H. Stephen Bralley, M.Ed.
Director of Secondary Education, North American Division
old temperatures, long, dark winter nights, and Daylight Saving Time may have affected you and your students. Spring is the time to break that cycle and prepare for the sun! Let's get practical; after spending time in schools and classrooms doing school accreditation, it brought back some valuable ideas as spring approaches.
Self-Care
Plan for Spring Break; everyone needs something to look forward to, and a much-needed break can help deal with the transition to spring. Plan to unplug, set up out-of-office messages on your email, and figure out how to silence your phone alerts. Set aside days when you will fully engage with family and friends, and set aside the grading and planning to be with them.
Recognize that we are more productive and supportive of students when our batteries are recharged.
Student-Care
Winter can be hard on everyone, students are increasingly struggling with anxiety and depression, and the winter darkness is real. Spend time reflecting on your students; what was your last meaningful interaction with them? "Ask yourself, How do they seem? Are they at peace? Troubled? Tired? Anxious? What is going well in their life? What might they need?" Use what you find in reflection to plan how you can be supportive.
C
Breakout of Winter
encounter
Spring 2023
Act
Building positivity is a great way to move into Spring Break and set up a successful end to the year. Action is the best way to break the winter mood, so choose to be positive about kids. However, you decide to highlight students' plans to share it with them and their parents this spring.
Practice Bravery
The temptation is to stay with what we know as we coast on fumes in the spring. But challenge yourself to try something new! Infuse your instruction with some new, fun, and high-energy activities that you might be tempted to pass on. Add something new to your old lessons. Trying something new can jumpstart your creativity and energize you and your students.
