Change for change sake is meaningless, wasteful, frustrating,
and non-productive. Now change that impacts students, staff, and your school
community in a positive manner is exhilarating, celebratory, refreshing, and
renewing, and healthy.
So as the school year draws to a close it it’s important to reflect
on what worked, what did not work, and what could be tweaked to be even better.
Change… Sometimes we need a new perspective to reflect on
our own practices. Then we can determine what facets of our practices need
refining. Here are three key areas that are important to consider:
Relationships
– Do your students believe that they are important, significant, and able to do
the work? Do your students know that you care? They their work is viable and relevant?
By first building relationships with your students, you set the foundation for
a positive and richly rewarding academic journey. Your students will readily
take on more challenging tasks because they know you believe in them and in
return, they will believe in themselves.
Rigor- Do
you believe that all students can achieve at high levels? If so, what is the
barometer reading on the rigor? Are we doing what is best for students? This
work receives quite a bit of grief. However, if we do not take time to really
consider what is rigorous and what is not rigorous, we may miss the boat
completely on helping our students move beyond where they “are” to get to where
they “should be”.
Relevance –
The work our students are completing in class. How relevant is it to their
learning? Have we moved beyond worksheets and coloring? At different junctures
in lesson work a worksheet or color element can supplement learning. However
these two elements should never take center-stage in the learning process. In
looking at the big picture and planning for next year. It is important to
determine the true relevance of each facet of the learning process model.
Change does not come easy at first. As a culture and society
we are creatures of habit and change does not always sit well with us. So I
challenge you to earnestly look at the three Rs (noted above) and determine “Where
you are right now”, “Where you want to be (when school starts)”, and “How you
plan to get there”.
I plan on taking time this summer to reflect on my school
year and to determine what facets, areas, and strategies that need “change” in
my own practices.
Resources:
Character.org (formerly Character Education Partnership) is
the leading national organization that supports character education in our
schools and communities. Their philosophy is based on the 11 Principles of
Character Education. http://character.org/
The International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE) is
a great resource. The breadth and depth of information relating to Rigor and
Relevance will help you in your journey. http://www.leadered.com/
McREL International, which supports their Nine Instructional
Strategies research and best practices, is an excellent source for you. McREL
work in educational research and practical application will greatly benefit any
school or classroom. http://www.mcrel.org/
