Reflecting on Goals at Mid-Year

In my last entry I made the direct statement that if you haven't had the opportunity to set goals with your mentee yet, the best thing is to just do it. Many of us have, on the other hand, established goals for our work with our mentee earlier in the school year.

January or February is when I usually reserve some protected time with each teacher I'm mentoring to reflect on professional goals and refine our intended work together for the remainder of the year.

Reflecting on professional goals at mid-year is important for few reasons. First, it provides an opportunity to note successes. Looking over our work together from the start of the year, there should be plenty of evidence of decisions made, next steps taken, and successes realized. This is rejuvenating! Additionally, this time for reflection may surface a shift in focus for a particular goal. For example, while at the start of the year a teacher may have been interested in developing cooperative groups in his or her classroom, by mid-year it may be time to look more closely at what and how students are learning within those groups. Lastly, it is simply helpful to take pause and remember the big picture. Our mentee's day-to-day teaching life can easily surface multiple topics for discussion that are based on urgency. While responding to such urgency is an important layer of offering support, we are simultaneously there to facilitate each mentee's broader professional vision for his or her growth and the success of every student in their care.

I've found that it is essential to reserve a day for reflecting on goals. The next time you are with your mentee(s), pull out your calendars and decide a good time to take pause and reflect.