Another school year is almost over and I hope that it’s been a great one for you and the students you serve. I know that you’re counting down the days, to summer vacation packing up your stuff, and looking forward to at least a few days of rest and relaxation. But before you go, here are a few things you must do to close the year out:
Celebrate! You have accomplished some amazing things this year, whether you are a teacher, a librarian, a technician, or an administrator. You tried new approaches, you worked long hours, and you made a difference in the lives of students and staff. You are AMAZING!!! Spend some dedicated time to think about the fruits of your labor and really enjoy the great things you have done.
Cogitate. While you have been awesome this school year, you can be even better next year. Take some time to reflect on the past year, the successes and the failures. What are one or two things you want to do differently in the new year? What preparation and resources will you need to make to be successful? What might the results be? What might be the roadblocks that get in your way and how will you work around them?
Innovate. New technologies and tools will continue to arrive, and you need to take time to learn how they might fit you and the ones you work with. If you’re a TCEA member, go ahead and register for all of next year’s free-to-you Lunch and Learn and Get Your Google On webinars and we’ll send you weekly reminders for each session. These webinars are all about technology integration using a wide variety of tools and websites, perfect for upping your game. They’re also recorded; so if you can’t attend them while they’re live, register anyway and receive a link to the recorded webinar, with all of its resources, to listen to any time.
Investigate. You’ve heard about some of the new trends in education this year. Which ones will you adopt to re-create learning for your students or staff? Will you put in a maker space? What about blended learning? Will your students have access to new devices, such as Chromebooks, in the classroom? Will you try Project-Based Learning or flipped staff meetings? Is your district Future Ready or going Google? The summer is the perfect time to learn more about potential solutions and plan on how you might implement them. Take advantage of all of the summer learning that TCEA offers and get a jump on the new school year.
Dedicate. Dedicate some time to yourself and to refreshing your mind and body. The past months were long and hard at times, and you need to fully recuperate so that you can be at your best for the next year. Take a trip, sleep late, eat too much chocolate, read a good book, spend time with family and friends. You deserve this!
