This month, the #CompelledTribe theme is about ways to renew, recharge, or rejuvenate relationships with students and/or staff during the last quarter of the school year.
This theme took me a long time to think through because it made me reflect on my own professional growth this year and it made me sad to think that the scholastic year is coming to a close. It's bittersweet to think that in just two months I am going to have to take a break.
Yes, breaks are great. Summer is awesome. However, in my thirteenth year of teaching, I know that having an "amazing year" does not come too often.
This year is one that I pushed myself to grow professionally and personally. I credit my accomplishments to having joined Twitter and made connections with amazing groups of leaders, educators, and authors who fueled my passion for reading and learning.
I understand that the year-end does not necessarily mean I have to stop learning and growing but I am going to frame it as a time to allow me to reflect and celebrate my accomplishments and gear up for the work that needs to be done for next year.
I do acknowledge that maybe not everyone is having a great year and there are people who are looking forward to summer break as a way to disconnect and recharge. That's ok. There is nothing wrong with wanting that at the end of the year.
What I do hope that happens, however, is that we deliberately ask ourselves-- What have we accomplished this year that allowed others around us to grow? What has brought us joy this year and what have we done that can be celebrated?
Even those students and teachers who struggle academically, personally, and professionally would benefit from thinking introspectively about their own growth.
In "Start. Right. Now" a book by Whitaker, Casas, and Zoul, they write about the influence you have to make those around you feel inspired. In addition to thinking about your own growth, I challenge you to think about how you contributed to the growth of others by the attitude you chose to have. Everyone has the capacity to lead and I hope that as a result of your reflection, you push yourself to make more positive and deliberate changes to the people and environment around you.
The act of celebrating is something that should be done to put a closure to the end of the year. I look forward to having conversations with students and colleagues to celebrate their positive accomplishments, large or small. Although I am not looking to end the year yet, I have to say that this year goes down in my book as one of my favorites. I hope that it is the same for you as well. Keep being great and have a wonderful end of the year.
