A New Year---Same Focus

Andrea Reichenberger contributed this post. Click here for more of Andrea's writing and thinking.

Although a new year is different than a new school year, an extra breath of educational vitality usually stems from an extra long break. This school year has been one of “focus” for our district and I have adopted this goal for myself as well. In the spirit of resolutions, below is a list of what I am going to continue to focus on this year.  I hope you can glean something from my learning.

Ask the question, Is it within my sphere of Control? In a time in which we could look at more educational uncertainty, I have made it a point to no longer focus on the “what ifs?”  It will drive you crazy and will pull you away from what you should be focusing on.  Stay informed and do what you can within your sphere of control.  Remind yourself why you went into this profession to begin with.

Maintain the “One at a time” mantra. I’ve never been one for avoiding my favorite past time, but lately I find myself in a reading rut. This is because I have such a large pile of professional books in front of me to be read that I get overwhelmed and, as a result, put it off altogether. It might be healthier for me to cut back a bit on my Amazon purchases as well. Those who know me best know that this is me:

Get back to basics. Sometimes it is hard to convey the bigger picture,  but it is the most important thing we need to do as coaches and coordinators every day.  As we go through various stages of implementation and reviewing our current processes, it’s important to remember to communicate how everything fits together.  You cannot have a viable curriculum without a solid understanding of the standards and you cannot have a solid understanding of the standards without collaboration and formative assessment.