Look at All We Have Accomplished in 2020!

I admit, I have been feeling relatively unproductive in the last couple of months, particularly in contrast to the rest of the year. Prior to the entrance of COVID19 into the world, I had begun writing my second book. As distance learning began in March of 2020, I created a remote learning lesson design framework and began to build lesson plan examples for educators. In late spring of 2020 I led a team of incredible educators in a cross-departmental team to produce and launch a robust website for educators in our region and beyond. And in the fall of 2020 I designed and facilitated countless professional learning and coaching sessions to support educators in increasing their capacity to implement distance/hybrid learning experiences for their students. Now it is winter of 2020. Requests for professional learning have slowed. Though I am beyond thrilled to be the newly published co-author of The Complete EdTech Coach, my motivation to continue writing has waned though available time has increased. And to be honest, guilt began to set in to my mind.

Many educators I speak with feel similar. While their learning and productivity since the beginning of the pandemic astounds them, they continually feel that there is more they can learn and do for the benefit of those they serve. We are entering a winter break, a time of rest. Embrace this time. The productivity it may lead to could surprise you.

Today, I made a discovery. Something that caught me off guard, goes against my normal driven, arguably workaholic tendency. And it has taught me a valuable lesson that I will likely need to be reminded of again and again throughout my lifetime.

Take Time

The lesson – a step or two away from the work can provide needed perspective when you return. While consistency and discipline lead to success, self-care is just as important. In fact, it can fuel innovative ideas and iterations.

About a year ago, I was encouraged to share personal and professional stories regarding mental health and wellness, from my life experiences as a student, educator, parent, academic coach, and administrator – with a lens of SEL competencies and the neuroscience of UDL. I was and remain convinced that this is a vital topic for educators of all levels – practical, real, and inspiring. This is perhaps even more true in these unpredictable times, in the midst of a global pandemic. While the applicability of the topic has grown since March 2020, my writing had all but stopped. This caused me great frustration.

Document the Journey

This morning, I opened the Google doc where I had begun writing this book about wellness about a year ago. In winter 2019, the acronym and outline had seemed incomplete. I was stuck, feeling out of ideas. Imagine my surprise today, when after nearly a year of time away from the manuscript, clarity and iterations developed with ease. The image below documents just a few of today’s improvements to the outline/text. The WELL acronym begun a year ago is better today than it was then, or even than it was yesterday!

I purposely opted to keep my prior draft of these notes via strikethough font. Learning is a process, not a product. As we grow, our mindset and perspectives may shift. I encourage you to embrace a restful winter break if that is what your soul needs – and know that when you return to your “work”, your productivity and effectiveness may increase more than you anticipate.

Enjoy the journey, reflect, and be kind to yourself. We are often more critical of ourselves than anyone else may ever be. Take a moment to “be”, to appreciate who you are and how far you have come. And know that human “being” may often be just as valuable as human “doing”.