How do you quantify success?
In the world of education, we talk about comparison. We compare ourselves this year to ourselves last year, our class to other classes within the same content and grade level, and our school to similar schools in the district or the state. Sometimes, these comparisons leave us feeling wonderful. We were more successful, our students scored higher, our school outperformed the other schools, and those wins left us flying. Other times, the comparison doesn't have us coming out on top, but there are other things we can celebrate. The truth is the person we are this year isn't the person we were last year, and our students this year aren't the ones we had last year. You can't always make comparisons.
Celebrations also come from making connections with a student who is known for being hard to reach, building a relationship with a family who historically hasn't trusted schools, or collaborating with a newly formed team. Your student may not be performing at grade level, but they had 30% fewer absences this year because they knew an adult at school who cared about them and wanted to know where they were. Those successes aren't seen in scores but are no less important. They are often hard-fought and have taught us lessons that we can use moving forward.
As you wrap up this school year and you're cleaning out your room, look back and find the wins. Celebrate your work and the successes you and your students have had, and remember that success isn't always quantified in data. Sometimes, it's in the stories that we take with us.
