Winding Down

It’s May. Where I live, testing is over. We’re in the delicious month of wrapping up. May is full of activities, but they’re celebratory. Teachers feel more flexibility, and they want to finish on a high note.
 
This week, I’ll be having year-end conversations with teachers. I want the talk to be positive, but also productive and real. So I’m taking this week’s blog post to think things through with you.
 
I think I’ll walk a bit of a zig-zaggy path for these closing conversations and be ready to follow the teacher’s lead. I’m thinking I want to start with a past positive, move to an envisioned future, and then take one last look at the present. Here’s the conversation plan that is unfolding in my head, what I’m looking forward to asking.
 
Thinking Back
I’ll begin by asking the teacher to look back – to do a rearview mirror check. I think I’ll ask:

·       What’s something you noticed in your classroom last month that made you smile?

·       Can you tell me a story of a student who grew this year?

Projecting Forward
Next, I want to invite the teacher to project a bright future. Here are some questions that might work: 

·       What are your hopes for your students as they take their next steps?

·       Imagine your dream class for next year. What do you see? What do you hear? What does it feel like? 

Assessing the Present
Finally, we’ll step back into the present.  It’s not over ‘til it’s over!  Some questions that might be helpful are:

·       What’s a micro-step you could take between now and the end of the year that would get you a teeny bit closer to your dream future?

·       What’s a micro-step you might take this summer to get closer to your dreamy future classroom – some small thing to do in advance?

Well, thanks for thinking that through with me! If you’ve tried something like this and have thoughts to share, please comment below to help me refine this plan. If you try my ideas, I’d also love to hear about that
. After I try the plan, I’ll let you know how it goes!
 
This week, you might want to take a look at:

Models for faculty-led PD:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/article/collaborative-faculty-professional-development-benefits
 
7 types of rest everyone needs: 
 
https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/
 
 
Ideas for end-of-year learning:
 
https://www.middleweb.com/29647/make-end-of-year-learning-meaningful-fun/
 
The value of rereading picture books:
 
https://teachersbooksreaders.com/2021/02/22/read-them-again-and-again-and-again/
 
 
Reasons and resources for teaching empathy:
 
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/empathy-classroom-why-should-i-care-lauren-owen
 
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
 
Want more coaching tips? Check out my book, Differentiated Mentoring & Coaching in Education: From Preservice Teacher to Expert Practitioner, available from Teachers College Press!  I’m so excited to share it with you! You can use the code: FDNS25 for 20% off. Click  here  and I’ll email you the free Book Group Study Guide that includes questions, prompts, and activities you can use as you share the book with colleagues.  I hope you’ll love this book as much as I loved making it for you!