Becoming Your Own Teacher

     I was recently talking with a colleague of mine about our Learning Community.  She made an interesting comment that really spoke to me.  She was explaining that, similar to me, she only had a few years under her belt of teaching before she went to get her Master's Degree.  During her first few years, she felt as though she was being tugged at from different directions about what was best practice for working with elementary school children.  She explained that it was only after getting her Master's that she felt she had become her "own teacher."  
     I think that anyone can relate to this in one way or another.  There are so many things that I want to improve upon as a teacher.  Of course, it is helpful to go to a colleague for suggestions or ideas.  The difficult part is that, while their particular idea may work wonders for them, it is not always true that it will work for everyone, due to differences in teaching styles, values, and classroom morale.  
     Our Learning Community allows me to see points of view and ideas that are outside of my everyday conversations within my school.  I am also excited to choose something for my action research project that really intrigues me and is going to improve my practice.  
     I absolutely adore my grade-level team that I work with.  I feel very fortunate to have the co-workers that I do, in that we do not come across conflict very often.  I believe that this is due to each of our abilities to understand and appreciate our differences and our willingness to share support and ideas.  I know that continuing with this Learning Community program will help me to become an equal player in this team as I become my "own teacher" and can share more ideas than I currently do!