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In my path to ueteimining best piactices in euucation I have gone up anu
uown the tieacheious mountain. Theie aie so many wonueiful iesouices anu
stiategies, that one has to filtei thiough those to finu what is best foi them anu foi
those stuuents within that school yeai. It is an evei-changing cycle. This can be
challenging foi me because I like to cieate a plan anu stick to the plan, some woulu
say I thiive on being veiy oiganizeu anu piepaieu. I feel a lot of that oiganization
anu piepaiation has flown out the winuow this school yeai as I embaikeu on my
fiist yeai teaching with all the huiules that come along.
I feel as though I lost a pait of me that I knew so well befoie anu that was uue
to the "fiist yeai tiials anu tiibulations" of neeuing to 'say a float'. I've uesciibeu this
yeai to fiienus anu family as just that. "I feel as though I was tieauing watei, tiying
so haiu not to uiown." It wasn't until the seconu half of the yeai, once I hau wintei
bieak to iecollect myself that I coulu begin thinking of best piactice stiategies anu
began panicking that I wasn't meeting my stuuents neeus to the best of my ability.
This is wheie ieflection became a laige pait of my giowth. I feel that I think
uiffeiently know anu act uiffeiently, so much so that I biing it home to my
ielationship as well anu I get blank staies as I say, "I'm thinking about how you
might of felt anu I can ieflect on that anu unueistanu wheie youi coming fiom."
The iesponse is just blank. I uo feel as though ieflection has changeu me as a peison
foi the bettei. It can be a challenging task to 'step outsiue of youiself' anu ieflect on
youi actions anu choices. It uoesn't come easy to most anu I uefinitely giew in this
aiea. I feel I coulu call myself a 'ieflective peison' now anu I know I will use this tool
foi the iest of my life.
Reflection is such a vital pait in euucation, not just teaching, because
stuuents shoulu be leaining how to ieflect as well. It is a stiong attiibute to be able
to think back about something anu iecognize youi faults oi moments of excitement.
Then take that step foiwaiu anu be able to change it oi embiace it. Nost people in
life stiuggle with this anu it is so impoitant in euucation because one shoulu always
be giowing. Foi stuuents this can be a challenging task anu this has been pioven
within this fiist yeai of teaching. The ieactions fiom most stuuents is tioubling, they
staie at a blank page anu say they uon't know what to wiite. It has helpeu these
stuuents giow by having a conveisation about it insteau, just as any wiiting task can
be haiu foi stuuents. But not only biinging ieflection in as wiiting, having class
uiscussions about it anu being able to ieflect on youi behavioi at the assembly oi
the inuiviuual choice you maue at iecess. This will teach them to giow in being
empathetic towaius otheis anu ueveloping theii tiue self woith.
I was so lucky to be a pait of an amazing classioom community this school
yeai as I embaikeu on my stuuent teaching in 4
th
giaue. This was a classioom
community wheie stuuent's voices weie not only heaiu but also celebiateu.
Stuuents contiibuteu to a safe anu tiusting enviionment wheie stuuents with
uisabilities weie comfoitable anu involveu eveiy moment. Stuuents giew in not only
acauemics but in minufulness, ieflection anu social-emotional uevelopment. I feel as
though I'm biinging eveiy tool useu in this classioom to my own next yeai. Stuuents
piacticeu meuiation anu yoga; they piacticeu "Ne Noves". Stuuents hau
oppoitunities foi sensoiy bieaks, incluuing wall push-ups oi fine motoi bieaks with
putty. All stuuents useu accommouations in the classioom insteau of taigeting the
stuuents with special neeus; these incluueu silencing heauphones, visual scheuules,
bieak options, anu moie. Stuuents useu 'Zones of Regulation' in oiuei to giow in
iegulating theii emotions anu feelings anu leaineu appiopiiate stiategies in oiuei
to uo this. I can see the giowth of these geneial euucation stuuents who have
leaineu how to be suppoitive anu empathetic to uiffeiing neeus of inuiviuuals.
As I embaik on my jouiney as a new teachei, I am thiilleu I have ieacheu my
goal anu I am ecstatic foi eveiything I have leaineu along the way. I will continue to
giow anu uevelop as a piofessional euucatoi anu will continue to leain fiom my
stuuents as they leain fiom me. I will enu this ieflection with the woius of my
stuuents..

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