As the end of the school year draws near, this is the perfect time to reflect and celebrate your many accomplishments this school year. If you embrace a growth mindset, but perhaps have a touch of perfectionism in you, you might find it easier to identify what needs to happen next, rather than all of your accomplishments. While identifying next steps and setting clear goals is critical to ongoing success, so is pausing to reflect and celebrate. Choose one of the reflection activities below, block out 20 minutes on your calendar, have something to write your reflections down on and with, grab a snack or beverage, and bask in the glory of all the wins you experienced in the school year! 

Here are three structures that will help guide you through identifying your accomplishments so far this year. 

1. Picture Walk – Throughout the school year, many pictures are taken of staff and students engaged in learning activities. For this reflection, write three words that you feel are essential for your learning community, such as cooperative, respectful, engaged, perseverance, etc. Then, spend some time looking at the pictures taken throughout the year and find two or three that represent the words you selected. As you look through the pictures, think about what was happening at the moment that picture was taken and what could be repeated to replicate that success. 
   
2. Journal – Writing in a journal can help deepen the reflection on a specific topic. When thinking about your leadership and how it has influenced this school year, consider using a journal to reflect on the successes and what you would like to carry forward to the next year. In a journal, choose 3 questions from the list below and spend time delving deep into the responses.
   1. What was my best moment of leadership this year and how can I have more moments like it?
   2. What was my most challenging moment and why? How will I respond next time?
   3. What was a meeting that the staff was highly engaged? What actions had I taken to create that level of engagement? 
   4. What are three words/phrases I would use to describe this school year? 
   5. How well did I communicate with others this year? What might I try next year to communicate better?
   6. Who is one person I built a strong relationship with this year? Who is someone I feel like I have a lot to learn about? 
   7. What were some ways I was pleasantly surprised this year?
   8. How did I support my staff this year and how will I continue to do so?
      
3. Steps towards success – Think of a time this year that you witnessed students and staff experiencing success. This may be an event that the whole school was present at, a time during the year when learning was at its peak, or another activity where the whole school community worked together. Describe the particular moment you are thinking about – who was there, where was it occurring, when did it take place, how did you know that it was a success, what behaviors were students and staff exhibiting. Then, identify three to five steps that led to this success. Once you’ve identified the steps that led to this success, reflect on how the conditions were created for each of these steps to occur and what must happen again for these results to be replicated. By identifying how we create the conditions for success, we are able to increase success for both students and staff. 

Each school year you are asked to give of yourself, your time, your energy, and your care to others. It is, therefore, critical that you carve out time to reflect and celebrate on your many accomplishments. Looking for more improvement is important, however the path for increased growth and success truly lies in the reflection on what we have done. Reflection leads to renewed energy and purpose, and propels us to continue recognizing problems that can be resolved, removing obstacles, and creating a unified vision, as well as the steps in making it a reality. 

Want to extend this type of reflection by leading your staff in a celebration of their accomplishments? Check out our Celebrating Successes Faculty Meeting Plan – including all of the PowerPoint slides, handouts, and clear directions you need to implement each piece. 

Written by Sarah Fillion & Dana Januszka for Positive School Solutions 2021