I have just completed Day 3 of a Physics Modeling Workshop. I can honestly say I love what I am learning. The discussions, research, experiences shared have convinced me that this is what I need to do. I could spend this entire time discussing why I should. So, what's the problem?
.......... I honestly don't know if I can do this! I want to! But, it could be a BIG mess!
I am worried about so, so, so many things.....
- Can I honestly resist the urge to "tell" my class how to do something or stop myself from validating an answer during discussion?
- Will I be able create and sustain discourse in my classroom? Can I find the right questions (or enough)?
- Will I be comfortable with this classroom environment/ classroom management?
- Will my administration be comfortable with my classroom environment/ classroom management? .....And, will it negatively affect my evaluations?
- Will I be able to "control" behaviors? Obviously, not in the manner I have done in the past.
- Will my students (and parents) recognize the value in this process?
- How can I set up my class so students are aware of what they are learning? I can obviously say that I thrive on positive feedback and am very fearful of the statement "Mrs. Hartley doesn't teach us anything."
- How will I get through the pacing? My district has set pacing guide with defined unit tests (Benchmark tests).
- Will the district assessments align with this new approach?
This list continues on ( and on and on). With all that.....
I'm going to try anyway!
In just 3 days I have decided that it is the right thing to do for my students (even if they may not initially recognize it). After all, that's why I became a teacher! :-)
Wish me luck. I have lots more to learn and hopefully by day 15, I will figure out some of these and others may take trial and error. I expect it will take years to master.... I'm in for the long haul!
