Capturing Growth - Leading Self

Over the first five weeks of teaching in a classroom, i see several areas in which ive grown as a leader. The first is resilience. When its hard to show up everyday, in a classroom where nobody listens to you, and a school where you feel unwanted, the strongest thing to do is to show up anyway. This is something i consistently did, and it taught me that if you show resilience, even the worst situations eventually get better. 

Another area ive grown in, is to see the possibilities in difficult situations. When I was thrown into a ninth grade class with zero behaviour management skills, i took some time to settle into the context. But two weeks into the fellowship, i decided to magnify the positive aspects of the class. To constantly believe in the few things that are working, and focus on them. Sure, there are several things that aren't working, but how can we make use of the things that ARE going well? By maximising this mindset, I started conducting effective lessons in ninth grade, where students respected me and I, them. 

Another skill ive developed is to be present in the moment, and alert to breakdowns. To be sensitive towards the faces in front of me. Not everyone will voice their doubts, how do you read the classroom with just the sweep of an eye, to check whether they have understood the concept or not? This has become something i can easily do now, after one month of practise. 

Effective worksheet creation is another skill i have developed. What kind of worksheets work best with a lesson plan? how do i integrate the worksheet with my lesson plan? What kind of worksheets boost student confidence whereas what breaks it down? 

The last mindset i have learnt is to constantly show up prepared, and as the best version of myself. How can i be prepared incase i get three extra classes? how can i be prepared if i dont get any classes? Is this lesson plan my best effort? Can it be made better? Have i put in my best? 

If these are learnings from just a month of teaching, imagine how much we can learn in two years. 

Artwork created by grade 8 on what "hardwork" means to them