Another year teaching…..

This will be my 18th year as a teacher.  I have always viewed my time teaching as an investment in the social capital of the school where I work.  This helps me keep the perspective of what I do in the classroom in check.  When I started teaching I taught the way I would want my own children taught.  It has kept my mind actively engaged in the educational process.  My oldest son was in my classroom this past year and 16 years worth of work and learning paid off.  I think we had a wonderful year together.

Every few years I think, “What is it that I really do?”  Do I teach children?  Do I teach science?  Do I teach science to children?  Do I teach children science?.  This has given me years of excitement and pain.  Every teacher has a different answer for this question.  What we all know is that children show up every day and your teaching material typically does not change.  So, what makes the difference?  Some days I have to teach children because their needs are not getting met.  Some days I have to teach science because there are concepts that children must know.  But most days there is a combination of children and science and/or science and children.