Refresh, Rejuvenate, Reflect
by Martha Doennig, SPS Professional Learning Specialist
With
Independence Day just around the corner, I am reminded of many vivid summer
childhood memories. Decorating bikes in red, white, and blue for the annual
neighborhood parade, long days at the community swimming pool engaged in diving
contests followed by the carnival and fireworks, and spending the dog days of
summer sprawled on the couch under the only window unit engrossed in book after
book. July 4th marked the midpoint to the much anticipated arrival
of a new school year. Now, Fourth of
July signals the arrival of school supplies and back to school promotions at
local retailers. As exciting as school supplies are, don’t let the retail world
cut your summer short. Maximize your
time to refresh, rejuvenate, and reflect.
Should you have already exhausted your summer goals, here are some ideas
to recharge for the coming school year.
Retreat.
Many of us tend to be like Carol Ann Tomlinson. In “Architects of Summer” she refers to herself as a certifiable education addict. Teaching and its demands consume and sap
mental and physical energy. As a child, it
was easy to turn off the school brain, but certainly easier said than done in
adulthood. Granting the teacher brain an
opportunity to rest and focus on other elements of our lives that contribute to
joy inspires rejuvenation.
Do Something Just for
Yourself. During the
school year, we often neglect our basic needs. Restroom breaks, lunch, and time for appointments
go by the wayside. In “Take Time for
Yourself-and Cultivate Learning,” Rick
Wormeli discusses the importance of being physically present and in good health
to be a teacher. The personal energy
needed to move our students forward is intense. Our well-being is crucial for the impact we
want in the classroom. Therefore, take
this time to tune up your body, and possibly spoil it a little bit, too.
Try
Something New. Taking the risk to experience something new has
multiple benefits. Tomlinson indicates
that newness allows a deepening of self- identity beyond an educator, as well
as the opportunity to “refashion the old in promising ways.”
Reflect.
Now that you have had a break from the school
year, it might be time to look back. Consider
what you did well to make it go well. Make
comparisons to what you hoped would happen in your classroom and what actually
happened. Consider who you are as an educator compared to a few years ago.
Grow. Once
you have reflected on the year, it seems logical to hone in on knowledge or a
skill that you feel would benefit your future students. It may seem ridiculous
to even mention it, but find time to cultivate your own growth this summer. Tomlinson argues summer to be a great
opportunity to take the time to study teaching and learning. We are fortunate to have collaboration built
into our professional learning during the school year, but adequate time to
grow is hard to find during the school year.
A small nugget of learning from the school year could become a catalyst
for extensive thought and growth during the summer. Choose something of interest and commit to
knowing more. Commit to growing in new
knowledge and find ways to make that new knowledge relevant to what you do in
the classroom.
Create.
Creativity has been at the heart of much recent research. Sir Ken
Robinson, in Out of Our Minds, states
that “creativity is the greatest gift of human intelligence. The more complex the world becomes, the more
creative we need to be to meet its challenges.”
What evidence might you have of creativity in your life? Recombine the
familiar into something unfamiliar; let new ideas simmer. Ignite and unleash your
inner creative self. If the 20% project is familiar to you, you know that
Google encourages employees to spend 20% of work time on a pet project. This can be a challenging task during the
school year, but might be a perfect fit from the summer. 3M and Google have had
great success with this approach; post-its, masking tape, and Gmail are all a
result. Imagine what might materialize with energy focused on a personal
interest project.
Stay Connected.
A successful school year requires investment
in relationships. Collegial relationships
are as important as those with students. Although you will all be reunited soon, it is
still beneficial to stay connected to your colleagues. The simplest of texts, emails, or notes or a
more dedicated time for coffee or lunch reaps benefits that are
immeasurable.
Disconnect.
To flip the coin, find time to disconnect. In a recent Educational Leadership article, Thomas Hoerr explores what might
happen if you disconnect from your digital world for three days. It might feel like you miss out on something substantial,
but chances are, life will go on, and you will be given the gift of hours to do
something spectacular with your time.
Explore. In
Brain Rules, John Medina explores
twelve things that we know about the brain. Aside from the deep understanding of how
exercise, sleep, and stress affect our brain, he discusses the natural need for
exploration. Humans are by nature
curious. In fact, curiosity is everything. It seems most prevalent in our younger children
who begin most questions with “why?” but quite truthfully we never outgrow the
desire to know why. Think about your
lists of “why?” and take this as an opportunity to explore what intrigues you.
Smell the Roses.
Finally, slow down. The school year does not always allow for time
to enjoy the beauty and simplicity the world has to offer. Allow your senses to be overloaded, your mind
to drift to a place it has not visited in months. This sense of serenity might be all you need
to recharge your emotional and physical self.
So before the
retail world trumps summer vacation, enjoy the opportunity to refresh,
rejuvenate, and reflect. Relish in the
time to invest in your personal and professional growth, as it will certainly
influence who you will be as an educator in the coming school year.
Hoerr, T. “Principal Connection-The Top 10 To-Do List for Summer.” Educational Leadership. May 2014: 88-89.
Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules. Seattle, WA: Pear Press.
Robinson, K. (2011). Out of our minds: learning to be creative. West Sussex, UK: Capstone Publishing Ltd.
Tomlinson, C. “Architects of Summer.” Educational Leadership. June 2013: 8-12.
Wormeli, R. “Take Time for Yourself-and for Learning.” Educational Leadership. June 2013: 14-19.
