A New Year - Part 1
Reflections on 2023
Greetings WOL Friends,
Before we headed to our winter break we took a few minutes to reflect on the year we had at the World of Learning Institute.
I am proud of our team who made amazing things happen when schools and districts struggled to find a teacher in World Languages, our typical Calculus and Chemistry, and new to us, Library and STEM! (We love to talk about how to solve problems.)
We also added a Full-Time program for K - 12 students for our IU8 districts.
Here are a few reflections that give some insight into the work we do and how we think about that work:
Olivia
This year, we adopted a program, new to the WOL, but not the IU. In doing so, we inherited certain systems and principles that we have the privilege of building upon. We also got to start with a fresh slate in lots of areas. This can be both exciting and completely overwhelming. One such area for a new beginning was with the student and teacher schedules. With the freedom to envision what might work best for all, we brainstormed "non-negotiables" and "nice-to-haves", meeting with our teachers to gather their input and collaboratively creating draft schedules for rounds of collegial feedback. What we ended up with was something that had a high level of buy-in from staff; they had, after all, helped to create it. I was so excited; this was the type of teacher-involvement I had always dreamed of as a teacher; and we were making it happen!
Then the school year started, and we began to learn more about our students and their needs. We realized that, with students at a variety of schools, we were missing many of our Technical Education students. Some of our students work full-time. We started to see the weaknesses in our schedule and its shortcomings. We took note of these scheduling challenges and continued to gather information, from teachers and from students. We are now about to approach the mid-year and have queued up a survey to gather more student data. I imagine what we find will bring us back to the drawing table, maybe this spring, but certainly over the summer and before next year.
Schedules certainly aren't the only area where we have had to innovate, be reflective, and re-envision. This is the beauty of trying something new; there's a freedom to create and a responsibility to improve.
What are your reflections on starting something new?
Erin Siverd
I work as a virtual learning specialist, where I take great pleasure in helping teachers discover the most effective and creative ways to engage their students in the virtual classroom.
It is fulfilling to witness teachers implement various strategies to engage their students and provide them with a meaningful learning experience. Enabling students to take courses they may not have previously had access to is also rewarding because I believe that an essential aspect of our program is offering students the opportunity to interact with a live teacher instead of just taking an asynchronous course.
Overall, my time at WOL has been a highlight of my career.
What have you found fulfilling in your work - how will that influence what you do in 2024?
Reflection offers us a lens to what we value - it helps us to stop and think about things before we move forward. Sometimes, when we make a plan we plow through regardless of the impact on ourselves, our students, our staff, and our communities.
I ask you to consider reflection as a key part of your practice - it can be built into everyone’s day - from students to the school board. Start small. This article is one of my favorite ways a Principal implemented reflection in her school.
Here are a few of our top podcasts and newsletters for the year. Do you have a favorite?
We look forward to hearing from you in the new year. As you plan for 24 - 25 keep our catalog of courses and resources close by. We are here to help.
Happy New Year,
Pat
