Exploring Teacher Identity: A Yearlong Recount of Growing from Student to Teacher
by:
Krista Yerkes
Professional Development School
Intern:
Krista Yerkes
Mentor:
Judy Lysaker
Associate:
Carol Paul
Supervisor:
Jamie Myers
June 15, 2004
In the Beginning
Who is Miss Yerkes?
ÒMiss. Yerkes, may I go to the bathroomÓ? ÒMiss Yerkes, may I go to my lockerÓ? ÒMiss. Yerkes, why are we learning about thisÓ? The common link imbedded within all these questions is who is Miss. Yerkes? Going from the role of a student, which I have played for twenty-one years, to the role of a teacher was and sometimes still is a battle. How does one transition to this role? How does one reach a level of comfort in this unfamiliar discourse? How does one assume the role of ÒteacherÓ? These questions are difficult, but it is only with practice, continuing study, determination, other interns, devoted associates, a caring mentor, and most importantly belief in oneself that one can even begin the work that comes with answering these difficult questions.
What is teacher identity? Above are all questions and statements, which have crossed my mind in discovering the overall question of what is my teacher identity. How does one act like a teacher? What qualities do teachers possess? And most importantly how does one achieve these goals? Entering my student teaching program, I thought I had all I needed. All I needed was to do my best possible work this year and then it would all be downhill from there. Was I ever wrong?
I have learned that teaching is more than just standing up in front of a classroom. Teaching comes from within. Teaching is all about who you are as a person. This profession is very heart wrenching. This profession never leaves you. Once you are pulled into this career, you never leave. Teaching is difficult. If you do not know who you are as a person then teaching is going to be even harder. I have learned a lot about myself as a person. I have had to face things I have never wanted to before and teaching is something that pulls at your heartstrings. Teaching is a passion. But how does one spark the passion and then hold onto it?
I have discovered that what has shaped me, as a teacher are things from my past, things that are going on in my present, and thoughts of the future. People I have met when in high school, college, and especially my student teaching internship have shaped my teacher identity. The books, articles, and conversations I have had with many people have shaped my teacher identity. This journey from student to teacher has not been easy, but I am slowly overcoming the obstacles, climbing the mountains, sustaining over the respites, and conquering my final battle in the struggle from getting rid of the Krista I have always been to the teacher, Miss Yerkes, I have always hoped of becoming.
Before my student teaching internship, I was Krista Yerkes, the typical college student. I went to class till about noon, slept all afternoon, studied and did some work during the late afternoon, hung out with friends every evening, and partied on weekends. Weekends began Thursday night and Sundays were used to catch up on my work for Monday. There was some sort of routine to my life, but nothing set in stone. There were two main concerns I had Ð keep my grades high and then have fun.
My acceptance into the Professional Development School (PDS Ð a yearlong internship program through The Pennsylvania State University and the State College Area School District) at The Pennsylvania State University made me begin to think. I began to think about my routines and my actions as a college student. I knew things would change, but I did not expect them to be as fast and as difficult as they were.
The PDS internship program is a yearlong student teaching experience. As a student teacher I would become a co-teacher with an experienced teacher for an entire year. Methods courses are all embedded within this program because the philosophy is more like an apprenticeship model. I would learn everything by simply watching my mentor teacher do it and then doing it myself.
The buzzword of the program so far was ambiguity. In fact one of the questions I was asked before being accepted into this program was Òhow do you deal with ambiguityÓ. I do not quite remember the answer I gave, but I discovered that this was one of the most challenging parts for me in the beginning. And this was also a concept I would need to embrace quickly.
After having an afternoon lunch with all the mentors and talking to each of them in a small group atmosphere we wrote down some choices of those individuals we thought we would be able to work with. In July, I received a call giving me the name and phone number of my mentor. That day I called her and left a message on her answering machine. And this is how the relationship began.
My mentor and I had five classes. We had two classes, which were Advanced English 10. One class was English 10. One class was a Cooperative Teaching Initiative (CTI) English 10. A CTI class is made up of many different students on many different levels. The idea is to makeup the class of about one-third, one-third, and one-third. For example one-third may be learning support, one-third may be those with reading specialists, and the last one-third may be randomly chosen. This class is supposed to follow the same curriculum and keep up with an English 10 class. And our final class was Journalism I, which contained a mixture of grade levels Ð freshmen all the way up to seniors. I knew my experience would be diverse and impressive on a resume, since I will have worked with three different levels of English and many different grade levels. And this is where my journey begins.
The first question I asked myself was what is a discourse. I had no idea what anyone was talking about. James Paul Gee defines a discourse as Òa socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, and of acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of a socially meaningful group or Ôsocial networkÕÓ (Shannon, 1992, 21). After reading this I was able to conclude that teachers are in a discourse of their own. And this was the discourse I wanted to be a part of so desperately. In an article I read during my internship it said, ÒThink of discourse as an Ôidentity kitÕ which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act and talk so as to take on a particular role that others will recognizeÓ (Shannon, 1992, 21). It was from my mentor, my associate, and the school environment that I would learn how to fit into this discourse. I would learn how to dress, the rules, the lingo to use, and how to navigate through this new school environment.
Teaching is in a discourse all its own. An unfamiliar discourse can be frightening to make yourself feel a part of. Looking the part can sometimes help. Dressing up in your best suit, curling your hair, and wearing make-up can all help the transition into a strange discourse. For me, wearing shoes that would click when I walked down the hall made me feel like a teacher. Feeling like a teacher is only a small part of fitting into a discourse, but it is a sure fire way to appear as though you are fitting in.
The lingo of a discourse, especially teaching, is something one can only learn by being immersed into the world of teaching. The PDS takes this concept into account when tossing interns into the pool of teaching. Lesson plans, activities, goals, standards, and discussion are all things that are learned by simply going through the program and doing the actual procedures a teacher goes through each day. Of course textbooks can teach proper formats or a new set of vocabulary, but the practice is what makes these actions become habits. It is difficult at first to stumble and sometimes fall in a new discourse, however the atmosphere of the school was a comforting and supportive environment to be placed. Even on those occasions where I fell there was always someone to help pick me up and guide me through the next phase of this immersion. I learned the most when I fell. The philosophy, which holds true, is that only by doing can one really learn what it is like to be a part of a certain discourse. Simply by watching, asking questions, and doing have I learned the concepts, activities, and goals of this world of teaching. I watched and observed not only my mentor teacher, but also other teachers from all different grade levels. For two months straight I observed at least two different teachers a week. As my class load became bigger, I did not observe as much, but continued whenever I could. I saw many different styles, many different techniques, and many different teachers.
I asked many questions. It seemed like every eighth period was my time to ask questions. I asked questions of Judy, Carol, and the other interns. When I met with Judy we would discuss how the day went and what we needed to prepare for the next day. Questions arose about her practice and why she does what she does. I started to ask myself similar questions about my own classroom the upcoming year. Questions with Carol dealt more with growth and pedagogy. I had a chance to reflect a lot on the things that I did in my classroom and if I would do it the same way again. I developed a lot of my beliefs and pedagogy in CarolÕs office. Questions I asked the other interns developed more into a Òwhat would you doÓ scenario. We tossed around different ideas for our classrooms and developed curriculum from the ideas of everyone.
Acting out the different tasks of being a teacher was the hard part. It sometimes became overwhelming, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes wonderful. I started grading papers, taking attendance, collecting papers, making worksheets, designing tests and quizzes, and finally standing up in front of the classroom teaching. It was not until I had my chance in the front of the room that I discovered the true passion for teaching. The mistakes I made in the front of the classroom is when I learned the most. At first I hated to make mistakes in front of my students and Judy, later I accepted that the only way I was going to learn anything was through the mistakes that I was making. Each mistake was a critical incident in my development and I spent the time reflecting and analyzing on each incident.
Through learning the lingo of this discourse, I have learned the activities and processes that each teacher in this discourse goes through everyday. The first month or so one feels like a leach Ð stuck to the side of his/her mentor. As time goes by each month the attachment is less and less. One begins to learn the ins and outs of the trade. One can fend for himself/herself and become independent. One is able to then step into your own shoes, and start to become the teacher he/she has always dreamed. This is the climactic point where oneÕs identity begins to develop and take a shape other than your mentorÕs identity. This is the point in the development where the mother bird pushes her young child out of the nest ready to watch her fly all on her own. It is scary for both the mentor and the intern. The mentor is handing over her class hoping that the lesson goes well and hoping that everyone makes it through. The intern is hoping that he/she can get through an entire period without running out of things to do and things to say. The intern is hoping that the students will be cooperative and understanding as they look at only the intern standing in the front of the room. It is a confidence building moment for an intern and it is a proud parent moment for a mentor.
Fitting into a discourse is difficult. For some the process is much shorter and for others the process takes almost the entire year. For me the Ðprocess was long and difficult, but all worth it in the end. There is just as much growing, learning, and developing going on for those who this comes easy to and for those whom this comes difficult to. For those who found their place in the discourse right away, their journey was more linear Ð understanding situations and experiences as they progressed through the process and program. For those who found their place in the discourse later, like me, our journey was more retrospective Ð the understanding and comprehension of experiences and situations come as we looked back on our year. My story is very nonlinear. The reason for my inquiry is because my story is so nonlinear. I have learned more about myself as a person and as a teacher through my analysis process. However, my roommateÕs development was very linear because she fit right into her discourse at Mount Nittany Middle School. She embraced the new vocabulary and the new habits. Her growth was recognized and seen throughout her entire experience as she went along. She saw the importance of each and every experience or situation she had. There is no wrong or right way to grow and develop as a teacher. One must simply be patient and persistent.
What are some of the Consistencies?
Emerging
Themes Throughout my Year of Teaching
Anxiety is something I experienced very often this year. It is not an emotion that goes away with time as I thought it would. It is something I had to learn to control. The interesting part about my anxiety is that it would disappear as soon as I walked into the classroom. The anxiety that troubled me were the nerves that would build up the night before a lesson I was teaching or even the period before I was teaching.
In the beginning I just assumed that these nerves would go away with time and practice, but I discovered that I am always nervous about every lesson I teach. I am nervous about the activities going well in the classroom. I am worried if my students will enjoy the activity enough to learn from it. These are all things a good teacher worries about everyday, but my anxiety over these questions was taking over my life. Of course I should worry about these questions and of course I should be concerned about what I am teaching my students. But I should not be so anxious that I cannot sleep or eat.
The first time I was to ÒteachÓ was on October 22, 2003. I was supposed to give a vocabulary quiz and then introduce the words for the following week. I had everything planned out. I had a script of everything I was going to say. I tried to plan out every possible outcome and be ready for it. I could not sleep the night before this. I did not eat for two days. I talked for an hour or so after school the day before with Carol, my associate. We simply went through what I had planned to do with the students for that period. As I got into my car in the school parking lot, I began to cry. My nerves had finally got the best of me. I returned to my apartment around 7:30pm, where my roommate preceded to ask me what was wrong. As I was telling her how anxious I was I cried and she comforted me. After she left my room, I then called Carol. We talked again and of course I cried on the phone with her too.
Since I was to teach second period Judy, my mentor teacher, tried to keep me busy because she could see my emotions. Apparently, I had a lot of people worried about me that day. Carol came and found me towards the end of first period and walked me to my classroom. She put her arm around me and as she was speaking, (words I do not quite remember) I got teary-eyed. But the minute I walked into that classroom and I was in front of my students, I was onstage. There was no turning back. I felt no nerves. When I was done my fifteen minutes lesson, I was so relieved. Of course my lesson was not perfect, but I do not think any lesson ever is for any teacher. After those fifteen or twenty minutes, Judy said to me, ÒYou better find Carol and tell her you are okay. She was worried about youÓ. So of course I left class and told her that everything went well.
This was my first real encounter with nerves or being anxious. I can honestly say I never thought that I would be anxious about teaching because I am also a theatre major. Everyone always told me, ÒYouÕll make a great teacher. It is a lot like being onstageÓ. They were completely wrong. And this was naive of me to believe. Theatre is predictable for the actors and actresses on the stage. They know who is going to say what and when they need to say their line. Actors know where on the stage they are suppose to be at what time. Theatre is prepared, rehearsed, and rarely ever changes while the actors are on the stage. The actors are always in control. Teaching is not scripted and as much as someone may try to script a lesson, it will never go exactly according to that script. In the beginning, I scripted everything, now I write an agenda and then Ògo with the flowÓ. Teachers can never predict what their students are going to ask or what they are going to say. The closest relationship to theatre and teaching is improvisation.
Anxiety is something I have learned to deal with. All teachers have anxiety whether it is dealing with a student, having an observation by an administrator, or having a conference with a parent. Anxiety is just an emotion that one must learn to recognize and control.
Loss as something I had to deal with a lot this year. I cannot focus in on one thing because I lost many things throughout this year that shaped the teacher and person I am today.
A month before I started my internship, I lost my eleventh grade English teacher, Ms. Baltusavich. Even though she had been battling with cancer for a while, I never thought I would actually be without her. I called her a lot while I was in college and we always talked about my student teaching. I told her that I would call her everyday when I was teaching for advice with my lessons. She laughed and she said, ÒYouÕll come up with better things than I willÓ. She was my mentor and one of the reasons I wanted to become an English teacher. Walking into a high school now as a teacher was difficult knowing that she would not be around to talk to. I thought a lot about her while I was in school. I thought about if she was watching me, if she was proud of me, if she thought I was doing a good job. All I wanted was to make her proud of me. I just wish she could have seen me teach at least once.
The loss of her in my life made me determined to do well this year. Whenever I needed some strength I thought about her. When my journey became rough, I thought about her. I kept her picture on my desk so that I could see her and feel her presence everyday. She gave me confidence.
What I found to be the most interesting thing was that Ms. Baltusavich looked like Judy. They also have similar personality traits and teaching styles. It was almost as if I was with her in the classroom. At first the similarities were scary to me, but as my relationship with Judy began to grow, I did not need the remembrance of my teacher as much. Of course I remember her everyday and in every class, but it was something I did not need to survive anymore because I found the trust and care in my mentor teacher.
I began my internship year continuing to live with my college roommates. We were all seniors in college with one big difference; I had a real job ahead of me whereas they only had a few classes a week. The year started out fine. I was able to get my work done and then act like a college student on weekends with my roommates. As the internship became more and more demanding, I could not be the person my roommates wanted me to be. We started to fight a lot. I was always tired for school and it was almost impossible to get anything done in my apartment.
I was befriended by one of the other interns, Maria, who lived in the same apartment complex that I did. I would go over to her apartment, which was conducive for completing work, and we would do our work together. I even stayed over a couple nights, since Maria had a two-bedroom apartment all to herself. As my situation became worse and worse, I knew I had to move.
Late in November, I went into school very upset due to an argument my roommates and I had the night before. After crying and speaking with Judy and Carol, I knew I had to move as long as the funds were available. I talked to Maria and we decided that I could move in with her.
I moved in December 1, 2003. This was the best choice I could have ever made. As soon as I moved there was a vast improvement in my ability to teach and in my work. I was living with someone who had the same schedule I did Ð go to bed at 9:30pm and wake up at 6:30am. I was living with someone who had the same work I had. We helped each other with everything. There was finally someone who could listen to the events of my day and understand me. Maria gave me insights into events that had occurred in my classroom. She gave me advice.
Losing my college friends was not an easy task for me, but I knew I had to move out. We still talk. We go out to dinner sometimes and we go out on weekends together sometimes. The only difference is that we do not live together anymore.
The last thing that I lost was the life I once had, being a college student. I could not live that lifestyle anymore. This took me some time to finally realize and this was probably the hardest lesson I had to learn. It was not until a clash between these two different lifestyles occurred that I realized I needed to choose.
During the week, I was Miss Yerkes, the teacher. During weekends, I was Krista, the college student. I finally began to realize that I could not do my best work living this double life. My weekend endeavors were starting to wear on the outcome of my week. If I had partied all weekend then my week was not going to be productive or up the high standard I had set for myself. I had to make a choice and this decision came along with moving.
I chose to be a teacher. Moving was the climactic point in my year. It was after this the real work and the real Miss Yerkes began to shine. I devoted my time to my internship and to my students. This was the best decision I could have ever made.
I cannot stress enough the importance of relationships during this entire process. Creating the right relationship with my mentor, with my associate, and with the other interns was key to my success and growth in this program. The relationships built with these vital people must be based on trust, compassion, faith, and hope. The ÒrightÓ relationship has a foundation of all these qualities, and every member of the relationship feels the emotions fully and equally.
First and probably most important comes the relationship with my mentor, Judy. Gaining trust is something both of us needed to build with each other. Only once the trust is there can the mentor fully give up the control of his/her classroom. And it is with this trust that allows the intern to feel confident in oneÕs new surroundings. Trust occurs on many different levels. Trust on a professional level was important for me to feel comfortable asking Judy questions about class, my teaching style, her teaching style, etc. Also trust was important for me when I was being observed by Judy and made me comfortable enough to accept her kind criticism and suggestions. Trust on a personal level was important for me because through this I was able to open up to Judy about other things. I always tried to remember that I am a teacher as well as many other things and so sometimes the outside world can peak into your classroom.
Respect was another important quality of our relationship. I respected JudyÕs wishes and she respected mine. We worked together very well because of the mutual respect and understanding we both had for each other. In a collaborative situation one must learn to give and take. We succeeded well with this.
No relationship is ever perfect and to say ours was would be a lie, but I think Judy was the best match for me. Even though we had our minor ups and downs, the positives always outweighed the negatives. Due to our successful and personal relationship, we both benefited by learning from each other. Judy taught me many things and I think that I too taught her some things. Our students also benefited from our close relationship because we were able to give and take in the classroom. Our students could see and feel that their teachers were successful as a team and were working together.
Another very important relationship was the one I built with my associate, Carol. My associate was there to support me as well as Judy. She was there to help me with lesson ideas, to talk through puzzling situations, to listen to me when I was frustrated or overwhelmed, to put situations and experiences back into perspective for me, to find professional readings for me, and to simply be another support person.
Judy, Carol, and I would meet once a week to discuss my development as a teacher and how our classes were going. Carol and I would also meet once a week. These weekly meetings took many different forms depending on what the pressing issues were for that day. A lot of the times we talked about lessons I was preparing or how things were going in my classroom. During the more difficult and emotional times she was there with a tissue and an open ear. And most of the time she was there with wonderful words of advice.
Carol acted as a third party in negotiating different things throughout my internship and year with Judy. Negotiating what I would be doing each day in class, or what classes I was going to be present in, when my unit would begin, etc. Having a third opinion on issues that Judy and I were dealing with in the classroom or even out of the classroom was her biggest task. Supporting both Judy and I in all we did this year was her primary job.
The relationship I built with her is based on trust. Trust which took some time to build, but now is fully present. Her guidance and her support throughout this year have been what made this year a success.
Another important relationship that has made this year so successful has been the relationship I formed with my students. Building these relationships since the beginning of the year has been a challenge with some and has been easy with others. The students I had many common connections to, such as theatre or music gravitated to me first. They were more open when I was leading class discussions, and they were always willing to help me out when I was teaching, especially in the beginning. They worked in class to help me feel like I succeeded. And I succeeded because they were motivated, engaged, and learning. The more challenging ones I had to work on. For example one of my students in my English 10 class was a behavior problem in the beginning. I knew that in order to deal with the problem I needed him to trust me and see that I really did care about him as a person and as a student. I started every morning by greeting him as he entered my classroom. I started taking an interest about the activities he was involved in outside of my classroom. I gave him constant and immediate positive feedback whenever he did something positive. By being persistent, I was able to show him that I cared about him and that he could trust me. As soon as this relationship formed behavior was not an issue anymore. We were able to joke around in class and be productive at the same time. I had to build trust and respect with each of my students. I had to show each and every one of them that I cared about him/her. Some students I am still struggling to have a positive relationship, but for the most part the positive relationships I have built with them has helped the learning environment in my classroom. My students know what to expect in my classroom, as well as what I expect from them.
The last relationship that has been important in my growth and development as a teacher this year has been the bond I have formed with the other interns. Their continuing support and guidance has made this year productive and enjoyable. We share the situations of our classrooms and give each other feedback and opinions. Even just having someone in the school, who knows exactly what you are going through, is important. Sometimes Judy and Carol could not possibly understand what I was going through because they have never experienced it, so it was nice to have others around who were going through almost exactly what I was going through. During lunch or eighth periods the interns in the office would discuss the issues we were experiencing in the classroom and how we were feeling. The advice and support given during these brief moments of time were helpful and vital to my continuing growth. Here we were all in similar situations and trying to accomplish the same goal. Sometimes talking to someone who knows what you are going through is more helpful. It is helpful to know you are not alone.
As I look back on my year now, I notice that having the right attitude is what makes this a productive program. The most meaningful points in my development as a teacher have come when I had a positive mindset. When I started my internship, I got really excited when something good happened and really upset when something did not go well. I have learned that more things are not going to go exactly as planned than those that will go exactly as planned. Carol told me, ÒKrista, never too high in victory or too low in defeatÓ. This is something I have had to keep in mind constantly throughout this year. I still struggle with this concept, but I have learned that instead of getting upset when things do not work out to sit back and ask myself what can I do better next time. By asking myself what I can improve upon I stop dwelling on and basking in the negativity and move to a fix-up mode. It is more productive to set my mind in fix-up mode than to sit in the negative feelings.
Even walking into a classroom with a positive attitude is more productive. When I walk into a class I make sure I am positive, enthusiastic, and energetic because that rubs off onto the students. In this respect teaching could be compared to acting, because sometimes I do not like the material I have to teach or feel like teaching it on a specific day but coming in with a positive outlook makes things a lot better.
In the beginning I did not fully understand the meaning of this word. However, I have come to a deep understanding of this word throughout my year. The world of teaching is full of ambiguity. I can never prepare for how my students will react to something new I may be teaching them. I cannot prepare for what my studentsÕ responses in class will be when I ask them a certain question. I cannot prepare for how fast or how slow my students will learn new material. I have learned that I can only plan so much in the world of teaching. I must be flexible with my lessons. Flexibility and the fear of the unknown were two things I had a very difficult time dealing with this year.
When I started this internship, I was not a flexible person. I wanted due dates. I wanted to know exactly what I was going to say. I wanted to know all the possible responses my students would give me, and I wanted to know how I would react to each one. I had a set lesson plan and no matter what that is the plan I carried out. I have come to know that teachers need to be flexible. Students may not catch onto something as quickly as I think and so I need to be able to spend the time going back and reviewing. I need to have multiple ways of explaining something because what works for one student may not work for another. I have learned that each new day brings on a new challenge and I must be flexible and ready to face anything. Fire drills could come any day and I must be prepared to change my plan if I lose class time for a routine drill.
In the beginning I did not have the confidence to do this. I did not think I could handle just any situation that came my way. But I have learned with time, through practice, and with the support of Judy and Carol that I am ready to handle these unpredictable moments. Once I had the confidence to face anything I was able to enjoy teaching. I was able to feel the passion for learning and teaching students. Basking in the ambiguity of teaching is what makes this profession exciting everyday. If I had to do the same thing everyday for the rest of my life, I would be bored. But teaching offers many new experiences. Each class, each student, and each day has something more to offer and something new.
I was also afraid of the unknown. Improvisation has never been something I was good at in the field of drama, but it is something I learned to deal with in the field of education. I learned real fast that I could not possibly script everything I was going to say. There are too many possibilities and nothing ever goes according to plan. Besides it would take hours to script everything each night, and I found out quickly I just did not have enough time for that. The spontaneous nature of teaching is what makes teaching fun. As soon as I learned to enjoy the unknown, I was able to find joy in what I was doing. Here is an excerpt from an email I sent to Carol on February 4, 2004:
Teaching has to be one of the only professions (except parenting) where you cannot leave work and simply not worry about it until work the next morning. Teachers are consumed with worries and uncomfortable situations. When teachers leave the school most are bringing home papers to correct or lesson plans to write. Teachers are always thinking about their students. Waking up in the middle of the night worrying about how am I going to get Johnny caught up today? Or standing in the shower going through in your mind the events of your day. A teacherÕs job is never done. Teachers plan, worry, ask questions, experiment, sometimes get answers, but most of the time only get more questions in return. Before now I never thought that ÔexperiencedÕ teachers have these questions or worries like I do, but now I can see that ÔexperiencedÕ teachers really do go through these phases. Most likely they go through these phases every year, with every class, and maybe everyday. So as an intern who is at a midpoint in her development I have learned a very important lesson which I hope I can remember every year that I am teaching Ð All teachers no matter how much experience they have questions themselves, worries about their classes, and worries whether they are doing the right thing for their students. When one becomes a teacher they can never leave that persona. The persona is who they are and it embodies teachers. It is a rewarding and honorable persona to have and as teachers we should recognize it and embrace it, even though the ambiguity may be scary. For the ambiguity is what makes teaching a new experience everyday and every year.
The ambiguity is what teaching is all about. Once I was able to deal with the uncertainties, I was able to open my eyes and see a whole new world of promise in front of me.
As the weeks of school come to an end I am starting to miss the ambiguity in teaching. I have learned to cherish the things that make me uncertain because I know I can open a whole new world of possibilities once I walk through the ambiguity.