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Take Away's
1. Don't focus on the approval of others. It is important to work hard, but hard work and work satisfaction shouldn't be driven by the positive affirmations of others. Work hard and be affirmed in yourself that you are doing the best you can!
2. Be proud of yourself! When people compliment you, accept it! Don't try and belittle the hard work you are doing.
3. Focus your efforts into the things you DO have control over and set goals to improve those areas. It is a waste of time and a downer to complain about things that are out of your hands.  So don't focus on them!
Connection
1. This chapter spent some time focusing on setting realistic goals. This makes met think of the work we have been doing with SMART goals. At times, I have worked to create smart goals, and I almost skip over the "r"-realistic. But this chapter has caused me to think deeper about choosing goals that are realistic for me to have control over and outcomes that I can impact.

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1. We can't rely on others to measure our success.
2. It's OK to be proud.
3.  Focus on what you can control.
4. Set small, measurable goals.  Recognize when those goals are met.
Connections: I'm guilty of waiting for admin to recognize my work. I'm often afraid to be proud of my work due to my coworkers being jealous or bringing me back down. (I can think of a specific incident in the lounge I will never forget.) I also forget to recognize success. We set all kinds of goals and continuously focus on failure.

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1. Administrators are often too busy to provide feedback on our teaching, and our fellow teachers rarely watch us teach, so they cannot provide us feedback either.
2. The section on control (pp.72-73)-- understanding what we can control and cannot-- made me think of the serenity prayer: "God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."
3. Accept compliments by just saying thank you; I have been self-deprecating at times, even though I know I possess a lot of strengths as a teacher. This also aligns with the Lasallian virtue of silence, because so often I want to add on, but simply saying thank you is enough.

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1. Not to just agree with the first thing I read, but honestly, the idea of needing to know we are good at what we do really stuck with me (pg. 65). Because I am still relatively new to teaching and to the material I am teaching, I often find myself feeling incompetent. I want to be more aware of the successes in my classroom because that will help my motivation and my comfort level grow.
2. The second take-away for me is it is okay to be proud of yourself. I am not someone who takes a compliment well, even really little things like someone telling me they like my shirt or my haircut. So when it comes to bigger things, I literally ramble or awkwardly mumble something in return. I have had people in my life accuse me of thinking I am better than others based on my successes, which has made me lack the confidence to be proud of my accomplishments for fear that I am coming off as thinking "I am better" than someone else. I want to better at accepting rather than deflecting or trying to justify (pg. 70-71).
3. A third take-away for me is to focus on only the things I can control (pg. 72). I am a people pleaser and a problem solver, always trying to help even when it puts me out of my way. I spend too much time thinking about things I have no control over. I really want to start focusing on the things I actually can control and putting effort into those items to be the best I can be and to just keep me well-balanced.

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Take-aways/Connections:
1. Let go of what you can't control. There are so many unexpected things that happen each day.
(Connection) Something I am aware of in myself that I get really anxious and stressed about the unknown. Choosing to let the things out of my control go would greatly reduce my stress.
2. Don't rely on others for feedback.
(Connection) To be honest, I thrive off praise! I can also be sensitive to constructive criticism. Changing my thinking to focusing solely on my students instead of 'being a really good teacher," helps.
3. Focus on progress vs. perfection. Teaching is a work of art that we fall more into each day. There is no such thing as a 'perfect' teacher. We should reflect on our successes and continue personal growth versus trying to do it all, all the time.
(Connection) Focus on one thing I can do better and celebrate the success. Focusing on one thing at a time compounds to a great amount of growth over time.

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Take Aways:
1. Be proud of yourself. "We have to know that we are good at teaching in order to fully enjoy it." (Pg. 65)
2. Focus on what you can control. Be positive!
3. Set goals that are clear, meaningful and observable and achievable.

Connections:
The big connection I made with this chapter was about setting goals that are realistic! A few years ago I was on a time that set goals that were completely unrealistic. When it came time to write our IGP for QCOMP I followed my team and made a goal that was basically impossible for my the obtain. At the end of the year when I met with my peer leader, I was a little upset about not meeting my goal. We had a conversation about why I do not think the goal was met and then talked about making sure I am giving myself some credit by making goals that I know I can achieve.

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1. Become less dependent on other's approval- All too often I find myself seeking parent and principal approval which brings me down. I need to shift my mindset towards being the best I can be, which in turn will help my students succeed.
2. Set appropriate goals- It is not realistic for ALL students to reach the same expectations. I need to focus on individual student success rather than whole class success.
3. Focus on things that I can control- Our world of teaching is piled high with demands, many of which teachers cannot control. Although some of those demands may be frustrating to me, I cannot control them, so don't let it get to me and bring me down

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Take-aways:

1. Feeling confident in our abilities as teachers will give us more energy, motivation and excitement for what we do.

2. We can’t rely solely on others to make us feel competent.  Rather, we need to find ways to meet this need on our own.  Reflecting on our own teaching often and using this to set practical and achievable goals, goals that are just for us, is one way we can know that we are good at what we do.

3. Eliminate negative self-talk.  Learn how to accept a compliment with a “thank you” and know that it’s okay to feel good about what you are doing.

Connections:

One connection I made to other learning we’ve done is the idea of significance to generativity.  The book mentions the concept of feeling significant because of the impact we make on others. This reminded me of the importance of generativity and how giving back does make us feel significant.

I also made a connection to our work with the ideas of purpose, purpose-keepers and collecting artifacts that remind us we are good at what we do.

Another connection I made is to the use of formative assessments.  As we set practical goals for ourselves, we can use “feedback as learning” to observe and reflect on our own progress.

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1) Focus on what you can control
2)Don't be dependent on others' approval
3)Set practical goals

Connection:
The biggest connection I made to this chapter was not being dependent on other peoples' approval. This is something that I have really struggled with in my early years of teaching. My principal is very hands-off and isn't seen in the classrooms very much. This always made me wonder what he thought of me as a teacher and if I was doing well enough. I would drive myself crazy worrying because I wasn't hearing enough positive things as I like to. Over time I have begun realizing that no feedback is good feedback from him and it doesn't matter that I am not receiving that positive feed back.

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WBT Chapter 5 Takeaways

Our feeling of self-efficacy as teachers is directly related to having a strong sense of competence (pg67).

Self-assessment is difficult when you are reliant on the praise and validation by others (pg69).

Teachers often dim their light in fear of making teammates or other teachers feel inadequate (pg70-71). Stand in your light and invite others to turn theirs on (L.Greenwood).

On the journey of becoming “Good Teachers”  the goals we set should be reflective of our actions, not the actions of others (pg80).

I connected most with the idea of taking pride in the work we do.  I always try to impart in my students a sense of self-worth and pride.  One can take pride when hard work pays off in success without making those around them feel less than.

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Three important take-aways
1. Be proud of your teaching and who you are.
2. Our goals should reflect our actions, not the actions of others. (p. 80)
3. Focus on what you can control.

Connection:
I really connected with the focus on what you can control. In teaching I have become more flexible. I am can adjust lessons when need be. When something starts to overwhelm me I remember to take a deep breath to stay calm.

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Three Important Take-Aways from The Well Balanced Teacher: Chapter 5

1)    Focus on what you can control

2)    Set appropriate, obtainable goals

3)    Be proud of yourself and your teaching

I connected with the first and second ideas. Throughout my years of teaching, I have gotten much better about focusing on what I can control and letting go of what I cannot control. Last minute field trips used to really bother me. Now, I take a breath and adapt as needed.

Setting appropriate, obtainable goals is something I work on with my students and something I need to work on myself.

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Take Aways from Chapter 5

1) Self- efficacy is key. "When teachers have a high degree of self-efficacy, they are more persistent, work harder, have more enthusiasm for teaching, are less critical of students who make errors, have more goals and aspirations, are more open to new ideas, and have a greater commitment to teaching" (p. 68).

2) Be proud of your best work and accept compliments (p. 71). One thing I connected with in chapter 5 was the idea that in order to enjoy teaching, or anything, you must feel you are good at it. I connected with this because I realized that when I feel I have a really powerful lesson, or students are fully engaged, I enjoy teaching much more. Seeing students engaged and creating powerful lessons is a sign of good teaching.

3) Do not rely on others' approval to make you feel you are a good teacher (p.69). I often find myself looking for approval from my team teachers instead of getting approval from within. I sometimes lose sight that I am a great teacher that has valuable information to share with other teachers and my students because I am a newer teacher.

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The difference between significance (how we feel that we affect others) and competence (our own views) (p. 67).
Self-Efficacy influences teachers to be more respondent to their needs, as well as the students'  needs (p. 67-68).
Being dependent on others' approval has a negative impact on one's self-reflection (p. 69)

As a young teacher, I struggle a lot with being dependent on others' approval. I want to be helpful and invaluable to my PLC and my admin. Our district requires two peer observations every year to help with this.

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1. "When teachers have a high degree of self-efficacy, they are more persistent, work harder, have more enthusiasm for teaching..."
(pp.67)
Connection: When I feel confident in what I am doing, I feel like I am more able to do it well, feel satisfied and tackle the challenges. I feel more energetic and eager and truly feel present.

2. "Especially for younger teachers, this dependency can be a great challenge." **over reliance on others' feedback for our own sense of self-worth (pp.69)
Connection: As a new teacher, I doubt myself at times or feel like I am being judged by teachers who have been teaching for a long time. I often have to remind myself that I am doing great work and I do not need praise from others.

3. Our goals should reflect our actions, not the actions of others. (pp.80)
Connection: I often expect a lot from others (personal life) and my students and colleagues (professional life). What I realize is that I set unrealistic goals and then end up being disappointed. In my classroom, I have to focus on what I can control and create goals that focus on my own teaching.

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Take Aways
*We must have a positive view of ourselves and find ways to feel good about our own teaching. Do not rely on others to gain a positive view on yourself. (p.67)
*When we have confidence in our teaching and abilities to meet professional challenges, we are more enthusiastic for teaching, open to new ideas, have more goals and a greater commitment to teaching (p.67-68)
*Focus on things we have control over, such as setting practical goals that we can obtain.
Connections
*We often try to instill in our students that they should have a belief and confidence in themselves, but sometimes come short on following what we are teaching.
*We are going to be more productive and happy in what we are doing if we are confident.
*The practical goals was a good frame for me to start observing small things in my day that may be taking too much time and find solutions to be more meaningful.

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Take Aways:
Getting enjoyment from your work takes self-confidence and a feeling of competence.  Many teachers are too critical of themselves paralyzing them to some degree from making more goals or being open to new ideas thus feeling a high degree of anxiety. Finding the balance between questioning yourself on ways to improve and feeling confident in what you are doing is a key to a happier and healthier you. (p. 67).
Connection:  I am 100% the person who he described that does not feel confident.  Since I am always reflecting and questioning myself, I become very hard on myself.  I know I am doing some great things, but I often don't focus as much on those aspects enough.
Take Away:
Our feeling of significance comes from others complimenting us. This does not happen as much with teaching because we teach in isolation and relying on other's approval may cause us to feel defeated and less competent.  Even when complimented some people tend to counteract the compliment with "yeah, but . . . " . Take the compliment and feel good about it.
Connection:  Yep, that is me!  I continue to focus on what I could do better even when complimented.  It is an area I have been trying to change even before reading this chapter.  In fact, in my last observation, my administrator was filling me with compliments and I was a bit uncomfortable.  He said that of the observations he has had, he could safely say that I was a top performer in classroom management and the feel of community in the classroom.  I did just say thank you, but in my head I was thinking "thanks, but I should have done this, or I should have done that . . ."
Take Away:
Spend time and energy on what you can control and let go of what you can't.  Set goals on those things you can control.

Connection:
I find it difficult to set goals based on the way the district likes us to do it.  It seems like we are going through the motions but it is not motivating for me.  The goals I set for myself or from some of the work we are doing in AVB3 have helped me the most.  The goal of giving meaningful feedback is one that comes to mind.  It is defined and I can measure and monitor it.  I can see the outcomes and it benefits my teaching practice.

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Take Away:
Although teachers do their best to meet the many demands throughout the day, we often feel we could have done more, or done things differently. (p.66)
Connection:
I am very reflective and struggle with this often.  After all these years, I still struggle with going to bed with the "weight" of how could I help with_____(many variables, here) more.
Take Away:
It is important not to rely on the approval of others to feel significant in our job. It is necessary to be proud of  what we  do everyday. (p.69)
Connection:
I am working on this idea this year.  In all me years, I have never experience a class as I have.  My team members have classes that are higher achieving- socially, emotionally and academically.  During PLC's,  I listen to what they are doing in their classes.  I need to realize that I am doing things well too, but in a different way.
Take Away:
My goals need to reflect on what I can control, my own behavior and actions. (p.80)
Connection:
This is true.  This idea can be added to my last connection.  I cannot make the same goals for the majority of my students, as my team members.  My effectiveness comes from how I help these students in their areas of need to make growth.  It is not about their high scores or  amazing enrichment projects.

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3 Take Aways:
1. Focus on what you can control.  The students are the ones who are ultimately responsible for doing the work; and if they did not do it, that is their deal, not the teacher. (pg. 72).
2. Our goals should reflect our actions, not the actions of others. (pg. 80)
3. Eliminate negative self-talk. Self-Deprecation is far to easy a habit to fall into and the danger is that we may actually come to believe ourselves. (pg. 71)

Connection:
I connected with this chapter in a variety of ways, yes, I enjoy teaching but everyone has there bad/negative days or even weeks. Throughout this class and the previous semester, we have talked about trying to be a well-balanced teacher. I still struggle with being a well-balanced teacher. So I really connected with this quote: "When were are happy and healthy at school, we have a better chance of having positive energy and greater engagement in our work (pg. 68)."

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Take Aways:
1. Teachers must not only feel significant in their work but also competent. Unfortunately, many teachers feel incompetent or insecure about their teaching abilities which diminishes work satisfaction, motivation and overall self-confidence. (pg. 67)
2. Teachers should not feel reluctant or embarrassed to admit that they are proud of their teaching. Negative self talk, constantly seeking others approval, and deflecting compliments diminishes a teachers' sense of competency. (Pg. 71)
3. Teachers should focus on things that they CAN control rather than worrying over things that they cannot. (pg. 72- 73)

Connections:
I connected most to the portion about control. Within our profession there are certain aspects that we can control within our classroom but there are so many more things are not in our control. All too often, I find myself worrying about things within my classroom that I do not have control over. (Testing, parents, home lives of my students, class sizes, funding for next year, etc.) This is not to say that these things are not important but I have to remind myself that these are things I cannot actively control. I then can shift my focus to something within my control and intentionally set goals around those aspects. I also loved the use of the data collection boxes to support goal setting. The data collection boxes are a wonderful tool to use when implementing something new within the classroom. This reminded me of many of the reflection tools we have used in AVB3 (Gibbs, Kolb model, etc).

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Take aways
1. Our own sense of competence has to do with our own view of ourselves.  We are a lot harder on ourselves than others are.  Knowing this, we need to realize that what we are doing each day is significant (pp.67).
2. In order to become more significant we need to not rely on other's compliments and be proud of ourselves (pp. 69-70).  I am guilty of not doing this and will be working on this!
3. Focus on what you can control.  Spending time and energy on things we cannot control continues to burn us out (pp.72).
Connections
1."Success breeds motivation" (Anderson, pp.65). This idea that we need to feel success and be told we are moving in the right direction connected to the idea of feedback. Adults and children need to know they are on the right track and need to be acknowledged when they are doing so. Providing this type of feedback allows the motivation to continue until one reaches their goal.
2. We can set goals to feel good about our teaching. Throughout our learning in our community we have been setting specific goals to improve our teaching. To make sure these goals are met, we reflect and show proof of the outcomes. I have felt confident in my teaching lately because of the goals I am setting and new strategies I have implemented. Thinking back to what I have done so far in my classroom this year, the goal setting has been very effective!

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Takeaway
1.We have to know that we are good at teaching in order to fully enjoy it. However, we often feel that we aren’t good enough (pp. 65-66).
Connection
1.Of course I feel satisfied, proud, and enjoy the days where I feel like I’m at my best but when challenges arise or I recognize (or someone helps me recognize) that I could improve at something it does serve as motivation to keep growing and keep myself in check so that I don’t become stagnant!

Takeaway
2. Our sense of competence has more to do with our own view than of others’ view of us (pp. 67).
Connection
2.This is something I have grown in with experience. I needed to accept lack of administrative or collegial feedback and find confidence and pride through personal reflection and trusting myself.

Takeaway
3. Goal-Setting-  The challenges may involve students but our goals should focus on our behavior and things we can control (pp. 76-80).
Connection
3.This made me connect to our whole AVB3 journey so far. Each F2F as we share and module as we research and implement practices into our classroom, we are encouraged to be reflective practitioners and focus on our own behaviors and growth. Using our edublogs and the different reflection tools (GIBBS, What-So What-Now What, Kolb Model) have required me to set practical goals and helped me to feel competent and enjoy what I do!

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Take Aways:

1. It is necessary to feel competent and good at teaching in order to feel fulfilled by teaching and enjoy it. As teachers, we need to be confident in our ability to teach well. We often doubt our abilities, and this leads to feeling inadequate in our profession.

2. Focusing on what we can control is the only way to make impactful change. Setting goals that focus on our actions are more meaningful and give us the chance to improve ourselves.

3. Relying on the praise of others is very unfulfilling. Finding and focusing on our strengths and being proud of our work can help improve fulfillment in our jobs.

Connections:

1. I have noticed when I doubt myself, my feelings spiral and I focus on everything I cannot control. When I take the time to focus on what I can control, I am better able to use my time productively and focus on changing the things I can control.

2. I also connect to the idea of setting realistic goals. It is so easy to set unattainable goals for ourselves in an effort to be the best teacher we possibly can be. However, I need to focus on setting goals for myself that are specific and manageable. This will lead to greater success in implementing and carrying out the goals.

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I am going to start with a connection I made.  At the end of the chapter he talks about goal setting.  This part made me think of our Purpose activity.  We can use our Purpose as a reminder for not only what we are doing but why we are doing it.

Some take aways from this chapter:
1.  Teachers need to feel confident in their role and need to feel that they are good at what they do.  Self-confidence (which also reminds me of our own social emotional learning in a way)
2. We need to be less dependent on what others think of us and their approval. If we rely on what others think and their approval too much then we wont be able to boost our own self up when needed.
3.  Teachers have a hard time in general accepting compliments and being proud of themselves.  We need to be able to say "thank you" when we get complimented and realize that it's okay to be proud of ourselves when we do something great.

This chapter kind of relates to the first in the way that we need to be our best self in order for our students to be their best selves. Teachers need to take time to feel good about themselves and confident and proud of what they accomplish.

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Take Aways-
1. It is extremely important for teachers to feel confident in the ways that they teach. This will help teachers to want to learn more and actively take risks to become a better teacher.
2. It is very important to not becoming dependent on others to get positive feedback. As a teacher, you need to self assess yourself and the things that are going well to count your individual successes.
3. It's important to take control of your teaching and make it the best it can be. Setting goals to improve will help a sense of accomplishment and confidence when you reach it.

Personal Connections-
1. I made a personal connection with making sure that there is a healthy balance between looking for ways to improve as a teacher but also stopping to realize what you are doing well and/or just accomplishing within my teaching and school work. Too often, I find myself constantly focused on how I can become better that I don't slow down to reflect on what is going well because I gravitate towards the "wrong" to fix it.
2. "Don't spend your time and energy on things you cannot control." This speaks leaps to me. I find that I often get caught up in things that I can't control. This is waste of negative energy.

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1. It’s important for us to be confident in our teaching abilities. This allows us to be more positive, willing to try new ideas in our teaching, and overall love our career more.

2. Do not depend on other people to make you feel capable of being an impactful teacher. Have positive self-talk and believe in your abilities.

3. Keep in mind the things you can control during your day-to-day teaching versus the things that you can’t control.

Connections

I feel like I connected with this whole chapter! Focusing on what I can control versus what I can’t control is one aspect that I need to remember. Also, I found the “Data Collection” charts really beneficial. I have been trying to be more mindful on cutting down my whole group lessons. Oftentimes I do find myself talking too much and recognizing more disengaged students. I have been keeping track of my whole group lessons and trying to make them under 15 minutes.

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Take-Aways:
1. Competence comes from your view of self, whereas significance comes from others view of the impact you have had. Both are highly important in the eyes of a teacher!
2. When teachers feel confident in their abilities to teach and meet professional challenges, there are all sorts of positive benefits (more enthusiasm, less critical of students, have more goals and aspirations, etc.).
3. Focus on the things you can control! Students will follow your modeled behaviors and the rest will come :)

Connections:
1. There just isn't enough time for teachers to observe other teachers and give them feedback. We want to give feedback to other teachers that are doing awesome things and would love for some good feedback to come our way as well! Our school is doing Pineapple PD where we can come in to each other's rooms for short snippets of time. It's great, but still hard to take that time away from our teaching or our prep.
2. I make a huge connection with the practical goal setting and our program! I feel like all of the things we are implementing are meant to work with our students right now and are meant to be easy for us to keep track of the data. That way, we can actually use that data to help us move forward in our teaching and help our students!

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1.  We can’t really like our job if we don’t feel we are compete

2. When you feel competent, you are more relaxed and happier.

3. Make realistic goals that are student need based, but deal with our behavior.

I have a personal connection with both number 1 and 2.   Last year  I changed school districts and  all of my materials were new. The student population and attitudes/behaviors were completely opposite to what I was used to.  I didn’t feel competent or comfortable for the first half of last year. This year I am enjoying my classes. Although I am teaching an additional level that I didn’t have last year, I don’t have the feeling of being incompetent.

The other connection I made is the where the author was talking about making observations, gathering data, reflecting and making some changes to his teaching.  That is the same thing we have been doing in AVB3.

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1. To like what we do, we have to feel like we are good at it.
2. Many teachers have a pride in the profession, but aren't as proud of who they are as teachers.
3.Setting goals that are about what you can control is a big way to gain self-efficacy.

Connection 1: When I taught in my other school I was much better about my self-efficacy. I made the connection to another teacher and I would always use the slogan, "Control your controllables." This connects right with page 72 and 73 where it says this exact thing in different words. It's funny how this slogan has slipped from my mind and I can emotionally feel a difference.
Connection 2: I also connected with the part about how my generation grew up with "praise and shame" and how we need the praise now. I was just talking with another teacher last week about how we just want someone to tell us we are doing a good job in all the craziness. I'm going to try picking a few good moments from the day and journaling to help myself internally praise rather than looking for it from someone else.

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*In order to enjoy teaching, we must be aware that we are good at it.
*The statements: "I'm proud to be a teacher" vs. "I'm proud of my teaching" (p. 70).
*In order to better our teaching, develop our confidence, and gain a stronger sense of competence, it is important for us to set realistic goals based on the needs of our students.

*Connection to AVB3: Setting goals that we can control - From Theory to Practice Activity Involving Cognitive Coaching - We set SMART goals in order to better the way we give feedback.  Then, we collected data through observation in order to identify the success of the goal and make possible modifications to enhance our feedback and questioning.  We also have been practicing this strategy through our everyday lesson reflections within our classrooms.

Personal connection to Evelyn, 5th Grade Teacher on page 81: I have been trying to be more intentional with timing of my math lessons.  I have found that my students are "checking out" after about 15-20 minutes, so I've been intentional in limiting my lessons in order to keep them engaged.