3 Words

This is an interesting challenge: What 3 words describe you as a teacher?

I really had to sit and think about this for a while, the words that immediately popped into my mind as far as adjectives that are generally used to describe me didn’t really seem to fit when I apply them to myself as a teacher – which is interesting in itself.  Here are the three words that I finally came up with:

1. Observant.  Not only did I regularly observe my students to gauge their interests and assess their level of understanding, I was also incredibly observant of their behaviors and emotions. If there was something going on with a child I could tell immediately. 

2. Frugal. I should really just say cheap, but frugal sounds so much better.  If I could scrounge or scavenge for materials then we would use them. If supplies cost me too much then we weren’t doing that activity. I was also notorious for finding new uses for recycled materials and any item that a parent would donate. I’ve stitched up holes in dress up clothes and was a professional book-repairer.

3. Open-Minded.  If there is one thing that defines my time in the classroom it was my constant willingness to try new things.  Whether it was a teaching approach, art project, room arrangement, or behavior management strategy I was always up for giving it a shot.  Every single one of these opportunities taught me something new and gave me the opportunity to reflect and improve as a teacher.

So… what would your three words be? Take a minute to think about it, it’s a great reflective activity – you could even have your entire staff do this at a staff meeting!