Feedback:

What I get vs. what I want----
Who knew feedback was so important? I really don't think I've thought about it as deeply or as often as I have in the last 32 days of school.

 What I'm getting......
Oh it's your first year everything will be fine---
oh it's your first year you aren't suppose to know what students should be able to do....
Well, you're class is more controlled than the teacher that was in your room last year..... let's call her Sally
You're doing a better job at this time of the year than Sally did last year.
Well, Sally did it this way last year, and you're not doing it that way- so it's ok.
It's your first year- you have every excuse to not know what you're doing-

What I'm getting is NOT going to set my students up for success this year! I mean who is really going to look back when my students are in 5th grade and say "Oh so and so is behind because he/she had Mrs. Earle in Kindergarten and that was her first year." No this will NOT be an excuse for students not getting the best and most out of every day!! I want better for them!!

What I want.....

Well- it's the beginning of October and I do feel like I'm settling in in my new life as a Kindergarten teacher BUT I do know I have a lot yet to learn and even more to improve in my classroom. I have a feeling I'm the only teacher in the building that has asked for observations to take place sooner rather than later. I guess what I'm wanting is professional feedback. The reason I'm so eager for this feedback is because I want to know sooner the areas I need to fix. I don't want to wait until after the first trimester and feel that I have been a disservice to my students. They are so eager to learn and deserve their teacher to be doing the best for all of them. I'm hoping by having observations happening in our room I can really reflect on what I'm doing. I know that I will get great feedback and the feedback won't be just a pat on the back because let's face it- I'm not after that! I'm after what can I fix/change to be a better teacher for the 24 learners in my classroom. It will be great to have feedback to see what positives are going on in the room that I maybe don't realize, but more importantly get my thinking wrapped around what I can do to be better. In only 32 of teaching, I've done a lot of reflecting and have made some changes in styles of teaching. I know it's not great to keep changing, but I do feel that with each change (whether it's a change in reading groups, or an extra activity to have a volunteer do,) the changes have been successful.