Reflecting on My Journey...Looking Ahead

I am back!! It has been a while since I sat down and wrote. I truly missed sharing my thoughts, ideas, and content with the world. Every day in 2021, I would wake up and say "Today is the day I will return back to writing." That really didn't happen. The one thing I learned from my break from writing is that I miss doing what I love- writing.

Who am I? My name is Yanisha and I am a 4th grade Reading Teacher. I enjoy every and anything that has to do with Literacy. In my spare time, I am indulging in books, educating myself on best practices in Reading and Writing, and sharing my love of books with others around me. Writing has become another avenue for me to share my thoughts globally.

2020 would surely be a year to remember. The country was hit with a deadly pandemic at the beginning of the year, with no insights into when things would be returning back to normal. Teachers were sent home with no idea of when they will be returning back to the classrooms. In Fall 2020, we entered the world of virtual learning which brought on its own set of challenges. We had to learn how to deliver instruction in multiple modalities to ensure that we were meeting all learning needs. We had to rely on each other to get through those unknown waters. With all that took place, it felt like a never-ending roller coaster. Keeping my why at the forefront allowed me to keep going. 

A big part of being an educator is taking time to reflect. I took some time to reflect on my journey through 2020 and 2021 as an educator. 2020 was the year that not only tested my abilities as an educator but also brought me out of my comfort zone. I learned how to use various applications to deliver content to my students. I learned different ways to keep my students engaged. I asked questions, read books and blogs to prepare myself for what was to come. It seemed like every day there was always something new to learn. Nevertheless, I managed to get through the first half of the school year above water.

 Nowhere in my training did I learn how to teach through a pandemic. Oftentimes, I felt unprepared and wanted to give up. I had to rely on my inner strength and remember the reason why I went into Education. This inner strength that I found, allowed me to take risks and put myself out there to grow professionally. 

2021 was no different, as I continued to find opportunities to grow not only professionally but in all areas of my life. I took time to reflect daily on my purpose and what impact I wanted to make on the world. I spent many nights reflecting in my journals and creating action plans to improve myself for the better. The lesson I learned through this process is that a plan with no action is just a plan. 

In 2022, I want to commit to following through on my plans and bringing them to fruition. One of my biggest reasons for not following through with the many plans I created was the fear of failure. Failure has always been something that has haunted me and limited what I committed myself to. If I felt I was not going to be successful at a task or if it looked difficult, I walked away. I had to understand that in order to succeed at anything, I needed to fail. Failure is a sign of strength, willingness to take risks, and being open to being vulnerable. Once I accepted this, I began looking at things differently. I looked at failure as growth and necessary in order to appreciate success. This new insight has me ready to conquer the world.

With this newfound burst of energy, I am committed to sharing my inner thoughts with the world around my passion. I commit myself to return to my love of writing to synthesize my learning and create a community of learners and followers. I hope that you will join me on this journey of conquering the world through reflection and writing.

I would love to know what you are committed to in 2022.