Rebel Reflections…Looking Back on a GReat School Year!!!

Superintendent News & Views

Rebel Reflections…Looking Back on a GReat School Year!!!

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

Those of us engaged in the education profession often encourage our students to pause and reflect.  Many teachers include reflection as a structured part of each lesson.  We all know intuitively that we learn by experience and that our mistakes can be some of our best learning opportunities, and there is much research that proves this to be true. There is a great deal of educational research which tells us that the most effective learning happens when we take time to actively think about our experiences and consider what these experiences actually mean.

While I strongly believe in the effectiveness of reflection in the learning process, I’m often guilty of not taking time to use reflection as a learning tool for myself.  This week’s column will be an attempt to remedy that – it will be a reflection on the past school year.  It will largely be a PERSONAL reflection, but I invite you to read my thoughts; and, in the final paragraph of this column, I’ll even invite you to respond if you feel so inclined.

The conclusion of the 2016-2017 school year marks the completion of my twenty-first full year as an educator –starting with nine years as a teacher followed by twelve years as an administrator. This wasn’t my first year as a superintendent, but it was my first year of serving TWO districts in that role. While there are things that I will definitely want to do differently in year two, in general I believe that both districts have benefitted from this arrangement. 

At times, it has been a challenge for me to be less “hands-on” and to let the talented principals, secretaries, teachers, and other professionals that I work with handle the day-to-day management while I focused on the more “big-picture” thinking for the district. I would have preferred to have spent less time behind my desk doing paperwork and more time observing the instruction in our classrooms or watching our students succeed on the playing field and in their various activities.  There have been times that the work piled up and to the point that it was overwhelming. Learning to prioritize the more critical tasks, learning to delegate some tasks, and investing some evening and weekend hours in playing “catch-up” at one or both of my offices have been the keys that have helped during these challenging periods. I know that with time and experience, this will only get better. 

Yes, I must admit that there were a few times during the year when I felt that both of my districts needed their own full-time superintendent.  But, looking back now on those periods of frustration, I feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing that having a shared superintendent is part of the plan for the long-term financial stability of these two great school systems. Sharing a superintendent hasn’t negatively affected any student’s learning and has been an important part of both districts’ efforts to achieve financial stability during this period of declining enrollment and inadequate state funding.  I’m PROUD to be part of the long-term solution for Gladbrook-Reinbeck and North Tama Schools!

Many folks would probably tell you that this has been a GREAT school year primarily because of our students’ accomplishments…things like our athletes’ multiple state tournament appearances, our students’ growth in standardized test scores, the tremendous number of scholarships and academic achievements earned by the senior class, and numerous other recognitions earned in our fine arts programs and other student activities.  I can’t disagree…the Rebels do have a lot to be proud of. 

While I’m certainly proud of all of these things, the thing I’m most proud of is that despite the challenges of an effort to dissolve the school district and the financial struggles facing G-R and many small schools, Gladbrook-Reinbeck hasn’t lost focus on its core principles and continues to make significant progress toward meeting and exceeding all of them.

These “Guiding Principles,” as established a few years ago by the school board, are: 1) Maximize academic opportunities for our students; 2) Work at being a leader in utilizing technology in our classrooms; 3) Maintain and improve facilities to meet student needs; 4) Maintain a positive culture for students, staff, and community; and 5) Make financial decisions to ensure that G-R remains a financially viable district.

It has been a joy to see our students succeed over the past year.  But for me, the greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that despite some challenging circumstances, the educational community at Gladbrook-Reinbeck never lost its focus on these guiding principles and made significant progress toward meeting and exceeding each of these goals. That’s the mark of a school system that is serving its students well and that’s one of the main reasons that I’m proud to be part of what’s happening here at G-R. 

Yes, it has been a GReat year at G-R!  I want to thank our school board for their support and leadership, along with the efforts of our amazing principals, secretaries, teachers, associates, bus drivers, custodians and the other professionals who made it all happen.  I’m looking forward to the coming year with great anticipation – May the 2017-2018 school year be Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s best year yet! 

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my columns and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill.