So here we are staring down the final four and a half days of the school year, and before we all head off to soak up that summer sun I want to take this chance to say thank you. The work that you have all put in to make us a better school over the past ten months has been staggering, and I want you to know that I recognize and appreciate your commitment, your effort, and your passion. This has been a year of change for us in many ways, and much of the transformative work that has been introduced is starting to take shape, and it’s all because of you. I feel honored and privileged and very, very proud to work alongside you on this journey, and I have become a better person, leader and educator because of what you bring to our students and to our surrounding community each and everyday…thank you!
I wrote a post around this time last year all about the opportunity that we all have over the summer holiday to reflect, and to emerge in August a better version of ourselves. Not only is the summer break a chance to relax and recharge, it’s also a chance to grow and to critically think about ways that we can all improve our practice. I’d like to share again a piece of what I wrote last June as I believe it’s a good message to chew on as you chase your upcoming adventures…
As you’re sitting on the deck of your cottage, or swimming in the lake, or playing a leisurely round of golf, or even engaging in some summer professional development, I’m asking that you think about the ways that you can emerge from your well-deserved holiday a better version of yourself. What are the areas of your life, and your teaching that need a bit of a push…are there ways that you can enhance your lesson planning and delivery…are there ways that you can build stronger relationships with your students, particularly the ones that you find the most difficult to engage…are there ways that you can become a better teacher leader…are there ways that you can push yourself out of your comfort zone and take more risks…are there ways that you can become a better teammate and colleague…and are there ways that you can become more innovative in your approach to instruction? My bet is that the answer is yes to most if not all of these questions, and the challenge that I’m giving to you is to not just think about them, but to act on them, and come back in August armed with concrete ways to make next year the best year of your professional life. There are many educators out there that get so comfortable and complacent in their job that they end up delivering the same year over and over again, and the only thing that changes are the beautiful and eager faces in front of them…don’t be that educator.
We have a busy week ahead of us as we speed toward the end, and I’m asking you all to finish strong, and to make this a week that our beautiful kids will remember. The last week of the year can be a very emotional time for students as you know…and for us too. Saying goodbye to leaving friends and families is hard, and couple that with the excitement around the upcoming holiday and emotions can start to overflow. Please keep a close eye on how our kids are doing this week, and be there for them…let’s be there for each other as well. The incredible work that you’ve put in this year to build strong and lasting relationships will pay off this week, so be present and make Friday’s send off a positive experience full of love, smiles, and heartfelt gratitude. Enjoy this beautiful summer poem by Carl Sandburg, and enjoy that beautiful summer sun that’s beginning to rise…all my positive thoughts and energy to those of you moving on, and for those of you returning, I’m excited to do it all again next year. Have an amazing holiday everyone…you all deserve it!
Summer Stars – Carl Sandburg
Bend low again, night of summer stars.
So near you are, sky of summer stars,
So near, a long-arm man can pick off stars,
Pick off what he wants in the sky bowl,
So near you are, summer stars, So near, strumming, strumming,
So lazy and hum-strumming.
Quote of the Week…
I wonder what it would be like to Iive in a world where it was always June.
– L.M. Montgomery
Related Articles and Resources-
http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/50-top-sources-to-become-a-better-teacher/
http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/heart-teaching-what-it-means-be-great-teacher
http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2015/06/09/3-thing-you-can-do-this-summer.html
