Learning and Growing as an Educator

This year I am extremely fortunate to teach an elective class called Design Thinking. Last year, through the support of my principal and district, I was able to attend many professional development sessions focused on Design Thinking. In this elective, modeled after Stanford's Institute of Design, teams of students are introduced to the creative process of designing meaningful solutions to problems at a local, domestic, and global level.  Students are encouraged to think and go “big,” while focusing on the key stages of the design cycle: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. Students are guided to identify needs, design solutions, collaborate with peers, and present their findings to a meaningful audience. As my colleague and I designed our Design Thinking curriculum over the summer, I would often second-guess my decisions: Will the students enjoy the class?  Will they understand the importance of the Design Cycle?  Will they be engaged?  Will this electiv...

There is nothing more exiting to me than the first week of school with students. Just walking around campus when students arrive fills me with the energy I hear and see. Smiles are copious, and laughter waves through the air. In my classroom, each student starts the year with the drive and determination to do well in school. You can see it through the small tasks they complete or the raised hands that are anxiously waiting to participate. These small moments with my new students motivate me to keep their energy and excitement levels elevated throughout the remainder of the school year.  This is what fuels me to overcome challenges and take risks in my classroom.  Each minute I spend focused on my classroom is for them: my students.  So of course it is fitting that I dedicate this next school year to them!  I promise to do my best each day so that their learning needs are met, their enthusiasm to learn is high, and that they leave me better prepared for their futures!...