8 Weeks Of Summer: Focusing on Personal Goals

This post is week 5 of 8 in the 8 Weeks of Summer Blog Challenge for educators.

The prompt this week is to share a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for next school year.

The truth is that I haven’t thought that much about next school year since the last school year ended. I don’t have a teacher research question picked out yet. I haven’t looked at the curriculum in a month. I haven’t read a professional book yet (although I have a couple waiting on my desk). I’ve been focusing on personal goals this summer. So I’ll share those for now.

My first personal goal for this summer was to complete the Couch to 5K program as a way to get back into running. I love running, but ever since having my first child, running for more than 15 minutes caused a lot of sciatic nerve pain that would last for days. I did physical therapy for it last summer, but then the school year started up, and I was at a new school with a new curriculum, and I didn’t have time to focus on building up my running. I went for a few walk-runs when I had time, but those forays into running were few and far between.

Yesterday, I completed that first goal. I finished a whole 5k without walking at all, and I am pain-free. Goal #1 is checked off, and I’m going to sign up for a race next month. I feel amazing!

My second goal for the summer is to begin querying my completed fantasy novel. I’m currently doing a second round of edits on it, and I’m over halfway through. Before school starts, I will send off my first query. I have no idea how to do that, but I’m doing research on traditional publishing to figure it out. I’m giving myself a year of querying to try to publish traditionally, and if no one is interested, I’ll try self publishing next summer. I’ve always dreamed of publishing a book, and I’m finally ready to go for it.

I do have a few ideas about areas of growth I would like to focus on next school year, although I wouldn’t call any of them big, hairy, or audacious. Here are some of the things I’m planning to work on the most:

  • Creating a feedback and self-reflection/evaluation oriented classroom. I have to have grades in the gradebook, but I don’t want the grades to be the focus.
  • Improving my classroom management, especially where cell phones are concerned. They are such a huge distraction, and I need to be doing more to help students manage their own attention better.
  • Help students build an awesome yearbook. I’m taking that over for next year.
  • Continue to help students get excited about reading through providing time and space for independent reading during class.

That’s all I’ve got so far. I’m going to focus on my personal goals for another couple of weeks before I really start to flesh out those school goals. I would really encourage other teachers to use this time in the summer to do the same. If you’re anything like me, you live and breathe “school” for 40 or more weeks out of the year, and your own needs and wants go on the back burner. Take some time this summer to put yourself first and do something just because it will make you happy. Trust me: you’re worth it.

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