Reflectiveness

Reflecting is a great tool that is not used often enough. I think it is so hard for people to reflect on their work for a number of reasons. There are two that really stand out to me. First of all, reflecting takes some serious thinking. After a day of teaching or working, who wants to THINK more? Second, it may mean realizing your weaknesses or things you can improve on. This can be a difficult task for anyone, but especially teachers because they are supposed to "know it all." Therefore, it is a tough topic. Some people probably consider reflection to be the heart of teaching for the EXACT reasons I just mentioned. It requires critical thinking (which Tony Wagner loves) and it means discovering flaws. People who are willing to do this obviously care about their jobs and want to do all they can to improve their methods of teaching others. I reflect the best when I am alone and preferably in an area of nature. I love being outside where there is still noise, but ideally no human distractions (including cars, buildings, etc). I personally do not like reflecting that much because of the reasons I mentioned at the top of this post. I also believe that I spend too much time thinking (which CAN be good, but can also be bad). Because of this, I don't really enjoy reflection. I tend to over-analyze situations which generally just leads to more problems. I do believe, however, that when done correctly and often, reflecting can be a very useful tool in the world of teaching.

Passion

Passion is an enormous part of why I decided to become a teacher, especially in the area of music. I would have to honestly say that all of my music teachers had or have a tremendous passion for what they teach and because of that, I have formed my own passion for music. My love of music began with my first teachers; my mom and dad. They were kind enough to let me sing all of the time as a kid and when I was old enough to "sit still" they paid for both piano and violin lessons. At that point, my private teachers increased my love of music by giving me a solid base to grow from. When I was old enough to be in ensembles, I truly saw passion become part of my musical life. There were numerous times when I would cry, laugh, or get chills during performances when I was in middle and high school. The music moved me, but more often than not, it was the director's facial expression or movement that truly brought out the emotion in me. I remember one day in particular of my last few weeks of high school choir with Mr. Brian Johnson. I was having a difficult day and in choir, we sang a piece entitled "All Flesh is Grass." It is a beautifully written score and poem that held special meaning for me. When we got to a certain point in the music, I began weeping for three reasons: 1. The words and music were extremely touching, 2. I was having a moment of "senior in high school" emotions, and 3. Mr. J's face. He had a look on his face of incredible passion; one that I have had the privilege to see so many times. His love for music and his love for teaching always combined to create an amazing sense of love, joy, and contentment in my life. This passion is something that I would one day like to pass on to the students that I get to teach!