Hello there. I see that you’re reading my blog again, welcome. Come with me as we go on a short journey through the tides of teaching.
I have considered my time at SIT as an integral part in wide vast ocean of teaching. As I continue to navigate a smooth path towards deeper waters, I imagine myself holding a floating device very closely and every once a while losing grip as the water slips between my fingers. But just as I start to fall, I quickly regain my grip. Eventually, the tides calm and I stop fighting with the floating device and just sink into it. I let my body take the form of the plastic and I move with the waves like a bird gliding in the sky. As I move my mind drifts and I fall into a state of suspended calm. Then something brushes against my foot and I am immediately startled. I almost jump out of my skin as I scramble to survey my surroundings but I all I see is water, calm water. So I continue to glide through the water until I see the waves forming ahead. My heart starts beating faster. I swim towards the waves. I’m going to catch them. When I see the wave approaching and growing taller and taller, I stop look right at it and wait. I smile, get ready and laugh and as the wave propels my body forward. There is something about the water that sooths my soul and excites every inch of my body all at once. Hours could pass with me and the ocean and I would feel completely content. Peace
The classroom is my haven. I’m always nervous or anxious when I first enter and dip my foot in waiting to observe my students behavior, attitudes and level of engagement. This time around I have let go of my floating device and swam towards the wave. I have used my active listening skills to adjust my lessons midway through and have been mindful of the ever changing flow within the classroom. I have learned to adjust without losing balance or focus of the overall objective. I have allowed myself to enjoy the process and thus my classroom has become a bit more like a learning community. I let myself sink into my teaching style and thus I can smile when things go awry. A challenge in the classroom makes it more dynamic and alive it makes my interaction with my students real and not scripted or checks from my lesson plan. I am scratching the surface on deeper learning and using suggestopedia in the classroom. I have a much better understanding of the idea and now I am putting it into practice. I love my classroom and the calm water and waves that encompass it!
W Wanderland 