Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011 Page: 5
79 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Reflections From the Editor
Pam Lindsey-Glenn, Ph.D.
Retired Editor and Professor
Tarleton State University
Dear Readers:
Each semester at Tarleton, we honor our student teachers with an event called "Reflections." It is a day to honor
their accomplishments and a time for them to reflect on their student teaching semester. It is a wonderful event
and has been one of my favorites at TSU. The title "Reflections" is a perfect word to describe the event and the
day's celebrations.
I had the honor to be the speaker at "Reflections" in May. It was a day of reflection for me as I ended my 41 year
teaching career on May 31, 2011. I decided my final official act as editor of The Journal of the Effective Schools
Project was to share my reflections with you, the readers. Thanks in advance for allowing me this indulgence.
The word reflection brings different images to our minds...Our reflection each morning in the mirror as we brush
our teeth, shave, or put on make-up...Plan our day...Contemplate how we look...For me...How many new lines
of character are now present in my face... We often think about our reflection in that mirror, and maybe we like
what we see; maybe we are critical.
I hope you all have had the opportunity to see your reflection in a crystal clear pool or lake or watched sunlight
reflected off the ocean at dawn or dusk and thought about how lucky you were to be in such a beautiful, peaceful
place.
We have also seen our reflections in the eyes of someone who loves us dearly...Parents, spouses, grandparents. I
hope each day as you teach or interact with children as a professional educator you see your reflection in the eyes
of the child who came to your 3rd grade class, in the eyes of the athlete who entered your locker room, or in the
eyes of the young adolescent trying to understand math or science concepts.
Today, as you read this article, I hope you will reflect with me in the mirror of your mind's eye about how far you
have come to reach your goal of becoming a professional educator because I believe we are all still becoming.
Teaching is a profession that challenges us to change, adjust, and be dynamic. So, let's pretend we have that mir-
ror before us and reflect on our journey from that student teaching semester until today as you sit reading this
Journal. For many of you, like me, this journey we call teaching has infused our lives with resounding challenges
and ultimate successes. We have become spouses, parents, changed jobs, and/or grade levels. We have evolved
from teachers, to administrators, to professors, and then to teachers again. I remember at the end of my student
teaching semester being excited about the prospect of having my first classroom and practicing all I had learned...
Anxious about when and if I would hear back from the many applications I had in the pipeline...Proud of myself
for setting a goal and reaching it...as each of you should be proud of yourselves...You ARE a TEACH-
ER....What a privilege...What an awesome responsibility...To, as corny as it may sound, touch the lives and
hearts of America's most precious resource...Our children and adolescents!
I remember contemplating graduate school as many of you may be. I wanted to change my career path. I wanted to
teach something different and/or have a different professional role. If you are contemplating those decisions....Just
do it...I have not regretted completing my Master's so I could teach special education and be involved in assess-
ment and program planning. I have never regretted getting a doctorate so I could train young teachers and hope-
fully instill in them my passion for teaching.
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Tarleton State University. Effective Schools Project. Journal of the Effective Schools Project, Volume 18, 2011, periodical, 2011; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201694/m1/7/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.