A pivotal moment in my educational career

Reflection: Week 5

This week was one of the most challenging weeks for myself as I found myself becoming overwhelmed. I came into the school thinking that it was my responsibility to get my students to their outcomes and to only collect marks for these outcomes once they had had sufficient practice. With the increased stress of the term coming to an end, I found that I did not have enough evidence to show that all of my students were ready for a formal assessment. This was something that I struggled with as my TM asked me to collect worksheets and gather marks. It took me a long while to understand that some of my students may not show me they are ready for the assessment and that instead I could just ask them to do their best and then mark what they gave me. Sometimes the things going on in their lives will take precedence over reaching an outcome, and that's ok.


I am still learning to let it go and that academically I can only do so much for those students. I cannot continue to help them step by step as I end up drained at the end of the day and realistically this is not preparing them for the educational road ahead. I can give them their marks for their own work but I cannot help them complete it. I can give them the skills but then they have to put them into action. While academically I cannot give them the answers instead I need to take a look at why they are not meeting their outcomes and address their situations. This way I may not provide them with an academic education, but if I push academics aside and address their emotional needs may provide them with an emotional education so that they may persevere in the future. The process of letting go of my high academic standards for my students is one that I think I will continue to struggle with as I try to find the line between letting go and assisting them reach their full potential.