Hard Thoughts: My BIG Question and Next Steps

I had the great opportunity to talk to a storied and respected educator in POGIL circles about potentially leaving teaching. I've known this person for about six years, and they have helped me grow my teaching and reflection practices in ways I am incredibly grateful for. We talked for about an hour and a half, and while I still have questions, our conversation has helped me pose and reframe some of my questions in prior posts. 

• What homework practices can I implement that increase students' chances of practicing the skills and concepts they learn in class? I'm concerned I've relied a bit too heavily on technology and by extension students' self-regulation to complete those assignments. In assigning online homework there are assumptions that each student has a stable, quiet place to complete coursework, that students know how to focus on these assignments and not be distracted with the entirety of the Internet, and that they know how to use these technologies for learning. I have some thoughts on how to help students focus on the core of what I need them to do after class, practice, and will share them soon. 
• What are ways I can scaffold my activities to help students who do not have sufficient prerequisite knowledge successfully learn the course material? Sure, I can do a bit at the very start of the term to make sure they are in the right class, and doing sufficient review of prerequisite topics is a necessity in any math class. We talked about different POGIL models, or different questions, and I wonder if there are other things I can do to increase student 'flow' through an activity. Differentiation is a core skill in the K-12 classroom, and I wonder how much of those skills I can use in mine. 
• Can I continue to make the decision to meet students where they are, and support them towards the course outcomes? 

This last one is THE question. Right now I think my answer is yes, I still have things I want to try. When I cannot continue to make that decision and have things I want to try, I think that is the moment I start planning my exit. After all, if I quit I can't answer the "What if?" questions, and if they run out I think I have my answer.

That being said I think this process over the last few months of examining my teaching practice and desire to continue it has pointed to some other opportunities. In talking to other educators they agree that now is a good time to consider alternatives. The landscape of higher education is anything but certain, and having a back-up plan (or two) is a good hedge if things go south, say by runaway automation, employment opportunities drying up, or worse. By having a plan of what else I can do I am doing this work on my own terms, and not waiting for external factors to dictate when and how I have to change. After all, No Effort is Wasted, so says Hank Green. 

I am planning to put a few eggs in other baskets, away from my home institution. Nothing major, and I do not plan on slowing down on any of my commitments. (I have a reputation for being an annoying but helpful cuss to maintain after all.) No, I think I have to put some small investments into other ideas, thought experiments, potential lives I want to live. At the start of this summer I'd like to take some time and explore a few big ideas. 

• Cal Newport had a podcast recently titled Should I Press Pause?, and shared a three step process to identify small actions you can take towards big changes for your life. It sounds like it will be helpful; identify the big 'join the circus' dreams you have, and backwards design them to small actionable things you can do today.
• I found this older TEDx talk 5 steps to designing the life you want by Bill Burnett and it has some elements I want to think about (gravity problems, choice overload, etc.) but not sure if I want to follow it to the letter. 
• In Getting Things Done there is the concept of a Year End Review, and it seems like it makes more sense for me to do this at the end of the academic year, as opposed to my birthday, April 28th. Its just an awkward time during the school year.

In the podcast Newport talks a lot about going somewhere new and interesting to go through these three steps. Unfortunately I am a little tight on time and money at the start of this summer, so I'm planning to do it during jury duty that I have next week. I may be able to get some time afterwards to go to a nice coffee shop or our downtown library, but it may just have to be some municipal buildings for me. I am hoping the change in scenery will give me some of what he's going for, and that being elbow to elbow with other potential jurists won't be too distracting. 

How are you thinking about your big life goals? Is there a question or practice that helped you clarify what you wanted to 'be' when you grew up? How do you balance your professional obligations with investments into different futures?