One of the reasons I like blogging so much is because it helps keep me honest. If I have an idea for a project or practice, I like to write about it in this public space because it makes me feel beholden to you (whoever you are) to see it through. It provides some extra incentive for me to follow through, and a little extra incentive or motivation is always appreciated!
In January, I challenged you to get out of your classroom and observe your colleagues at least once a month from January to May. I even said I would try to do it twice a month.
I did not meet my goal.
In fact, I fell way short. This is not to say I didn’t conduct general observations as part of my job; rather, I didn’t get to conduct many additional ones as outlined in that blog post from January.
Ordinarily, this is the part where I would analyze my own actions or inaction, and determine what I could do differently to improve this for next time. I started off well enough, sitting in on a basic skills Algebra class, but if I’m honest, it came down to there not being enough hours in the day. I pride myself on always being able to find or make time for these things, but in a rare occurence, I just wasn’t going to be able to do it without neglecting other, more time-sensitive or higher-priority items.
So maybe this is a Seinfeldesque blog post about nothing, but I thought it important to at least come correct and own up to my inability to meet the challenge I set for myself and others. If nothing else, it’s what I would expect of my students.