The school year is wrapping up for many, and summer break is upon us. Take a minute to stop and celebrate the school year. Recall all the great things that have happened! Here are a few tips to guide you in recalling your successes.
Tip #1: Reflecting on the Year
The heart of reflection between any teacher is revisiting goals set at the beginning of the year and having conversations about student growth. One of the strategies I focus on with Student-Centered Mentoring encompasses celebrating and reflecting together. It is important to routinely reflect on progress. If you work with a new teacher it is also a possibility to set new goals. I invite you to check out this resource, Reflecting on the Year, which encompasses all of those pieces. Even if you are not a new teacher or mentor, you can still use parts 1 and 2 from the tool. Feel free to take a look at other resources as well. I continue to add more regularly!
Tip #2: Celebrate Growth with Students Too!
If you are still in school, take a few minutes to celebrate growth with students as well. Designate some time to be reflective about the year’s successes and progress in the learning mindset process, rather than just a particular task. Consider these celebration ideas as you reflect with students and colleagues:
- You caught a mistake
- You asked a question
- You tried something more than once, never giving up!
- You found a solution
Tip #3: Thank a Colleague
One last tip is to also show your appreciation to a fellow teammate or colleague. I can say I am ending the year strong because of so many supportive people: PRE Reading Team, WSD Lit Coaches, and Diane Sweeney Consulting Team. Their encouragement, collaboration, and advice have been extremely helpful to me. Who are you thinking about that showed similar support to you?
Looking Ahead
I am thrilled the book, Student-Centered Mentoring, is out finally! Future blog posts will showcase information and tools related to the various strategies. You can order Student-Centered Mentoring (May 2022) from Corwin or Amazon.
References
- Brueggeman, A. (May 2022). Student-Centered Mentoring. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.