MRCR EDUCATION: Returning to School

Monday, July 24, 2017

Preparing for a New School Year

A new school year looms over the horizon.

There's growling from the crowd as they read that sentence.

Growling from students, parents, teachers,

and others who ask:

"Why?

Why remind us of such things?

We are still in mid-July.

Let's enjoy Summer a bit more."

And I join with the chorus of growlers, but it's inevitable.

We must begin to prepare for the new school year.

There are those who have been getting prepared all along,

There are those who will procrastinate and pull it through,

There are many of us who end up doing both:

Procrastinate & Prepare.

Time lines and schedules are set with reminders:

"By the end of June, this."

"By the end of July, that."

"By August, ...

the night before, ...

the first day of, ...

by back to school..."

We envision a path,

We develop a roadmap,

We calculate and budget supplies,

We enjoy one last Summer sunrise and sunset.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Starting the Year (Part 1)

6 Months to Summer

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

We have now started a new year. Time has not stood still or taken a pause, it has just reached a measuring marker. Educators live in two distinct timelines: The Yearly Calendar (January to December) and The School Calendar (August to July). As educators we must maintain a balance between the two if we are to keep a timely educational schedule for our students.

January marks for most educators the halfway mark of the school year. It also serves as a reminder that we are within 6 months of closing the school year, and preparing the current classroom of students to meet the grade level requirements needed by them to advance into the next grade level.

January serves as a reminder, to us in education, that we are 6 months away from summer. Although it may be the beginning of a new year, in education the school calendar will soon mark the halfway point. This second half will be marked by finals, projects, and makeup work (for those who are not up to grade level), in addition to any local, state, or other standardized testing that is either mandated or required of students to take.

As we start this new year, let us keep in mind that in education, the beginning of this new year, is the beginning of the culmination for the current school year. Our students will be graduating and advancing toward their next educational step, and we are the ones who will help to guide them so they achieve this culmination successfully and responsibly.

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