Your Perception Frames Your Reality

I love this time of the year!  Leading up to the end of the school year, there is time to reflect over the year as well as time to make needed adjustments to ensure we not only give students our all but truly enjoy the ride until the last bell rings .  

As we wrap up teaching and learning for the school year, it is our perception about teaching and learning that will carry us through until the end.  Your perception truly frames your reality.  If you feel as if each day is an amazing teaching and learning opportunity for you and your students, this message will simply fuel you to continue doing what matters most, sharing your ideas with others along the way.  This is my goal.  However, I have not been out of the classroom long.  I realize often times, educators work in environments that are counterproductive and structured in ways in which we must work hard to simply show up and teach with joy daily.  Together, let's use the last few weeks to run with students, ensuring our classrooms, schools, and districts continue to flourish with innovative teaching and learning that keeps us just as excited as our students to come to work each day.  How?  I'm glad you asked.

• Try that "thing" you had to postpone for another day.  This is the time to try new things.  Then, you have the summer to reflect and make it even better for next year.  Do you want to stick your tow in the makerspace waters?  Perhaps you want to spend more time coding in the classroom.  Maybe you want to spend time with creative digital making.  Whatever it is, jump in!  

 

• Ask students what they would like to learn.  Once testing is finally finished, we have more freedom and time for exploratory learning.  I know.  I know.  I said "the t-word".  It is an ugly truth to teaching.  We'll save my thoughts on testing for another post at another time.

 

• Take a virtual field trip with students.  You can travel all over the globe without leaving your classroom for free.  Students will love the exposure to new places from the comfort of their classroom.

 

• Learn and teach coding!  I'm sure you enjoyed Hour of Code during the month of December, but what about your next steps?  Reignite the excitement for coding within your students.

I have shared only a few ideas to rock teaching and learning for the remainder of the school year.  What about you?  What will you try?  What will you do to enjoy the last few weeks of the school year with your students?  Please share your ideas with me and feel free to reach out to me if I can help you in any way possible.