Teacher Skill I Want to Work On...

When I began to blog last summer I knew that one of the most important factors of my growth as a teacher would be reflection. The ability to reflect, and the resolve to implement changes from reflection, are things that I have been working on. That said, I know what aspect of my teaching needs to be tweaked. Interestingly, this epiphany came through teaching a unit on fables.

After the MCT2, I knew the kids would be exhausted with school. Nevertheless, they knew that we would continue to have "real school" in my classroom until the very last day. I was searching to find something that would be relevant and interesting. I chose fables. Fables seemed like a good idea because I knew I could incorporate Character Education. Introducing the kids to simple stories that taught valuable life lessons gave us a way to do some reading, easily comprehend, and apply the lessons to our lives. I told them that I would be doing self-reflection along with them. So, we read this very simple fable called "The Wind and the Sun."

Here it is...The wind and the sun were arguing about which of them was stronger.  They agreed to a test, the winner being he who could make a traveler remove his coat.  The wind blew hard and tried to tear off the traveler's coat, but the traveler only wrapped it around him more tightly.  When the pleasant sun warmed the traveler, he took off his coat.


This short fable was so powerful to me. The moral is that "kindness sometimes works better than force." How does this apply to me? Well, I approach my classroom like I approach coaching. This can be good and bad--depending on the situation. I've learned that I have to dial down the intensity in the classroom sometimes because it can be a bit intimidating and off-putting to the kids. I'm not saying that I'm going to be less passionate, but I know that if I want to be as effective a teacher as possible, I must be able to use different approaches in the classroom to obtain the desired results. 


I am definitely going to work on this during the Extended Year Program. I want to be conscious of when I can handle situations differently. Moreover, I know that an adjusted approach will endear me to more students, more quickly. I just want to make sure I have this skill honed when school resumes in August...I know it will greatly benefit me.