I've thought a lot about the investment of time, dollars, and energy for January through June 2018, and have reached the following conclusions:
Classroom Centered
While I'd like to attend some worthy, yet time consuming and expensive, professional events, I'll stay classroom-centered during these months. I will stay the course of uplifting the curriculum program in math and my designated area of science/STEAM. This will take good time and care in the days ahead.
Positive Routine
I will continue to work towards a healthy, positive routine that balances home and school well. Not an easy task as every teacher knows.
Professional Efforts and Learning
I'll focus this work on building the classroom curriculum program for successful math/science/SEL teaching/learning. This spring I'd like to take a special education course related to math disabilities and challenges, and I'm researching that option now. I also learn via the many professional opportunities close-to-home offered by the groups I listed yesterday. I will also continue to contribute and learn from the groups I currently am associated with.
Relationships
I am fortunate to have many good professional and personal relationships, and want to give those people the time, support and energy they deserve.
Union
I will continue to support the local union as their secretary, board member, and website manager, and I will continue to play a role on the MTA's TPL. In the local role, I want to work on the information management, updating, and getting the word out about great professional learning opportunities.
Summer
I'd like to use the great summer energy and time to do some deep, creative, and forward-moving creative work. David Culberhouse's research calls me, and perhaps I'll invest in reading the great works he's been developing for so long now. I may match his work with visuals to embed his research into my professional work. I think this will be true sabbatical summer of study and thought since it's likely that next year's teaching year will build upon the work we are doing with our team this year--work that is mostly successful and work that we are bettering each day.
