I absolutely love fall. The leaves on the trees are a quilt of beautiful colors. Football is on the tv. Windows are opened to bring fresh and crisp air, and I have broken out the sweaters and boots to wear.
The other thing that I love about this time of year is that the students are in the routine. We are beyond starting to build that teacher-student relationship. I know more about them and them about me.
Fall is a Time for Reflection and Direction
This is the time to have those necessary conversations with students who are not meeting the standards to give them the support they need before the end of the semester. For students and educators, it is a time for reflection and direction or maybe even redirection.
Maybe I have been watching too many episodes of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power…I love Tolkien stories. 🙂 Similar to his characters in the series, we might find that our students are at a crucial moment to make a decision.
For some students, a change might be to get it together and turn in their work for assessment and/or credit. Many seniors are seriously considering what they will do after graduation in about 6 months. Other students may not have a decision to make other than to continue what they have been doing to get to winter break.
Take a Moment to Look at What is Before You
This season is symbolic of change like the leaves in the trees as they turn to red, yellow, and orange. But before the leaves fall and the trees become bare, take a moment (you and yours students) to look at what is before you.
- Have you found that things aren’t going the way you thought they would?
- Are things happening in the way you wanted?
- Do you feel stuck?
Consider Thinking Again (Rethink)
Adam Grant wrote a book titled Think Again. He stresses the importance of rethinking our opinions, convictions, and even goals. He says, “Rethinking isn’t a hurtle in every part of our lives. We are happy to refresh our wardrobes and renovate our kitchens. But when it comes to our goals, opinions, and habits, we tend to stick to our guns”. There is something to being open to rethinking our opinions, practice, or goals when we find ourselves not happy or not getting what we want/expect.
This fall season carve out some time for students and even colleagues to run a retrospective exercise. Identify how to improve self work and/or teamwork by reflecting on what worked, what didn’t, and why. Maybe you can reframe your thinking and look at ways you can start-stop-continue to be happy and reach your goals.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
