I just want to take this opportunity to say how proud I am of all of you as teachers and as colleagues. Whenever I talk to colleagues about Everett, I brag about you all – about your skill, your passion, and your commitment to excellence and to your students. Of course, we aren’t perfect, and I hope that you see my feedback on your practice, both informally in conversation and formally on observation reports and evaluations, as my efforts to help you become the even more excellent teachers that I know you can be. I hope you take the time at the end of the year to reflect on your own practice and your place in our department as you begin to think about your goals for next year:
· In what areas can I still improve professionally?
· What’s stopping me from improving in these areas?
· In what ways can I support my colleagues in their students’ learning?
· In what ways do my actions as a teacher show my belief that all students can learn at a high level?
· In what ways do my actions as a teacher show that I take pride in my work?
· In what ways are the relationships I have with my colleagues conducive to creating a collaborative culture focused on learning?
I encourage you to help your students also reflect on their effort and performance this year. According to Assessment for Learning, students who self-assess
· recognize that learning is associated with a very positive kind of difficulty, which increases motivation rather than destroying it
· experience an increase in self-esteem
· experience an improvement in their learning because they come to know how they learn rather than just what they learn
I posted some links on student reflection on our blog in January, but the end of the year is a good time to revisit some of these ideas: http://everettela.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-new-year-time-for-reflection.html
Here is a new link with some ideas for activities that encourage student reflection:
This year has been a learning experience for me, and I appreciate all of you who have helped me to learn. I hope to meet with each of you before the end of the year so that you can share your honest feedback, both ways in which you feel I have supported you and helped you grow and hone your craft and ways in which you hope I can support you more (or challenge you if you need it!) next year. As I reflect and self-assess and set my goals for next year, I hope to incorporate your feedback. So please don’t be shy! I am truly open to your suggestions and constructive critique.
Thank you for all your work this year. Hold on – it’s almost summer! I look forward to a productive year with you next year.
