" An Informed Teacher" :A Reflective Classroom Teacher 25

One can never be too well informed. Remain current in your field. Continue your education on both a formal and informal tract. We suggest that you belong to those professional organizations that will be of the most benefit to your as an educator. Be active in your local organization and know and support your state represenatives. Push for useful in-service time and use your professional for just that. Investigate what effective teachers are doing in their classrooms. Take out subscriptions to quality works about education and attend conventions when possible. Do not get your degree and hibernate for the next thirty- five years. There are new concepts being presented continually. How will we know what is and is not effective unless we remain current?
Expect yourself to become more and more effective as a teacher if you stay active in your research and your serious commitment. The fact is, you will add to; subtract from your persona, with each passing year. These will not be monumental changes in the way you perform in the classroom. You will pick up something new here and there, test it out; see if it works for you and move on with your teaching.
At some point, longevity will become an issue as will survival. If this attitude persists, perhaps it is time to move on with your life. Retirement is a reality. Because you have been so conditioned by your profession to devoted great amounts of time to others; it is wise to put considerable thought into what it is you would do when you do retire. We are more than teachers. Teaching is what we do, it is not what we are. But, teaching is such a great part of our life and we must make plans to fill the void that is left when we stand down.