Where I teach there are countless positive efforts at play, efforts led by educators, families, administrators, and the community--there's no shortage of positive events.
As I think about this, I think there's a need to knit these events together in ways that matter. A synthesis like this will focus the great events in ways that enrich the activities without creating a sense of too much or disarray. A positive look at the year's schedule, events, and focus will lead to that kind of cohesion.
Also as I think about this, I think there's a need for us as a team to look at the latest research related to our collective efforts, and with this look, we need to think about what practices are the best practices that we employ and what practices may be ready for change or revision. We might want to think about what it means to be a professional in our teaching/learning environment and what protocols we value with that in mind. Conversations like these, if well led, can lead us forward. Simple questioning such as what do you need, what do you want, and what do you desire can lead any group forward when taking a broad and long look at their individual life and the community.
Individually as I think about the good work possible, it leads to the details for me, details that include the following:
- A warm, welcoming teaching environment
- Everything in its place, and a place for everything in order to make the learning resources and tools easily accessible to every learner and teacher
- Timely, effective practice which means staying abreast of the research and practices that are working in the greater teaching/learning community and embedding that information into my work.
- Thinking deeply about the issues that distance me from the good work possible and working to bridge that distance with good speak, problem solving processes, and collaboration.
- Advocacy for greater distributive leadership and greater teacher voice and choice as a way to build our collective capacity for optimal teaching and learning
- Greater focus on interdisciplinary, project based, collaborative learning to bring meaning and investment to learning/teaching efforts.
There is good and better work possible for every organization and every person's role in those organizations. Making time to think about that and act on it matters.
