Adapting what we know

This morning got me thinking how we have to adapt what we know in order to progress. This can relate to our academic writing for our MA studies, our teaching practice. It made me think about how different my practice is now compared to at the start of my MA last September. I wrote in module 1 how we learn but don't necessarily know that we are learning, or we know how to do something and we learnt how to do it through life rather than a course. On reflection the learning process this past year has been huge.

I had a conversation with some of my first year students yesterday and we talked about how they are struggling with a particular teacher who is horrible to them and they dread going to their lessons. First of all I would hate to be that teacher knowing that they didn't want to come to my class because of how I treat them, secondly I am glad they felt able to tell me, this was not my business but they felt that they were able to tell me and knew that I would listen. Our role as teachers is valuable, we affect the students lives in so many ways- I would genuinely hate for it to be a bad way. I could have been that horrible teacher but I've adapted the way that I teach because of what I know and what I have learned, so their bad situation made me reflect(on the long drive home) and it made me realise that yes I am adapting, changing what I know. I know that I support them in the best possible way because I treat them as human beings, not just a name. One student commented that I always ask them how they are at the start of the lesson- that's because I care and I want them to be ok. Would I have changed so much if I hadn't made the decision to complete my MA? Probably not. I'm not saying that we all have to go out and study but we all need to do something to help us progress.

Headspace and thinking time

I had a catch up with Adesola last week and we discussed where I was at in terms of my study. I told her about my new hobby which was running and how I use some of my running time as my headspace where I think through my study.

Today I went for a very wet and muddy run, my usual beautiful views were masked by cloud and mist and this almost seemed to resemble my current headspace where I have all of this information but I'm not sure what to put where. At first I didn't want to go, I wanted to stay in my warm and cosy surroundings at home but I thought of my progress made and that spurred me on.

I run on a trail with some breath taking views, today I could see the reservoir faintly through the mist almost as though this was my end product and the mist was the information I had to clear in order to get to the reservoir. I did get some rather muddy feet as I was concentrating on the obscured view rather than concentrating on where I was running!! I ran through the wet slippy leaves and thought about the uncertainty that I have felt at times throughout my MA, they slowed me down, but then I saw the end of my trail and that gave me the boost to keep going.

Today I was also faster, still quite slow, but if I look at how far I have come in a short time I can see what  huge improvement has been made. I started running because I decided that with all the dancing I do I don't actually do anything for myself as I'm always teaching class for somebody else. The same with my MA I wanted to do it for myself, having done my PGCE out of necessity for my job I needed to continue and do something for me.

At times I thought I can't go out running I need to study but I also need my headspace and this has been working really well for me. It's taught me that its ok to feel unsure about what to do but you have to take that first step as you never know what you will discover. I felt the same at the start of my MA journey, I wonder if I will feel the same at the end of my journey as I do at the end of my run- out of breath, muddy, tired but at the same time jubilant.



This is a more impressive view taken during October half term.