Wrapping Up My Final Semester

As I look back on this past semester, I can't help but get excited for the future.  My focus, for much of the past couple months, has been on literacy and the tools and resources to bring literacy education alive in my classroom.  When I say alive, I mean really ALIVE! I have been learning and thinking hard about how to make my lessons relevant and authentic for students.  What kinds of products do I want them to create to show their learning?  Why is this product important in their lives and in the world?  These have become my two biggest guiding questions as I think about the kinds of literacy lessons I want to share with my future students. 

Not only have I been thinking about the product but also the process each learner takes to get to their goals.  The most important change I have seen in myself as a teacher, this past semester, is the way I think about assessment in the classroom (especially assessing writers).  I have become much more focused on what they do while they are learning.  Then, I take this information and I think about what they are showing me they know and can do, plus where we could go next.  Individual conferences, of all types, have become increasingly important to me.  Since conferencing aligns with many of my teaching beliefs and helps me learn so much about my students, they will hold a very special place in my future classroom. 

As I reflect on myself as a teacher, I am becoming more and more comfortable in my role.  I now have articulated my beliefs and made them public, I have shared my true feelings about topics that relate to literacy in a real world arena (my blog), plus I have had many professional discussions/ debates with fellow classmates where I felt strongly enough to disagree.  I consider these experiences evidence, which show my growth as a professional and as a teacher of literacy.  I know I will never be done learning and honing my skills as a teacher, but I feel like my time spent reading, thinking, teaching, and reflecting has shaped my beliefs and passion for teaching.  A passion which will continue to guide my work with students.