Reflecting on This Year, Planning for Next - BNT Team Meeting [S7 EP. 297]

Listen to the full episode below:

If you’ve ever hit May and thought, “I know there are things I want to change next year... but what even happened back in September?”, this episode is your sign to stop waiting and start reflecting now. In today’s team meeting, I’m walking you through one of the most important parts of big-picture planning: looking back before you move forward. Because if you wait until August to remember which units flopped, where your grading piled up, or which classroom routines quietly drove you bananas... good luck! We’re doing this while it’s all still fresh, and we’re doing it with purpose.

Together, we work through three big areas that deserve your attention before the school year wraps up: your curriculum and assessments, your classroom environment and systems, and your own professional energy and boundaries. I share the exact reflection questions I use with teachers (and honestly, with myself) to figure out what’s worth fixing now, what can wait for summer, and what needs a totally different approach next year. 

From identifying the lessons that took way too much effort for very little payoff, to figuring out why certain classroom discussions felt like magic, to recognizing the routines that created tiny daily stress... this is the kind of reflection that helps you start next year feeling focused, calm, and actually ahead.

topics discussed:

  • Why it’s crucial to reflect before summer so nothing gets forgotten in the August haze

  • Using self-interview questions to pinpoint wins, friction points, and energy drains

  • Auditing curriculum and assessments for impact (what’s working, what’s dragging you down)

  • Rethinking classroom routines and physical spaces to minimize stress

  • Setting, keeping, and celebrating boundaries that help protect your energy and time

  • Narrowing summer projects to what really matters, and leaving space to enjoy your break

resources:

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More about Brave New Teaching:

Join hosts Amanda Cardenas (Mud & Ink Teaching) and Marie Morris (The Caffeinated Classroom) in discussions about being brave, trying new things, and all things teaching! As seasoned classroom teachers, Amanda and Marie bring their experience, insight, energy, and oh, so many opinions and ideas... It's time for all teachers to take their classroom and teaching practice into their own hands!

Tune in on your favorite podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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