Learning to Teach

Thanks for getting us started, Susie.

One of the luckiest days of my beginning teaching was to be placed in an open space classroom with five other teachers. I know, I know, no one likes this set-up and all open space classrooms have been walled up. But for me it was liberating, interesting, fun and oh so full of learning. I watched pros in action and watched beginners struggle. I struggled, the pros struggled--although much less than I did and I gained more knowledge about teaching than I ever thought possible. We discussed our lessons and why they worked or did not, fed off each others' ideas, and supported each other through a miserable time with a leader who could not lead, did not lead, and was more than a bubble off-center (think of a level).

Susie's discussion about learning to teach made me realize how very fortunate I was. And besides that, three of those teachers who taught me to teach are still friends after 37 years!!