As the end of the school year approaches, educators find themselves wrestling with conflicting emotions. We want to keep our current students whom we’ve come to know and grown to love, and yet we eagerly anticipate the arrival of another group who will no doubt grow us in new ways. Once staffing considerations have been shared, conversations swirl around what’s happening next year as the buzz of change animates our interactions. Weeks before the last day of school, we find ourselves straddling summer with one foot in this year and one foot in the next. So it is with me and my role as I transition from learning coordinator back to an elementary school, this time as an acting vice-principal. My pulse quickens.
I have the absolute delight of welcoming Karen McKay into the literacy portfolio. Karen has been a coach in the past, but comes directly from the classroom into her new role. As she makes the move to our team, I’ve been pondering the most essential supports I can share with her to inspire and equip her for the path ahead.
How do I pass the torch?
After four years as a literacy learning coordinator, I’ve accumulated a vast array of books, docs and files, paper clips, post it notes and powerpoints. I’ve put my foot in my mouth, and gone out on a limb. I’ve eaten books for breakfast and risked speaking and writing my story in public. Most importantly, I’m a better person and practitioner because of the relationships, opportunities and learning from others that have shaped all my memories and my steps forward. I am so grateful that I’ve had the chance to work hard at work worth doing, work I love.
I began to wonder though, once one walks out the door, what happens to some of that learning? I cling to the hope that many of the educators I’ve worked with are ‘living the learning’ already. Our board is so big, I know that I haven’t even met all its teachers, let alone impacted their practice.
Over the course of the coming month, I’m challenging myself to share a curated collection of ideas, lists and content that might serve two overarching purposes: reflection for me, potential for you. I’ll be looking back over projects and collaborations to dig for golden nuggets that have resonance for the classroom. We only have so much time to devote to skimming and scanning the tsunami of ideas on our twitter feeds. As a result, I’m committing to short and sweet. I risk becoming a museum if I don’t encourage and invite you to please view, add suggestions, edit, share. I’ll link padlets, websites, pdfs, google docs and folders on my blog. I’ll ask for your input around what you’ve done that has made a difference to your students.
By the end of the school year, I hope to have shared a snapshot of some of my work that might impact your practice. It can’t replace the hard work of learning that happens when we get together to explore, read, create and collaborate, but perhaps it will give you, and our new learning coordinator, a panoramic view of the work that has engaged me.
Tsunami of ideas indeed. It is incredibly difficult to pause and reflect on what I’ve read, liked, saved, without feeling like I may be missing the next big wave of….something. What a brilliant idea to share this process with the rest of us.
Really looking forward to seeing anything you have to offer, Annette.
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Thanks Trish. It’s hard to capture and give meaning to ideas that might have required a lot of time or conversation. But going to try.
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You have had an immense impact on so many educators. Your passion for engaging students with rich, meaningful texts is contageous. I know you have had an impact on my practice, as well as several other colleagues of mine this year as we embarked on Hot Reads, Writing Challenges and sharing the passion with our students.
You will undoubtedly continue to impact many in your new role as well!
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Thanks Sarah. I know we’ve shared many chats around finding great texts for our kids.
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I am excited to read your padlet and reflect on how I can implement some of the strategies as I transition back into a classroom! Exciting times, but nerves are high😳
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I hear you! Please feel free to add your extensive experience to anything I post…or even share how you’ve done the same thing in classrooms in your role as coach. Thanks!
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In our short time working together I was blessed to witness your passion. I look forward to seeing what you post in the coming weeks.
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Thanks so much for sharing that!
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Congrats to Karen! Are you changing jobs? We move to welland in a week. What a job clearing this house that holds 50 years of memories and junk. Talk soon
Cindy
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Hi Cindy! What do you mean moving? Need to see you if possible. And yes..Karen will be a great addition to the team.
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