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Redefining the Classroom Walls for Professional Growth

By Megan Allen

Teaching is a roller coaster, full of highs and lows. There are moments when you feel like you are on top of the world because you know you are making a difference in the life of a child. At other times, you may be tempted to crawl underneath your desk, feeling like half the teacher you should be for your students. Both the highs and lows happen to nearly all of us.

I experienced one of those lows last year. I loved my students so much it still makes me smile to think of them. We cherished learning together—and I gave them everything I could. But by the end of the year, I was feeling beat up, empty, and uninspired. Had I done enough? Had I been able to fill the class with creativity, despite the increasing...