Coaching and Learning
It’s the start of a new calendar year, so it’s a fresh start for a number of us — it’s a midyear start or a semester start for many of us in schools.
As we begin anew, let us begin with renewed energy . . . I’ll begin: Welcome back, it is so good to be back writing, learning, and discussing all things education 🤗
There are some school years that make being an educator easy, exciting, fulfilling. The classroom and all its requirements, and all the personality in it, fall into place. As a teacher, as an educator, the craft goes through exponential growth as all the cogs in procedural, administrative, and professional development work seamlessly together–so much of the support necessary to succeed is present, and powerful. It’s just that good of a year–that year undoubtedly made for tremendous learning, growth, and teaching.
And then there are other years . . . where it feels like all you can do is stay afloat, and hope to make it to the end.
This year fell more into the latter. It’s been a whirlwind year–multiple detours, multiple junctures, multiple opportunities, all of which didn’t lead me where I needed to be, where I wanted to be, where I could be the best version of me. But I made it.
As the school year comes to a close for so many of us, whether it was the best year, or the worst year, I want to congratulate everyone on making it another year. As for next year, let’s take a break before we start planning and thinking about what comes next, okay? 😉
As previously shared, I enjoy writing, and I write–from time to time–on Medium. I have been included on Educate before, a publication on Medium, and I am thrilled to share I have been featured again!
In this short article, I discuss the possibility of a calendar change to accommodate and/or respond to our changing times. Let me know what you think!
It may be too soon for some, but hiring season for the start of next school year (August 2022/September 2022) is here.
My advice for this month: think about next year, now.
Whether you decide to stay at your school, your school network/charter/district, or the profession altogether is a conversation and critical conversation at that.
I think staying at a school is arguably easiest. The routine, community, expectations are known. Moving classrooms or grade levels can be done in a day, maybe two. It is arguably the safest route–safest in the sense of the known, the continuity of it all.
The hardest, without a doubt, is leaving the profession altogether–and this is a relatively recent choice, conversation, and common-enough occurrence of late to be a much more serious option for a lot more people.
Wherever you land on the spectrum of what to do, or what you’re considering, it’s time to think about next year . . . now.
Talk to colleagues, look at your contract papers/letters of intent, discuss it with family and/or friends, do what’s best for you and make a plan for next year . . .
C is for Camacho 