Sunday, August 14, 2016

Time Well Spent


When I first started my journey at Walden the end seemed so far away that it is hard to believe it is here.  Although this may be the end of my studies at Walden, I have been reminded that in order to remain an effective leader in this field that I must always continue learning and remain current. 



This experience has also showed me the importance of being aware of and even if I do not fully understand a different perspective to take the time to learn from it and respect it. 

Lastly, during my time at Walden I was taught the power of self-reflection and how the way I was raised and what I think can both impact the way I teach.  I can say that this was the first time that I was really asked to take the time to genuinely self-reflect and it was very difficult in the first few courses but it became easier to do and I have grown from it. 

One long term goal that I have which is derived from the leadership week is to take better care of myself.  Sounds simple enough but I do not always do that, I often take on too many projects, wanting to do everything and I have a hard time saying no.  I want to be the most effective leader and teacher that I can be and in order to give the best version of myself I need to make sure that I am taken care of.


I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues and professors that I have meet and worked with during my time at Walden.  The feedback, comments, and questions that I have received from you along my journey here have helped me to become a better person and in return better teacher and leader.  I wish you all the best of luck and that someday our paths might cross again!  Congratulations to you all, we did it!
I would also like to thank my two little office assistances (Mojo & Remi) who dedicated numerous hours of support during my whole time at Walden.






8 comments:

  1. Jill,
    Your long term goal of taking care of yourself is something I think we all need to take into consideration. We are no good to anyone if we are not at our best. Good Luck to you and all your endeavors! I know you will be great!

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  2. Jill,
    Reading your blog today has reminded me of even more that we have learned through our courses that we will be taking with us into the future. Your blog reminded me of the anti-bias course and learning about ourselves, privileges, oppression and so on. I agree that it was sometimes hard to reflect during those courses, but I believe it was very worth it. Thanks for your collaboration and good luck in the future!

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  3. Jill,

    Your blog is an inspiration. It made me sit down and reflect on all the difficult times. I can truly say that this was a brain-inflating learning experience that will never cease to get gratitude from me. I always am reminded of countless instances of stress and adversity, plenty of which drove me to sit in tears trying to figure how to manage everything. The end is now here. Monday is the day I start as a Pre-K 3 teacher, so I have been spending this whole week preparing and arranging my classroom. Every last one of you deserves my respect and appreciation!

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  4. Jill
    It has been a long ride and we have learned so much about ourselves and how we can help children and families. I wish you the best as you continue on this journey.
    Stacy

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