Being accepted as a Kenan Fellow was extremely exciting for me. As a professional, I am constantly trying to find ways to improve myself and to continue educating myself. I enjoy learning and this program has provided several educational opportunities for myself as well as the other Fellows.
One of my main goals during this program is to improve my lesson plan writing skills. I always have a plan for my classroom and I know where I want to go with what I teach; writing it down on paper is another story. It almost seems redundant and I don’t like taking extra time to do it, but I know it is necessary and I would like to get better at it. Especially since our final product will be available for the world to see. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.
Another goal is just getting back in touch with working in a lab. I have not done as much lab work with my students as I would like so I am really enjoying getting ideas to bring back into the classroom. Plus some of the things we are doing are just fascinating to me and satiate my hunger for learning new things.
My final goal is to build a better network. As teachers, we get bogged down with the pressures and stresses of normal day to day routines and procedures. We are in a job that can feel like the most rewarding as well as the biggest let-down and there are days where I am disheartened by the new policies that do not seem to be in the best interest of the students or lack of motivation from my students, constantly receiving work that is sub-par, knowing my students can do better and explaining that same thing to them only to have them shrug in response because they truly do not care to do better. Sometimes you just need like-minded teachers to talk to, to get refreshed on why we love what we do, even when we hate it. I love having people I feel that I can collaborate with and reach out to in a time of need. It takes a bit of bravery and trust to reach out when you need help. I like the bond I am gaining with the women I am working with. I know they won’t mind if I reach out to them or won’t feel bothered or inconvenienced.