In some athletic events the team leaves the field of play, gathers together, then returns to the field of play to continue playing the game. This is commonly referred to as half time. During the half time the entire team can come together (Players, Coaches, Trainers, etc.) and use the time to a self evaluation. The players can rest and those who have been injured can be cared for. The coaching staff can analyze what strategies have been working, and which have not and need to be adjusted. The trainers can determine who can continue playing and who is done for the game. As mentioned this month in a prior post the half time can be a time to observe "What we have achieved, what we need to complete, and what corrections we must make" so that "We can achieve completely the educational goals of this school year".
It would be nice if we could gather together outside the classroom (Students, Teachers, Parents, etc.) and do a self evaluation; however, with our personal schedules being so diverse, this may be a difficult event to coordinate. This does not mean that we cannot do our own interpretation of the half time. We have talked about some of the things that we could do during this period for example "Become organized and refocused". Students can take a break and take care of themselves. Teachers can help students "Reach the educational goals and achievements which they need" by making sure that they are "Taking charge of (our) lessons, curriculum, and classrooms". Parents can help students and teachers by being supportive and understanding of what can be described as "A constant process of adaptation, implementation, and evaluation" that goes on in our schools not just on a yearly basis, but also on a day to day operation that is executed by all who are taking part in education.
Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator
