REFLECTING ON THE GOOD

There’s something about the end of the school year that feels loud. Not necessarily loud in the literal sense, although sometimes it definitely is. But mentally loud.

​There is so much to wrap up. Seniors are leaving. Projects are finishing. Grades are being finalized. Lab spaces need to be cleaned and organized. Then there are the award ceremonies, celebrations...the list goes on. Students are checked out. Teachers are completely exhausted.

​When everything starts to feel like it's coming off the rails, it becomes really easy to focus on all the things we didn't do. 

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I should've created a better system.
I wish I had connected with that student better.
I never got around to trying that new edtech tool.
I never started that project I'd hoped to.

​And, if I'm not careful, I can really spiral there.

I start replaying the lessons that flopped, the missed opportunities, and the moments I wish I could redo. Don't get me wrong, I think reflection is reflection is really important to our educational growth. It helps us become better educators, better leaders, and better humans. However, lately I've been thinking about how important it is to include what went right in our reflection practice.

Teaching is intense. It's hard. Really hard. Educators do so many incredible things every single day that we don't even stop to recognize anymore because they've simply become part of who we are. We encourage, comfort, create opportunities, pivot constantly, solve problems, and build relationships. We show up tired and continue showing up when things feel messy and unhinged. And when May and June roll around, we forget how  much those things count. They do though...a lot!

The kid who finally returns my smile and hello when I greet them at the door after weeks of ignoring it.
The moments where students laughed at their mistake and collaborated to figure out how to fix it.
The lesson that sparked curiousity and led to powerful learning.
How your classroom feels safe.

This all counts more than we realize.

It's also important to remember that we count too. Educators are constantly moving the finish line. We accomplish one thing, and instead of celebrating it, we immediately think about the ten things we didn't accomplish. But would would happen if before closing the door on this school year, we intentionally paused long enough to reflect on the good as well? Recognizing there is always room for improvement and refinement, but that there is a great deal that we have done well and an impact we've made that we must acknowledge.

This message is just as much for me as it is for you. That's why I created a little end-of-year reflection workbook for myself. I realized I needed a space to release some of the things that felt heavy this year, while also intentionally capturing the things that went well. The moments that matters, the growth, the joy, and the things that I want to carry forward instead of leaving behind.

As I was creating it, I thought...maybe other educators need this too. Sometimes we move so quickly from one school year to the next that we never really pause long enough to process it all. This end-of-year reflection workbook has a place to sketch, write, and process the heavy things, small shifts you want to make, accentuating the positive, and what things you want to carry forward. 

So this weekend I'm planning to find a quiet spot somewhere out in nature and reflect. I don't want to overanalyze every mis-step or create some huge improvement plan. I just want to pause, breathe, release what needs releasing, and recognize all the good that happened during the school year.

I want to encourage you to do the same in whatever way feels meaningful to you. It may be sitting outside with a cup of coffee, taking a walk, journaling, or simply giving yourself permission to acknowledge that the year was hard and you still did a whole heck of a lot of good. The way we end the school year matters. If we end only focusing on frustration, exhaustion, and shortcomings, we carry that heaviness with us into summer. But if we hold onto the good...
the joy...
the growth...
the connection...
the little moments...

I think it changes how we rest and how we begin again in the Fall. So maybe this is your reminder today to make a list of all that went right. The relationships you build, the risks you took, the moments students lit up, and they days you kept showing up when it would have been easier not to. Because those things matter. You matter. 

I hope you head into summer feeling proud of all you accomplished and the impact you made this year, even in the moments where it didn't feel visible. Because I promise, it mattered!

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I am sharing my End-of-Year Reflection template with you in hopes that it will be helpful as you close out this school year. You can use it either digitally or download it...whatever works best for you!

End-of-Year Reflection Template

I recorded my thoughts in podcast form too. You can find the episode and others on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts at the Make Learning Magical podcast.

Episode 104: Reflecting on the Good