Forever Learning {Weekly Blog}

When learning something new there is always a point where you finally feel comfortable. Maybe it is around the people you are with, with the skill you are learning, the content you are memorizing... there is a point when you feel comfortable. Comfortability is a great feeling but a dangerous one. Comfortable often times is aligned with being complacent. Unfortunately complacent can result in laziness, no lack of growth, lack of care, and simply put, just riding along. There has been a point in my 14 weeks where I felt comfortable with the people, content, and every day workings. I can say I never was complacent but, I know when I hit this point there were some areas I did not stay as sharp in. 

Within this profession you are forever learning, something my cooperating teachers continually remind me of and something I have recognized. Everyday of student teaching there are multiple new lessons to be learned. I often find myself trying to cross of items on my checklists but not sitting back and assessing why things are happening in the classroom or why students are behaving the way they are. I get caught up in the operations and expectations of the day. Something I admire about my teachers if their "students first and student driven" philosophy. It is an aspect they role model daily. This week one of my cooperating teachers and I had a repeat conversation of something my other cooperating teacher and I discussed in the 3r quarter, point distribution. Sitting back and looking, discussing, and assessing, I missed the mark with the 4th quarter grades and point distribution which affective student motivation in my class. There are other factors to assess as well but reminding myself to stop, observe, and assess where the class is at and not just continue working through something that feels off is important.

This concept comes back to the overarching concept of forever learning. Every class will be different every year, quarter, and semester and new problems or concerns will arise each year I am taking. There is no room on the complacent train and no day that should be a " I just have to get through this". Sometimes that is hard, especially when outside of school factors are weighing on you. Even writing and rereading this blog is an extra motivation and an excellent reminder to be more then just present.