Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and boasts many skyscrapers. These include the Petronas Towers, which are the world's tallest twin skyscrapers. I spent a couple days exploring Kuala Lumpur and one of the things I did was to go up to the observation deck of the KL Tower. It's funny, because on google maps, you appear to be in the same place at the bottom and at the top of the tower, though the view has changed significantly. Being at the top of the tower you are able to see so much further, suddenly you are looking down at the surrounding buildings. At so high up you are really able to see the layout of a city, it is a completely different perspective.
Looking at beginnings and endings we can have a similar perspective shift. When you are at the start of a new school year you may have an idea of what the year will bring, but you don't know your students yet. There are so many unknowns when you are looking forward at a beginning. Then contrast that with the end of a school year. Looking back at how things went, there is more clarity in the relationships you were able to build with students or the things you learned. You are able to reflect on the growth that was made, simply with the perspective shift. While I rode an elevator to the top of the KL Tower, teaching is more like taking the stairs (multiple times). The perspective we get at the end of a school year is earned through hard work, energy and time. In the midst of the climb, take a moment to reflect and look back at the growth you have made.
I find myself as we near the end of this course looking back at everything I have learned so far. I admit it always feels so daunting reading the syllabus at the beginning thinking you are going to have to complete all those tasks. And now here I sit, with the ending approaching, grateful for the perspective that time and work has brought.
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