I love to make goals for the new school year. Just like in January, the new school year feels like a fresh start and the perfect time to reflect on where I am and where I want to be in the future. So, I’m going to share my goals with you in the hopes that maybe it will give you a little inspiration.
Goal #1 – Learn the new curriculum.
My district has adopted a new math curriculum so the first of my five goals for the school year is to familiarize myself with everything that it contains. Plus, I normally teach 7th grade but this year I will also have two sections of 6th grade so that will add another layer to my learning curve. Three action steps for this goal will be to:
- Attend professional development days focused on the new curriculum. I had one half day of training at the end of last year but I know my district will provide others and I think the publisher also offers some on-line ones as well.
- Study my teacher’s edition. Mark it up with pencils and a highlighter and really dissect it. The publishers actually spend a great deal of time writing higher order thinking questions and activities and I don’t need to waste my time reinventing the wheel if they have already provided it for me.
- Work the student problems. It takes a lot of time but I find it is an invaluable practice. I use one of the student workbooks and just make it my own. It usually becomes my answer key and helps me to find possible points of struggle for students.
Goal #2 – Increase my intentionally positive interactions with students and parents.
That’s not to say that I have a lot of negative interactions but that I want to be intentional about creating those positive moments. My action step for this goal is:
- To document three intentionally positive interactions each week. This could be positive emails, phone calls or postcards. It could be a comment to a student on a sticky note or a kind word said when circumstances call for it. I hope to recognize and affirm growth in my students both academically and as human beings.
I started off strong in this area last year but as the year wore on these intentional moments became more infrequent. However, I wasn’t documenting it so I am hoping that if I actually record it I can hold myself accountable.
Goal #3 – Have more fun with students.
I know school doesn’t always have to be “fun” but I also know that laughter is good for the soul. I believe building relationships with students is important and I find those relationships grow the most when we are having some fun. My action steps for this goal are:
- When lesson planning for the upcoming week, look for places I can build in a fun academic activity. Then, at the end of the week, reflect on whether it really was fun from my perspective and the students’ perspectives.
- I will play more games with my students. I love sitting down and playing a board game or a card game with a group of students. I consider these moments to be social/emotional learning experiences. Since the pandemic I have done this more often with my students but I know I can increase the frequency.
Goal #4 – Read 2 professional books.
I love to read and in my personal life, I have a goal to read one spiritual or “self-help” book each month. So, I thought this would be a good goal professionally as well. I am starting my 32nd year as a teacher but I know I still have more to learn. Two books may not seem like a lot but when I read non-fiction I tend to read slower since I am a highlighter and a note taker. My action steps for this goal will be:
- Find two books that I want to read. If I am only going to read two I want to make sure I choose excellent ones, so I plan to ask for recommendations from various people.
- Actually read the books.
- Share in this blog, what I learned from each book and whether or not I recommend it to others.
Goal #5 – Practice Self-care.
Anyone who knows me knows I can be a bit of a workaholic at times. But I also have a long-term chronic illness and I need to show myself some grace and mercy at times. So the last of my five goals for the school year is to practice self-care. My action steps for this goal are pretty self-explanatory. They are:
- Practice deep breathing at lunch or on prep for a few minutes each day.
- Take medications as prescribed. Make a visual reminder for my work computer or set an alarm on my phone.
- Eat my lunch.
Those are my five goals for the new school year. Please leave a comment and let me know if you are making any goals this year and what they are.
Related blog post: Building Relationships with Students at the Secondary Level