Hellobee Boards

I taught for 8 years before moving into admin. I could have easily worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no time wasted and still had mountains of work to be done. I skimmed the read--I did agree with what it was saying. The hardest part for me was reaching every single child, and teaching to what they needed the most. The majority of my classes ranged from 30-40 students and although I was incredibly dedicated in the classroom, I felt as if I could never get every single student what they needed.

I agree with this article. The metaphor of painting the Victorian house particularly resonated with me. It's so frustrating because I know exactly how my ideal classroom would look and operate, if I only had enough time to make it happen. But I have a husband, a baby, a house, and needs of my own and can't work 24 hours a day (even though I actually could, like @matador84 said). And it's true - teachers on TV/movies seem to only teach one class a day! This year I had six preps and taught kids from 7 different grades.

@travellingbee: I agree that some of the best teachers are the ones that can constructively criticize their own practice. Hopefully I fall into that category! Unfortunately, it can be difficult to be self-reflective with your admin if your admin isn't supportive. I've had a bad principal and it is difficult to be vulnerable around him because it can mean opening myself up to attack. Next year I will be at a new school with a principal who has a stellar reputation. I am eager to work with an admin who is responsive to and respectful of teachers who are aware of "what they can't do well enough yet."

So true for me! I could always picture what the perfect classroom would be like. I agree that it was motivating to have this idea, but I also found it frustrating to have this super high standard and to know that there was really no way to live up to it.