Goals; professional and otherwise

As a part of my review for my new job as a teacher I was asked to answer the questions below.  I dreaded doing it but actually enjoyed it in the end.  So instead of New Year's Resolutions, I have this.

Professional Goal Plan Sheet

Teacher:   Amie Berryhill                                     Date:  December 12, 2010

1.  Write your own personal mission statement.

As a human being and a child of the Living God I believe I am created to know and love Jesus, to read and live out his Word, to be the best wife possible to Daniel and to live out my calling as a teacher with gusto, passion and confidence.  With the perspective that I am the only Amie Sue Furry Berryhill that ever was or ever will be on this planet, I commit to strive only toward what he wishes for me to be: the best wife, daughter, sister, (someday) mother, friend and teacher that I can be.

   

2.  What two goals surfaced out of writing your mission statement?

My desire to be an amazing teacher can be broken down into many concrete goals.  I would like to increase my ability to differentiate in my math classes, to integrate more technology and manipulatives into my lessons and to have a firmer grasp on how to help my students become better writers. 

3.  List potential obstacles to achieving goals.

My biggest obstacles in achieving these goals are my fear of the complexity of the tasks and my inability to balance my job-life, home-life and social-life.   The first of those obstacles comes from watching other teachers create “math contracts” and use the computer lab for class activities with seemingly little difficulty.  My second obstacle, being my inability to say “no”, keeps me running from work to kickboxing to coffee dates to babysitting to house sitting to whatever else.  This kind of lifestyle steals my peace, saps me of energy and leaves me doing lots but doing little well.

4.  How do you expect to achieve these goals?

I expect to achieve these goals by tapping into the amazing resources I have around me, namely, the other teachers here at PES.  Melissa Puno, Amy Stadler and Katie Winslow are just three of the teachers that I need to simply ask for help.  I know they are doing the things I want to do: differentiated math, using technology and training up strong writers.  I need to go to them for advice, ideas and encouragement.
 My second goal can only be achieved by surrendering. I need to surrender my will and my need to please others to the Lord.  I need to stop trying to be everything to everyone so that I can be what God and I most want me to be: a loving wife, a remarkable teacher and a joyful, rested, loving human being. 

5.  What excites you about these goals?

EVERYTHING EXCITES ME ABOUT THESE GOALS!  Knowing that they are attainable and that making them a priority will benefit everyone around me (Daniel, my students, me) fills me with a desire and an energy to get started right away.  I hope that during the Christmas break I will have time to do some major planning for the two quarters left this year.  I also hope that the ringing in of the new year will be a chance for me to resolve to slow down, say no to some social activities and to spend time investing in my relationship with God and with Daniel.  With these goals in the forefront of my mind and with the Holy Spirit guiding me, I think 2011 will be a marvelous year.

*Sidenote:  A group of my closest friends and I have committed to reading through the Bible together in the year 2011.  We have a game plan and a means of communicating with one another for accountability and encouragement.  I believe this group resolution will keep my head and my heart firmly planted in Scripture and from my life experience I know that I am a much better person when God’s Word is being read and meditated on daily.