Lynn Flake Blog #1 -- Chapter 1 Routman

Simple? I've learned pretty quickly that teaching is anything but simple. This chapter title really caught my attention. When people ask me how the school year is going, either tell them "It's great!" but only because I'm sure they don't want to hear about how overwhelmed I usually feel. -- Like a duck, cool and calm on the surface, right? And while, I wouldn't trade teaching for anything in the entire world, I'd also try ANYTHING to simplify it. I don't want to lose the joy, and I feel like some days it is a fight to find and keep the joy.

The "There Is No One 'Right' or Best Way" section really spoke to me -- or maybe it was even about me? When I sit and think about my plans, I usually walk away feeling pretty great about them. Then I find out that someone else is doing something different and I start to wonder if my way is ok, or if I need to change it. I know reflection is great, and we always adjust while collaborating with our peers, which is also a great practice. This section made me feel a little more validated when it comes to planning what is best for my class and my personal teaching style. 

I typed out the "Focus On What Matters Most" list on pg 7 and put it on my desk. At the end of the day, every moment of every day, those are the things that should be my priority. The list of things that tend to get in the way of our teaching was really eye opening, and completely right. There are ways that we can simplify things, and the first part of that is making sure that our focus is always on our students.