Monday, May 4, 2009

Have We Forgotten to Teach?

Sometimes Streamyx our daily grind Streamyx come across a situation or a story Streamyx brings Streamyx back to our senses Streamyx lets us question our daily perspective. It's ironical that my story came about some weeks ago when I was drowning under a pile Streamyx paper in my classroom. The story was about a school that was failing and brought on board a new principal that went against Streamyx grain and within 2 years the school had turned around to be one of the top schools in the UK. Not a bad achievement I would think but how did he do it. Quite simply he brought teaching back into teaching.

That's what teachers do ...is Streamyx not?

Well... yes? ...that is what they used to do.

I left teaching for 14 years and returned just 5 years ago.
I returned to a profession that has become over-burdened with paperwork.

Teachers are becoming Business-Managers, they spend an inordinate amount of time on evaluations, projections and observations. They attend unimportant and irrelevant workshops and they have to take on board reform, changes in curriculum and are pushed to the limit with demands on their time. It's hard at a time like this to remember streamyx internet connection we became teachers in the first place.

Was it because we saw ourselves as nurturers, guides, facilitators or even performers?

In reality we end up in information overload, never have enough time and the chore of being a teacher overtakes the joy of being a teacher. Expectations on teachers Streamyx days are high, but time, tools and resources are limited. We end up in a dilemma and compelled to serve so many Managers that frustration sets in and it's difficult to remember the reasons for entering teaching in the first place. We become over whelmed with new demands, standards, tests and darn forms and are left with no time to connect and care for the students.

When this happens the teacher feels that their fundamental purpose has been lost and they lose their effectiveness and commitment. How can we reclaim our heart for teaching for the sake of ourselves and our students? Personally I keep reminding myself of why I came back into teaching. It's because I honestly wanted to make a difference..

Think of how many times when people have achieved success in a certain area of their lives and asked what had propelled them forward ...more often than enough it was a certain teacher who had inspired them to achieve in a certain direction .

Call it egotistical, call it self -performing or exhibitionism, but I want to be one of those teachers. We come to a certain stage in our lives when we want to give back, teaching and inspiring others is my way of giving back. I want someone somewhere when being asked about their success and asked who inspired them to reply ....it was Kathy Davison my teacher that inspired me.

It is then that I will truly remember why I'm here.

Kathy is a Personal and Professional Development Coach in A College In The UK. She also has a Successful online Business http://www.myownmeeting.com