A Year from Now, What Will You Wish You Had Started?

Usually when I hear or read this quote, it's related to health & fitness. For me, it usually has to do with dieting or exercise, as a motivation to get started and stick with it.

Saturday, this quote took on a new meaning for me.

Saturday, my oldest daughter moved into her college dorm.

It was a great day of cleaning, organizing, and preparing her for her year in her new home. Away from home.

And I asked myself, Had I done enough to prepare her? Had I filled her with enough knowledge and skills to be successful? Will she remember all of the lessons her dad and I tried to teach her? 

And I thought of all of the students that pass through our school and every school. Are teachers asking themselves the same questions about their students as they watch them leave at the end of the year and move onto the next stage of their lives?

Are we asking questions like, 

• Did I do enough to prepare my students to think critically and solve complex problems?
• Did I take advantage of every opportunity to teach my students about respect, courage, grit, perseverance, and trust?
• Did I teach students to ask their own questions?
• Did I model integrity, a positive spirit, love, and optimism for my students?
• Did I learn as much as I could about the future my students will face so that I can best prepare them for it?

What other questions should we be asking ourselves?