At this moment in time this attribute may be pushing me over the edge.
Too many outside factors that are out of my control are pushing what really matters to me off to the side. Each year it seems that I am incorporating less and less of my personal teaching touches into the classroom. It's beginning to feel more and more like a cookie cutter classroom where I am focused mostly on what everyone else tells me to focus on. Fitting more in is not an option anymore without squeezing out something.
I feel I am losing my uniqueness as a teacher. How can I be all in when I don't agree which then leaves me with only two options; speak up or give in.
I have done a lot of speaking up but it seems it is out of my control to change the movement. So, that leaves the option of acceptance. If that is the way then am I losing my personality?
This is a lot of deep thinking Kris. I think you named a problem that many in the teaching profession are feeling. I wish I had a good answer or something enlightened to say here but I often feel the same way. Just know you aren't alone. There is sometimes comfort in that.
ReplyDeleteI found this quote the other day: "The movement grows only by the voices of those involved." My advice is to speak up! This profession is worth fighting for.
ReplyDeleteI found this quote the other day: "The movement grows only by the voices of those involved." My advice is to speak up! This profession is worth fighting for.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being so transparent. I agree with a previous commenter; you voice what so many of us also feel about our classrooms. This is how I get through those moments...I, like you I'm sure, find solace and joy in the relationships I build with my students, which will never ever be cookie-cutter. No one can mandate the little extra things I do for my kids. No, they'll never be charted in a professional growth plan or recorded by my test scores, but they are where I shine...and I will continue to find my joy in teaching in those moments. Best wishes to you!
ReplyDeleteI feel this too, more and more each year. It does feel out of our control but sometimes we just have to swerve off the road for a bit to find ourselves again. It is hard but we all have the right to give ourselves permission to let a little bit of our personal touch slip in.
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