definitely the student that loved strict guidelines, and was not much for pushing boundaries.  However, as I became more comfortable with my role in my education, I realized that taking risks allowed for beautiful work that I was absolutely proud of showing others!
• Also, I figure that by showing my students that risks are worth taking in our classroom, they too will push their educational boundaries and actually learn something! (What a thought!)

4.  Integrating Technology ... not just using technology

• After much reflection on the past couple of years, I realized that I was just technology in my classroom for the sake of using it.  I really was not maximizing the potential of technology in a classroom, and I feel like I dropped the ball.  This year the focus is going to be about creating and preparing my students for a connected world.  On-line discussions, distance conferencing, and in-depth research via contacts are up for grabs this year.  I'm so stoked about all the possibilities that are available for the kiddoes!

5.  Listening to my students ... not just "hearing" them

• Education is all about the students, so why not ask them what they value the most out of their education?  I figure that it only makes sense to include them in the learning process; therefore, they will gain not only a sense of ownership of their education, but they will gain a voice which they can use to demand the BEST education from me.  I do not like settling for mediocre work from my students, especially when I know they can give me so much more, so why should they settle for anything less from me?

Okay, so maybe it wasn't so difficult to actually write down what I want to accomplish this year, but I know that this year has the potential to the best ever.  I can only hope that I constantly look back at these goals, and remind myself when I start to waver in my faith in myself or my abilities.

-A