Reflection

The last day of fifth grade happened just three days ago and since then I’ve been reflecting on the past year.

I really enjoy taking the time to reflect on the year that has just finished. Though the world compels us to keep moving forward — preparing for the coming year, making the most of the summer, managing future enrollment — I try to resist the urge. My future teaching will be stronger for these few weeks of looking back and taking stock.

There are some essential tasks that go along with this reflection.

Writing Reports

The primary focus of my work during these weeks is writing my end-of-year student reports. Though writing 27! individualized student reports is an arduous task, there are some things I’ve done to make the task more manageable and a pleasant experience.

• Preparation is key and I’ve found that if I choose 3-5 students before I go to bed and think about them as I fall asleep, the process of writing their reports the next day is an easier, richer experience. I’ve had the time to connect with them and think about their work over the course of the year.
• This year I kept my students’ main lesson books so I could refer to them as I write their reports. Though I collect their work throughout the year, during these first few weeks of summer I can look through them at a much more leisurely pace. I can view the totality of their work, see how they’ve grown and truly connect with each one of them through their artistic work, compositions and handwriting. It makes writing their report a much more personal experience. I’m grateful that my families are understanding about not getting their work back until later.

Organizing Resources

The other task I do at this time that I really enjoy is collecting, collating and sorting the resources that I used throughout the year. I mostly do this as a support to the teacher who is following me, but it is also helpful for me to put all of that work together for the future. Every year I do things slightly differently, even if it is a grade that I have taught before, and I really like to look back and see what worked and what didn’t.

Though I am looking forward to enjoying the summer and taking a break from school, I know I’ll enjoy that time so much more if I really put the year to bed properly.