Day 15: Half Way

For Day 15 of the 30-Day Blogging Challenge, I must name three strengths I have as a teacher.

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My relationships with students is one of my strengths.  I am a very approachable, mild-mannered teacher.  I enjoy learning about my students as readers and writers, as well as getting to know them as individuals with lives outside of school.  I think my students know that I sincerely enjoy being around them (most of the time) and that I care about them.  I would not be a teacher if this were not the case.

Technology.  I hesitate to list this as a strength, but there are many colleagues who see this as a strength of mine.  I am not afraid to try new technology and use it in the classroom.  The reason I hesitate to list it as a strength is because this implies that I am an expert in technology and know how everything works.  As most teachers who use technology know, this is not true.  I simply enjoy teaching myself how to use new tools and planning lessons that make the most of technology.  I am also just as frustrated by it as anyone else is.  And I definitely cannot solve every glitch that comes my way.  Having spent the last year studying Instructional Technologies and Digital Media Literacy at the University of New Haven, I also now have a much deeper sense of the importance of preparing our students for a digital future.

One of my strengths inside and outside of school is that I am a good listener.  I try to understand other points of view without judging.  Students, parents and colleagues all need to have their chance to express themselves and be understood.  When I am in meetings with parents, I sometimes hear others trying to finish what a parent is saying.  I try to let them have their say and acknowledge their position.  Over the years, I have had many people (students, parents and colleagues) express their appreciation for that fact that I listened to them.

Okay, this was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  It actually feels good to write about my strengths.  Anyone care to share their strengths below?  You’ll be glad you did.

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