Rest, Reflect, Recharge Refocus and Repeat.

As 2018 draws to a close I find myself thinking how the year seems to be flying by. It seems like only yesterday that I was in my office, sun shining outside, reviewing year end reports and taking stock of all that was accomplished during the past school year as our team set our sights on next steps on our quest to meet the needs of the students our community entrusts us with. As we worked to establish district, building, and individual goals, we looked forward with anticipation to the year to come.

Fast forward to now, the end of December, our school year now four months old. Following our winter break, we will return in January to the halfway point of our school year journey. A time for reviewing progress towards goals set. A time for celebrating goals accomplished and for refocusing where needed.

Now however is the time to take a much needed break, and to take time to reconnect with family and friends.

A time to:

• Rest 
• Reflect 
• Recharge 
• and Refocus 

As educators, we will naturally find ourselves reflecting on progress up to this point, as well as what is yet to be done. While doing this, remind yourself to focus on self-care during this break. Doing so will allow you to come back refreshed as well as refocused; ready to serve your students and colleagues well.

I know I am excited to step back, enjoy some dedicated time with the family I cherish, and to return reenergized in 2019. 

Rest, Reflect, Recharge Refocus and Repeat.

The Importance of Seeing Amazing Everyday...

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it..” - Ferris Bueller 

It’s not that often that those who know me well will hear me quoting fictional movie characters as a source of inspiration or for leadership focus, this however is one of those times.

As educators, we have the pleasure of serving students, staff, and communities at a time where a lot is happening all at once. It is because of this that it can be easy to become overwhelmed at times, easy to miss all of the great things happening in our schools. 

There are many demands facing schools today: Trauma informed practice, school safety, social emotional learning, state and federal accountability, funding challenges, how to incorporate new and ever evolving tech, fewer people choosing education as a profession just to name a few…

I share this list not to draw attention to how challenging the role of education is and can be, but rather to share that even with a list like this, educators and educational leaders are making sure some pretty amazing things are happening in our schools beyond this list. From new and innovative approaches to Instruction that focus on both growth and application of skills for ALL learners, to making connections with students through social emotional learning approaches that make kids feel both safe at school, and connected to their communities. Add in that more and more educators are finding ways to connect what is happening in their classrooms to their communities and the world through social media platforms that include cloud funding as a way to both share their stories and provide funding for innovation.

In my own district, I have made a point to not only get into our schools more often, but to slow down when I am there to see the many amazing things our students are doing throughout their day everyday thanks to the dedication and hard work of our staff. We rolled out new science resources K-5 this year, and I have used that as my initial pathway to see some pretty amazing things. So far this year, I have been able to see our K-5 scientists working alongside their teachers during hands on investigations in all of our elementary schools at every grade level. 

What started out as a way to ensure staff had what they needed, has turned into an ongoing discussion centered around renewed excitement for hands on experiences for for all students. In addition, I have been able to engage great conversations with 6-8 teachers related to classroom assessment practices, the integration of writing into content areas, and ongoing collaborations with 9-12 staff on the expansion of dual credit opportunities for students leading to both high school and post secondary credits. While this is by no means an all encompassing list of the many great things happening in our schools, it does provide a quick snapshot of what I have had the pleasure of participating in alongside awesome students and amazing educators the past few weeks… A few weeks, that are like all weeks in schools today, amazing!

So, I come back to the opening quote:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it..” - Ferris Bueller

I encourage you to stop and look around your school(s) and to take a look at all of the amazing that is happening everyday, so you don’t miss it.