My Aims For Next Year (2021-22)

Each academic year is a time when I reflect on the past and set goals for the future. As I do every summer, here are my ten priorities for the next year. Many of these relate to my new role so I will explain them first.

My first job in my professional career will see me working outside of class and on my own time. As Innovation Lead, my role will be to work closely with grade teams, specialists, and other STEM professionals in order to promote STEM. I will also focus school-wide on design thinking. I will continue my consulting work with our feeder kindergarten and teach MYP Design secondary classes. All of these are new experiences that I am very excited about.

As I get ready to begin a new academic year, these are the ten goals that I have in mind (shoutouts to Fred Yue & John Hendrickse, with whom I will be working closely on many of them)

Create a culture of design thinking and STEM in

As I mentioned, design thinking is a key focus of our school's school this year. To support the planning and execution of it, I will be working with students and teachers from all grades. Beyond that, I want to encourage STEM in a broader sense. I've developed a passion in recent years for maker-centred learning, creativity, and hands-on learning. My goal is to support and encourage my fellow teachers in all aspects of school learning.

I am familiar with the Middle Years Program (MYP).

It will be my first teaching experience in MYP. I am currently completing online training on MYP Design. These classes will allow me to expand my teaching experience, engage more with secondary students and colleagues, and also give me the opportunity to teach. Although I still have much to learn, I am eager to apply the knowledge.

My consulting experience

Recently, I tried my hand at consulting. I really enjoy it so far. This is just the beginning of my journey, but I have much more ahead. These opportunities will allow me to make a difference outside of school and expand my practice. Keep checking this blog for more information.

Get more experience with younger students

My eleventh year in teaching is about to begin. In all those years, I've never taught students below the age of 3. My new role will include working with all grades. My consulting experience has been limited to kindergarten teachers and students. These opportunities will allow me to learn from K-2 colleagues and gain experience with younger students.

Skills in Coding

My new job will include exciting coding projects, particularly in MYP Design. Although my coding skills are decent, there is always room for improvement. I plan to learn from teachers and students by taking courses, following online tutorials, and learning as much as I can from them. You can also just keep exploring and playing!

Use iTime to implement across other classes

My previous blog post was not available. I recently attended workshops with Kath Murdoch on iTime. These learning experiences have made me more passionate than ever and I am now confident in their implementation. I am available to support teachers who are interested in making these personal inquiries engaging and rewarding.

Apply for the Apple Distinguished Educator Program

This was also my goal last year, if you are observant. After I published my 2020-21 goals, I was informed by the Pandemic that the program had been suspended. It is my hope that it will reopen soon as I would love to apply. Apple products and ADEs continue to inspire me.

Get certified as a Google for Education Coach

This new Google certification has been a mystery to me. It didn't apply for me. The Certified Coach program targets instructional coaches who work with their colleagues. It is now possible because of my new role. The Certified Coach curriculum has been highly recommended and I am impressed by the positive results it can have on coaches. I am eager to learn more.

Further develop intercultural understanding

An interesting workshop on intercultural understanding was offered by the Council of International Schools (CIS). I attended it earlier this year. We analysed survey data and reflected on our practices, before setting goals. Next year, I will be working with a committee to examine how we can take our school further along the continuum toward an intercultural mindset. Imagine if more organizations prioritized this!

Encourage digital leadership in all age groups

My passion in education is to help the next generation of digital leaders. These are people who use social media and the internet to make a difference in the world. This goes beyond digital citizenship principles. This is something I am able to do more in my new school role. Particularly, I am looking forward to helping students who can use social media on their own. This opens up new opportunities for digital leadership.