Here I sit late at night/early morning Thinking. Camp is essentially done. The lessons are created and shared. The Ignite is presented. Many campers are tired from the brain overload or just plain exhaustion.
I, on the other hand, want to keep going. I guess I love this type of interaction.
It gets me thinking and pushing toward what I can do to help teachers, students, and the community.
So, what does it do for other teachers?
Should I worry about them and what they want to do to help others like I do?
Yes, I should. What they do or don't do hurts me indirectly. If teachers take risks and blend more tools into their instruction, then I have a job to help them be better at what tools to use and how to use them better. If teachers don't take risks, then I must walk a fine line of what to say, how much to push, and when to hold back. I'm not impressed with teachers who take the low hanging fruit and do just enough to get by. At the same time, I must realize I don't know them or their circumstances nor see their whole picture.
No, I shouldn't. They are grown folks and have had time to grow and be better at their jobs and in life. Their morals and values are not mine. They do not have the same background experiences as I do, therefore I can't put my own morals and values on them and expect them to follow them. They are responsible for themselves. (An attitude I should have learned in Kindergarten and still learning.)
Balance is needed. I must walk that fine line of what to say and do as well as when to jump far off the path and know when to do either.
That balance must be struck in the relationships I need to build with teachers. They can not nor will not respect me right when I meet them. Respect has to be earned through a consistent and meaningful relationship. That is what I need to do.
What do you do to bring balance in your educational life and the stress it brings?
BTW, you didn't miss the first part,
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