What I love about my job?

I love the buzz that stays with you after a lesson, when something, everything, or even one little thing goes REALLY, REALLY well. I am one of those people that is bursting to share that lesson with someone as soon as I get back to the staffroom. As the years go by, the need to share is slowly increasing as I work my butt off to plan, trial and refine some of the best ideas (my own or recommendations)  in the always changing, never predictable classroom. I used to think the mark of a successful lesson was one where I came back to the staffroom brimming to share my amazing experience, insights, breakthrough with another colleague who could recognise the brilliance of the moment, as I had. Today I had to rethink that definition of a ‘brilliant lesson’ and put the focus back where it belongs….on the students.

In my morning reading today, I stumbled upon this article about digital exit strategies (another  blog post for another day) and one line stuck out from the rest and smacked me across the face with the reality of the dangers faced by teachers everywhere…ego. In this moment of sharing my story, about sharing my lesson experiences, I had forgotten that it should be about the students.(I hate this word – students – it makes me sound too formal and removed from the connections that I have with so many great young people, but kids makes them sound like I’m babysitting…*dilemma*).

 

Please take the time to read the article in its entirety if you have a moment, but to get to my point, the line that made me pause was this:

“For teachers, the key is how to get the learning to spill out of the classroom and continue the conversation.” 

Hmmm, Can I honestly say my  students are talking about the content, the questions or ideas from my lesson as they move out to recess, or on to another class? Can I recall students in MY lesson, talking about another teacher’s previous lesson? Sadly, the answer is ‘rarely’.  Oh, it happens from time to time and that’s better than nothing. However, if I am completely truthful about the situation it is more good luck than great design that has, in my previous successes, generated this ongoing discussion. It’s time I added a level of focus to my student engagement strategies and add; ‘How can I get my students talking about this learning AFTER the lesson?’

Do you have any great tips or experiences to share to get me started? I’d love to hear about them.