The end of year at any school is a crazy time. Any educator knows that.
When I was in my own classroom, my main concerns were my students, their grades, my classroom and looking ahead to next year.
Now that I serve as the school’s Digital Integration Specialist, my concerns are ALL students, ALL teachers, ALL grades, ALL mobile technology, and looking ahead to next year. At a school with 1700+ students and 110 teachers, that can be a little overwhelming at times.
But I’ll tell you a secret – I love this time of year! I really do.
The end of year allows me to check in with almost every teacher in my building. Whether we’re touching base about teacher iPads, new teacher Chromebooks, grade changes, gradebook checks, Google Classroom questions, End of Year checkout packet, exam review activities, or anything else, I love getting to talk to teachers. I work with so many amazing people.
I love our Media Center staff and all the work they do for our staff, students, and for me. With a new inventory program and a change in teachers’ mobile devices, they have done an incredible job jumping in – as always. I am so impressed by them.
One of my other end
of year jobs is collecting all 1500ish student iPads.
This year, as in years past, we’ve assembled a fantastic team to help. We have teachers who volunteer to give up part of their precious planning time to help us at collection. Yes – they give up their time to help. It’s amazing. Not everyone has this outpouring of 
help and I am grateful for each and every one of them.
But I think one of my favorite parts of the end of the year is the kids!
We have our iTeam Techs, student volunteers, who work before school, during the day, and after school to help us get iPads collected.
We have seniors who could be sitting by the pool or sleeping in since they are finished with exams, but they are here, helping.
I also love talking to all of the students who come through iCare to turn in their iPads. 
The students are polite, respectful, and appreciative of the easy process we’ve set up for them. They understand the expectations we’ve set for them and live up to them (almost 100% of the time!).
While tensions can run high, and we’re all exhausted, I choose to look at the positive. This really is the best of times!
Reflections of an Instructional Coach 