Trains of Thought and Jumping Tracks

We've been learning about different types of teaching strategies, assessments, and products in the EDU592 class that I'm taking right now. This has really gotten me thinking...here are some of my random trains of thought. Bare with me, my train likes to jump from track to track, lol. Unfortunately in the district that I teach in, some of our assessments (tests) are created at a district level and we are required to use them. However, we don't neccessarily have to put them all in the gradebook. While I see the importance of seeing where each student is in their mastering of concepts, this can really inhibit teachers creativity in create authentic types of assessment. I have begun to think on my own teaching and what that will look like next year, as I venture back into the classroom fulltime. I think I am going focus on my personal teaching strategies this coming year, while I get my footing in the 1st grade standards and such, before building in different types of assessment and products. I think it is so important that we as teachers remember that we can add these things in to our teaching one or two at a time. We do NOT have to try to shift everything all at one time!...that could be way too overwhelming to some of us and cause burn out if we tried to do that. BUT this is HARD for us as teachers to remember. We were called to the teaching profession. We WANT to be here and to do our very best for our students, to pour our everything into them. We may see the "perfect" Instagram or TikTok teachers with their perfectly themed classrooms and their perfectly matching literacy activites (or insert math, etc. here) and we can sometimes feel like we aren't doing enough...especially younger teachers. We have to remember that it took those teachers YEARS to get to where they are with that. Years of collecting and buying and making. Teaching is one of the only professions, maybe the only profession, where we spend a lot of our own money to ensure that our students have what they need. I know I'm talking to myself here. I'm reminding myself to ease back in to the teaching waters, not dive back in, so that I don't cause myself to burn out. I want to make sure that I am there for my family first and then my family of students. And I'm not going to lie, while I am SO EXCITED about re-entering the classroom fulltime, I am also a little terrified. I've never taught fulltime and been a mom. And I know, other teachers do it all of the time and are GREAT at balancing it. And I will too, overtime. Whew, who knew that this assignment would stur up so many thoughts and feelings? Our professor. That's who. I am SO GLAD that I am taking these classes right now. They are helping prepare and equip me as I venture back into the classroom, and for that, I am so incredibly thankful!

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