A Decade with Dynamix: Celebrations Create Time for Reflections
By Lani Aquino
As anything comes to a close, the time for reflection is right. In the field of education, the natural endpoint is the closing of the school year. Educators know this is all quite cyclical and often forego the step of closure and reflection because it has been overshadowed by a feeling of just trying to make it through the last few weeks.
Dr. Tom Fry and Dr. Jenny Hensley have been a part of the school year cycle for numerous years, and they have been working with the Dynamix family of educators for over a decade now. While not much has changed in regards to just making it through to that final school bell, they know that so much could change if educators take the time to reflect at the end of each school year. While this reflection is the norm when they work with school districts, it is not necessarily the norm for all educators. Linking reflection and celebration can help change that.
Individualizing the Celebratory Level
The end of the year lends itself to being a time to reflect on the ins and outs of the entire school year. It really helps to put achievements and challenges into perspective when one reflects on progress. Jenny suggests going back to a stumbling block or challenge that occurred at the beginning of the year. For those who do journaling, this can be done by flipping through some pages. For others, a stroll down memory lane will likely bring some instances to mind.
When one looks back on these scenarios at a later date, the issue(s) can be viewed under a different lens, the lens of completion. This is a chance to look back and oftentimes see that the problem or issue wasn’t necessarily as big of a hurdle as it seemed at the time. Now that it’s been resolved, those sleepless nights or the angst associated with the situation may seem to be more extreme than what was warranted. It was handled well, it has been resolved, and all have moved on, with many likely forgetting the blip.
Having this reflective awakening is a great way to help put future events into perspective.
Going back through the whole year and looking at the goals that were set and thinking about: What are the celebrations? What went well? What did I learn? That’s what matters. Learning and improving moving forward is a continuous goal. That is what needs to be at the heart of every educator.
Finding the Bright Spots
Building leaders need to help with the facilitation of the reflection process. Leaders need to think about and reflect on what has happened in their buildings throughout the school year. There were likely many ups and downs, but an effective leader will help everyone on the team find their bright spots.
With that rush-to-the-finish-line mentality, many people put up blinders to all the good that has occurred and is likely still occurring. Tom notes that not everyone is programmed to find the bright spots, and if they never think about the positives because they’re too busy focusing on the checkered flag, it can wear on them and cause burnout. Leaders should help teachers and teams find the bright spots and see the progress. This is all part of the learning process that helps everyone find success.
There is so much to celebrate in the field of education. There are the big wins, and there is obvious progress, but there are so many everyday moments that get lost in the shuffle. Finding ways to shine a lens on the good and see the steps toward progress is all part of building a strong team and making an impact moving forward.
For more on quality leadership practices, subscribe to The Instructional Leadership Channel.
Dynamix LLC is here to help busy professionals find restorative balance and success! #reclaimyourlife#leadershipdevelopment
