Is it the end of the year?
Or just the beginning?
I was having an interesting conversation with Trevor the other day about how he is finishing the school year. On the second to last day of school, Trevor talked about how excited students were to come to art class. They were not finishing up projects but rather engaging in discussion about the work that they would continue when they returned to the art room in September. This excited Trevor, and gave him reason to believe that implementing choice in the art room created a student engagement that he has been working hard to achieve over the years.
While so many teachers and students take these last few days for granted, I believe that Trevor has created a mindset in his students that allows them to engage in meaningful, authentic, and creative work, which happens on the first day of school, the last day of school, and all of the days in between. This type of mindset and work will carry on not only in September, but throughout the year, in and out of school.
So, as you send your students home for the year, don’t treat it as an end. Treat it as a beginning, or a continuation of all of the great work that you have done throughout the year! Let your students know that meaningful and productive work can continue regardless of the date on the calendar!
Rich (@RACzyz)
What a lovely note for the second to last day of school! How inspiring, and kudos to Trevor for fostering that attitude in his classes!