The tradition of spring
cleaning has a long history. Back when
people used wood or coal to heat their non-insulated homes, houses were closed
up as tight as possible over the winter. So, the first warm day
was an opportunity to empty the house of its belongings and clean.
A lesser known aspect of
spring cleaning was that it was also a time to celebrate life for those who
survived the winter. Without modern day
medicines and hygiene knowledge, many illnesses and deaths occurred during the
winter months. How might we use this
idea in education?
I think about my own
district. We’ve made it through a very
tough winter. Not only was the weather
brutal (sub-zero days on end, 8 days of no school, etc.), but we navigated professional
learning in our first year of work with the Instructional Framework based in The Art and Science of Teaching. Along with this came a new teacher
professional growth/evaluation tool. The learning this year stretched us in many
good ways, but it required an extraordinary amount of mental energy.
One of the pieces we
focused on this year for our students was to “celebrate success.” While we did a great job with this as it
related to our kids, I don’t think we did it nearly enough for ourselves. As we head into our spring break, the weather
is finally giving us a glimpse that the brutality of winter may be done. With warmer temperatures and more sunshine, I
think we should celebrate the success of our administrators and teachers in all
of their new learning this year. It is
hard and challenging, but we know that it is best for kids.
Every professional, no
matter whether that field is business, law, or medicine (just to name a few), must continually keep learning the new,
research-based changes in their sphere. Professional
educators are no different. To achieve
and remain at a mastery level, there is always continual learning. There is always continual risk-taking. There is always continual growth. At times it can feel exhausting, but there is
no shortcut.
I’m proud of my
colleagues for their progress this year, and in honor of “spring cleaning,” I
celebrate them. And on a personal note, there’s
always a slight chance that I might actually clean my house. Nah….
- J. Walton
