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Teaching is a Lifestyle

The idea of wholeheartedness in this article really speaks to me. Living in a society so caught up in effectiveness and time-management, it can be difficult to see the value of taking extra time to meet the needs of our students at the margins. Societal values of getting the most reward from the least effort run seem contrary to these extra steps. This balancing act of limited time, resources and energy is ubiquitous and eternal. We will never be able to reach every student or accomplish every goal. But, in my experience, the practice of reflection makes me better prepared not only to make these tough choices but also to intuit and predict the possible outcomes. The more I make observations, think critically about myself and my practice, and implement changes, the better I become at observing, thinking critically and implementing change.

On a more fundamental level, being wholehearted resonates with my personal values and my identity. I am the kind of person who becomes easily invested. I like caring about people and causes, and I'm good at it too. Being wholly engaged links me to the outcome and makes me want to work harder and better. Balancing the many, many things that matter to me is difficult, but worth the effort. I've learned that being wholehearted doesn't mean thinking about one thing all day, every day. It's about being totally invested in doing what you're doing right now, whether that's reflecting on your teaching, wrangling five-year-olds or taking a well-deserved break. (Worth noting that figuring this out intellectually and actually applying it is not the same thing, and I'll get back to you if I ever manage that completely)

Comments

  1. Susan Gerofsky21 September 2017 at 09:17

    Lovely writing and thoughts, Stefanie! Intuiting effects -- engagement-- attention to the margins -- very interesting ideas to pursue.

    ReplyDelete

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