Have you ever taught a lesson you've done a million times and it fails?
I have taught the same lesson with minor tweaks for the last four years.
I'm all about innovating, updating, changing, and modifying, but when there's a lesson that consistently makes the students happy and teaches them the content, I like to bring it back the next year. Today, it didn't work out so well.
What happened?
I dusted off the old notes, put on a little extra enthusiasm since it has been a pretty good week, and got nothing back from my students. Here comes the insecurity.
Was the lesson always bad and I just got lucky with my prior students? Am I worse at it than I used to be? Have a created a different culture that cuts against our ability to be as engaged as a class? Am I the worst teacher that has ever taught?
All of these questions have been racing through my head, not because I had a bad lesson, but because a lesson I thought was awesome didn't work out today. I asked a few teachers with a decade or more longer than me in the classroom and they have all had this experience. That's my recommendation for anyone that hits a wall like this, but also do some self reflecting and tweaks going forward. Everyone has a bad game every now and again.
I'm deciding to not let it get me down or ruin my other classes, but it's tough. Here's to a better tomorrow.
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I'm all about innovating, updating, changing, and modifying, but when there's a lesson that consistently makes the students happy and teaches them the content, I like to bring it back the next year. Today, it didn't work out so well.
What happened?
I dusted off the old notes, put on a little extra enthusiasm since it has been a pretty good week, and got nothing back from my students. Here comes the insecurity.
Was the lesson always bad and I just got lucky with my prior students? Am I worse at it than I used to be? Have a created a different culture that cuts against our ability to be as engaged as a class? Am I the worst teacher that has ever taught?
All of these questions have been racing through my head, not because I had a bad lesson, but because a lesson I thought was awesome didn't work out today. I asked a few teachers with a decade or more longer than me in the classroom and they have all had this experience. That's my recommendation for anyone that hits a wall like this, but also do some self reflecting and tweaks going forward. Everyone has a bad game every now and again.
I'm deciding to not let it get me down or ruin my other classes, but it's tough. Here's to a better tomorrow.
Follow us on Facebook; Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud; Stitcher
Related Articles:
Arriving Early and Leaving Late - A Dallas Teacher Reflection
Starting New Procedures - A Dallas Teacher Reflection
Being Afraid to Fail in Dallas Schools
DISD and Dallas Education Rundown - October Week 1
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