How to end the year on a high note as a teacher!

Uncategorized Dec 07, 2020
We are nearly at the end of the school year, and all too often it can feel like we are crawling our way to the finish line. Energy levels are usually depleted, and everyone is a bit over it - teachers and students, included. Let’s face it - you are just hanging for the holidays, am I right? 
 
So how can we finish the year on a high note? Here are some ideas…
 
  1. Reflect on your teaching programs: go through your programs and acknowledge what went well, and what you might change for next year. Even if you are not teaching it next year, your line manager and the teachers that are teaching it next year will greatly appreciate it. 
  2. Ask your students what their highlights of the year were, and if they have any suggestions for the following year. This is a great way to include student voice, and they may surprise you with what they thought was a highlight, as it might be something that you did not consider. 
  3. Have your students reflect on this learning progress for the year. If you had your students write learning goals at the beginning of the year, get them out and go through them together and celebrate any wins. 
  4. Write a list of your accomplishments for the year - big, small it all counts! It’s so important to recognise and celebrate our own accomplishments, and reflect on how much we have grown and evolved over the course of a year. 
  5. Reflect on your mission statement (and if you don’t have one, then you have a go at writing one over the holidays when your in the right headspace - check out this article for more info). Celebrate any little step or action that moved you closer towards your goals and kept you in alignment with your values and mission. Decide if you need to change anything about your mission statement for next year. 
  6. Identify things that have been draining your energy this year, and then take some steps to either reduce or eliminate it out of your life. If it’s not moving you towards your goals, then do away with it. 
  7. Write a list of things that you are grateful for over the year. Even if you have had what you feel is a terrible year (pandemic!), if you look close enough you will find something. Science shows that when we focus on what we are grateful for, we become more optimistic for the future and more content in our lives. 
  8. Let your colleagues know why you have enjoyed working with them this year. You could write a little note in a Christmas card if you like to add a personal touch. This will go leaps and bounds towards establishing and maintaining positive relationships with your colleagues, which is so important to a well-functioning workplace. 
  9. Give your classroom and office space a good clean out. It can be so cathartic to declutter and get rid of anything that you know you won’t need for the following year. Getting this job sorted out ahead of time will give you so much more peace of mind when preparing for the year ahead as you know it’s one job that you can tick off your list. 
  10. Set some intentions for the holidays. By this, I don’t mean a to-do list of all the things you never got around to during the school term. Instead, I mean a list of things that you are most looking forward to over the holidays, to remind you of what is important to you. It might be spending time with family, or getting some rest, reading books, or doing some personal development. Think of it as a ‘get-to-do’ list, rather than a ‘have-to-do’ or ’should do’ list. 
 
Is there anything else that you would add to this list? If you try any of these, be sure to let me know! 
 
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Kelly :)  

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