The day closes with a two-part practice in reflection and recognition. First, participants take time for individual written reflection: what landed today, what shifted, what they want to carry forward. Then the group moves into a facilitated peer affirmation round, and each person hears from two or three colleagues who share something specific they noticed or appreciated. SAIS’s research found that recognition and feeling seen are among the strongest retention drivers for early career educators. Modeling this practice here gives new teachers both an experience of being affirmed and a tool for building affirmation into their own classrooms and teams.
