R and R: Review and R...omg - I can't remember.
Is it revise? respond? resuscitate? rest?
Ah - silly me, just remembered - it's reflect!!
At my school Review and Reflect has replaced the A word - appraisal.
Thank goodness!
The A word's judgmental connotations are mainly centred around accountability, compliance and evaluation (the full Monty version of the A word is, of course, Performance Appraisal, which is, like, shudder - even worse).
Instead, Review and Reflect's connotations are around softer things like self-reflection and future development.
There's a hint of tautology in the term but review is the looking back bit and reflect is the thinking about that and then thinking about how improvements can happen in the future bit so...
As per the new outline, we each need a large 'out there' over-arching goal to hang our own Review and Reflect on (rather than the three goals under the a*******l system).
I'm struggling a bit with this, partly because I've been conditioned over 30 plus years of teaching to think otherwise.
This article by Jeff Goins helped a bit - he's an advocate of small gains towards a big goal, so he's speaking my language!
As he succinctly reminds us, I don't necessarily need a big Jerry Maguire moment, no dramatic declaration to the world.
Paradoxically then, I can reconcile an overarching focus which breaks down into some composite parts.
I have a few ideas about where I want to head in the future, so the reflect part is probably going to focus on specific skills I have that can be adapted/ supplemented to things beyond the classroom.
Come to think of it Review and Resuscitate seems very apt!
In a further positive move away from a*******l, we no longer have hierarchical appraisers. Instead we are paired with someone of our choice and we act as reciprocal sounding boards. A fabulous move!
I have a great mentor buddy (officially, we're using 'coach') in Jane. I trust her and she gets me. Can't ask for much more can I?
Nice one all round to Dionne and her Taylor Swift (shake it off) team. You dun good!
Now, where are those paddles...okay...CLEAR!
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