What is your vision?

I'm often at odds with all that is expected and what I want to do. I have to keep reminding myself: What is your vision?

A vision is for me my greatest strength as a teacher. I know what I want, and I do it. Whenever I present at workshops, I am confronted regularly by the Eeyore teacher: But I can't do that, I only have... and the excuses range from limited computers, no access, broken pencil, ad nauseum. The Eeyore teacher only sees what they can't do. They never focus on what they can do.

Teachers are notorious for sacrificing and fighting for what they want - if it is part of the vision. How many garage sales have been raided in the hopes of more (cheap) books for a classroom library? Why? Because reading is important. Reading is part of the vision.

My vision, changing and sometimes elusive, always comes back to simple words: creative and innovative, collaborate, problem solve. These words help inform me of what I am to teach.

In my writer's workshop, I want my students to be creative and innovative. Within a framework that I establish, I get my students to be creative and innovative. They are free to come up with topics and forms, explore and create from there. This came from a technology conference I attended a few years ago. The keynote speaker was speaking about creating students who are ready for an unknown future. Instead of listing hard or soft skills, he had said that students will be successful if they are creative and innovative. Thus into the vision it goes.

I fight for what I want. I often behave unscrupulously, but the results are always for my vision. I do what I do because I believe what I do is important.

M.