Nothing Never Changes
Seeing the new fellows who have joined our school team, I am reminded of how we started our journey in Jafari. I am reminded of the long path we have walked since that day of 24th June when we first met my kids.
Looking at the journey of the fellowship from an everyday micro perspective did not make the growth easily apparent. However, when I compare my classroom now to how it was last year and when I compare our instruction style as compared to our incoming batch, I realize somethings have changed.
I am much more perceptive of the needs of my children and how to reach out to them. Not only that, I am aware of how to convert the insights of perception to instruction in the classroom.
I see how my teacher presence has improved significantly, how I am a lot calmer in the classroom now and as a result, a lot smoother in executing my plan.
I understand the need to spend time investing my children in what I believe is good for them. Neither academic, values or exposure are complete without the other. I know that only one-third of the battle is fought in the classroom, of which only one-third is academic.
I sense the power of collaboration and team work. Powerful ideas can be sharpened with the help of multiple perspectives. Painful rework can be avoided by smart distribution of work. The learning curve can be shortened if you share your experiences openly within the team.
My belief that "Right is right even if no one is doing it. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it." is further reaffirmed. People eventually see the returns on investing time and effort in setting a high bar of excellence and maintaining a strong process orientation. The challenge is to keep going without giving up on anyone - whether kids or team members.
Lastly and most importantly, I realize the power of a vision and keeping every action of my students and my own rooted in that vision. It takes a lot more planning but everything falls into place beautifully if you pull it off.
The vision gives me a sense of purpose. When the days are dark, it is that purpose that keeps me going. When I am tired, it is that purpose that gives me energy. My state of mind reminds me of a dialogue from Matrix - "We're not here because we're free; we're here because we're not free. There's no escaping reason, no denying purpose, for as we both know, without purpose we would not exist. It is purpose that created us, purpose that connects us, purpose that pulls us, that guides us, that drives us; it is purpose that defines us, purpose that binds us."
Looking at the journey of the fellowship from an everyday micro perspective did not make the growth easily apparent. However, when I compare my classroom now to how it was last year and when I compare our instruction style as compared to our incoming batch, I realize somethings have changed.
I am much more perceptive of the needs of my children and how to reach out to them. Not only that, I am aware of how to convert the insights of perception to instruction in the classroom.
I see how my teacher presence has improved significantly, how I am a lot calmer in the classroom now and as a result, a lot smoother in executing my plan.
I understand the need to spend time investing my children in what I believe is good for them. Neither academic, values or exposure are complete without the other. I know that only one-third of the battle is fought in the classroom, of which only one-third is academic.
I sense the power of collaboration and team work. Powerful ideas can be sharpened with the help of multiple perspectives. Painful rework can be avoided by smart distribution of work. The learning curve can be shortened if you share your experiences openly within the team.
My belief that "Right is right even if no one is doing it. Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it." is further reaffirmed. People eventually see the returns on investing time and effort in setting a high bar of excellence and maintaining a strong process orientation. The challenge is to keep going without giving up on anyone - whether kids or team members.
Lastly and most importantly, I realize the power of a vision and keeping every action of my students and my own rooted in that vision. It takes a lot more planning but everything falls into place beautifully if you pull it off.
The vision gives me a sense of purpose. When the days are dark, it is that purpose that keeps me going. When I am tired, it is that purpose that gives me energy. My state of mind reminds me of a dialogue from Matrix - "We're not here because we're free; we're here because we're not free. There's no escaping reason, no denying purpose, for as we both know, without purpose we would not exist. It is purpose that created us, purpose that connects us, purpose that pulls us, that guides us, that drives us; it is purpose that defines us, purpose that binds us."
Comments