“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” the song declares triumphantly through speakers, yet here I am, probably like you with a long list of to-do’s not yet completed feeling more pressure than purpose as the year rapidly comes to a close.
The wonder of this season and the wonder of the school year can seem lost in the middle of all that has to be daily done – there are units and lessons and assessments and differentiation and diversity and inclusion and read-alouds and redoing bulletin boards.
However, if there is one practice we would like to position you towards, it is to take the time and reflect in writing. There is a lot of science about how reflection is transformative. There are plenty of online resources that will give you multiple step processes and acronyms to remember. We’ve even written about reflection before on this blog, around the end of the school year.
But this time of year gives us a unique opportunity as educators to look back on what’s worked, name what is still stuck and make changes towards goals with time on our side to see their impact. But ideas don’t have impact unless they are actionable. So here is our kind nudge to you, fellow educators, to carve out some time, pull out some paper and get your pen flowing.
Certainly, you could download a resource to help with questions or fill in a pretty organizer. Or, you could get a notebook and pen and just write. There’s something incredible in our brain pathways when we get out from behind our computers and write with ink and paper. Here’s a sneak peek at a journal entry that I just wrote to inspire you to start.
The bulletin board can wait, but your brain & body need time to see yourself and your students rightly – writing it down is just the way.
