As we begin the spring semester, many of you are planning with the END in mind– the end being May / June for most of us. Shout out, though, to my international and Australian subscribers who are planning for a brand new year.
It may be different for you, but for me, this time of year was always the hardest. January is the LONGEST month of the school year, it seems, and the cold and sometimes challenging weather adds to daunting feelings as we head back to school. If you’ve seen this page, you’ll understand that I often prayed for divine inspiration – especially in January!
One year, divine inspiration came in the form of this big idea, and I knew immediately it would change my spring semester. I’ve never been so excited about a project, and it changed and evolved as I got my students involved in the planning. Sometimes projects flow out of our studies and the students’ interests. This is what happened to Taylor Halliday when her students studied sea turtles and ended up starting a fundraising campaign to save the creatures. It’s also what happened in Crystal Koenig‘s classroom when her students developed their 3-D printing skills and it evolved into a schoolwide business. I share these only to highlight a few things about planning.
As teachers, we are designers, and our classrooms are our “maker spaces!” We bring our unique qualities, personalities, interests, and strengths into our planning sessions. We have unique visions, too, and we evolve as planners. Project ideas often involve risk-taking, and that’s a muscle that needs to be strengthened over time! Planning can require a tolerance for ambiguity; we may only know part of a plan because we want our students to have ownership in the process. Do you see any parallels with what our intellectually gifted students experience in the classroom?
A couple of years ago, I wrote about being a teacher with a design mindset and I think it’s the perfect resource for this time of year. January is often a time to reflect and reset, so I’d like to invite you to join us as we dive into this in our Facebook group. I’ll be sharing some resources and posing some questions- a little professional development to prompt our Share and Tell conversations.
Beginning January 1st, every few weeks I’ll post a question with resources to get us thinking and talking about:
- identifying your unique qualities and creativity as a teacher
- beginning with the end in mind
- allowing students to participate in plans
- implementing small changes with big impact
- designing a long-term project or event
- reflecting and growing
- designing personal and professional development
- venturing out of your comfort zone
The main goal is to connect, learn, and provide support and encouragement to one another.
If you’re thinking of embarking on a new project- big or small- or would enjoy encouraging others, join us in the Facebook group and watch for the first Share and Tell posting on January 1st.
Here are some posts that might inspire you: