The end of the school year provides a unique opportunity for educators and administrators to reflect on the school year that is about to end and to look forward to the next academic year. Reflecting is essential to growth and development for both the school and educators. As John Dewey said, "We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience." Taking time to reflect is essential to learning; indeed, learning from experience requires intentionality and time.
That is why we are excited to share this blog! LAIRP has created a printable end-of-the-year reflection form that can be printed (or copied digitally) and filled out by stakeholders. Here is the PDF format so that it can be printed and used within your school. You can also create a Google Doc copy by clicking here: LAIRP's End-of-the-Year Reflection
Here are some reflection questions that are essential to spend time pondering about the academic year that is about to end.
Looking Back: Discipline, Behavior, and Mental Health
- Which of our discipline practices this year produced the outcomes we actually wanted, and which produced compliance without change?
- Which staff members got the lightest discipline referral loads, and what are they doing that the rest of us could learn from?
- What behaviors increased this year, and what does that tell us about what students were experiencing or needing?
- What discipline systems worked and which need to be refined for next year?
- How are our students doing — not just academically, but emotionally — and how do we actually know?
- What discipline, behavior, and mental health data did we collect this year? What trends can we notice?
- How are the staff doing? What signs of burnout, compassion fatigue, or discontent did we notice this year?
- If we have staff turnover (which is natural and expected in every school), what can we learn from the reasons people are leaving or returning?
Looking Ahead: Discipline, Behavior, and Mental Health
- What did we learn this year about discipline, behavior, or mental health that we cannot afford to forget next year?
- If we did nothing differently, what would next year's data look like — and is that acceptable?
- What is our discipline philosophy in one sentence, and would every staff member say the same sentence?
- What's our plan for the first six weeks — the period that sets the tone for everything that follows?
- What Tier 1 systems (classroom routines, community-building, engagement) will we invest in before we add more Tier 2 and 3 supports?
- What is our mental health vision for next year, and is it written down anywhere students or families can see it?
- What is our data collection plan for next year? What do we want to measure?
- What is our one big bet for next year in this domain — the change that, if we got it right, would move everything else?
- What kind of leader, teacher, or colleague do I want to be next year, and what is one habit that would get me closer?
- If we sat in this same room a year from now, what would we want to be able to say we did differently — and what has to be true today to make that possible?
At LAIRP, we believe schools should spend time reflecting on what went well and where things can improve. We provide each of our partner schools and organizations an end-of-the-year dashboard that provides insights from survey data, behavior trends, referrals, and tiers of support. If you would like more about how LAIRP can support your school, please contact us here.