One thing I've always felt I can rely on, when I'm out of resources and I'm not sure what to do, is my instincts. It's the feeling in your gut that's saying, I know everyone thinks you should do it this way, I know this is the way everyone else is doing it, but it just doesn't feel right. And, always when making decisions about my kids, my instincts have served me well, regardless of what it might have cost in the short-term to follow them. I know I've gone into the teaching program with the same notion--that if I'm not sure what to do, I'll just listen to that inner voice. When I journaled about this, however, my instructor challenged this line of thinking: "...then what's professional about the work? Parents who object are trusting their 'guts' too. What should be the basis for our decisions?"
Of course she's right. Teaching is way more complex than just doing what feels natural, I have a lot to learn, and I need practice. No real accomplishment is that simple.
But, along with the learning and the practice, I do feel that having good instincts and trusting what you know to be the best thing is just as important, and I think I have better instincts about teaching than people who don't choose to teach, the same way an artist has better instincts about color and shape than a non-artist. People who are drawn to a profession and follow that calling are trusting their instincts, and will be happier in their careers and their lives for it.
So, while I know that my instincts--my gut--won't get me through the West E's, once I'm teaching, I hope they make the difference between me as a teacher, and me as a great teacher.
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