Learning How to Change

My PIDP journey is coming to an end, but the life-long learning journey is sure to continue. To sum up what I have learned from my Professional Practice course, here is an infographic/poster I created. If there is only one thing you take away from reading my posts, I hope it is this: "No matter how experienced or educated you are,  there is always more to learn about what you teach others." Hang it on your wall! Share it! Sharing is caring!

There are two quotes from chapter 14 of Stephen Brookfield’s The Skillful Teacher that resonate with me in my struggles of surviving emotionally. These quotes are: “Classrooms are like storms or squalls – full of surprises, of unexpected events that throw our neatly conceived plans into confusion” (Brookfield, p. 256);  “Unless you find a way to navigate the roiling sea of emotions that the experience of college teaching generates, you run a real risk of drowning in swells of frustration, dis-appointment, or self-loathing. And if you do go under, or course, you are of no use to your students” (Brookfield, p. 253). This chapter of The Skillful Teacher focuses on an aspect of teaching not usually taught in formal education. Teaching can take an emotional toll on educators sapping them of energy, desire and compassion, which I have written about in a blog post entitled “ Energy Vampires ”. The above quotes speak to the ever changing dynamics of a classroom setting, dem...

The Big Think presented a video of the Global Education and Skills Forum in 2014. At this meeting, Bill Clinton was asked “what is the most important thing you have ever learned?” His answer was... “the most important thing I’ve ever learned is there’s more to learn.” One of my top ten TED Talks is by Adora Svitak and is entitled What Adults can Learn from Kids.  She states, “for better or worse, we kids aren't hampered as much when it comes to thinking about reasons why not to do things. Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and hopeful thinking.” She then asks a question that resonates with me, and makes me feel truly inspired even still. Her question was “how many of you [adults] still dream like that, and believe in the possibilities?” I had to ask myself, “do I?” The truth is that when I first watched this video, about 5 years ago, I did not. Well, I dreamed. I am a creative writer, so I am always dreaming about something. But, what was I dreaming about a...