Early in my career, I learned something that changed how I approached teaching.
If I wanted to grow, I had to take charge.
The trainings I attended did not always arrive neatly on my calendar. The opportunities that shaped my practice often began with a quiet decision. I asked. I searched. I signed up on my own. I noticed what I needed next and went after it.
That realization matters, especially in teaching.
Teaching is full of demands, responsibilities, and expectations set by others. Schedules are built for you. Programs are adopted for you. Priorities are named for you. Over time, it becomes easy to wait. To assume someone else will tell you what to work on next. To hope the right support will eventually show up.
Professional growth rarely works that way.
No one cares more about your teaching career than you do. No one understands your classroom more clearly than you do. No one else lives inside the daily decisions you make.
Growth begins when teachers stop waiting for permission and start naming their own next steps.
Many teachers want to take charge and feel unsure where to begin. Teaching is complex. There are many moving parts. Without a clear picture of the work, reflection can feel heavy.
Advocating for yourself does not mean doing more.
It means doing what matters next. It means saying, “This is the part of my practice I want to strengthen,” and then seeking the learning that supports it. Sometimes that learning comes through your school. Sometimes it comes through conversation, reading, or professional resources you choose.
Waiting for the perfect moment keeps growth on pause. Action creates momentum.
Teachers build strong careers by noticing, choosing, and acting—one decision at a time.
This week's focus:
Choose one area of your teaching you want to strengthen.
Make it specific enough that you can picture it happening in your room.
Then take one next step.
That step might be:
- asking a colleague, “Can I watch how you do this?”
- setting a clear intention: “I’m going to try this for three days.”
- carving out 15 minutes to learn a new strategy and plan how you’ll use it
In a profession where so much is decided for you,
Give yourself permission to choose what you grow next.
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