I am a stubborn person. I like to think I’m always right. I get defensive when my teaching is questioned. I have to think a while about new ideas before I decide to change. Change is difficult because it takes me out of my comfort zone, into unknown territory. It makes me vulnerable because I no longer know all the answers. Sometimes it means extra work. Changing things might not turn out the way I expected. Maybe if I hold out long enough, the new idea will go away, like just another educational fad. So why change it all? Why can’t I keep doing what I’ve been doing? Because it’s not about me.
Greta Lungaard, NADSFL President, summed it up perfectly at the NADSFL Conference in Denver. She advised us, “It’s not about you; it’s about the learners.”
What can I do to maximize the language learning experience for my students?
Señora G 