Happy April!
Yes, jumping ahead a little bit 😉. March is without a doubt the craziest classroom month, and there’s so much to be excited for when April comes. Spring is in the air, hope of rebirth is all around us, and the first glimmers of that beautiful summer vacation float into our classrooms.
April tends to be a season where the desire to take a collective exhale and slide through the rest of the school year is at a boiling point, and it’s so important to catch ourselves before the slide. In a proficiency-based, student-directed classroom, April is the month we want to be really pushing them to the next level. When thinking about the OWL 10-15-5, we are at that last spike within the 15- so pushing them is essential in this moment. Put your students in the driver’s seat. They know classroom structures and expectations. Truly let them fly. And if you need some inspiration, check out our Teacher for a Day lesson plans- they will get your students doing the heavy lifting.
The way forward for us educators in April is perseverance with positive language. It’s hard right now, and there are aspects of our job that we can show appreciation for, people and moments in our lives that deserve our gratitude, and comments to ourselves and to our students that we can share in a positive framework. The Persian poet, Hafiz, astutely put it: “The words you speak become the house you live in.” The more positivity we say to ourselves and others, the more we will see and feel. As you think about your language this month, use these prompts to guide your path.
- What is a story I am telling myself right now that I can say in a more positive way?
- What does my tone of voice sound like to myself, my students, and my colleagues?
- What is the last conversation I had with a student? What did I say? Are there ways I can change my wording to be from a place of student empowerment?
- How many times do I use the word “but” in a conversation? If I changed those to “ands” how does my perspective change?
- What is something I am grateful for at this very moment?
- What do I appreciate about my classroom, school, or students this year?
At OWL, we’re excited for you to move to this next phase of the year with positivity and new growth. And, even more excited for what is to come! We are in the planning stages of summer professional development, and (finger crossed) we will have our 2021 Bootcamp site ready to share with you in the next weeks! Bootcamp will be different this summer, and we’re confident that we have found a safe and secure way to collaborate in person on our shared values. And for those of you who may not be ready for the in person experience, we’ll be hosting a summer Virtual Symposium to give you the energy boost you need for whatever school looks like in the Fall!