There was a time when I envied those teachers who had everything done; they could walk up to their filing cabinet and pull out their lesson for the day. Easy Peasy. After I taught for a couple of years, I began to feel sorry for those teachers and their students because they were losing out on so many learning opportunities, not just for their students but for themselves. Moving from this type of teaching involves risk and being uncomfortable. Today, most school districts are supporting teachers as they shift to a pedagogy that puts the learners' needs first instead of the comfort of the teacher. It's not about the teacher, it's about the kids.
Having a growth mindset and attitude is critical at a school for teachers like the one described above to take the risk of failure at something new. Also shifting to listening to the learner and meeting them where they're at is huge in comparison to simply pulling out a lesson from a filing cabinet that's been repeated year in and year out. These shifts in teaching pedagogy have to be supported by the board, the school, and the teacher needs to have a collaborative group and mentors. In this type of environment, a teacher who has been a resistor and reluctant to change will have the necessary support to do so. Having a growth mindset is also key here for the teacher to take the steps necessary to take the risks involved, realizing that it's ok if things don't work out as planned; it's all an opportunity to grow.
Also, learning collaboratively with teachers and our students emphasizes for our students that learning continues and is a lifelong journey. I love learning right along with my students and it's so much fun when I learn from them. My students see me taking risks and growing and by modeling that for them, they also learn to do the same. This type of learning environment is so much more rewarding for all.
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