Read the full post from CSLX here!
“Coming back after the holidays is an opportunity for community school teams to recharge, refocus, and set the tone for the remainder of the school year. As you get back into the swing of things, now’s the time to reflect on where you’ve been–and where you want to go. Need help getting started? We’ve outlined a couple of questions for you and your teams to consider below.
What have you done? What do you want to do?
First, reflect on what went well. Document and celebrate what ideas worked, what new skills you and your teams gained, who you connected with and the ways you built community. Think about how you want to build on these wins over the course of the rest of the year.
Did you start the school year off mapping out an arc of the year? If so, see if what you planned for the coming months still holds, and make adjustments as necessary. Didn’t map out your work that way in September? No time like the present! Set goals for your work between now and June and map backwards, month by month. Chart what steps you need to take, who you need to loop into your work, and when. Make an action plan!
What have you learned and taught? What do you want to learn and teach?
At CSLX, we believe that we are all teachers, and we are all learners. Consider adding different capacity building opportunities to your arc of the (rest of) the year. The Coalition for Community Schools’ CSxFE conference is at the end of May, and the STAC Summit is June 12-13. CSLX has workshops planned throughout winter and spring to help you develop your skills around various aspects of community school development, from building transformative family engagement to a series for leaders looking at the roles of CSCs and principals, with a site visit thrown in for good measure (just make sure to sign up for emails so you’re kept in the loop).”