The art of teaching requires flexibility.
Flexibility is one of the characteristics highlighted for prospective teachers to master. Living in a country where electricity or water is not reliable, I thought I had this whole flexibility thing down. Then, going to India for missions, and realizing that you need to take in your own toilet paper to the bathroom unless you want to use your hand. . . learned a little more flexibility.
Today (and this week as a matter of fact), in my teaching placement, I have seen a lot of flexibility from my collaborative teacher and the other teachers. Not only is it adapting quickly and smoothly into an unexpected setting or situation, but learning from the environment, people, and yourself on how to adapt. It is being both flexible and teachable.
This is one way I saw that characteristics in my teachers today. The students did not come to school today for professional development day. As we walk into the school, two teachers are standing in front of the building sending us to the module next to the school building (the modules are where the three first grade classes are at). As my colleagues and I curiously go into the module, we open the door and see that most of the teachers are there. Now, I am usually in the module twice a day to work with some first graders with special needs, and I never see them there. What had happened was that, when a switch was turned on early in the morning before any teacher showed up, there was a spark, which created a small fire, which burned down the heater. Consequently, the building has no heater and is freezing cold and only some lights turn on. This kind of things also happen here in the States . . . not only in Nicaragua or India. Things are not always reliable. Anyway, the teachers quickly collected, and our principal led our professional development without a problem. Teachers listened and participated despite being dark and having to wear coats inside.
We were done at 10:30 a.m. with the professional development, and the principal sent us home! Hooray!
There it is my friend, a little snapshot of what flexibility signifies. It is situations like this, when things do not go as planned, that we let go, and walk onward. Teachers face this everyday with lesson planning, behaviors, classroom management. My first math lesson I taught yesterday did not go as I planned. It was quite atrocious actually. But, I let it go, learn from it, and keep moving onward. Let pride go, take God's hand to lift you up, and continue to trust in Him as you learn.
While writing this, however, I realize that flexibility does not only apply to teachers. . . but actually to everyone.
I leave you with a quote I stumbled upon I thought somewhat related to flexibility:
Flexibility is one of the characteristics highlighted for prospective teachers to master. Living in a country where electricity or water is not reliable, I thought I had this whole flexibility thing down. Then, going to India for missions, and realizing that you need to take in your own toilet paper to the bathroom unless you want to use your hand. . . learned a little more flexibility.
Today (and this week as a matter of fact), in my teaching placement, I have seen a lot of flexibility from my collaborative teacher and the other teachers. Not only is it adapting quickly and smoothly into an unexpected setting or situation, but learning from the environment, people, and yourself on how to adapt. It is being both flexible and teachable.
This is one way I saw that characteristics in my teachers today. The students did not come to school today for professional development day. As we walk into the school, two teachers are standing in front of the building sending us to the module next to the school building (the modules are where the three first grade classes are at). As my colleagues and I curiously go into the module, we open the door and see that most of the teachers are there. Now, I am usually in the module twice a day to work with some first graders with special needs, and I never see them there. What had happened was that, when a switch was turned on early in the morning before any teacher showed up, there was a spark, which created a small fire, which burned down the heater. Consequently, the building has no heater and is freezing cold and only some lights turn on. This kind of things also happen here in the States . . . not only in Nicaragua or India. Things are not always reliable. Anyway, the teachers quickly collected, and our principal led our professional development without a problem. Teachers listened and participated despite being dark and having to wear coats inside.
We were done at 10:30 a.m. with the professional development, and the principal sent us home! Hooray!
There it is my friend, a little snapshot of what flexibility signifies. It is situations like this, when things do not go as planned, that we let go, and walk onward. Teachers face this everyday with lesson planning, behaviors, classroom management. My first math lesson I taught yesterday did not go as I planned. It was quite atrocious actually. But, I let it go, learn from it, and keep moving onward. Let pride go, take God's hand to lift you up, and continue to trust in Him as you learn.
While writing this, however, I realize that flexibility does not only apply to teachers. . . but actually to everyone.
I leave you with a quote I stumbled upon I thought somewhat related to flexibility:
Don't learn to do, but learn in doing. Let your falls not be on a
prepared ground, but let them be bona fide falls in the rough and tumble
of the world.
Samuel Butler
No comments:
Post a Comment