During times of transition the Romans sometimes referred to a god named Janus. He was usually depicted as having two faces, one that looked to the past, and one that looked to the future.
It is where the month of January gets its name and that is appropriate, with January itself being a time of transition from the old year to the new.
In education in America, June usually resembles January in that respect.
Like the Roman god Janus, we look back at the past school year and forward to the one ahead.
And it is much more than a reflective process.
At Jefferson City High School, the other principals and I have already had some serious discussions about how we will prepare for the 2015-2016 school year.
Jacob Adams, Jason Eggers, Shanna Schwarzer and Jeff West are all JCHS principals that do a tremendous job each day, and I work with that group more closely than any other individuals in the school district.
At this time of the year we take what went well during the past school year and build upon it. As for efforts that didn't go well, we work to amend them, improve them or discontinue them altogether.
But this year will involve much more. In addition to the usual adjustments, this summer also includes:
A thorough inside innovation of the main JCHS building as classrooms are being set up to provide instructional delivery based upon seven career-oriented academies.
The innovation allows for a move from a traditional high school to the aforementioned academies. Last year freshmen had the academy experience; this year, both freshmen and sophomores will. The phase-in will continue each year until all students in grades 9-12 can benefit from the smaller school feel of high school academies.
There is also a transition to an increased emphasis on technology and digital learning. The electronic tools already used in business are becoming increasingly utilized in a student's high school learning.
We are also having a transition in leadership. New JCPS superintendent Larry Linthacum and JCHS principal Bob James both start officially on July 1. They both seem to be very knowledgeable individuals from which we can all learn much.
In addition, as we work to prepare for the coming school year and those that follow, we always want to listen to the voices not just of our community, but of all of those in the school building each day. That includes both teachers and students.
If you ask the teachers in any high school in America, including JCHS, you will likely hear the following concerns: students aren't motivated, too many students won't come to class on time, student discipline has to be addressed differently and there needs to be better communication.
Educators everywhere grapple with these issues each year and as we seek to address each one, we must always be seeking to establish a wholesome and healthy school learning environment for everyone.
As for our students, we can also say that if we asked around in any high school in America we would hear similar comments from one school to another. Students nationwide tend to say things like, school is boring, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with my life, I can't see how this is going to help me, some of my teachers don't care, I don't have a chance to learn about things that really interest me, I'm just a number to them, I would rather use my hands instead of a book, or I don't like how they talk to me.
We must listen to those concerns too and reflect upon how we might better meet the needs of each student.
There's no reason why schools can't be welcoming, meaningful, productive and successful all at the same time.
Like Janus, we must look backwards and forwards.
And inward.
And then we must orchestrate our transitions accordingly.
David Wilson, EdD, is the associate principal at Jefferson City High School. You may e-mail him at [email protected].