Happy New Year! While I understand there are still 4 full months of 2019 left, educators are a group fortunate enough to get two New Years – the traditional calendar year and the start of a new school year. Just as January 1st allows people the opportunity to set new goals, reach for new opportunities, and make new plans, a new school year holds all the promise for educators as well. Every August/September, teachers have the chance to touch new lives and create new experiences that will impact their students for years to come. For we all remember those teachers who excelled at their craft, instilled in us a love for learning, and inspired us to be our very best. Likewise, we also remembered the teachers we had who failed to do so. I, for one, want to be remembered as the former.
As teachers, we have many mandates placed before us. As someone who has been in education for almost twenty years, I have personally seen how the profession has evolved through time. When I first began teaching, the high stakes testing movement had just started. Curriculum mapping and pacing guides were new buzzwords instead of being part of a teacher’s every day vocabulary. While the best teachers have always been adapting curriculum to meet their students’ needs, differentiation and personalized learning were yet-to-be discovered phrases.
However, through the years, the one thing I have seen consistently in education is this: teachers want the best for their students. They want to see their students be successful, learn, and achieve. Teachers often spend time during the summer months actually learning how to be even better teachers. It is a profession where (especially in this day and age), the ones who keep at it are the ones who are truly passionate about their craft. And that’s why I keep coming back, year after year. The excitement of watching a child learn never gets old. The positivity and “can-do” spirit of my colleagues is infectious and motivates me. The challenges placed before me because of legislative, monetary, or policy demands cause me to dig even deeper within myself to meet them.
So, as we start off another year, kudos to my comrades-in-arms for rising to the occasion yet again. And for those among you who are in need of fresh ideas or seeking new avenues of support, please feel free to comment or question below.
Happy 2019-2020, everyone!
Kimberly Frey Consulting 