We all do it
don’t we? This is the time of year that
we reflect on the past year and we look forward with great anticipation for the
year ahead. We get to start over. We become change agents for our own
lives. There is definitely something
special about this time of year that gives us a renewed sense of hope and
inspiration.
This is
especially true in the education world.
The holiday break gives educators the chance to reflect, recharge,
refocus, and renew. As we head into a
new year, I’d like to offer a few tips that can maximize the learning environments
of our schools. Some of these
are tested, tried, and true; while others may simply be my imagination running
wild with optimism for better schools and a better world.
Let time be irrelevant
We need to
stop putting a time limit on learning. What
if Thomas Edison was given a deadline for the light bulb? If we truly want to individualize the
learning process for our children, “time” cannot be a major variable. Focus instead on mastering skills. When one skill is mastered move on to the
next. Allow the students to own the
learning process. Imagine for a second a
school with no bells. Subjects such as science,
math, language arts, and electives are all integrated. Students use the skills in each of those
areas to solve real-world and relevant problems.
The focus and assessments shift to the process and not so much fixated
on an end result. Sounds a lot like
growth mindset doesn’t it?
Focus on the C’s
You have
heard of the four C’s. Creativity, collaboration, critical
thinking, and communication are
the four competencies that many educators believe are the gateway to producing
a College and Career Ready student. I couldn’t agree more with this. The world in which we live now is such that
new jobs are being invented every single day.
Our students in elementary will likely take jobs that have not been
invented yet. Even though these jobs
might be a blur to us now, I can certainly guarantee that the competencies
listed above will be a requirement for success. Our schools need to allow children to excel
in these areas.
I would also
challenge schools to expand on the four C’s.
With an ever changing world, we need to really hit on things such as character, confidence, compassion,
and caring. We need to show students that they can make a
difference in the world. We need to let
them know that failure is okay, and give them the confidence to take risks and
step outside their comfort zones. We need to engage in conversation with our students and let them know that we genuinely
care for each of them. This is called relationship
building and it’s the number one thing that an educator can do to ensure
learning is taking place.
Want a safe and secure school?
If you want
to keep your school safe, it does not start with arming educators or installing
metal detectors at all doors. It starts
by showing a genuine care and understanding for every single person in the
building. Connect with each child. Let them know that you care about them and
their well-being. As a matter of fact,
this should be expanded beyond the walls of the school. What if we all were just a little bit nicer
to others? What if we all extended a
genuine care to every individual that crossed our path in a day? We can
make society better simply by acting better.
Will this
end all violence? Absolutely not, but it
should make a difference. The next step
to this is to raise awareness for mental illnesses. We need to treat mental illness with the same
magnitude that we do for other diseases such as cancer and dementia (to name a couple).
Desire it
My final tip
for a successful new year revolves around the word desire. We don’t talk about
this word too often, but it’s simply the fuel that keeps us going, or the lack thereof
that keeps us in one place. We must
desire to get better in every facet of life.
We must continue to learn each and every day. We need to fail a few times, and desire to
get back at it and do better. As
educators we must desire to be better at our jobs. We must have desire for every one of our
students to succeed. Administrators must
have the desire to see each of his/her teachers flourish. We
have to find that spark of desire and ignite it. If you do this 2016 can burn with hope and
inspiration and a desire to change the world will exist within you.
Pretty
simple right? There is nothing really
fancy to it all. It’s a mindset
change. Pull the oxygen mask over your
face first. Take a couple of deep
breaths and then improve the lives around you.
I want to
wish every one near and far a Happy New Year.
May 2016 bring each of you joy and happiness, and may that joy and
happiness be contagious to all of those you come in contact with.
