Sharks can’t live unless they are moving forward...

                The summer following my first year of teaching, I knew that I had to do something to get better, particularly in my teaching of writing. That first year, pretty much any time I introduced a new writing assignment, my students would respond with an audible groan, and we’re talking about thirty-two fifth graders packed in tight, so it wasn’t a quiet groan. That summer I signed up for a professional development class that I think altered my career in a number of ways for a variety of reasons. It was a class on writers’ workshop taught by two Virginia Beach teachers. This approach to writing was responsive to students’ needs and gave me time to regularly work with students one on one. Really, it was true differentiation before that term was ever tossed around in education. That next summer I took the leap of faith and jumped into the writers’ workshop on day one of school. The change was immediate. My students went from groaning about writing to begging for more time to write. The results in terms of quality of work were just as amazing to me.                At roughly this same time my principal asked me to teach the inclusion class. Like a lot of classroom teachers, I was reluctant, not because of the students, but because the idea of teaching in tandem with a more veteran teacher was intimidating to me. The thought of having another adult in the room at all times was kind of scary. Instead what I found was that it made me a much better teacher. I developed strong relationships with my special education teachers. I learned a tremendous amount and, without question, became a better teacher for all of my students due to the experience.

                As most of you know, I moved schools this past March. I certainly was not looking to make a move in the middle of the year, but I do pride myself on being a “company man” and when my boss asks me to do something it is not in my makeup to say anything but “yes.” Leaving Kingston when I did was probably one of the most difficult things I have done in school administration, but two months later I would not trade the experience for anything. It turns out that the beginning of March was an advantageous time to come in to a school. With all daily operations up and running I was able to see how the school operates and get a good idea of what might need to change. With the help of School Plant I was able to make immediate improvements with new paint and lighting. Best of all, I was able to get a handle on instruction which allowed me to tweak grade level assignments for the coming year, identify who my strongest links are, and arrive at a focus for professional learning. Through it all I have learned a lot about myself and hopefully the experience has made me a little better at what I do.

                If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ve identified the theme I am going for. I always tell my teachers that schools need to be like sharks. Sharks can’t live unless they are moving forward, and I have yet to find the school, teacher, or administrator with no room for improvement. Change can be scary, but whether we seek it out or it finds us, it can be just what we need to help us move forward. As we approach that time of year when the phone may ring and you may find your boss on the other end sending you to a new school keep in mind that it may be the best thing to happen to you professionally in some time.