During our last professional learning seminar (staff meeting), my principal challenged us to rekindle the spark that inspired us to teach. Although this summer added the necessary oxygen to breath life back into my flame, I began to reflect on my teaching attitudes. When I began teaching, I had extremely high expectations for my students success. Believing that every student was capable, given the means and motivation. Somewhere down the road (and I know I'm not alone) I began to do my students a disservice and lower my expectations.
I am most proud of myself this school year for keeping the bar raised and continually pushing my students to think critically. I am proud of them and myself.
I enjoyed your post in that I think I am headed where you were. Lately I have been looking for motivation to keep doing this. I have kids that can not read in an AP equivalant class. These kids are a constant disruption and it makes my day long. I don't think it is fair to teachers or the students that really are trying to pay attention to have to put up with these kids. They need to be somewhere learning to read rather that laying in my class and me waiting for them to turn 22. I need a spark and it is just my third year. Thanks for the post.
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