The end of the school year leaves teachers with so many different emotions. For many teachers, the end of the year is a bittersweet moment as they say goodbye to their students, complete end-of-year tasks, and pack up the classroom for the summer. Teachers are feeling tired, relieved, sad, joy and it takes some time for all those feelings to become balanced in order to declutter the mind. And when that happens, the mind is ready to begin to reflect upon the previous year…the good, the bad, and the ugly! Reflection is essential to growing both personally and professionally. Without it, teachers wouldn’t nearly learn or grow as much as someone who doesn’t reflect often. With each year that I teach I have more experiences under my belt that make me a better teacher and help me to move forward to begin the next school year “like a boss.”
I read a lot about teaching students about growth mindset and the ways educators teach students to think about learning. This made me think about my own growth mindset and the mindset of my colleagues. The concept of a growth mindset was developed by psychologist Carol Dweck and popularized in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
. In recent years, many schools and educators have started using Dweck’s theories to inform how they teach students. Dweck writes, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” You can read more about Dweck’s theory here. As we teach our students about growth mindset I wondered how often educators were reflecting upon and listening to their own mindset to improve themselves as educators.
. In recent years, many schools and educators have started using Dweck’s theories to inform how they teach students. Dweck writes, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” You can read more about Dweck’s theory 
What did you take from your students and their families, colleagues, administrators, whether positive or negative, that you could learn from and move forward with next year? Perhaps you had a challenging group of students that taught you different ways in which you needed to teach, or various ways you needed to manage the class. Perhaps you had some difficult conversations with families that helped you communicate in a more effective way. Maybe you were challenged or pushed by administration in which you haven’t been challenged before. Maybe you worked with colleagues who helped you grow in ways you hadn’t thought of. All of these things that occur daily throughout the school year help us grow as educators that go beyond just reflecting, to making the choice to learn beyond these experiences.
Have you thought of any professional development (PD) that you’ll engage in this summer? I’m not talking about the PD that your district or school mandates you to do at the end of the year or even during the summer. I am talking about quality professional development that YOU choose for yourself to grow as an educator in an area that you are passionate about, even if it means paying out of your pocket. Seeking out PD that is just for you is meaningful and valuable. It helps YOU grow in the challenging profession you do every day. The best PD that I found myself in was the PD that helped me grow professionally and personally as a whole. It is exciting and immediately useful. Read my post about 5 inspiring reads that will help you grow professionally here. Part of being a transformational leader is to hone in on your craft and that begins with engaging in quality professional development. Read more about how to become a transformational teacher here.
It’s easy to focus on your own growth that one is passionate about it, but it’s not so easy to help others grow or even care about helping others grow for that matter. Maybe it’s because I came from a place where I felt that I wasn’t growing. And being in a place that doesn’t help with my professional growth left me feeling stagnant. That’s not beneficial for any educator who has a true passion for growing. So as you reflect upon this year, how have you helped others grow? Were you a mentor to new teachers? Were you one to share what you know when returning from a district PD session that only a select few attended? Did you offer help to a colleague that moved to the grade you were teaching? These little things help you to share the wealth of knowledge you have and to help others grow. I just love the idea of paying it forward, because when one pays it forward it not only helps others, but it most certainly helps the person paying it forward too. It’s a win-win!
There are so many ways to be a teacher leader. Being a leader, in my opinion, is not someone who repeatedly volunteers to do everything, like being on every committee, or making the school look good, or writing whatever they are doing in their classroom on the walls of the school or on social media. There are teacher leaders everywhere and sometimes they are the quiet ones, perhaps a bit more introverted than others. Leaders are all teachers doing great things in their classroom and contributing valuable ideas in discussions. They may not shout it out for all to hear and sometimes might not be heard at all. So as you reflect upon the ways in which you were a leader it could mean a number of things, from taking on new curriculum, spending more time getting to know your students and colleagues, mentoring others, being a “school teacher” by reaching out to students who are not in your class or grade level, or leading students in projects that help them grow above and beyond. There is a leader in all teachers, even if it is deep down inside you.
Teaching is a challenging profession. Each and every year teachers come across obstacles and barriers, from limited resources, uncomfortable working conditions, poor administration, high turnover rate among staff, little or no follow-through after PD, ever-changing curriculum, high needs students, heavy workload, teacher burnout, and the list goes on and on. Choose one barrier or obstacle you faced this past year and create a proactive plan to beat it next year. Have some steps in place before the school year starts so you can face it head-on and have some strategies under your belt so you could face that obstacle head-on with confidence. This will save you time and energy! Read my post about how I struggled with teacher burnout and how to beat it here and check out my teacher burnout video tutorial here.
So when you settle down from the end of the school year, take some time to declutter your mind and reflect upon the year you worked so long and hard to finish. Reflection helps to strengthen your growth mindset to be more awesome than you even are today.
How do declutter your mind and reflect? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Related posts: 5 Ways To Get out of the Tired Teacher Rut
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Christine Weis is a passionate educator, classroom management coach, wife, and mom of two busy boys. She enjoys teaching, writing, and creating resources for teachers.
Great advice for teachers! Also, good advice for anyone, even if they are not teachers. I really like that you emphasize the importance of learning and passion in accomplishing one’s goals. I certainly have found that to be the case in my life.
Thank you! Decluttering the mind and reflecting is essential for everybody to do in order to learn, grow and move forward. It’s all about passion and purpose in reaching your goals. I’m glad you have found that to be the case as well. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Everything about this! I just had to re-read all over again, I can attest that decluttering does help and lead to reflection!! Love this in so many ways!!
That’s fantastic! I’m glad! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I love this Christine! I definitely think that being a teacher leader can be more on the sidelines and under the radar. I always thought that you had to be on committees, lead PD, and speak out at staff meetings, but I’ve found that reaching out to those that need help without needing or wanting recognition is also leading!
Summer is such a great time to rest, reset, and attack those personal and professional goals!
Exactly Kim! You are a leader in so many ways. You mentor teachers, write to help teachers, share your knowledge, inspire your students and so much more. You are AMAZING! True leaders bring others to greatness and that what you are doing!
I hope you have a wonderful summer of rest, relaxation and reflection. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Powerful and insightful! I wish I had of read this post before ending my school- but better late than never! It is so important not to “lose yourself” and to regain all momentum and be mentally sound! Love the tips and I feel I need to “reflect” a little more often! Thanks for writing and sharing!
Thank you Megan! I struggle with losing myself while balancing work and home. Reflecting definitely helps me to regain control, make positive changes and to move forward with making smart decisions for myself, my students and my family. It’s a complete balancing act. At the end of the year is the best time to reflect and make some positive changes over the summer for the next school year! Thanks for reading and for leaving a thoughtful comment!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I like having some alone time to myself to declutter 🙂
Alone time always does the trick to declutter and reflect. I think I need more of that!! 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Oh my goodness! This post totally hit home. Thank you. I love your idea of paying it forward. That we all contribute in different ways. Perhaps we don’t volunteer on every committee, etc. There are “quiet leaders everywhere”.
At the end of each school year, I have such a mix of emotions (we all do, I know). At first I am extremely elated..the classroom is all packed up for the summer, the to do list is finally completed…. But that first night of summer vacay; my mind is a whirlwind! Sad, happy, relieved, remorseful, and full of ideas for the next year. It is all bittersweet.
You are right, it is definitely a time to declutter and reflect. And finally a time to focus 100% on family and and friends. Thank you for saying what we are all thinking and for encouraging us to beat “The Last Day Blues” with a positive mindset!
<3
Thank you Lori! I think we are on the same page with a lot of ideas! You are right on with feeling a mix of emotions…the end of the year is bittersweet indeed which is why decluttering and reflecting is so necessary after a long year. Plus every year brings forth its own set of challenges and joys. After I declutter, reflect and have had time off I am ready to go back to school with some pep in my step. I’m always so excited for the beginning of the school year and my non teacher friends and family thought I was crazy. Some just don’t get it like we do! I’m glad I have a community of readers here, teachers or not, that do. Thanks for reading and for leaving a thoughtful comment!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
My mom is a retired teacher, and I know it would have benefitted her to declutter and reflect more often. Sometimes you need a mental break from the stress! Teachers don’t get nearly enough credit or income from the hard work they do. Thanks for the post!
So true! A mental break is a must! Thanks for sharing!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
What a pleasant read! Thank you for sharing
Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
The way I clean my mind and focus I put headphones on and listen to music. I either write or read a book and my mind is completely cleared for a while.
Listening to music is a really great way to declutter. Music completely changes my mood and motivates me. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I usually defrag by playing a game or baking. Which is weird because I bake for a living lol. But here’s something satisfying in it that helps me declutter my head if that makes any sense.
Doing something you love or enjoy doing definitely helps declutter. That makes complete sense. Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I personally am not a teacher, but I think this is great advice for anyone to take heed to. It’s so important to take time out for yourself to mentally recover. I like to just spend a little bit of quiet time alone to help me get my thoughts in order.
True… decluttering the mind and reflecting is essential for everyone in all professions! I need more quiet time! Thanks for sharing!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
I always try to get at least 10 minutes of alone time. Even if it is driving home from work. I put my music on and try to have a little me time. Helps me let go of the stressful day I just had.
Great idea! I need to make time for some “me” time as I declutter and reflect! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers
Good idea! Music always helps to declutter and destress! Thanks for reading!
Christine at For The Love of Teachers