Navigating Rejection as a Combined Grade Teacher
Written By Abena Sey
March 17, 2024
As a combined grade teacher, you are responsible for making decisions that will support your students’ learning progression. These decisions can include your choices for their learning resources, your daily schedule, your small group arrangement and activities for targeted skills, and lessons that will support your students’ character development. Making wise choices requires that you frequently self-reflect on your lesson delivery, students’ level of engagement in the learning activities and the data that comes from your assessments and observations. Using this feedback will help you monitor the success or shortcomings of your choices and plan what you will do in the future.
Sometimes you will have to make decisions on the spot, like in the middle of a lesson or learning activity because the immediate feedback shows you that is the best move to make for students’ learning.
Whether you are using feedback for pre-planning or responding on the spot, self-reflection and data analysis are necessary steps to help you make informed decisions.
Sometimes you need to change things up! This will be helpful for your engagement in your career and your students’ engagement in their learning. Have the confidence in your ability to do so and learn from your experience. Trust in your process and be patient with yourself and with your students. Let the feedback from students guide you along the way.
To become more open to trying new approaches or strategies, make it your goal to keep informed about various instructional approaches that you can use to drive learning in your combined grade classroom. Additionally, use the information you learn from students’ data and plan accordingly.
When you are able to make informed decisions independently, it is truly empowering. But what do you do if you do not have that level of independence? And, what do you do when your decision is overturned?
Oftentimes, there are decisions made that are beyond your control and / or you made a request and it was rejected. While this is a frustrating situation, you must not lose control. Maintain your composure, and do not let your emotions impact your professionalism. Do not engage in gossip by complaining disparagingly, and do not go against your authority’s request. Instead, figure out how things could be done to remain compliant with your authority’s request, but also serve your students’ learning needs. Things will go a lot smoother for you if you choose to do the next best thing that supports your students and upholds your professionalism. Do not react in anger and do what you can to self-regulate healthily.
Think creatively about what could be possible and work within those parameters. You’ll be so proud of what you and your students are able to accomplish because of your creativity.