"Embrace the mess." This is just one quote that resonated with me after watching this weeks videos. We need students to understand that learning is not always an easy clear path, and sometimes we will need to scratch one idea and try another. As educators, we learn new ideas every year through trail and error. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It's how we take that experience and move forward that makes the difference for our students. Students need to know that mistakes are a normal and healthy process to learning, and what better way for them to see that than through our mistakes. Learning from mistakes will help students be resilient and less afraid to try new things. Through this process we can allow our students to "spark" their imaginations. The more we allow our students to work through this process, we allow them to see the bigger picture, and give them the drive to make a difference in this world. We need to step away from learning being about having a wrong or right answer, and move in the direction of allowing the students to see the "why" in learning.
I can also relate the phrase "Embrace the mess" to the journey I decided to take when I joined the masters program. Ask me a year ago, I would say, "Absolutely not, I don't have time for that!" But, then again, the same thing can be said about me moving out of the classroom and into my current position. For almost 20 years, I joked with students and said you can find me here until I retire. I had no idea what to expect taking on the role of Academic Specialist. Innovative learning has been a big part of this new adventure and when I read about the idea of getting my masters in the same thing... Well, here I am, in the middle of that journey. As I work with my intervention students, I find myself being more innovative and creative with that journey. I had to make a lot of decisions the first year in this position. Not all of them were successful! I find myself learning from those mistakes and changing it up this year. I find my teaching practice to be more student driven, even more so, this last month. The readings and videos have shown me that we need to take more risks in the classroom and integrate tools that will change the future for our students. Just like the changing world around us, we as teachers, need to keep learning and moving forward.
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AuthorHeather Feinberg is an Academic Specialist for grades K-5 at Yountville Elementary. Archives
July 2018
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