“You Teach What you Are”
I cannot remember which of our EDUC professors said this during our first week of school, but I remember taking a long time to reflect on the idea that the profession of teaching is truly a personal one. Over my time of reflection, I realized that they were completely right. The teachers that made the strongest impact in my teenage years were those who were genuine, open, and undoubtfully themselves. Once I made this realization, I began to look inside myself for my strengths and weaknesses in regards to my teaching practices and development, rather than try to represent or mimic someone I am not.
Teachers: Forever Learning
Over my time in the education program, I have come to really appreciate the idea of how learning never really stops. While I may be the person in front of the room rather than in the desk now, I am still constantly learning new things everyday. Situating myself as a learner has helped me understand more about students, ideas, pedagogy, and countless of other areas of focus. Having the opportunity to participate in Pro-D days has also opened my eyes to many perspectives and concepts that I previously did not know. One of my favorite parts of this career so far is knowing that I will never run out of things to learn about.