What have I learned?
1. Listening is hard...well, intentional listening is hard.
2. It's easy to discount what you hear. Or to pay attention to what reinforces your opinions and discount what challenges them.
3. I'm doing okay. Yes, I make mistakes. Yes, I need to improve. But I am doing things right. I am growing and progressing as a teacher. I need to pay attention to those successes.
4. Listening to too many voices can be paralyzing. When I try to listen and respond to what I read online and to what colleagues say and do and to my own ideas and to what my kids are saying and what I'm learning in my university class - well, I can just decide that it's too hard to do anything. I need to filter and focus on a couple of things to change or adjust and file the rest away.
5. I don't listen enough sometimes. I need to continue to make an intentional choice to be open and ready to hear. I need to continue to reflect. I need to be open to change. I do not want to get locked into the "right" way and not adjust in response to what I hear.
This was a great word for my focus this year. I've learned a lot and will continue to process what I've heard. I will continue to listen in the year to come.
Related 2013 posts:
- One Word for 2013
- It's All About Attitude
- Give Me a Break
- My Amazing Kids
- Refueling the Conversation
- Bragging
- Taking My Own Advice
