Hey Coach,

I’m ready to set goals for the new year and I’m looking for some inspiration! Professionally speaking, what are your New Year’s resolutions for 2020?

Sincerely,
Resolution Ready

Dear Resolution Ready,

Great question! Self-improvement is the name of the game, and we are always looking for ways to become even better educators, coaches, employees, and colleagues. Working in education, we are well-versed in setting goals at the beginning of each school year and creating a plan to achieve those goals. But still, there’s something about that fresh January feeling that motivates us to reflect on our progress, revisit those goals, and set some new ones!

To answer your question, I turned to the great minds on our iTeach team, who shared their own resolutions for 2020. Each resolution is followed by resources and links to prompt your thinking if you are interested in setting a similar goal for your own professional practice.

While you read about our goals for the new year, remember that KSU iTeach is available to provide support as you try new things in your own classroom. With our brand new OnDemand Subscribers Edition, we offer collaboration, support, and resource curation through one-on-one peer coaching, available whenever and wherever educators need it. Visit our website to learn more and to sign up for a FREE coaching session.

“Technology can help us stay organized so we can work smarter, not harder! A few years ago, I created a OneNote template for prioritized daily goal-setting. I'd love to revitalize that and use it to support my productivity each day.” - iTeach Coach Suzy Lolley

Looking to improve your own productivity and goal-setting? Try using Tasksboard.app or Trello to organize your to-do list. Prefer low-tech methods? Check out Bullet Journaling!

“This year I treated myself to a Cricut. I am super excited to use it to improve classroom design and build community in the classroom. We have so many ideas, but our first three planned projects are: (1) Design a sensory path for the school, (2) Create labels to organize supplies and the class library, and (3) Create affirming words and sayings to post in the room, creating a safe and happy environment.” - iTeach Coach Ana Moreno

Interested in changing up your classroom design? Choose one of Jennifer Gonzalez’s 12 Ways to Upgrade Your Classroom Design!

“I want to help teachers create self-paced playlists, where students can research and learn using carefully curated resources, then demonstrate their understanding from a choice of final products. I love seeing how these playlists free up the teacher to support students individually and in small groups, and also how students pick up “bonus knowledge” while they research.” - iTeach Coach Karleen Vaughn

Would you like to utilize self-paced playlists in your classroom? Create student-centered lessons using Blendspace or HyperDocs.

“There are so many powerful technology tools out there that can be used in many different ways. Seesaw is one of these tools. We often use it as a tool for reflection, but this year, I would like to help teachers diversify how they use Seesaw to also use it for assessment.” - iTeach Coach Suzanne Petersen

Dreaming about digital assessment? Check out Kasey Bell’s list of 20 Formative Assessment Tools for Your Classroom.

“I am working with other iTeach coaches to start a Makerspace at one of our blended learning high schools.” - iTeach Coach Kris McBride

Do you want to integrate MakerEd strategies into your classroom to engage students in hands-on learning? Try out our Design Challenge Task Cards!

“I can't wait to try the KinderLab Robotics Kibo 10. It's a coding robot designed for the littlest learners. I think it will be a great tool to help primary kids learn coding!” - iTeach Coach Summaya Knight

Hoping to expand access to computer science at your school? Code.org provides free coding curriculum for K-12 students.

“I've been reading Educated by Design by Michael Cohen and have been inspired by his ideas to change group work into authentic collaborative experience. This year I plan to challenge myself to look at group work differently.” - iTeach Coach Leigh Martin

Are you a bookworm? We recommend diving in to The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity by George Couros, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences That Impact a Lifetime by Thomas C. Murray, and Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning by John Spencer.

We’d love to hear about all the greatness going on in your classrooms as we roll into this new decade. Find us on Twitter @ksuiteach and tell us about YOUR goals!

All the best,
Coach