Monday, December 9, 2013

The Gift of TIME
by Sarah Logan, SPS Professional Learning Specialist

      If you find yourself in a place where your to-do list seems to be getting longer and longer by the second, take heart. You are in good company! Between responsibilities in wrapping up the 1st semester of the school year and the busyness of the holiday season, you just might be feeling like you hardly have time to catch your breath. Yet, pausing to reflect may be exactly the gift you most need to give yourself.
     It’s been said that we learn from experience, but that’s not entirely true. We learn from processing our experience. As you reflect on your school year to this point, allow yourself the gift of TIME:

T: Take a fresh look.
Consider your year from other perspectives.
How might the students describe their semester? What might a visitor to your classroom notice?

I:  Interview yourself.
Explore the thinking behind decisions you’ve made and the impact they’ve had.
How have you chosen strategies and approaches for working with this group of students? What patterns or trends are emerging?

M: Move forward.
Apply what you’ve discovered to planning for the future.
What are you noticing that will guide your work next semester? When specifically might you have an opportunity to put it into action?

E: Enlist support.
Identify available options for assisting you in applying your learning.
What resources might you need? How will you know you’re successful in implementing your learning?

The gift of TIME is truly is a gift for all seasons—one that honors you for all the time you spend giving to others! Take the time to treat yourself soon!