My teaching metaphor is a rock, but not just any rock, this rock. There is a story behind this rock.
I went on my first overnight backpacking trip over the summer. I went with my aunt and uncle for a 4-day hike at Mount Robson, Berg Lake Trail. Our third day there, we left our campsite at Rearguard and decided to do a day hike at Snowbird pass. The hike started out nice, following the trail along the river, then hiking the rocky trail along a lake with glaciers in it. When we looked up the mountain we could see mountain goats. It was beautiful. The trail started taking us up, following rocky switchbacks. Then we just kept going up and up, switchback after switchback, with no relief of flat ground. I looked down, and I noticed that beautiful glacier lake that we were at earlier that morning was getting smaller and smaller looking. I started to feel unsteady on my feet as I am afraid of heights. I put my head down and watched the ground as I continued to climb. The next part of the climb was a narrow staircase, with a flimsy chain to prevent people from falling. I stayed as close to the mountain as I could, turned the corner and there was an even narrower trail leading straight up, with the same flimsy chain. This time there were no stairs, just sheer rock. I felt like crying, I was so high up and so scared, but I pushed through. I made it to the top. I was so proud of myself for pushing through my fears. I took a breath, looked up ahead of the trail. The trail climbed higher and higher, on an even narrower trail. Beside the trail was a steep drop off. There was no end in sight of the trail getting evening out. A feeling of disappointment washed over me as I decided to turn around, this feeling quickly turned to relief as I headed back down the mountain. Once we got to the bottom again, we had lunch at the glacier lake and that is where I found this rock.
My teaching metaphor is this rock, as it reminds me that I am capable of pushing through my fears. This rock also reminds me that I have limits and I need to respect my limits. My aunt and uncle were supportive of me and my fears. This reminds me that every student also has their limits, and we as educators need to support them. After coming home and reflecting back on the hike and that day, I think I will try and conquer that hike again one day. I will try different approaches such as a bringing a small day pack and mentally preparing for the day. This reminds me that if something doesn’t work in the classroom, it may be because it needs a different approach. Being adaptable. I think rocks are adaptable as they change over time due to being weathered. As educators, we are always changing and adapting to meet our learners’ needs. Rocks flow with the river and move with the land, just like educators must be inclusive in their classroom. This rock is smooth and cool to the touch helping me to stay grounded.