Just Keep Growing

While checking on the plants that we seeded last week, I noticed that quite a few had managed to push through the soil surface. Some even still had the seed hanging on! I had the realization that I'm a lot like those little plants right now. I've broken through some initial barriers that I've faced so far in student teaching, but I've got a long way to go until I'm fully developed as an educator. 

It can be easy to get discouraged when you think about the work you have left to do. It feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and there's no possible way to complete everything. This is why it's always important to look back at how far you've come, and acknowledge what you've already accomplished.

With that being said, I'm trying to set manageable goals moving forward. My main goals for the coming week are:

1. To find or create some assignments that are worthwhile for my students. I want to give them the opportunity to earn points, that way their grade isn't so heavily based on a summative assessment. I also want to make sure that the assignments that I'm giving are helpful to the students' learning, and not just busy work. 

2. To improve my ability to have effective closure at the end of class. I often feel like the time flies by in class and before I know it the bell is ringing and I didn't do any kind of review with the kids. I need to get better at paying attention to the time and finding ways to make sure that I know whether or not the students are grasping the material.