Diary of a PYP Coordinator

The blog post I Used to Think inspired me to invite all of our teachers to reflect on the past year and think about how their thinking about teaching and learning has changed.

It was so powerful to hear their reflections:

Listening to how their thinking has changed, got me thinking about how my thinking has changed. Here are my personal and professional reflections from my first year as PYP coordinator:

I used to think my job was to teach people about the PYP

Now I think my job is to help people build and grow their own understanding of the PYP.

 

I used to think passion and enthusiasm were my two strongest tools to engender change.

Now I think patience and empathy are much more effective.

 

I used to think it was my job to choose what people needed to learn about and how they needed to improve.

Now I think it is my job to listen to what they want to learn about and how they would like to improve.

 

I used to think I could make the biggest impact up in front of the whole staff.

Now I think that professional growth happens one conversation at a time.

 

I used to think my role was to make people learn.

Now I think my role is to help let people learn.

 

I used to think that I had to impose my help on everyone all the time.

Now I think my time is much better spent working with teachers who are interested in changing.

 

I used to think I was no longer a teacher.

Now I think I’m still a teacher, but my classroom and students look different.

 

I used to think being focused helped me do my job.

Now I think being friendly helps me do my job.

 

I used to think my job took place in an office.

Now I think my job takes place in classrooms, in hallways, on the playground and online.

 

I used to think my role was to work with teachers.

Now I think my role is to work with teachers, students, administrators, librarians, parents, other coordinators….

 

I used to think inquiry was just for children.

Now I think learning is learning, no matter what age the learner is.

 

After one year as PYP Coordinator my thinking has grown and changed so much! Thank you to the wonderful staff I work with for your honest and constructive feedback about how I can improve next year. I look forward to learning from my mistakes, my own reflections and my colleagues’ suggestions in order to have a greater impact on student learning, teacher learning and the development of the PYP at my school.

I’m excited to do this reflection again next year around the same time to see how much more my thinking has evolved.

… and the year after that.

…… and the year after THAT!

I feel like I’m finally beginning to truly understand the edu-cliche “life-long learner“.