THE NEXT FIVE YEARS
I am currently a High School Math Coach/Teacher.
In that role, I teach IB Math Studies and then spend the rest of my day looking for ways to improve teaching and learning within my math professional learning community.
In reflecting on my journey this year, I will share my goals as stated in March 2016:
My short term goal (in the next six months):
Our math department is a professional learning community that is looking at data to improve student achievement. We are exploring student-centered classrooms and hope to define what a student-centered classroom means for math teaching and learning.
My long term goal (over the next five years):
I am a life-long learner who looks for leadership opportunities inside and outside the classroom. As such, I plan on spreading my enthusiasm and interest in the power of mistakes and struggle in the math classroom through my voice and actions. I believe that this concept is transferable to any content area and will seek ways to open the conversation to other teachers as well.
I see myself as a missional thinker. I wanted to see changes in the dynamics of the classroom where the role of teacher becomes facilitator more than deliverer of knowledge. I have seen strides with my short term goal. I am realistic in my expectations. If I want the change to be meaningful then others need to see the value and that might mean small changes over time.
I see my network as an instrument to feed and nurture my progress. Our Deep Play book: Greg Toppo’s The Game Believes in You helped me to see new ways in engaging students. Jo Boaler’s book Mathematical Mindsets reshaped my vision of myself as a teacher. Both authors helped me to abandon most of my powerpoint presentation and turn my lessons into student explorations. I put enormous time and effort put into those presentations but I am not sorry about not using them. I am willing to do what is necessary in order to engage students in learning. Sometimes that mean letting go of the comfortable.
Another part of my network is Punya Mishra. He pushes me to explore the unknown.
Looking forward, I know that my MSU STEMWipro experience has transformed my teaching. I embrace the struggle and feel compelled to share new thoughts and ideas with other. Over the next five years, I plan to make my classroom an “innovation lab.”
This would be a makerspace for teachers. I want to try new methods and share successes/failures with others.
Originally, I wanted to transform my math department into a professional learning community.
Now I think I will think more cross-curricular and find like minded teachers to explore with me.
This innovation lab idea would be worth documenting and sharing with an even larger audience than my school building.
As I write this, it sounds quite ambitious.
And yet, I am not changing what I record here –
I am leaving it as a reminder that I have larger goals and plans for attaining them.
In that role, I teach IB Math Studies and then spend the rest of my day looking for ways to improve teaching and learning within my math professional learning community.
In reflecting on my journey this year, I will share my goals as stated in March 2016:
My short term goal (in the next six months):
Our math department is a professional learning community that is looking at data to improve student achievement. We are exploring student-centered classrooms and hope to define what a student-centered classroom means for math teaching and learning.
My long term goal (over the next five years):
I am a life-long learner who looks for leadership opportunities inside and outside the classroom. As such, I plan on spreading my enthusiasm and interest in the power of mistakes and struggle in the math classroom through my voice and actions. I believe that this concept is transferable to any content area and will seek ways to open the conversation to other teachers as well.
I see myself as a missional thinker. I wanted to see changes in the dynamics of the classroom where the role of teacher becomes facilitator more than deliverer of knowledge. I have seen strides with my short term goal. I am realistic in my expectations. If I want the change to be meaningful then others need to see the value and that might mean small changes over time.
I see my network as an instrument to feed and nurture my progress. Our Deep Play book: Greg Toppo’s The Game Believes in You helped me to see new ways in engaging students. Jo Boaler’s book Mathematical Mindsets reshaped my vision of myself as a teacher. Both authors helped me to abandon most of my powerpoint presentation and turn my lessons into student explorations. I put enormous time and effort put into those presentations but I am not sorry about not using them. I am willing to do what is necessary in order to engage students in learning. Sometimes that mean letting go of the comfortable.
Another part of my network is Punya Mishra. He pushes me to explore the unknown.
Looking forward, I know that my MSU STEMWipro experience has transformed my teaching. I embrace the struggle and feel compelled to share new thoughts and ideas with other. Over the next five years, I plan to make my classroom an “innovation lab.”
This would be a makerspace for teachers. I want to try new methods and share successes/failures with others.
Originally, I wanted to transform my math department into a professional learning community.
Now I think I will think more cross-curricular and find like minded teachers to explore with me.
This innovation lab idea would be worth documenting and sharing with an even larger audience than my school building.
As I write this, it sounds quite ambitious.
And yet, I am not changing what I record here –
I am leaving it as a reminder that I have larger goals and plans for attaining them.