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After a Difficult Year: How to Reclaim Energy and Hope

In every educator's career, difficult years are inevitable. Sooner or later, we will all have (at least) one. After all, each year brings a new group of students and changes in curriculum, structures, or expectations, and with significant changes often come significant challenges. What is most important is not that we had a trying year; no, what matters most is what we choose to do with what we experienced. The year ends, but what we learn from it and how we go forward can reshape our careers.

To be clear, moving on is not about pretending the past year did not happen. It is also not about replaying, regretting, or endlessly ruminating on the experience. Moving on involves understanding, gaining perspective, and focusing on what we can do with what we learned. Here are some strategies to help make the transition.

Resist replaying painful and unsuccessful moments. Pain attracts attention. We can get lost in time spent recalling, reliving, and massaging what hurts. We can become preoccupied with incidents such as conflicts with a student or parent, a lesson or unit that did not go as planned, or times we wish we had said or done something different. The truth is that while reflection can certainly be helpful, ruminating drains energy and yields little of value. Instead, this time should be devoted to letting go of any guilt, forgiving yourself, and allowing yourself to experience relief. Relief is not failure; it is evidence that the experience took a toll.

Conduct an “after-action reflection.” Challenging experiences often leave unresolved questions, confusing emotions, and frustrating memories. Unless we examine and determine what to do with them, they remain with us and can hold us back. Now is a good time to reflect on the experience, make sense of it, and let it go. Depending on the circumstances, you might include a trusted and respected colleague in the conversation. Center your reflection and conversation around questions such as what frustrated you, what caused hurt, what you could not control, and what you learned. When you are finished, decide what is beneficial to carry with you and what to leave behind. Then, turn and look forward.

Keep your identity and worth separate from the experience. Many factors can influence how a year goes. A difficult mix of students, curriculum, or organizational issues, behavior challenges, or leadership conflicts are possibilities, but they do not define who you are. Nor do they represent your value or effectiveness. Teaching is a profound human work, and it can be influenced by a wide variety of variables. The key question is, “What did you learn about people, teaching, or yourself from the experience?” Contemplating this question helps to shift your attention from regret to growth.

Do not forget the students for whom you made a difference. At this point, there may be students whom you believe you failed to reach. You may or may not be correct. Often, the influence we have is not visible for long after students leave us. Your impact may be more than you know. Meanwhile, there likely remain students whom you were able to reach, with whom you had a strong relationship, and who flourished as the year unfolded. It can be easy to forget positive, successful efforts, especially when we are preoccupied with what we did not visibly accomplish. Commit to spending as much (or more) time recalling and reflecting on your successes as on less satisfactory experiences.

Replenish your energy before trying to “fix anything.” There may be adjustments you want to make because of your reflections on the past year. However, before investing in that work, take time to replenish your energy. Prioritize sleep, exercise, relationships, fun, laughter, and even quiet time. Growth is important, but recovery is faster and more successful when our energy levels are high and our sense of who we are is restored. Trying to learn and change while running on empty is tough work.

Identify what you want to change next year. At this point, you may have some ideas about what you want to do in response to your reflection. It may be time to revisit and adjust personal and professional boundaries. You might want to adjust some routines or structures. There may be classroom management strategies you want to adopt or even some support you want to secure as you start the new year. It is good to explore various options. However, before deciding what you will do, consider what one or two things will make the greatest difference and focus your attention there. Trying to do too many things at once is likely to result in doing none of them well.

Get ready for a new beginning. One of the gifts of education is that every year offers the opportunity for a fresh start. Last year may have been a challenge, but it is behind us. We can give ourselves permission to let go of last year and embrace the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. It is time to flush away any remaining disappointment and pain from last year and give full attention to the wonderful things you will accomplish in the months ahead.

Difficult years can lead to important learning; they can deepen our empathy, strengthen our resilience, enrich our wisdom, and broaden our perspective. We can take what we have learned from a challenging year without reliving it.

June 04, 2026

Why Boredom Belongs on Your Summer Agenda

Summer break features a wide variety of activities, roles, and responsibilities for teachers. Contrary to popular assumption, most teachers do not have the luxury of taking the summer off to relax and do nothing. Teaching summer school, completing curriculum projects, engaging in professional learning, and taking temporary jobs to supplement income are just some of what fills the summer months—either by choice or necessity.

Obviously, boredom is not what most teachers anticipate and plan for when the school year comes to an end. Yet, finding time and ways to experience and embrace boredom can offer some important benefits, both personally and professionally. Seeking to be bored may seem counterintuitive, but boredom can create conditions for and be a source of important mental and emotional work.

Consider that many of history’s most creative people and greatest thinkers used boredom as the context and stimulus for some of their most important work. Isaac Newton developed some of his most significant theories while idling away hours at the family farm during the plague. Charles Darwin depended on his daily walks to allow his mind to wander and wonder. Maya Angelou chose to write in hotel rooms devoid of pictures, decoration, and distracting views to create a boring backdrop for her creative work. These innovative people and others leveraged the mental space offered by boredom to synthesize their thinking, make connections, complete ideas, and generate possibilities.

We may not have the luxury of extended time to become bored, but we can create space to reflect, make connections, integrate information, and generate ideas. We might set aside time on weekends, take advantage of time while driving, schedule regular hikes or strolls, or choose other spaces and activities that allow time to think. Be assured that the choice can be more than worth the effort. Here are just a few benefits you can experience:

Recovering mentally. When our brain is not occupied, it shifts into default mode, much like reflection. The rest can refresh our thinking and renew our energy; thinking about nothing can be very therapeutic.

Rebalancing emotions. In the absence of input and focus, the brain can resurface unresolved thoughts and lingering emotions, allowing up to work through unhealed wounds and decide how to deal with them. This space can also help us to process residual stress and allow it to dissipate rather than carry it with us.

Repositioning our relationship with time. During the year, we might seek to make every moment productive. Setting aside time to be bored can remind us that time can be experienced and valued as a pause as much as for activity.

Unleashing creativity. Boredom can create space for our unconscious mind to see connections we might have missed, to complete thoughts or finish partially formed ideas, and to generate new insights.

Reconnecting with purpose. We might spend most of our time during the year planning, responding, completing tasks, managing deadlines, and other time-consuming activities. During such a level of activity, we can lose track of what is rewarding about our work and what renews our spirit. Boredom can interrupt the cycle and create space to reconnect to why we choose this profession.

Expanding identity. Taking time to be bored can invite us to be curious and explore. We might rediscover interests we have abandoned, try a new activity, or explore a hobby. Boredom can create space to expand our sense of who we are and who we want to become.

Finding or making time to be bored isn’t likely to be at the top of most educators’ list of summer priorities, though maybe it should be. Finding time to renew, refresh, and reframe our thoughts and emotions can be a great way to let go of the past year and create space and anticipation for what lies ahead.

May 21, 2026

End-of-Summer Regrets to Prevent Now

It happens every year. We focus on finishing this year, imagine a long summer ahead, and yet, August arrives sooner than we expect. Then, when summer comes to an end, we are bombarded with some familiar thoughts: I meant to do this… I should have taken care of that… How did the summer fly by?

We might look back and ask ourselves why we didn’t finish some tasks, take care of some issues, wrap up some projects, and do a better job of planning the summer. Fortunately, now is the time to address many of those issues and actions, preparing us for a summer with more intention, reflection, and renewal—and free of some regrets.

The challenge is to use the time we have as we finish the year to also take a few actions to get ready for the summer we desire and the fall we anticipate. Here are five common end-of-summer regrets and how we can prevent them by what we choose to do now.

I failed to reach closure on the past year.

This may have been a difficult year. Conflicts may linger, some hurts have not yet healed, and other unfinished interpersonal business may need attention. A challenging class may have tested our skills and our patience. Before leaving for the summer, we may need to reach out to a colleague to repair a relationship, let go of some hurts and regrets that have distracted us, and forgive ourselves for times we fell short and did not do our best work. Taking time to repair what we can and let go of what we cannot fix can help us to make the transition and get ready to refocus for the summer.

I never fully unplugged and renewed.

Many educators will spend their summer engaged in professional work either related to teaching or not. They may teach summer school, work on curriculum development, or engage in professional development or formal coursework, or they may work other part- or full-time jobs. Consequently, truly unplugging can be a challenge. Nevertheless, we can still plan some emotional and physical get-away activities. Mini-vacations, regular hikes, day trips to favorite places, and other enjoyable, non-school-related activities can offer mental breaks and opportunities to gain separation and renew our spirits. Recovery from the year can involve both emotional renewal and physical separation.

I failed to get organized digitally and physically.

The pace of the school year and the acceleration that accompanies the lead-up to the end can leave little time to organize and manage digital files, emails, and other technology tools. Similarly, we may feel pressed and neglect to keep physical materials and resources in top shape. We might be tempted to leave these organizing tasks until later in the summer or when we return in the fall. However, competition for our time and attention will be fierce in the days leading up to the start of school; there will be enough to organize and prepare for that school year without dealing with leftovers from this one. A few hours spent now to organize our digital and physical space can make a big difference in the fall when other matters demand our attention.

I planned to do some summer learning, but I never got around to it.

Summer may seem to stretch well into the horizon, but experience has taught us that it will go quickly. Taking some time now to decide what we want to learn, where we can engage in the learning we seek, and when we will do it can help us organize our summer schedule and ensure we gain the learning we need. Enrolling in a course, workshop, or other learning opportunity, placing dates on the calendar, and making other preparatory arrangements now can prevent us from feeling this regret when the end of the summer arrives.

I avoided thinking about and planning for next year, and now I feel overwhelmed.

Unplugging for the summer is important, but unplugging does not have to mean neglecting necessary planning and arrangements for next year. In fact, time spent now, while recollections from the past year are still fresh and our aspirations for next year are still forming, can go a long way in charting a general course for the year ahead. Having a sense for what we want to accomplish and taking a few initial steps can relieve some pressure, give us a place to start, and launch next year with greater confidence and direction.

Regrets are not pleasant, especially when what caused them could have been prevented. Fortunately, many common regrets about the end of the summer can be prevented by what we choose to do now. A little planning and a few hours of effort can make a big difference in how we feel and what we face when it is time to return in the fall.

May 14, 2026

The Power of “Never”: Advice Students Won’t Forget

We typically avoid telling students what not to do in favor of giving them concrete, positive directions. For example, we might say, “Plant your feet on the sidewalk” rather than “Don’t walk on the grass.” Among the benefits of this approach is to give students a clear understanding of what is expected; we provide students with a clear picture of what to do, not just what not to do.

Nevertheless, there are some benefits attached to occasionally giving negatively framed advice. Negative framing can convey urgency. When framed as advice, what we say can feel protective rather than demanding. The unusualness of its negative framing can also make it memorable, and maybe even empowering. Advice framed as something one should never do can also feel more like guardrails for behavior rather than demands for compliance.

The end of the year is a good time to offer final advice and share our experiences and insights on life. Of course, we could frame our advice as positive and action-focused. However, we might find our advice to be even more effective if presented in a different frame. What if we shared our advice as “never ever do ____”? Here are seven examples of life advice that we can present as thinking and actions “never ever” to engage in.

Never ever allow someone to define who you are and what you can accomplish. No one has the right to define who another person is, nor can they determine what someone else can accomplish. Establish high goals, be your best self, and consider what someone else thinks only when they are aiming higher than you.

Insight: The future is yours to determine.

Never ever avoid something just because it is difficult this is where learning and life most often happen. Things that are challenging may not be pleasant, but they often offer the greatest rewards. Learning that requires struggle leads to deeper understanding and can stay in your memory longer.

Insight: What comes to us too easily often leaves us just as easily.

Never ever allow fear to keep you from going after what you want. Fear can be a powerful force, as it can make us hesitate and second-guess something we might later regret. However, fear should never come between what you want and what you will pursue. When something makes you fearful, ask yourself, “What would I do if I were not afraid?” The answer is often a good indicator of what you should do.

Insight: Fear wins when it keeps us from what we value and what we want to achieve.

Never ever trade what you really want for what you can have right now. When we are faced with the dilemma of an immediate reward and a delayed, even greater reward, we may be tempted to go for instant gratification. Unfortunately, while we may enjoy that immediate reward, before long we are likely to regret not waiting and working toward what we really want. It is true that working, saving, and persisting can take time and delay rewards, but waiting can be worth it.

Insight: Rewards that come after we have earned them almost always offer greater long-term happiness and satisfaction.

Never ever conflate a bad grade, a bad day, or a single bad experience with your worth. Life happens. Our experiences are not always what we choose. We make mistakes and missteps. Yet these are nothing more than incidents. They are not who we are. Mistakes are information we can use to improve, and missteps are just opportunities to learn and keep going. Much can be shown about our character in how we respond when something does not goes our way.

Insight: Success is determined by what we do with what happens to us, not the fact that it does.

Never ever allow a temporary setback to become a permanent condition. If we are learning, stretching, and growing, setbacks are inevitable. Trying things that do not work out the first time is part of life; they do not mean that we cannot succeed with reflection, new strategies, and practice. Setbacks may tell us what will not work, but they do not mean there is no path forward.

Insight: Setbacks can be lessons, but they are not verdicts on what is possible.

Never ever underestimate the power of small, consistent actions. Success in life is more likely to result from the small, seemingly insignificant things we do every day than it is to be the result of a single action or breakthrough. The power of this advice lies in the Japanese philosophy, kaizen. Kaizen involves learning and doing at least one thing every day to learn, grow, and make something better. Over time, the impact of many small actions can be huge for our success.

Insight: Without consistent actions in support of our goals, success in life is likely to remain more a dream than a reality.

We have worked hard to build impactful relationships with our students and to instill credibility in our guidance and advice. Consequently, what we share with students as they are about to leave us is likely to be heard and remembered. In fact, we should not be surprised if years from now, we encounter students who recall and can share specific life lessons, insights, and advice we taught them, especially at this time of year.

May 07, 2026

Finishing Strong: Making ESY Decisions That Actually Make Sense

It’s hard to believe that we are already approaching the end of the school year. With spring in full swing, school teams are balancing progress monitoring, end-of-year meetings, and planning for what comes next. For many educators, Extended School Year (ESY) decisions are either already underway or quickly rising to the top of the to-do list. The question is: Are our ESY decisions thoughtful, individualized, and truly aligned to student needs? Or are we rushing to check a box?

As educators and leaders, you know that ESY is not about simply offering more school. It is about ensuring continuity of critical skills for students with disabilities. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, ESY must be determined on an individual basis, grounded in data, and designed to support a student’s ability to make meaningful progress. When done well, ESY decisions protect hard-earned gains and set students up for a stronger start in the fall.

As you head into ESY planning, it’s important to consider a few key areas that can strengthen both your process and your outcomes:

Start with Clarity: What Does the Student Truly Need?

Strong ESY decisions begin with the right lens. Shifting the conversation from “Does this student qualify?” to “What does this student need to maintain or continue progress?” keeps the focus on the student, where it belongs.

Teams need to ground that conversation in data. Progress monitoring, service logs, and work samples can help identify patterns of regression, recoupment, or emerging skills that may be at risk. While professional judgment plays an important role, pairing it with clear data ensures decisions are both thoughtful and defensible.

Just as important is identifying the most critical skills; it’s important to recognize that ESY is not intended to replicate the full school year. Instead, teams should prioritize a small number of foundational skills—specifically, those skills that have the greatest impact on the student’s overall progress and independence.

Strengthen the Process: Thoughtful, Collaborative Decision-Making

ESY decisions are strongest when they are intentional and collaborative, not rushed or routine.

Avoid patterns where decisions are made based on special education programs, disability categories, or “what we’ve always done.” Each student’s needs should drive the recommendation. Taking time to individualize decisions not only ensures compliance but also builds trust across teams.

Preparation is a key component of the process. When teams come to IEP meetings with data reviewed, observations gathered, and a preliminary recommendation in mind, conversations are more productive and focused.

Equally important is ensuring that all voices are part of the discussion. General education teachers, special education providers, related service staff, and families each bring valuable insight. Creating space for those perspectives leads to stronger, more well-rounded decisions.

Plan for Follow-Through: From Recommendation to Reality

A well-written ESY decision is only effective if it can be implemented with fidelity!

Think ahead about logistics, including staffing needs, scheduling, service delivery models, locations, and materials. Aligning these details early helps to ensure that what is written in the IEP translates into a meaningful summer experience for students.

Clear communication with families also plays a critical role. ESY can sometimes be misunderstood, so taking time to explain how decisions were made, what data was considered, and what services will look like helps build clarity and trust.

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of documentation. Capturing not just the decision, but also the reasoning behind it and the data used to support it, reinforces continuity and strengthens the team’s position if questions arise later.

As the school year winds down, ESY decisions are an opportunity to ensure that student data, critical skill priorities, and individualized needs are driving team decisions. This is the time to be intentional about how those decisions are made and documented. A little focus now can prevent skill loss, reduce frustration, and create a smoother transition into the next school year.

Finishing strong isn’t just about closing out the year. It’s about setting students up for continued success. The care and intention behind your ESY decisions is a powerful part of that work.

April 28, 2026

Five Secrets to Staying Focused and Functioning in the Final Weeks

We might compare the school year to a marathon. We begin the year with energy, optimism, and excitement. Over time, reality and routine help us to settle into a pace and make steady progress. We may encounter some unexpected challenges, a few distractions, some stumbles, and occasional setbacks along the way, but we keep going. Now, the end is coming into sight. We have invested and persisted; we need to finish strong. Yet, like marathoners, we may find that late in the year, we can hit a wall. Our mental and physical energy may be running low, but the race is not finished. The work ahead is not harder than we have experienced, though it may indeed feel harder. We may find it difficult to manufacture new energy, but we can manage our fatigue. Here are five secrets we can tap to help us stay focused and functioning as we approach the final weeks.

Grasp the finish line. Runners can imagine the distance to the end of a marathon as being too far, which can lead to losing focus and hope. Yet, observing mile markers and visualizing what remains of the race can provide a clear and achievable picture of the path to the finish. Similarly, what remains to be done before the end of the year can feel overwhelming, especially if we rely on our imagination. Gaining clarity about what we need to do can make a significant difference in how we perceive the finish. Now is a good time to think through what needs to be done and make a list; what we imagine to be “undoable” can feel “accomplishable” when reduced to a tangible list.

Insight: Reality is usually less overwhelming than what we imagine.

Prioritize tasks, time, and energy. A successful finish to a marathon requires avoiding wasted effort and needless distractions. Runners need to prioritize their energy and focus to stay the course. Similarly, the list of tasks we need to complete can be a starting point for prioritizing and sharpening our focus. Some items on the list might be dropped without consequence, other items might be postponed and handled later, and still other items might be delegated to support staff, students, or volunteers. With our prioritized list, we can better focus our energy and allocate our attention to what is most important and must be done.

Insight: Prioritization helps to align our time and energy with what matters most.

Focus on form and fundamentals. As the end of a marathon approaches, the secret to success is more likely to be found in staying steady, maintaining forward momentum, and finishing with purpose than looking for new strategies and trying new approaches. In marathon races, runners focus on breathing, posture, and stride. In the classroom, this thinking translates to maintaining routines, staying consistent, and being predictable.

Insight: Staying steady and finishing with purpose can make the best use of our remaining energy.

Draw on the energy and support of others. The noise of the crowd assembled at the finish line of a marathon is typically the loudest of any time during the race, and their enthusiasm and support can be a good source of encouragement. Similarly, the end of the school year features celebrations and ceremonies that can be sources of reinforcement and reassurance, two key elements in finishing the year successfully. Colleagues, too, can be important sources of encouragement and grounding. Connecting with others can provide the boost we need to stay the course.

Insight: While you run a marathon as an individual, the crowd and other runners can be sources of encouragement and reassurance. Similarly, colleagues can provide important support to help us finish the year with high levels of focus and functionality.

Finish strong. The end of a marathon may not feature the dramatic “kick” common in shorter races. However, staying strong and pushing through the finish line remains an important aspect of a successful race. We can prevent additional stress by resisting the urge to procrastinate. If something needs to be done, we can act rather than hesitate. Ignoring and avoiding important tasks at this time of year can have greater consequences than they would have had a month or two ago, or even earlier.

Insight: Pushing through the finish line can generate better end-of-year outcomes and a greater sense of pride and satisfaction.

Clearly, the school year is more like a marathon than a sprint or even a middle-distance race. Success requires stamina, focus, and commitment. Now, as the end approaches, we can take much from how to successfully finish a marathon to inform and guide our thinking and actions as we create a successful ending.

April 23, 2026

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Set the Stage for a Successful Summer

It might seem as though the summer break offers limitless time to do what we want and need to do. However, as we well know, the time will end up passing quickly. Some structure and focus can be helpful to our ability to use the time to our best advantage. Of course, summer comes with its own set of commitments, expectations, and responsibilities, so we need to find balance if we hope to have a successful break from the school year.

We can be tempted to pack the summer full of events, activities, learning, and preparation for fall. Yet, over-scheduling can prolong our recovery from the school year, distract us from using the break to our best advantage, and leave us low on energy and enthusiasm for the start of a new school year in a few months.

As we make the transition from finishing the school year and begin to focus on how best to spend the time we have over breaks, we would do well to prioritize our time and attention. Our priorities might include some items that help us to “tie off” our experiences from the year that just ended, consider how best to engage the summer, and do some preliminary thinking and planning for next year. Here are six ideas we might consider putting into action to create some structure, form some focus, and preview what we would like to accomplish.

Catalog the best things that happened and your most significant accomplishments from the past year. You might relive some of the most uplifting and satisfying experiences from the past year, so consider making some notes to capture reflections and record your insights. If you kept a journal or made contemporaneous notes during the year, now is a good time to read and reflect on your thoughts and observations. Be sure to forgive yourself and others for what may not have gone as you planned and expected.

Make a list of what drew your interest and attention during the year. You might have heard about or encountered some new strategies to research, new tools to secure and learn to use, or you may have been stymied by reoccurring challenges you want to understand and overcome. Unfortunately, the pressure and pace of the school year can make focused exploration and development of new skills difficult to accomplish. The summer might be a good time to delve into these areas of interest and possibility.

Make a “soft” outline of what you would like to improve next year. Deciding to take some action and tackle a challenge can stimulate your thinking and draw your attention to information and opportunities that support your intentions. Your list might include strategies, units, or lesson designs you would like to develop. You might want to gain some insights and strategies for classroom management. Or your interests might lie elsewhere! What is important is to identify what you are looking for because when you do, you are more likely to find it.

Make an initial list of what you would like to learn, accomplish, polish, or produce during the summer. This task may require some discipline and a reality check. After all, you can only do so much. However, giving some thought and having a list can help you focus and prioritize available time, and it can assist you in scheduling potential learning and practice opportunities before the summer slips away.

Take time for some casual, informal collaboration. The coming weeks can offer opportunities to meet with a colleague, mentor, or coach to explore ideas, share observations, and exchange insights without the pressure of immediate action or application. Exploratory conversations, what-if ruminations, and “how might _____” exchanges can surface new ideas, open new paths, and suggest opportunities to pursue this summer and beyond.

Make a commitment to unplugging from constant work-related communication and tasks. Occasionally checking your email can help you avoid missing important communication, but hourly or daily checking and responding can unnecessarily drain energy and undermine your efforts to recharge and refresh your energy and spirit. The summer can also be a time to experiment with setting boundaries and developing strategies you can use during the school year to maintain a sustainable balance between your work and personal life.

Obviously, some of these steps may be more relevant to your life than others. You may also have ideas for additional or alternative actions to make your summer the best it can be. Now is the time to put your thoughts into action.

May 29, 2025

A Six-Item Checklist to Close Out the Year

Many schools have formal checklists for finishing the school year. These tasks are, appropriately, designed to ensure an orderly close-out to the year, and they are often heavily weighted toward logistical and procedural tasks. As examples, most end-of-year checklists include items such as putting away materials and equipment, completing maintenance and repair requests, and finishing any remaining storage and inventory tasks. Our completion of these and similar tasks will make it easier for maintenance, purchasing, and other staff to complete their work over the summer.

However, these are not the only important steps we need to consider as we wrap up another year. Often, there are things not yet said that should be said, steps not taken that need to be taken, and commitments not made that deserve our attention and action before we leave. They may not be on the formal checkout list, yet they can be even more important those tasks that are. Here are six steps that can make the summer better—and the fall worthy of anticipation.

First, if you have a lingering conflict, disagreement, or other unfinished business, tend to it now. If you need to apologize or make things right with a colleague, student, parent, or other person, don’t leave it for later. We cannot know what the summer will bring. There may not be another opportunity, and carrying an unnecessary emotional burden can drain the very energy you need to be replenishing.

Second, if there is someone you need to thank, someone whose support needs to be recognized, or appreciation that needs to be shared, do it now. What you have to say may be exactly what they need to hear. There may never be a time when what you have to say will mean more. The longer you wait, the less weight your words are likely to carry.

Third, if you are part of a team, schedule time to meet before everyone scatters for the summer. Now is a good time to create an initial plan and list of priorities for next year’s work. Time spent sorting out logistical, alignment, and resource issues before you leave can relieve pressure in the fall and give everyone a head start on their thinking, planning, and arranging as they have time over the summer. If someone new will be joining the team, this also may be a good opportunity to get acquainted and begin building the new team.

Fourth, consider what you will need immediately in the fall. As you put things away, be sure to place the items you will need first in easily remembered and easily accessed spaces. You might even make a list of a few things that you want to remember and attend to first and create a file or place the list in a desk drawer or other handy place. Having a few things ready when you return can ease some stress, save some time, and help you have a smoother re-entry when you return.

Fifth, if you have not done so yet, finish your professional learning plans for the summer. Time will pass quickly once the school year fades into history. Committing, scheduling, and registering for professional learning events and activities now can ensure that they are not overlooked or forgotten. By making commitments now, vacations and other summer activities can be scheduled around the learning you want to gain.

Finally, once this year has been “tied off,” it is time to refocus your attention on recharging your energy and rejuvenating your spirit. Returning in the fall with renewed passion and a fresh mindset is much easier to accomplish when time with family and friends, pursuing hobbies, or just engaging in activities that feed your soul has been a focus for the summer.

The final days of the year, especially once students have departed, can be filled with mixed emotions. We may want to leave as soon as possible! However, we cannot afford to leave the year with unfinished business that can compromise our effectiveness, sap our energy, and add to our stress in the summer or fall.

May 09, 2024

Seven Reflection Questions to Capture YOUR Learning from the Past Year

The end of a school year is a good time to pause, reflect, and glean important learning from the past year’s experiences with students, instructional strategies, curricular challenges, and other aspects of our practice while they’re still fresh in our memories. Now is the best time to capture what we have experienced and turn that into learning.

We might think that having the experience is enough to build our learning. However, learning is not the result of experience. After all, experiences can be repeated endlessly and with little gain. Learning, on the other hand, results from reflection. Here are seven questions to stimulate reflection and transform your experience into learning.

How did your most challenging student(s) frustrate you this year? What lesson(s) can you learn that will prevent reoccurrence of the experience next year? There is a philosophical view that in life, we will continually experience frustrations or failure until we learn a lesson that shifts our thinking and behavior, and once the shift is made, we are no longer challenged by the situation. If you discern the lesson your students’ behavior can teach you and identify ways to implement potential solutions, your frustration will likely diminish.

What student(s) surprised you, and how did that experience change your expectations? What we expect is often what we choose to see. However, occasionally something happens that challenges what we expect and changes what we experience. Over the course of the year, it is likely that at least one student’s insight, behavior, or observation challenged what you expected. What can that experience suggest about adjustments to what you expect?

What learning activity or activities did not go well? What was the cause? Might your approach be recast, redesigned, or recontextualized to have it connect with students the next time? In most cases, something might be salvaged, adjusted, or otherwise repurposed to provide value. Even if you conclude that the activity should not receive more attention or be repeated, you have learned something to avoid in the future.

What curriculum content did not connect with students? Curricular items present a different challenge than a strategy or activity that did not work. We can abandon a strategy, but curricular content is part of what we promise to students and for which we are accountable. It may be time to find new examples, concrete applications, or other ways to help students see the value and purpose of the content for next year. Of course, consulting colleagues who may teach the same curriculum or similar content can help to generate ideas and options to consider.

What advice did you receive from a colleague that you need to accept and act on? How will it change your approach or practice? Over the course of the year, you probably received much advice, some of which may have held little value for your work. Other insights and suggestions, though, may be worth keeping and even improving upon for future use. Making a note of what you want to recall and how you might apply it can preserve it for use during the next school year.

What did you discover about yourself this year that is worthy of note and implies an adjustment in how you view yourself? The challenges, surprises, successes, and even setbacks contain important lessons about our own selves. Take a few minutes to reflect on the high points, low points, triumphs, and missteps you experienced. What can you learn and apply to your planning for next year?

How did you typically spend your time each weekly cycle throughout the year? Did your use of time reflect your priorities and provide enough balance to be productive without being exhausted? Where do you need to decrease your time investment to create opportunities and energy for other endeavors? Do you need to find more and better times to disconnect, clear your mind, and refresh your soul? Where will you start?

The end of the year can be an incredibly busy time, but failing to pause, reflect, and learn is a mistake. Some of your most important learning can happen now.

April 25, 2024

Six Secrets to Success and Sanity in the Final Weeks

The end of another year is only a few weeks away. Until then, we may have complete and detailed plans for all that we want to accomplish. Yet, much of what will actually happen in the coming days will compete with and even disrupt what we have imagined. We will also feel the added pressure and stress to finish instruction, wrap up learning, and finalize other tasks and projects. Ultimately, the time we have left will likely not be enough to do all that we would like.

The challenge we face is to successfully wrap up the year without feeling as though we are losing control or becoming overwhelmed with frustration and stress. As we anticipate the coming days and weeks, here are six proven strategies to make our work more manageable and our experience more enjoyable. They can help us to find success without losing our sanity. As we think about these strategies, we might consider the safety instructions we receive when beginning a flight: we must put on our own oxygen mask before we can help others to do the same. In this metaphor, the “flight” is, of course, a symbol of our approach to the finish line.

Set boundaries and create space. Despite the inevitable stress and competing expectations, finding time to do things we enjoy, making memories with family and friends, exercising, and just relaxing are important to being our best selves. If we are stressed and exhausted, we will not do our best work.

Support and rely on colleagues. Trying to manage and complete everything that must be done by ourselves can be overwhelming. Collaborating on projects, sharing resources, and stepping up to help each other can make a huge difference. Beyond sharing the load, feeling support, and sharing ideas, working with others can lower our stress and increase our sense of connectedness.

Focus on what really matters. We need to be realistic. The amount of time available is limited, while the number of potential tasks and activities lists are likely to be long. We might consider what we can let go of or postpone. Not every meeting must be held, not every deadline must be firm, and not every expectation must be met.

Look for small wins. It might be tempting to focus on what might go wrong. We can balance this pressure by focusing on small wins to keep us positive and optimistic. We might reach out to a student with whom we have found it difficult to connect, or we may help a struggling student across the finish line. We might complete a project or perfect a skill with which we have wrestled for some time. The key is to recognize that despite what may feel like chaos, we are still making a difference.

Be flexible and adapt. We know that not everything will go as planned. There will be surprises and disruptions, and communication will not always be timely and complete. Expecting perfection only adds to our stress. Choosing to “go with the flow,” stay loose, and expect the unexpected can reduce our frustration and help us to maintain our balance as we approach the end.

Reflect, celebrate, and be present. We, our colleagues, and our students have come a long way. We have faced a myriad of challenges and experienced many accomplishments, and we have all learned and matured. Hopefully, we have also collaborated and grown as we engaged with our colleagues. Now is the time to reflect on what has happened and celebrate what has been accomplished. We also need to allow ourselves to be fully present, appreciate the moment, and experience the sense of completion that the end of the year offers.

This is a special time of the year. There is much to celebrate, but we can become caught up in the tasks, projects, and challenges that distract us from the big picture and undermine our appreciation of what has been accomplished. Taking time for ourselves, setting reasonable expectations, remaining flexible, supporting each other, and celebrating all that has been achieved can help us to end the year with pride, joy, and satisfaction.