Can I Change? - EOY2022 Blogpost
By: Vanessa MacDonna
This is the time of year when everyone around the world thinks of change; changes that affect their health, career, family, living situation and many others. Change can mean taking better care of yourself, creating a work life balance, or creating a professional goal for 2023
In 2022, post-pandemic, the most searched question in the world was “Can I change…?”
I believe change is crucial in life. Whether it’s the choice to change, or life forces us to change. Every year, I reflect on how over the course of the year I have changed or how circumstances, relationships and experiences have changed me. I also think about the previous year’s accomplishments, choices, and practices both in my career and in my personal life. Then I choose what to change for the upcoming year, both professionally and personally.
My first-year teaching, I was provided by my leadership English as a Second Language (ESL) resources that were marketed as ESL curriculum materials. At first, I had no idea what to do. I tore through every resource in my library. I scanned all my teacher education university books and read all of my notes and lesson plans from my year of student teaching. It took a few weeks of struggling through lesson planning, but I finally realized, and accepted I had not been properly prepared. After many panic attacks, I made a choice to tap into the one thing I knew I did well and loved, reading and writing. I decided that my teaching goal was to get my newcomer students through at least one chapter book as a class. That was my professional goal. I had made a choice. Now I had to find the right book. I read the book first, to ensure that it would work for my students, and it did. I created a unit based on this popular book and wrote every lesson, every exam and every resource using all my education, creativity, and the materials that had been provided. That was also the year we were given a new approach to teaching literacy that we were required to implement. Although at first, those ESL resources I felt were wanting, when combined with a plan, a text, and a model for instruction I found them to be useful tools when used properly to complement the curriculum. I shared my vision, plan and aspirations for my students and asked for help from my mentors and everyone and anyone. Most of the time, I received it.
That was my formula every year. I made a choice, learned something new, constructed a plan, chose my resources and materials, and asked for help from those who knew more than me and those who had different experiences than me. I learned early on in my teaching career, the best way to become the educator that inspires, motivates, and facilitates learning and the growth of individuals, is by reflecting and choosing to change. It begins first with reflection, then deciding what you can do differently to best support your students and your school community, and to foster personal and professional growth in yourself.
I purposefully have omitted the names of the books, the resources, and the framework for instruction that I used in that year and any year following. I have done this because I have been trained in multiple curricula in my career, across multiple subjects, and I know from experience that the change we want to see in the classroom, in our school community comes from choices we make to ensure that those changes happen. This always begins with the choices we make, hour by hour, day by day, month by month, year by year.
The decision to change is easy, the commitment, perseverance and grit is the challenge. With all great accomplishments in life, change requires you to ask for assistance, support and help during the process. Remember to allow yourself some grace and patience to learn and grow.
What change will you make for yourself, your students and your school community to succeed in 2023?
Please follow us and share your changes at #VMNYchangesin2023
