The Power of ‘YET’

So, I have not blogged YET this year.  I had great intentions to continue after my posts with Cohort21 last year, but it didn’t happen. I could say that I have been ‘busy,’ but there are no points for being busy! Maybe I have just been ‘too engaged.’  It could be that I have been busy engaged thinking and iterating – you know, the positive aspects of procrastination that @mneale pointed out in her most recent blog post. That all sounds better than the excuses that I could list here for you. The reality is I just have not done it YET!  I’m sticking with this YET idea as it allows me to stay committed.  It’s not too late, I have not missed my chance.

Our mindset is often what drives us or interrupts us throughout our days. Adding YET to the statement, “I haven’t blogged” reminds me that I can and will do it! I use this ‘YET” strategy with my students all of the time. I teach them the power of YET at the beginning of the year, and I hear them use it regularly to encourage and support one another. I ask them to adopt a growth mindset, and I remind them that having an open mind allows them to focus on success and potential. The power of ‘YET’ helps us to persevere and remain positive in times of struggle.

I needed a reminder of the power of “YET,” and today I received it! So, while I’m here, I might as well tell you how my action plan has been coming along.

My HMW Question is: How might we support teachers to enhance/modify literacy instruction to improve student learning?

In my role as Curriculum Coordinator, we had identified our next curriculum focus to be literacy. I started off meeting with all of the teachers to identify their needs, challenges, and wishes.  Then I, along with our amazing leadership team, set to work.  Our Learning Services teacher and I attended the Reading for the Love of It Conference, we purchased some amazing resources, visited BSS and HTS and made some recommendations.

To support reading, we supplied each teacher with Jennifer Serravallo’s Reading Strategies book.  We had great feedback about this teacher resource because it could be used in the classroom immediately, without investing a great deal of time reading it cover to cover.  It is SO user-friendly and definitely worth checking out!

To support writing, we recommended that we send a team to the Writing Workshop PD Summer Institute with Lucy Calkins in New York.  We have applied, received funding, and a team of us have been accepted to attend the workshop this August.  We are thrilled. New York – baby here we come!

In a nutshell that is where we/I am.  There is still much work to be done but I’m pleased with the progress we have made so far.  We will continue to focus on literacy for the next two years while continuing to forge ahead with the work we have done in math.  Today we made some plans for our end of year PD and what we will focus on in August.  It is exciting to be a part of this process, and I’m thrilled how it pushes my practice.

So, I haven’t blogged YET, but I certainly have been engaged, thinking, iterating and revisiting my action plan.  I’m not done ‘YET’ either, and that is OK, there is still time!