A game of Reflective Tag

Okay, I was tagged by Liesl (and I have no one to tag), but I'll do it for the fun of it... :)

1. I am a good teacher because… I really connect with kids and find ways that match for them to interact with the subject and with life.

2. If I weren’t a teacher I would be a… Hmmm... this begins the incessant list of yore. When I was young, I would make lists upon lists of "what I could be" when I grew up. Note that it doesn't say what I want to be when I grow up... just what I could be. I suppose if I weren't a teacher... hm... I can't even imagine it to be honest. So much so that when we have that "what would you do if you won the lottery" discussion, my answer is always to keep teaching because I love it. A secretary? (mindless and done at the end of the day... but I know I would be bored of that at the end of one week... so I really honestly don't know.) A politician? (I would love to find more ways to change the world...but I'm sort of an introvert...)

3. My teaching style is… changing. Some because of age (and I'm finding that perhaps I'm not meeting the kids on the same plane I used to when I first began) and some because of theory. I haven't yet decided if these changes are all for the better... but I take solace in knowing at least most of it is.

4. My classroom is… busy. Not necessarily always busy with work. Not necessarily busy with personal lives. Just busy. There's always that "hum" that makes me feel at home.

5. My lesson plans are… getting better. Understanding by Design has made such a difference in my assuredness (is that a word?) of knowing that what I'm doing is purposeful.

6. One of my teaching goals is… to increase authenticity in the classroom. More authentic language practice and usage. More authentic assessment. More authentic opportunities for students to do what they do and to do what they want to do.

7. The toughest part of teaching is… meeting everyone where they are and giving them what they need.

8. The thing I love about teaching is… the kids, the fun we have learning a language together and the relationships we share.

9. A common misconception about teaching is... one and two star schools have bad teachers and sub-par things going on. The fact of the matter is that NCLB is bad, the testing rules are outrageous, and the schools that are honest in testing (all of their kids, for instance) are the ones who are getting screwed in the stars. Our staff is just as good, if not better than, five star schools. We just have a different clientele, and we're honest on testing day. (Instead of, ahem, ahem, not having certain groups of students test, or even show up, that day...)

10. The most important thing I’ve learning since I started teaching is… to find community. I can tend to be something of an introvert... and finding community has been so meaningful for me. The thing I wished and tried to create for my students, I had been missing out on. Community gives a place of belonging as well as a place of support... both for the trying and the joyous times, and we, as humans, need that.