I am happy with the progress of my students so far this year. I am happy knowing I am doing my best, but the burning question is can I still find areas to improve? The answer to that is yes. How? Self-Reflection.
So......here it goes. No holding back.
I started the year guns blazing on flipping my classes no matter what. Spanish 2 started well. I had some resistance from the students because things were new, I was making them redo work until it was up to standard and being very techy by using a weebly as the hub of things. I liked the feel and how it was giong, but I still wasn't satisfied during the class periods. I had various activities that needed to be completed by the end of the week. Some worked quickly, some tood forever and some.....well, let's say I am still waiting for some work. Then, the tests and I didn't really notice that much difference in how the students scored. The next unit I did I went back to my old stand by from years past. The students seemed more at ease and some liked it more. However, I felt that something still wasn't right. I wanted to change up my classes and provide my students with more ways to improve their communication and production and I fell right back to the grammar based ways I have always done.
Spanish 1 I decided needed to start my old way and I still haven't tried a flipped lesson/unit with them. I kept thinking that they wouldn't know how to do things and adapt. The only person who was afraid of adapting and doing was me.
This stings as I set here and look deeply into this answer. I am holding them back because I am afraid of what's not know. I am making all kinds of excuses. I neeed to be the one pushing kids out of the box and doing something new even if that means failing to reach what you thought. I let myself down by falling victim of self-defeat.
I am continuously trying to evolve as an educator and looking for ways to reach my students and improve their Spanish. I let my fears set back what plans I had because I didn't want to see the idea fail. It is time to reevaluate and reset the paradigm with the new semester. I still have one class period of exams still to give, but I now know where I am starting the new semester.
Self-Reflection.
I will be modeling this to the students. Then we will work on goal setting followed by creating an action plan on how to acheive these goals. It is time for Spanish to be more than A's, B's and any other grade. Getting a grade shouldn't equate to learning. Learning is an ongoing process day in and day out. Once we reflect we can move towards our goals!
Reflection means openess to learning from yourself!
