These first few days after school finishes are for letting go!
In cleaning up my desks (and moving classrooms) I have come across notes, sheets, articles and lots of treasure/junk that I have had to decide to keep or let go. A lot of it I threw out! If I haven't used it or thought about it in the last year, then perhaps it wasn't as useful as I thought. Let it go!
Letting go this week also means easing out of the care and concern for the twenty-two students who have been "my" kids for the last ten months.
No longer do I have to wonder if they are getting enough sleep or if she is still thinking about her little brother and the operation he needs or if he is still fretting about the death of his cat. No longer do I have time to support her growing willingness to speak up or his to pipe down! No more time to spend laughing at her jokes or smiling at his stories.
As the summer goes on, no longer will I have to worry about their grasp of multiplication, or reading strategies or... No longer do I need to find more time to carry out tutorials, to phone home, to meet with the team to plan interventions, and to prepare for mini-lessons and individualized conferences to address this need or that one.
I also have to let go of the doubts. I have to let go the nagging thoughts about whether or not I spent enough time with each child, if I coulda, shoulda said something else ... done more.
I have to let go of unrealistic expectations and use (some of) the time now to reflect on my own practice...what would I do differently? Why?
I also need to let go of my teacher "hat" and put on ones with more personal labels. Then I will be ready to meet and greet the next bunch of Great Grade Fives in the fall!
So here's to letting go...
| Image from here |
What in particular are you reflecting about? Pondering and planning?
What hat will you wear this summer?
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