Goal: Reflect on Your Time Back to School

Welcome to Cycle 7 of The 30 Goals Challenge: Make it Meaningful!

“To teach is to learn twice over.” – Joseph Joubert

Goal: Reflect on your time back to school. What have your new group of learners taught you? What have been your successes? What challenges are you still facing and trying to find solutions? Write a blog post and write down your thoughts in a journal and share with at least one person.

My Reflection

Most of us have been back to school for a month or more. This year my students have reminded me once again how each batch of learners are different even though I have been teaching since 1996. My college students this year have helped me rethink classroom management, the function and form of the syllabus, my homework policies, and the way I give feedback.

What I’ve learned so far this year ….

The number one lesson I have learned from my new students is flexibility and to be open to my students’ input more about the curriculum. Often, we plan the curriculum ahead of time and we don’t understand where are students are at, yet, and the right path to get them there. In college there is more flexibility in making changes to the curriculum than when I taught in elementary and high school. We still have a framework of what we need to learn, but now the readings, materials, and way we get there (including the pace) are open to tweaks and changes.

New to The 30 Goals Challenge? Each year, teachers worldwide aim to accomplish 1 to 30 goals that transform their teaching. Join the movement by accomplishing any goal from any of the cycles then letting us know through a blog reflection or status update on our Facebook community or on Twitter,@30GoalsEdu . At our official site, 30Goals.com, find all the goals, participant reflections, badges, and get your copy of The 30 Goals for Teachers: Small Steps to Transform Your Classroom workbook.