Future Learning Goals

I have always had a quiet demeanor, and to be honest, never had the confidence to stand up and be a leader in our district. I was always happy working behind the scenes to get things done. While there is nothing wrong with that, I have decided it is time to push myself further into a more noticeable role within our building. As a district we are moving in the direction of the Modern Classroom. We will be the first district in Michigan to have a partnership with Modern Classroom and implement their studies in our teaching. This will be my first step in taking a more leadership role. I will be one of about 15 teachers, who will be beginning the 30 hour plus training and mentoring that will push our district forward into the future. When that training is complete, I will be responsible for teaching and training other teachers within our district and beyond. I feel this opportunity will not only make me a better teacher, but will push me out of my comfort zone into a more leadership role.

Implementing Modern Classroom into my teaching not only provides me with a leadership role, but also forces me to integrate technology into my daily lessons and instruction. In the last six months education has been pushed into a direction where technology is no longer a luxury, but an essential component to our daily jobs. Teaching through a pandemic and global crisis, has pushed us to reevaluate our teaching and how we present to our students. Whether we like it or not, some of us have become virtual teachers overnight. While this wasn't a goal I had for my future, it has now become something I need to be proficient in. Therefore, implementing technology beyond what I have already been doing is essential in my instruction, and is helping me grow more as an educator than I thought was possible. I am not where I want to be yet, and I have a lot of work to do, but as our new "normal" becomes more evident, I am working to become part of the solution.

My third and final goal is to continue to build relationships with my students. I have always prided myself in my ability to build relationships with students. However, while teaching through the pandemic and now as our world is topsy-turvy, it has become even more evident how important relationships are and will continue to be. Therefore, I want to continue to research and find new ways to build relationships, both face-to-face and on a virtual platform. I have found that connectivity with my virtual students is a challenge and we face many obstacles, some that are out of our control. However, I believe building those relationships are key to the students success and emotional well-being. My goal is to continue to research and provide opportunities for my students to make a connection with me and their classmates. It is the only way we will make it through this crisis together.

In conclusion, I realize that to obtain these goals it is going to take a lot of time and commitment. I have to be dedicated and set aside time to reevaluate things when needed. That means I need to make sure I am making a weekly effort to reflect on what I have been doing, and what I can do better to obtain those goals. I also need to remember that I may not be able to do them alone, and just as I say to my students, it is okay to ask for help. The future is bright when we work together!