These Goals Require All of Me

The goals set by others and those goals that I've set for myself this year require all of me. The goals are deeper and more time consuming than I anticipated, but so is the success we've reached so far. As a team we are making good progress with the students, and the key is to keep checking in with each other, providing support, and urging each other forward.

How do I know that we're making progress? There are many signs including the following:

• Fewer children are visiting the principal
• Children are requesting that I stay after school to provide extra help
• Many children are coming in for extra help in the mornings
• Scores on assessments are good
• Children are helping one another
• Children have lots of ideas about how to improve the learning and teaching, and they are sharing those ideas with care and interest

My goals this year are deep, child/program centered, and targeted, and unlike other years the work required to meet these goals is work close to home and school that includes lots of time-on-task with students and colleagues and less learning outside of school.

I am looking deeply at how we can uplift the engagement, investment, and success of every student in ways that matter. I am looking at how we can create greater growth for girls and boys, students from every culture, advanced and challenged learners, and children with varying learning dispositions. I am looking carefully at how we spend our time in this end, and how we coordinate our services with one another. I enjoy this analysis and the work that goes with it. The greatest challenge, however, is to stay the course, give the deep attention, and adapt as needed. Onward.