One of the greatest aspects of being a teacher is that you get to grow and learn everyday with your students. It is a profession that is always changing and adapting. Inquiry and reflection should never cease in this profession, and I hope to continue to challenge myself to grow in the field of education over the course of my career.
My inquiry question that I reflected on over the course of the year was: Comfort/Discomfort Regarding Routines, Creativity, And Learning in Educational Spaces. I am fascinated by the factors that help students feel comfortable and safe in the classroom and I am interested in testing those perimeters to push students out of their comfort zones in order to discover new forms of creativity. This is an area that I will continually reflect on as an educator where I will challenge my students to find their own personal sense of creativity and to experiment and challenge themselves with how they can grow it.
Another ongoing question that I continue to question is: How can I engage students that struggle to participate? I am fortunate to teach such an engaging and hands-on subject, yet there still are students that struggle with trying new things and putting in effort. As an educator I want to continue to work hard at finding new and creative ways to engage students that struggle to find meaning in doing art. Through collaboration with other art educators and attending professional development days I hope to continue to discover new and engaging ways to grab the attention of students that have checked out.
My strengths as a teacher have grown significantly over the course of the year. My relationships with my students reflect that I genuinely care for each and every student, in attempts to make each student feel like they and the artwork that they produce matter. It is important to me that I am prepared with my lesson planning and that I am meeting diverse student needs. I plan to continue to work on these strengths by being reflective and not taking easy routes once I get comfortable in my career. I plan on collaborating with other teachers for support and to continually educate myself long after my career as an educator has begun.
There is always room for improvement in the field of education and there will be always be room for growth. Currently I want to continue to grow my oral communication skills and strengthen how I deliver and present lessons to my students.