Is anything different?

As ever, I am trying to juggle full time work, MA, mange a home, spend time with my husband and do my best in an unexpected second job.  I am getting weary as the end of term approaches but I am invigorated by being in the studio.  Whenever I study it reignites my passion for sharing learning and makes me work harder to be the best I can be.

I am filled with pride when I can see my students progressing.  I know I am but just a cog in their development, but I also know from their feedback that they are benefiting from and appreciating my rigour and passion.

I don't need anything else (apart from perhaps coffee!) - the pleasure of sitting and watching the students perform an exercise better than they were performing it at the start of term is enough.

It is good for me to acknowledge this.  It is really worth it and if it took me enrolling on this course to reinvigorate my teaching, then so be it... the reflective work has really got me back on track and I must not forget this once this module is over....

Happy MAPPing!

Janet 

Thursday night musings

Having got to the end of the 2nd draft of an AoL I have realised that 29 years of teaching has taught me much.  I realise that there have been clear pivotal moments such as doing my Cert Ed, but there is much that is detailed in this AoL that cannot be pinned down to a definitive moment, or can even be described as being 'learned'.  Hard to quantify, but acquired somewhere, somehow, someday (Sondheim reference not intentional, well perhaps the someday...)

Do I prefer to be able to trace and identify learning moments, or do I relish the learning that I cannot pin down?  Probably both... I like the organisation of knowing when and how I learned something but I also am excited by the learning that has been via osmosis although it is a tad frustrating not being able to tie it up neatly within an 'experience.'

Maybe my students feel like that... I have never asked them that question and I will... 

Good Morning learning!

Having really got to grips with my AoLs last night I am aware that there is more to extract from my knowledge of my learning and I am quite excited by the concept of laying it all out like a (pardon the pun) map of what I know.

I realised how I work best doing this sort of task, learning in itself, and can clarify my learning by choosing an area and 'chartifying' it so that I list what I am calling the elements which contribute to the title in a diagram of sorts.  I find I can then expand the elements and quantify the learning.

Now I have found my way of documenting my AoLs I think I can get through it quite efficiently.  I did not plan out how to do it - more I let it come to me and I feel relieved and motivated.

Happy MAPPing!

Janet