Glows and Grows: The End-of-Year Reflection Every Educator Needs

As the school year wraps up and you start eyeing that much-needed summer break, it’s tempting to just shut the laptop and run. (And hey—no judgment if that’s where you’re at!) But before you head out, I want to offer a quick, simple reflection framework called Glows and Grows. It might just be the easiest way to pause, celebrate, and plan for an even better school year ahead.

What Are Glows and Grows?

Think of it like this:

• Glows = the wins, the proud moments, the “that worked really well!” surprises

• Grows = the things you want to tweak, improve, or rethink next time around

It’s not about being perfect, or having all the answers. It’s just about taking stock of the year, honoring your progress, and figuring out your next step forward.

You can use the glows and grows framework solo (with your planner or a cup of coffee), or as a group reflection with your team, department, or full staff. It works in all kinds of settings because it’s easy to adapt—and honestly, kind of fun.

Why Use Glows and Grows?

Because reflection is powerful.

We move so fast in education—always planning, grading, putting out fires. But when we actually stop and look back, we realize just how much we’ve accomplished… and where we want to grow.

Here’s why I love glows and grows:

• It’s simple and approachable. Anyone can do it, regardless of role or experience.

• It balances both celebration with improvement. Other reflection tools lean too heavily on one or the other.

• It works across settings. From one-on-one coaching to staff-wide PD, this framework flexes with your needs.

• It leads to actionable next steps. When paired with goal-setting tools like SMART goals, “grows” easily become growth plans.

How to Use Glows and Grows in Your End-of-Year Reflection

1. Start With Yourself

Before you dive into a team reflection, start with your own year. Grab a journal, a Google Doc, or even just a sticky note.

Prompt:

• List 2–3 Glows: What went well? What are you proud of?

• List 1–2 Grows: What didn’t go the way you hoped? What do you want to improve? What challenges did you face?

Here are a few key areas you might reflect on:

• Student Learning: Where did your students grow the most? What strategies worked well?

• Professional Growth: What new skills or tools did you develop? Where did you stretch yourself?

• Team Collaboration: How did you contribute to your team? What dynamics helped or hindered your work?

No need to overthink it—just jot down what comes to mind.

2. Reflect as a Team

Once you’ve had a chance to think things through on your own, it’s time to come together as a group. Whether it’s your PLC, your whole grade level, or your entire school staff, the glows and grows conversation is always richer when you hear multiple voices.

Here are a few reflection questions you can use:

• What were our biggest team/school glows this year?

• What patterns do we notice in our grows?

• What would we love to do more of (or less of) next year?

Group glows and grows by category—like instruction, data practices, or school culture—to easily spot trends. You can also consider creating a shared digital board (Padlet Sandbox or Google Slides work well) to collect responses. 

And remember, both glows and grows are equally important!  We tend to breeze past our wins because we’re so focused on improvement—but celebrating what went right builds energy and momentum.

3. Turn Grows Into Goals

Reflection is powerful, but it’s even more impactful when it leads to action.  And it doesn’t have to be complicated!

Try this simple prompt:

“One thing I want to improve next year is…”

Here are a few examples:

• “...to be more intentional about using walkthrough data to support teacher growth.”

• “...to build in more protected time for collaborative planning across teams.”

• “...to strengthen our schoolwide routines so transitions feel smoother and more consistent.”

• “...to prioritize more frequent celebrations of staff wins—both big and small.”

• “...to develop clearer systems for how we track and act on student data.”

These are the kinds of “grows” that, when turned into actionable goals, can ripple out in powerful ways across your staff and students.

If you want to take it a step further, I suggest the SMART Goals framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to help keep goals clear and doable.

You can even invite teachers to pair up and share their SMART goals—this creates accountability, allows for feedback, and often sparks helpful collaboration around shared challenges.

Quick Tips for a Meaningful Glows and Grows Session

• Keep it low-stakes. This isn’t an evaluation—it’s a reflection.

• Create a safe space. Make room for vulnerability and real talk.

• Make it visual. Use charts, sticky notes, or slides to see patterns.

• Capture ideas. Document reflections and goals so they don’t get lost in the summer shuffle.

• Come back to it. Revisit your grows mid-year and see what progress you’ve made.

Final Thoughts: Let’s End on Purpose

Let’s be real—this work is hard. And you made it through another year. That alone is worth celebrating. But you also taught, mentored, problem-solved, and probably re-invented the wheel more than once. You made a difference in ways you may not even realize.

So before you head off to the pool, take a moment. Look at what you’ve built. Celebrate it. And then ask yourself: Where can I grow next? You already have everything you need to finish this year strong—and to begin next year with even more clarity, purpose, and momentum.

Get my Done-For-You PD: Reflecting on Our Year with Glows & Grows and access the ready-to-use reflection tools.  It’s included in this month’s subscription, along with continued access to time-saving resources each month, or you can grab it by itself from my TPE store.