Friday, January 4, 2019

The Power of Reflection


If you've been an educator you know that more than 1000 decisions are made in a single given day. From instructional design choices to feedback for students, we are in a mentally exhausting position each and every day. Please note mentally exhausting does not mean that we don't love what we do. That's hardly the opposite. To know that we have the ability to impact three generations of family members each year is an opportunity that inspires, challenges, and if we are honest - terrifies - some days or weeks.

Sometime we are challenged in the day to day decisions that we make that we forget to stop and reflect on the actual work we are doing (think of a hamster wheel right now)! it's easy to get caught up in each moment and those moments pile on top of each other. But, a critical piece in making the BEST decision in our classrooms and schools occur when we have spent time in reflection about the work of you - the educator - and our students.

I know you are thinking, "My internal voice is reflecting with me all day long." I get it. But, what I am talking about is a different type of reflection. This is a deep, purposeful reflection on the work that happens in your role as an educator. We need to spend time thinking critical about how our students are learning, and how my voice impacts that learning.

Consider the idea of Friday Reflections to build purposeful reflection in your daily life.

Friday afternoons: Let's face it. End of the day Friday is often the least productive day of the work week for many. So, instead of wasting this time let's put it to good use. Spend 30 minutes every Friday after students leave and journal about how the week went for you. Consider these questions:
  1. What went well this week and, why did it go well?
  2. What did not go well this week, and why did it not go well?
  3. What one activity assumed the most amount of time for the week, and how did it better the school because of the time spent?
  4. What are your three goals for next week, and how will you achieve these goals?
  5. What do you identify as a major obstacle for next week, and how will you manage the expectations for this task?
      Consider keeping a weekly journal as you answer these five questions. What you will find by spending time in personal reflection around these questions is that you feel accomplished about your work week (who doesn't want to feel good?), and you have your priorities set for the next week before you leave for the weekend (a focus for the next week eases anxiety and offers direction). 

      Give it a shot. Commit to the next four Fridays. It could change your outlook and your effectiveness. If nothing else, you give your brain some mental space to breathe! We all need that every now and then! 

      Hint: If you want to keep your responses electronically, consider creating a Google Form (see image). Happy Friday. It's almost time for me to reflect on my week. How about you?



No comments:

Post a Comment

It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Final Exams

As we embark as parents with a high school freshmen, we have had many adjustments. No adjustment has been more difficult than the...