I wrote in my journal this week, “Finishing things is more difficult than it seems.” As I am trying to finish the final chapter in the Learn Forward book, finish the school year at Willowstone Academy, and finish school days with my son who is graduating, I am aware of the challenges.
What is most difficult about finishing is to sustain energy and motivation to finish well.
Two things help me in the final days:
- Reflection on achievements.
- Planning for the future.
One of my favourite things to do with the Willowstone Academy teaching team is to review the year together. We create a gigantic, “old school” mind map on a white board of all our achievements throughout the school year.
As the ink and ideas flow, we usually are astounded to see our work outlined in an overview. It propels us to consider our goals for the following year. It gives us energy to innovate again. It closes off our year with a sense of accomplishment. We head off into summer with our reading lists, our planning goals, and our reflections in our pocket.
During a season of finishing, choosing to reflect on achievements inhales fresh air into the body of motivation.
Here are some reflection questions for you:
What surprised you about this year?
What do you think you’ll remember 40 years from now about your experiences this year?
How did you grow and learn?
Whether we are a teacher, parent, or student, we all need opportunities to reflect, integrate, and complete our journeys emotionally.
Planning for the future sprinkles joy into our final days!
As my son is completing his final weeks of school, we are also discussing the future. We are thoughtful about the move onto campus and what he’ll need for success. We are ensuring there are relaxing and rejuvenating connecting points on the calendar during the summer. With a budget and a notepad, we are getting ready for the future.
This week a friend of mine posted her daughter’s summer bucket list online. I loved it! They are planning intentionally for the summer and just by the picture I could tell the process was infused with joy!
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This planning is brilliant! I love that Macy has coloured pens, a huge piece of paper, and is spread out on the floor being thoughtful about her life! She is becoming her own person through fun, work and education! She is planning changemaking in Guatemala. She is ensuring she is creating meaningful relationships through time together, investing in important people, and capturing those moments forever. She is using vibrant words to describe her plan.
From my vantage point, it looks like a gigantic paper filled with selfhood, belonging, and changemaking. I am sure they are rooted in faith and worthiness!
The five most important journeys of a child are the foundation of our planning: faith, worthiness, selfhood, belonging, and changemaking. But, like Macy, we can just let the plan fall organically out onto the page, because…
Our greatest privilege is to create the life we want!
Just spending this time with you motivates me to finish the year well! Thank you for being here!
For the sake of the children,
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