The Journey Continues

The first class has been completed. The learning journey continues. I don't say it has only began, since as a teacher I am continually learning. There is no beginning or end to what I call learning in the field of education. I am simply continuing to learn the craft of teaching. The master's program offers me the opportunity to formalize my learning into a degree. In the first hour of the class, the professor throws the following question to the class: "What does mastery of one's craft mean?". The question is not easily answered. As I ponder over it, I begin to think that the teaching craft can ever be mastered by any one particular teacher. So why is it then, that I seek a master's in my craft? It is because I long to find ways of enriching and broadening what I know about my craft.

The first week's readings have been completed. It was while reading the introduction of the book, The Art of Classroom Inquiry, that I began to feel empowered in viewing myself as a "teacher-researcher". The passage that has jumped out at me states:

"If you have a problem-solving mind as a teacher, you are ready for research. If you welcome change and growth with your students, research can have a place in your professional life. The educational world is certainly in need of the tomorrow mind of teacher-researchers!...The first is to be humble and recognize that you have much to learn from your students and their communities. Second, approach your teaching always with a sense of inquiry, framing quesitons about your students and their needs to guide your teaching. Finally, have a willingness to share your story" (p.xvi).

I find that I am and have been a teacher-researcher. I wonder and seek solutions. I change and adapt. I seek and find. I learn and teach. I think and share. I am a learner. I am a teacher. And, I am a researcher.