Reach, Grasp, Yield, Release
Where do we go from here?
This isn't where we intended to be
We had it all, you believed in me
I believed in you...
- Evita
Though at times I have felt as if my paths through life and my education have been uncharted and somewhat haphazard, I realize that there has been guidance - consistently and comfortingly - along the way. My family, good friends, loved ones, teachers, and others who have cared where I ended up... They have remained solid and have provided stability, momentum, and have grasped my hand firmly whenever I have reached out, despite my pride, for help. I, in turn, have learned how valuable this support is; even more importantly, I have learned that knowing that these relationships are there keeps me going and thriving and growing and learning. Reaching out with the security that someone will be reaching back, connecting with others emotionally and intellectually, being able to let go and go it alone with confidence, trust in others and in myself -- this is how I learn.
I have also come to understand that I need a why. I need to see the cause and effect of things, comprehend the means and the ends, be able to see how concepts exist and apply and enrich my own self and world. I need to be able to connect the what with the why, and I thrive when it all comes together on a broader scale.
Learning is about connections.
My future as a learner is grounded simply in this -- connection. It is why I became a teacher, and why I continue to seek out learning experiences that will improve my practice. Inspiring connections between students and what they are learning involves awakening connections between each of them and myself, what they are learning and their experiences, subject material and the larger world, and what they need to learn and how best to grasp and apply it.
Technology also helps build and create those very important connections. Social networking brings people closer who may be very far apart, and builds new communities where there may not have been any. Encouraging the use of more and more technology in my classroom helps to create those connections with students' existing knowledge and interests, but also engages them so they can learn by doing and experiencing -- the kind of learning that sticks. I need to keep learning in order to keep them learning... and I can do this from my students and from my own children. I learn by doing, so seeking out and "playing around" with new technologies will keep me engaged and excited in my own teaching practice and provide more opportunities for students to learn by teaching and doing.
Formal education cannot stop here for me. I plan to start work toward my National Board Certification next year. I don't know if I will pursue another Master's Degree or a PhD, but I do know that I will always seek out higher education to keep me reflecting upon and honing my teaching practice.
I'm a conference-goer. I'm an association-joiner. Learning from others is what I do, and what I think we all do as teachers who reflect on how best to inspire and engage and teach our students to be productive, successful, and confident people -- people who can make connections and problem solve in careers that haven't even been developed yet.
I will learn from my own children. They will bring new knowledge and realms of understanding to me. They will teach me as they always have, broadening the subjects areas exponentially as they grow and learn and bring me into their worlds.
This isn't where we intended to be
We had it all, you believed in me
I believed in you...
- Evita
Though at times I have felt as if my paths through life and my education have been uncharted and somewhat haphazard, I realize that there has been guidance - consistently and comfortingly - along the way. My family, good friends, loved ones, teachers, and others who have cared where I ended up... They have remained solid and have provided stability, momentum, and have grasped my hand firmly whenever I have reached out, despite my pride, for help. I, in turn, have learned how valuable this support is; even more importantly, I have learned that knowing that these relationships are there keeps me going and thriving and growing and learning. Reaching out with the security that someone will be reaching back, connecting with others emotionally and intellectually, being able to let go and go it alone with confidence, trust in others and in myself -- this is how I learn.
I have also come to understand that I need a why. I need to see the cause and effect of things, comprehend the means and the ends, be able to see how concepts exist and apply and enrich my own self and world. I need to be able to connect the what with the why, and I thrive when it all comes together on a broader scale.
Learning is about connections.
My future as a learner is grounded simply in this -- connection. It is why I became a teacher, and why I continue to seek out learning experiences that will improve my practice. Inspiring connections between students and what they are learning involves awakening connections between each of them and myself, what they are learning and their experiences, subject material and the larger world, and what they need to learn and how best to grasp and apply it.
Technology also helps build and create those very important connections. Social networking brings people closer who may be very far apart, and builds new communities where there may not have been any. Encouraging the use of more and more technology in my classroom helps to create those connections with students' existing knowledge and interests, but also engages them so they can learn by doing and experiencing -- the kind of learning that sticks. I need to keep learning in order to keep them learning... and I can do this from my students and from my own children. I learn by doing, so seeking out and "playing around" with new technologies will keep me engaged and excited in my own teaching practice and provide more opportunities for students to learn by teaching and doing.
Formal education cannot stop here for me. I plan to start work toward my National Board Certification next year. I don't know if I will pursue another Master's Degree or a PhD, but I do know that I will always seek out higher education to keep me reflecting upon and honing my teaching practice.
I'm a conference-goer. I'm an association-joiner. Learning from others is what I do, and what I think we all do as teachers who reflect on how best to inspire and engage and teach our students to be productive, successful, and confident people -- people who can make connections and problem solve in careers that haven't even been developed yet.
I will learn from my own children. They will bring new knowledge and realms of understanding to me. They will teach me as they always have, broadening the subjects areas exponentially as they grow and learn and bring me into their worlds.
Movement
Movement in the night told me you were there
Alive and kicking
Rocking and rolling
Hiccups and headspins
And I smiled and the lump welled up
In my belly and in my chest
You dwelled in both.
When you were born I felt empty
Though my arms were full of you
And you were still mine
And I could hold you in them
But the thing is
That though I am still connected to you
Because I made you
And my body nourished your body
And made you grow
And kept you safe
Now you can move away from me
And others can hold you
And I have to share
Share time and share memories and share your love
I cry when the dimples on your hands fade
I see them change into the hands of boys and know that soon
They will be the hands of men.
Emily C Holmes Turner
Alive and kicking
Rocking and rolling
Hiccups and headspins
And I smiled and the lump welled up
In my belly and in my chest
You dwelled in both.
When you were born I felt empty
Though my arms were full of you
And you were still mine
And I could hold you in them
But the thing is
That though I am still connected to you
Because I made you
And my body nourished your body
And made you grow
And kept you safe
Now you can move away from me
And others can hold you
And I have to share
Share time and share memories and share your love
I cry when the dimples on your hands fade
I see them change into the hands of boys and know that soon
They will be the hands of men.
Emily C Holmes Turner