Principal ponderings...
New year, new beginnings, new inspiration. Yeah, so far 2022 is not feeling shiny and new, not feeling like it's an exciting start to the year. So maybe it's a good time to reflect on the past year in order to help get us in a better mindset for the future. I don't know about you but I dream about the days when I can see kids' smiling faces without masks. I get lost in thought, imagining what it would be like to be a principal again, not a "COVID Coordinator" or "Urgent Care Facility Manager." Oh to just be able to walk into classrooms, cozy up next to some kids and watch them soak up math concepts or engage in animated discussions about books. I so wish I could ask people what was the best part of a lesson instead of are you vaccinated? Or countdown the days until a writing celebration for parents instead of counting how many days left on someone's quarantine.
I came across a podcast that had some great reflection questions. I am hoping that taking the time to think about these questions, maybe write down the answers to some, or have a conversation with a peer about them...maybe that will help us keep moving forward this year. Maybe it will help us get back to the future. Because I am not one to wish away time, but I really could use a 1981 DeLorean right about now. I would be adjusting the time machine dials to maybe April 3, 2022. (I am no fool...definitely not sending myself to April Fool's Day!).
Here are the reflection questions...
What made you feel most happy this year?
What made you unhappy this year?
What was the biggest lesson you learned this past year?
What do you wish you would have done more of this year?
What's something you want to do less of next year?
What was your biggest success this year?
When was a moment you failed this year?
What is something you want to learn next year?
What is your favorite way to refuel?
Maybe if we focus on questions like what made us the most happy and what is our favorite way to refuel...maybe, just maybe, we will be able to reflect ourselves back to the future.
Currently reading:
I continue to force myself to set aside dedicated time to read. This weekend I sat and finished a new book written in verse called Red, White and Whole. This book is about Reha who is struggling between two worlds, the world of her Indian family and the world of her American school life. At the same time she is dealing with her mom battling leukemia. Not sure why I keep doing this to myself, but I definitely had a good cry at the end of this book.
Events this week:
Monday - Welcome back, hope you enjoyed the snow day!
Tuesday - CST follow up meetings @ 8:00 and 8:30, Motoko, Japanese Storyteller launching Writer in Residence program in 5th grade, Virtual PTA Meeting at 6:30pm
Wednesday - Virtual Staff Meeting @ 8:00, 5th grade BAS training all day
Thursday - SIMCO Meeting @ 3:45
Friday - Paws Pantry Spirit Day!
Great things I noticed last week:
What I noticed most was that even with all of the COVID struggles, absences, issues...people that could showed up for kids. Thank you.
- When Mr. Leith had to be out, Mr. O stepped up and kept the learning going in 2nd grade.
- Even though there were many students absent, teachers like Mrs. Leroy jumped back into math instruction.
- And speaking of math, I caught Mrs. Mackoul working on solving math problems with some 5th graders in green pod.
- When you are 4th graders still surviving and learning during a pandemic, then you write realistic fiction stories about "Surviving Quarantine" modeled after the "I Survived" series.
Check it out:
A friend posted this over the weekend and I loved it, wanted to share...
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