We’re three weeks into the 2020-2021 school year and with all we’ve had to do to ensure a successful start to what could be dubbed The Great Remote Learning Experiment, it feels like we’ve been going for three months straight! I can’t even begin to explain the level of absolute awe that I have for the high degree of work that I’ve seen in the Gifford community, it’s astonishing!! The amount of time, energy, and effort that has gone into the beginning of this school year is unparalleled by any school year before. As a teaching community you’ve continuously gone above and beyond to meet the needs of our students. I’m beyond thankful and I know that the vast majority of our students and their families feel the same way!!
At the beginning of this school year I said three things that I continue to believe as true but are, perhaps, more important than ever in this moment. First off, I said that this school year was going to feel like your first year as a teacher in a lot of ways. I think for many of us that has held true. If you need a reminder of the advice you gave yourselves back before the year started, have a look here. Secondly, I believe in the power of teamwork. Many of you have found your teams to be the most important resource available. That can and should continue to be the case, working together you can lighten the load for everyone and enhance the work that you do for your students. Finally, I believe in the value of time, which is really what I want to address today.
From the outset I said I’m going to work hard to protect and honor your time. I’ve worked to free up as much time as possible for you to meet with your teams and plan your lessons. I’ve worked to streamline my communication to reduce redundancy and wasted time. However, there have been areas where I could’ve been better and thanks to feedback I’ve received along the way I believe I’ve made steps to improve in some of those areas. All of that being said I know I still have work to do, to not only protect your time, but in other ways too.
In order to continue growing as a leader I am always seeking feedback. Either informally, or in this case formally, I strive to understand how I can better serve you and our students. So, in order to better understand your needs I would like to ask you to answer this anonymous and short survey (see below) to provide me with feedback. *One quick note about this being anonymous: there will be an optional space to write notes and if you leave me a very specific comment that requires follow up, then I strongly recommend you add your name so I know who to help!
Everything I’ve seen this school year has me very excited to continue learning and growing alongside each and everyone of you. I appreciate your feedback thus far and look forward to hearing more!!
Pushing Forward 