Westlake High School, 15 August 2013: professional development day.
Nothing says "Welcome home" like a table full of candy bars and a sign reading "Grab your favorite." Except perhaps a sign that actually says "Welcome home."
My transitions from substitute to student-teacher, from California to Utah, and from working a multitude of part-time jobs to fully focused on math education have all had their ups & downs thus far. This transition from summer to school-year has come upon me so quickly, I have had little time to sit down and reflect on this amazing experience. That's part of the beauty of a full life - words hardly do it justice. The hectic nature of a teaching career, especially at the start of a new school-year, cautions me to strive for balance with renewed (and facetiously restrained) vigor. I do not fear that I will forget the lessons I am learning; my fear is that I will lose the perspective in which I learned them.
Teaching is more than a profession, it is a way of life. Along with it comes a life's worth of lessons that I will want to share. Part of the goal of critical reflection (whether self-imposed or assigned) is to give the learner a tool to process teachable moments and extract the lesson. Later on, however, I may need to be reminded of what I learned or experienced. Of course, these lessons may benefit my students and peers, but today I remind myself that critical reflection is not a chore; it is personal development. It's a good thing I love to learn.
