Reflecting on 2020—and Looking Forward to the Future

As the year draws to a close, we want to recognize the extraordinary resilience and dedication of our educators. For most of today's teachers and educational leaders, 2020 has been the most challenging year of their careers. We hope that you will have some time this holiday season to reflect, recharge and find time for joy and gratitude.

We are also looking ahead to 2021. Though our nation is still facing several more months of disruption and pain, it appears that the end of the pandemic may be in sight. All of us at Thinking Maps are here to support you through the months ahead. We wish all of you a peaceful and restful winter break. We have gathered together some resources for you for the holidays and spring semester.

Our Gift for You: A Holiday Planning Map Exercise

This year's holidays may look a bit different than in years past. Whatever your winter break will look like, Thinking Maps are the perfect planning tool. Here is a holiday Map exercise for you. Start with a Double Bubble Map to reflect on this year's holiday vs. last year's. What looks different? What will stay the same?

Next, you will need to brainstorm all the things you will need to accomplish to prepare for your holiday celebrations. Use a Circle Map to identify all of your holiday tasks.

Considering your schedule for December, you should sequence the order for tackling those tasks using a Flow Map.

Now it's time to get down to the details. Move each task to the Tree Map for thinking about the details involved. When will you work on that task, who else will help with this task, what items will need to be bought, what is your budget, etc.?

Thinking Maps Learning Community (TMLC) subscribers can find a ready-to-use Holiday Map exercise in Map Builder.

Getting Ready for Spring Semester

Many of you will still be facing some combination of distance and hybrid learning through the spring semester. Here are a few resources we have put together over the past few months to help you maximize teaching and learning for virtual, hybrid or blended learning.

• Best Practices in Distance and Hybrid Learning for the COVID Era
• Lessons Learned from a Semester of Remote Learning
• Holding onto the Lessons of Remote Learning
• The Looming Coronavirus Achievement Gap: What Schools Can Do
• Maintaining Academic Rigor at Home
• Leading Through Challenging Times

Looking Ahead: Virtual Training Options for Spring and Summer 2021

The coronavirus forced all of us to think differently about how to do things this year. Thinking Maps has had to adapt, too. We were excited to debut our first Virtual Training courses this summer and fall.

We created our Virtual Training courses to enable our Thinking Maps educators to continue their professional learning safely from the comfort of home. With Virtual Training, you can connect from anywhere to a course that meets your needs and time requirements—no travel required. While these courses were originally created to meet the needs of our schools during the pandemic, many of you have told us that virtual options have made Thinking Maps training more accessible for schools that do not have travel budgets for professional development. We're thrilled by the initial response we have received and are in the process of creating more Virtual Training options for you!

If you are interested in Virtual Training for your staff, talk to your Thinking Maps representative or check out the Virtual Training Calendar.

Best wishes to all of you as we look to the year ahead!