Two Words: We Reflect
Now in May we are starting to think about putting things away. If we are not taking the anchor charts off our wall, we at least have chided ourselves for not doing so. The students have become nervous and some are sad at the thought of leaving the classroom and others are looking forward with excitement to summer adventures. Doing an end of year teaching reflection can help with making the transition to summer.
Unless you’re retiring or quitting, the end of the school year is an end that is not an end because you are coming back! If you’re like me, there is a deep desire to come back better and stronger than you were. You want to do things you didn’t do before and help kids in ways you weren’t able to this year. Your end of year teaching reflection is a way of capitalizing on this sentiment and getting yourself ready not to let opportunities slip next year.
It is inevitable that at such a time that the teacher may feel a little sad Missed opportunities loom large as do mistakes that could have been avoided. And then there are those exciting other areas that we never followed up on, and the rabbit holes we stopped ourselves from jumping down in the midst of a busy year. How do we close out our year? What can we save from this year, what do we want to trash and never see again, and what invites our questions and our wondering? How do we tie up our year with a bow before going off to some much-needed R&R? Here are four types of end of year teaching reflection you can try.
Reflecting with me, myself and I
Journaling is one way. If you are someone who enjoys freewriting, get a notebook and a pen you like and write at the top the year, the school, and the grade. Look at the blank page and let it all out: Tell how it began, what happened next and what happened in the end. Tell about your feelings, your relationships, your equipment, your instructional routines. Say what you plan to try more of next year and what you will never try again.
Correspondence leads to self knowledge:
Another type of reflection is to write your students little notes at the end of the year congratulating them on their achievements and wishing them well. There are various teacher stationaries you can use for this. You could congratulate a student on one of the following areas: academic work, including math, reading, organization, handwriting, drawing…social development including friendships, classroom behavior, leadership, perseverance, generosity, kindness, athletic endeavors. The list goes on. Finding something good to say about every student is a good exercise in reflection!
Counting is one way of knowing:
Taking an inventory is a powerful form of reflection and you can take inventories of various things: classroom supplies, curriculum, education you’ve done over the year. Inventory the supplies that you wanted and didn’t have. I wanted to get quarter size whiteboards for next year and more durable hand pencil sharpeners and tabletop trash cans. Reflect on how the supplies you used worked out this year and what you might like to try next year. Will you organize your classroom differently? Are there some items that you have that really don’t need to be there? Are there some items that you need to collect over the summer? Count and plan to be ready for the fall, then you can forget until at least the end of July.
Data Dig: Not for the Faint at Heart
The data dig is another way to do an end of year reflection. How did the data go? What were the bright spots? They are always bright spots. What were the things you wish were different? And of course what will you do next year to make sure the data is better? It might be okay to make a chart of the students, and reflect on who did well in the various subjects, and why. But don’t beat yourself up. Years when everything went right are the proverbial unicorns. Remembering what parts went right and using them again, and noting what didn’t quite mesh and planning to avoid that, are very powerful reflections. In my own practice, this year I noticed the power of parent contact and teacher collaboration-–both in terms of positive and disappointing results.
These are some of the ways you might do an end of year teaching reflection. You will be glad you did, because teaching is a lifelong process. For those of us who are in it to win it, we have to keep sharpening the saw; we have to keep being reflective. Our students are depending on us, and what’s more, we are depending on ourselves! Your career is a great asset, so take care of it. Do an end of year reflection, and come back stronger next year.
More Ideas:
From High School mentor teaching Jay Schauer, linked in Edutopia: Teacher End of Year Reflection Form
Reflecting on your teaching year: short, sweet, and personal – by Suzy Ghosh of Responsive Classroom
This one is more in depth, with forms – by Dr. Will Pulgarin of Thinking Nation