There are 24 days of school left. Students have finished their testing, teachers have a strong grasp at where students grades will land, and the weather is phenomenal. This time of year is difficult to teach. As a specialist, you would think that our time reflects the same. I tell you that this time of the year is my favorite and here is why!  Reflection This time of year is when teachers look back at what they did this year. They are concluding the thinking that happened, the learning that they scheduled, and the sequence of units that were delivered. Being present at these meetings is critical as it provides a prime opportunity for me to insert best practices, or district initiatives into their reflective conversations. Planting the seed today, makes the transition into this model much easier for next year! Exploration With the year closing down, much of the content has already been delivered. Teachers typically leave the last two weeks off of content as the kids will not absorb it anyway. This time makes for great opportunities to try something new. Test out a new teaching strategy, thinking method, or simply have a conversation of what they could be doing. Planning The final, and arguably the most important, is planning for next year. As we reflect and explore ideas and have conversations around then, I aim to land us on planning out something. I want to have some commitment to this learning as we finish up our time together. Teachers are often very willing to commit to this, especially because these teachers are the ones who initiate the conversations with me. Being present at this time always allows me to look forward to what will happen next year and help to guide their thinking toward where we need to go as a building or district. |
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