A saver of lots--
And finally cleaning out a folder in one drawer of my desk-
I came upon the following--
Not remembering when or why I wrote this--
But knowing it is what I believe--
I believe all children should have the opportunity to strive for their greatest potential and that every child can learn, not always in the same way or on the same day.
I believe that teaching is, at its core, a moral profession. Helping students become connected, passion-driven learners is a moral issue. Most of us went into education to change the world, to help kids make a difference and we should always remember that.
I believe the digital era puts us in a position to collectively re imagine learning and to transform education into an experience with lasting relevance to the 21st century learner.
I believe that when we each bring our unique talents and gifts to a community of learners and engage in collegial discussions, we can change the world.
Last night-- the sun went down and the twinkling of fireflies captured my attention- Always, they've seemed magical and caused me to wonder on their being, where they'd light next.
And then this morning, for the first time in 2 months, school buses rolled by our home, stopping as they proceeded north to pick up our high school neighbor; later, going south, they scooped up the first grader from the house on other side. It's the beginning of a new school year in Chardon.
A coincidence-- fireflies and school buses, the first day of school. Maybe for some but for me it was a perfect confluence -- for I'd been seeing Tweets galore about back to school and posts on blogs too. I'd been thinking lots on first days-- for so very many years they held great promise and possibility personally for me. I know they must for every teacher too.
Here's my wish for Chardon's teachers and every educator as this new school commences (and here's how the fireflies come in).
I wish that every student will share the same feelings that John Steinbeck eloquently penned in "Captured Fireflies"
In her classroom our speculations ranged the world She aroused us to book waving discussions. Every morning we came to her carrying new truths, new facts, New ideas cupped and sheltered in our hands like captured fireflies. When she went away a sadness did not go out. She left her signature upon us. The literature of the teacher who writes on children's minds. I've had many teachers who taught us soon forgotten things, But only a few like her who created in me a new thing, a new attitude, a new hunger. I suppose that to a large extent I am the unsigned manuscript of that teacher. What deathless power lies in the hands of such a person.
I wish you well. I ask you to be brave and humble and kind and tenacious and wise and caring and gentle and fierce.
And one last wish, I hope your students will find unconditional acceptance as they learn with you. Alfie Kohn's 2005 article in Educational Leadership speaks to the potential of Unconditional Teaching--
In short, unconditional acceptance is what kids require in order to flourish.
we need to think about whether our posture toward students really provides them with as much of the unconditional acceptance they need as possible.
Keep these close to your heart-- the magic of captured fireflies, the request for bravery, humility, kindness, wisdom, caring, gentleness and fierceness, and children's needs for unconditional acceptance -- especially on those days that are challenging and difficult and possibilities will abound--
This quote on reflective teaching easily transfers to reflective coaching. Think coach or coaching for teach and the word coachee for students.
Reflective Teaching is a habit of mind that requires consciously thinking about how teaching practices impact students’ learning. According to Kennedy (1989) reflective teaching promotes a thoughtful, contextualized view of teaching from which teachers learn how to make choices about educational goals and practices. Just as we hope our students will show growth over time, as teachers we can show growth in our practice if we take the time to reflect.
Professional growth can occur if we first look back on our practice to draw conclusions about events, then change our behaviors as a result of research, knowledge and reflection. Teachers can become empowered decision makers, engaging in systematic reflection of their work by thinking, writing, and talking about their teaching; observing the acts of their own and others teaching and by gauging the impact of their teaching on their students’ learning (Farrell, 2004).http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Art-of-Reflection-What-you-need-to-do-to-improve-your-practice/blog/6094913/127586.html
And I suggest that they be transparent in their reflection.
The reflections of this group of co learners are thoughtful; they are powerful. These folks are on a journey deep into understanding coaching in online spaces and into being one of those coaches. They open a window onto learning and Connected Coaching.
Linda: "As coaches, we speak with a positive intent, believing in the competency, dedication, and capability of those we coach" Coaching: Ten Essential Ideas | Nitsche Notes
Fiona: "“however when I decided to provide reflections on my colleagues reflections I realised that I was learning more deeply.” Reflecting on Connected Coaching | eLearning Reflections
Matt: "One of the most important concepts I have taken away from this
experience is appreciative inquiry. I am constantly revisiting it. My
goal is to reflect on my capacity to focus on the positive when working
with other learners in online spaces. Reflections from My Connected Coaching eCourse #plpnetwork | Reading by Example
Lauren: "It really is a rare privilege to engage in this type of listening and conversation" Connected Coaches Course #plpnetwork | Innovation ANESU
Cathy: "It seems so obvious to me now that the power and beauty of the connected
coaching model lies in “coming alongside” and supporting my colleagues
as they explore and lead themselves on a journey which meets their own
wants and needs." Reflections on Learning to be a Connected Coach | Journeys off the Beaten Path
What a privilege to learn with Linda, Fiona, Matt, Lauren and Cathy!
How can we best prepare children and adolescents to thrive in the 21st century? This question is at the heart of what every educator attempts to do on a daily basis. Apart from imparting content of knowledge and facts, however, it’s becoming clear that the “noncognitive competencies” known as grit, perseverance, and tenacity are just as important, if not more so, in preparing kids to be self-sufficient and successful. -- source
And adults too? Grit as a non cognitive competency --- have educators given serious thought to this? And if we haven't should we? And doesn't grit and resilience apply to our learning too?
"In many cases, particularly with unfamiliar material, educators need to engage students in activities that bridge
from their interests and familiar experiences to the learning objectives to help students attain more complex learning goals." (Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance—Critical Factors for Success)
What if just a few words were altered?
In many cases, particularly with unfamiliar material, educators coaches need to engage students educators in activities that bridge
from their interests and familiar experiences to the learning objectives to help students them attain more complex learning goals.
Isn't that similar to this?
Your role as a connected coach will be to deepen the learning experience for those you coach. You will be the bridge from the theory they are hearing to practical application applied in their own personal contexts. Self directed learning is a connection activity. It requires connection to the content and context, to oneself, and to those who are part of the learning community, community of inquiry and the network. (Nussbaum-Beach and Ritter Hall)
And this-- a disposition we've (Sheryl and I) valued for both connected learners and Connected Coaches:
Perseverance toward deep thought by exploring ideas and concepts, rethinking, revising, and continual repacking and unpacking, resisting urges to finish prematurely
Perhaps there is a need to be more specific, to dig deeper with coaches and other connected learners than "perseverance". For I am convinced-- grit and resilience are non cognitive competencies we as learners (and coaches) need too! So I'm thinking on additional ways that I might support coaches in the coming year-- I'm going to look more closely at the USDOE paper and draw and adapt what may be appropriate for adult learners in creating an environment that enables others to embrace their own grit and resilience. And encourage coaches to be mindful of that also. A work in progress here as I reflect, read, and think some more.
We’ve let circumstance define who we are and draw boundaries for us
that are unnecessary. The means to bring about real shift — to resolve
the issues that stand in the way of powerful learning and powerful
practice — are found within the collective, collaborative mindset we
have inside us. Taking the posture of a learner first, educator second requires
us to understand that we will never arrive at the place of “super
educator.” The truth is that even if we solve the problems facing us as a
profession, the solutions will only give way to new problems. Now more
than ever we need to become the learners we have always wanted our
students to be.
My sense is grit and resilience are a big parts of that mindset she references-- as we each become more self directed in our learning.
Grit and resilience-- competencies, dispositions even more relevant for 21st century adult learners --I'm wondering if it's time for thinking deep on our own strategies and making them more visible to our colleagues and our students?
“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” ― Dr. Seuss
That's true for this video too!
More than 30 minutes of video worth watching
As a group of learners collaborate
And relationships develop both between the learners and the Meadowlark residents
Michael Wesch and his students created a video that illustrates the potential of passion and relationships on many levels.
The video techniques are engaging, powerful and compelling.
The stories-- of the students, of the residents, of the assisted living model
Exemplify all that is good when people are open in engaging and sharing with each other--
The seniors' stories touched my soul-- of love, of life, of death, of coping.
The students' realizations of the depth of their authentic learning around both community and the impact of the relationships they developed caused me to smile broadly.
The model of community at Meadowlark, complete with bar, gave me great hope.
That each of us can experience this type of opportunity for learning, for caring and share that with our students-- what could be better?
And you've got to watch it to the end!
And then, smile because it happened--
"The flow of water carves rock, a little bit at a time. And our personhood is carved, too, by the flow of our habits."
--Jonathan Safran Foer
It happened twice! within an hour--
We were out grocery shopping in the heat--
On a Saturday morning--
In and out of air conditioning, into the hot car--
And with that, Gus was having increasingly more trouble walking--
And twice, total strangers-- 2 different caring men-- approached us, asking they could help, were we ok?
And my mind came back to the tab that's been open in my browser since June 8 when Stephen Ransom shared this opinion piece from the NYTimes on Twitter-- How Not to be Alone. So much food for thought there-- for example the quote above-- that resonated with me.
And yet, the sentence that came before it gave me pause and caused me to leave that open.
My daily use of technological communication has been shaping me into someone more likely to forget others.
Perhaps it's because of the habit of care modeled by my parents-- Daddy sent this to me when I was young and I've carried it with me
"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." -- George Bernard Shaw
Perhaps it's because of my alma mater and my years there that profoundly influenced me--
My father was a mechanical engineer, a man of the slide rule, precise and always planning ahead of time (I still have his plan for my garden done to scale). When my sister and I were young, he would call AAA one time each year-- for maps for our 2 week vacation when we'd take a trip-- to New York, to Washington, to Jamestown. All of those trips-- as wonderful as they were, the memories so vivid as if they were yesterday-- were all about the destination.
I can still picture those AAA maps clearly in my head (I can't find an image) -- they would be in a booklet format with a number of pages and the route we would take was highlighted with a marker. We'd go so many miles and have to flip the page to see the map for the next leg of our journey. When our trip was longer, there would a notation at the motel where we would spend the night. We knew just where we were going and when and eagerly explored those maps prior to our departure.
School, for me, was a planned journey too-- one in which I had no part in planning the destination or the travel. I was simply along for the ride-- usuallyone lacking side trips-- Sure, I had 1 or 2 options of courses I could take-- all which had to fit within the profile needed to gain entrance to college. The one learning journey of my own choosing in high school-- a source of great pride and meaning to me-- was with a group of adults in night school. At the height of the Cold War, and a senior, I had decided I wanted to teach Russian; having no options for doing that in the high school, with my parents blessing I spend a semester learning Russian-- in conversations, listening to stories of the adult learners. Здравствуйте Zdrastvooyte (Hello) and Спасибо Spaseeba (Thank you) pretty much define my remembering of the language; it was the journey that I carried with me to this day.
Fast forward--
Our trips in this day of Google Maps and GPS are wide open, flexible and at times on the spur of the moment, at least for Gus and I. They are more about the journey- the times we spend together in the car singing with Chicago, Three Dog Night, and Seals and Croft and the stops and sidetrips we make along the way-- rather than the destination.
My learning journeys and the ones I facilitate for others have evolved too, from carefully planned with a specific destination to wide open with room for serendipitous and more personalized learning. As a co learner and facilitator, the possibilities arising from inquiry and following passions capture my imagination-- compelling a quest for deeper understanding.
I had the privilege in the January to mid March section of the Connected Coaching eCourse to travel with an accomplished group of co learners, many with significant experience in face to face coaching. Although I hope that everyone in the course will always view the potential for change in our Connected Coaching model and see the possibilities throughout the process, I am never sure how our journey will play out for so many reasons. Since I've requested that each co learner create his/her own learning contract, since I've stressed our time together is about their following their personal interests under the umbrella of coaching in online spaces-- it has been my fervent hope that that request and some possible paths outlined mapped in the MentorMob playlists and
weekly overviews set the stage for organic, messy, linked learning increasing the likelihood of trips characterized by detours, side trips and loop backs.
For this trek, the discussion and angst around the learning contracts which are shared with the entire group and for which many request feedback went deep with serious questions around its purpose and value. Initially, this request (the learning contract and it is a request as are all the learning opportunities) is open with few parameters or introduction. When the questions arose I added a resource on heutagogy that speaks to the importance of self governed learning, the contracts filled the discussion thread as did comments supporting each others efforts and various paths towards personal goals emerged. We were on our way-- together. And I had my first big aha moment! When I had adapted the learning contract for the eCourse, I had not given thought(and should have) to the connotations of "contract". When Doris suggested she'd prefer to call her contract a learning pledge-- my brain stopped for a moment-- and then realized the implications and what a difference one word can make and how much more aligned pledge is to the community building of the eCourse and to the Connected Coaching model! Next trip-- learning pledge is it!
What else characterized this journey? Where did we go? What learning landscapes did we explore with each co learner as point person at one time or another?
Exploration of trustbuilding, co creating content was in many ways similar to other journeys-- the collaborative presentation illustrated beautifully the many and varied perspectives on building trust in online spaces.
Appreciative inquiry; listening, paraphrasing and questioning; stories; protocols -- became high points as we uncovered their potential in coaching. Lisa and Carol engaged in a remarkable appreciative inquiry conversation in one webinar; in breakout rooms, coaching pairs spread their AI wings as they responded to each others stories and aspirations. And upon request, they coached each other again and again! Stopping there and exploring-- exciting, exhilarating -- and a first for the cohorts with whom I've traveled. The potential of story to elicit areas of strength and passion captured the attention of co learners and enabled some very personal "aha" moments. Through stories, such as the one below, we came to more fully know and trust each other.
The wayfinding, the inquiry, the strength based approach-- modeled in the course and extolled in the Connected Coaching model compelled Janelle to write:
"What I have come to understand is that coaching online especially connected coaching has the essence of what makes us tick in person as well as online and that it is the embodiment of inquiry that is truly essential. What better way to be coached than through thoughtful questions, exploration in a dynamic environment not pre-packaged or pre-defined. We have the liberty to innovate as we work in partnerships with teachers, coach and learn as we make our way."
The co learners traveled a formerly unbeaten path deep into protocols in the threaded discussions and in the webinars. As they skillfully led and implemented protocols in the webinars, learning landscapes for everyone widened and expanded. Carol engaging the group in Speed Dating Brainstorming and The Workstyles protocol truly illustrated her exhortation in chat "the power of protocols". Jennifer's brainstorming question around reflection led to a leveraging of technology for unique and meaningful reflections. Eric's thoughtful explanation of Immunity to Change compelled each of us to consider its use more deeply.
The reflections, often a path less traveled, revealed that immersion in an strength based inquiry environment facilitates personal learning rated by Amanda as "profound". For Eileen, our journey was a bit of a surprise:
"As I reflected back on my learning contract I was so focused on the technology piece but what I really got out of this course was a deep understanding of what coaching is and how stories, positive inquiry and coming from strength can really affect change. Very powerful for me."
"I’ve known for a long time about the value of careful listening and paraphrasing, but I learned to focus on the positive perspective in the paraphrasing--for the purpose of helping the other recognize strengths they might not see for themselves--and then to build on those strengths moving forward."
Reflections, filled with learning and realizations, demonstrate "our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”-- Don Williams, Jr.
Fellow travelers define the journey-- more so when they are passioned, smart, eager to travel, always ready to explore a new view, or examine the implications for the bumps in the road/the meaningful detours. This journey was no exception. What an honor and a privilege it was to have Amy Musone as my traveling partner co facilitating and learning with me. She added a new dimension to learning for all of us with her practitioner perspective pointing to new horizons.
It was a trek I'll long remember-- deep into areas often passed by -- all for the love of the journey.
Unlike Dad's- without a clear roadmap-- thinking he might not find that a bad thing--
One of my favorite reads these days is John T. Spencer's edrethink -- so much of what he writes and thinks resonates deeply with me. His post from early February, Age Matters, has been an open tab on my browser for almost 2 months now and his words ring continue to ring true for me.
This from his final paragraph speaks to me in so many ways and I wanted to share it out loud here:
I believe that children of all ages are capable of deep thinking. I
believe that they can shock us with their wisdom and their insight and
their knowledge. But I also believe that they are kids. And as kids,
they don't think like adults. Not entirely, at least. So, when you ask a
fourth grader to identify the key details in a job application or you
ask a second grader (who still can't comprehend the size of the sea) to
learn longitude and latitude, it's about as absurd as having an open bar
in the cafeteria.
This is a screen capture of the live feed of our town square running this morning on http://www.newsnet5.com.
It's one year today since a terrible tragedy befell our small town. A 17 year old shot and killed 3 students in the cafeteria of our local high school and wounded 3 others.
The community and the students of Chardon lived the "one heartbeat" slogan that became the mantra for healing and red/black ribbons (colors of the high school) were everywhere.
Yesterday the now 18 year old young man responsible for this death and pain pled guilty to all charges thus averting a painful and long trial. And last night the high school band and orchestra played a memorial concert for the community to give back for all that had been given to them.
Today the students will be involved in service projects of their choosing. From the beginning they have been all about supporting each other and the community. And they will participate in a collective walk to the square as they did one year ago when they walked from the square to the high school to enter the building for the first time after the tragedy.
The generosity of people from across the nation who contributed to the Chardon Healing Fund will continue to support all those in need as they continue to move forward from that difficult day.
The resilience, the strength and courage, and the humanity of Chardon students, of staff of Chardon Schools and of parents shines brightly today as the TV cameras once again invade our town. That light will continue long after they are gone and nurture the ongoing healing process.
I've been asked about online relationships-- are they real-- a number of times--
Here's my response--
They
are real! And they evoke emotions as deep as any I’ve experienced in face to
face life.
For example, Sheryl and I have met face to face only twice
for about a total of 1 hour in the 6 years we have collaborated together; our book was written totally in the cloud. Yet we know each other’s
family; we’ve laughed at the antics of her dachshunds and we’ve shared deeply
personal stories. As we Skyped one day I laughed so hard that tears flowed down
my cheeks as she described her “wardrobe malfunctions” to me.
Anne Davis, an educator in Georgia whom I’ve never met, and
I laughed over comments made by her students for Harley, our Shepherd who mentored
them on his blog . She and I commiserated over the health issues of our spouses, we problem
solved how to deal with inappropriate comments on student blogs, and she
grieved with me when we had to say good bye to our beloved Harley.
When I read stories from community members about successes
of their students, tears of happiness fill my eyes.When co learners in eCourses I facilitate
experience “aha” moments, I smile –very, very broadly. My husband catches those
smiles and wonders—and often I read to him. During affirmations at the final
webinar of the Connected Coaching eCourse, my voice catches, tears fill my eyes
at the deep relationships learners developed and their extraordinary learning;
inevitably there is at least one other who shares tears too. The feelings and
emotions I’ve shared virtually are as palpable as any I’ve experienced.
Online relationships are real, are deep, are meaningful, are fulfilling.
This year as I reflected, it just seems to me that one word, one theme, that I've found to be particularly helpful to me needs to expand to 3.
My three words-- Possibility Open Focus
They complement each other. They can converge to enable that which I can not imagine. Although open and focus seem contradictory, I believe that openness to new ideas and a focus on what is important can lead to untold possibilities.
This year, as with others, I look to the possibilities that will abound.
Imagine my surprise when I searched for the "one word" post to reference after I began this writing to find that Ali's word was also open. http://aliedwards.com/2012/12/one-little-word-2013.html#more-26841
In this winter of shared grief, as we go our ways in tears, let our thoughts and prayers be sent from our heart's deep core for love to surround and embrace Newtown and give them strength and courage needed to face tomorrow.
And let's recommit --to each other in the communities we inhabit, to our local colleagues, to our networks-- to keeping everyone close and closer as we aspire to make this world a better place for children.
Image: 'Candles' http://www.flickr.com/photos/35660391@N08/4245733960 Found on flickrcc.net
The Connected Teacher: Powering Up shares stories written by teachers and school leaders who are making the shift to technology infused, student-driven learning on behalf of their iGeneration students.
The 22 helpful articles in Powering Up first appeared here in our Voices from the Learning Revolution group blog. In addition to the original text, the book includes images, clickable links, videos and selected comments from readers of the original posts.
Becky, Patti, and Marsha give selflessly to their coaching practice and now the world has the opportunity to become more closely acquainted with these passioned educators.
Those of us living in NE Ohio have been gifted the last two weeks with sunshine and temperatures in the upper 50s and 60s. That's big here-- rarely does the sun shine in November and often we are deep in snow -- for example
The irresistible sunshine pulled me outside to garden chores I had left for spring. On my knees with the sun on my back, cutting back the 3 foot high Monarda stems blown askew by Sandy, I smiled as I remembered the pink blossoms in their glory the past summer. Their strength-- the height and pink they bring to a landscape also graced with shorter yellow daylilies, pink peonies, deep pink coral bells, orange lillies, and yellow primrose. The Monarda are a favorite of the hummingbirds as they blossom and of the finches and chickadees for strong enough stalks to hold them as they light to check out surroundings. As I looked over the cut back, brown remains of the other perennials, I recalled their glory as they stood alone and their wonderful swath of color as they grew together.
Stems cut back, basking in the sun, my mind turned as it does so often these days, to Connected Coaching. Strong connections to the array of perennials in my garden struck me again as I reflected on the remarkable opportunity to improve a collective coaching practice with 13 talented, passioned educators in the Powerful Learning Practice Connected Learner Experience.
The group thrives and grows on the extraordinary synergy that emerges each time we meet together much like the collective swath of color from the garden. And coaches bring that synergy into the CLE community in their own unique ways much like the blossoms of each perennial in the garden. They become immersed in the ebb and flow of the community, much like the garden gives to the ends and beginnings of seasons. Can it be coincidence that with their pairings, their strengths and characteristics beautifully compliment the approach they bring to their coaching as do the groupings of perennials in the garden?
Anne and Amy, Amanda, Becky and Dave, Patti and Heidi, Gene and Pati, Mark and Lisa, Marsha and Debby -- bring warmth, enthusiasm, joy, and caring to their coaching in addition to a meaningful belief system and foundation of values that support them in the work they do with a very diverse group of learners. Their propensity for and understanding of strengths based, appreciative approaches; their tendency for mindfulness (paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally); their commitment to understanding gained through listening and asking good questions related to practice; their perseverance toward deep thought by exploring ideas and concepts, rethinking, revising, and continual repacking and unpacking, resisting urges to finish prematurely; their courage and initiative to engage in discussions on difficult or messy topics; their willingness to leave one's comfort zone to experiment with new strategies; their commitment to deep reflection and growth over time; their inclination toward being open-minded, integritous, and professional; their dedication to the ongoing development of expertise; their ardor for a culture of collegiality- that "None of us is as good as all of us" and that the contributions of all can lead to improved coaching practice; and their comfort level with and thoughtfulness for the affordances of current technology for learning --collectively and individually create a brilliant splash of color and diversity that rivals and surpasses in so many ways my garden.
References to tomorrow's upcoming 11 year anniversary are on TV--
In today's ASCD Smartbrief, the lead story's title -- "Addressing 9/11 in the classroom"--
The pain of that day-- the raw feelings, the grief at terrible loss of lives, the memory of first hearing, the disbelief -- all rush into my head at the sight of those images now on TV again. And then too remembering-- the caring, the uniting, the kindler and gentler nation we became for each other -- for a while.
On the first anniversary, I struggled with how my students and I should approach the topic in class. So complex, so many issues. They knew too well what had occurred-- the jets had scrambled over Cleveland prior to Flight 93 turning east and going down and they and their parents had seen them (I was teaching in a school near the Cleveland airport). They, as had I, watched hours of heartrending images as the tragedy unfolded. It seemed right that they should be able to express their feelings, what they knew in ways that were meaningful to them. And as it was prior to web 2.0 tools, and in the age of PowerPoint-- they did just that through emotional, beautifully composed presentations. They came to class to share, saying their parents had cried upon seeing what they created. I cried too. For those were not the meaningless PowerPoint presentations, but true expressions that captured how very deeply that day had altered their lives-- filled with images, music, and very personal thoughts.
My personal aspiration to try make a difference as we moved forward from that unspeakable day was to explore with them the subject of tolerance-- how we each could become better people in a world that was increasingly more consumed by hate. It was a class that I approached with both apprehension and a sense of
possibilities, bracing myself for all possible turns the day might take. There seemed to be almost a climate of reverence that day enabled by the exercises and activities we completed together. We each looked closely at ourselves and then shared together possibilities for moving forward as a more tolerant human being -- ways we each individually and then collectively might encourage that in others. That time we spent together, in which they realized they could take some bit of control over their lives to make a difference, was pretty powerful for all of us.
Tomorrow, if you're in a classroom, I wish for you the courage that I know is needed to approach this topic in these times--- your students likely were very young in 2001; the issues are complex; feelings run high; there may be many misconceptions. I think that the director of Teaching Tolerance said it well when she wrote:
Most important, let’s keep in mind the role education plays in healing. We teach to help children recognize and overcome the hatreds, challenges and fear that—along with the ash and sorrow—became embedded in our lives ten years ago. http://www.tolerance.org/blog/bringing-911-classroom-10-years-later
Maybe, some of these resources at Teaching Tolerance, might help you in doing just that. Your lesson, your words and your countenance tomorrow will make a profound difference in so many children's lives; in so many ways just like every other day. Yet to me, this one day has the potential to stand out above the others.
Full disclosure: I have permission to blog about this conversation.
It was going to be an easy conversation Or so I thought
A Connected Coaching eCourse participant Self assessing her learning and sharing with me the grade she felt she had earned and why
It was the first day of school for her and she had just returned from a first session of music with second graders. She shared with great delight how long it had taken for them to finish one simple task. We giggled and laughed together over the story--
It was such a good day-- the joy enveloped our Skype call.
The conversation turned toward her learning- "Had she found the content of value?" I asked. "How are you feeling about your learning?"
Without hesitation, she described what had been of greatest value to her and how it would be instrumental in the work she would be doing during the course of the year. She added a concern she had had, unwarranted, about "taking over conversations". She asked about a learning opportunity the group let pass them by (creating a collaborative rubric).
There was a silence--
So I asked, what did she feel should be the grade I reported to the institution.
There was silence--
Then she asked me what I thought it should be.
And we both laughed.
And I asked, why is self assessing so difficult?
And we laughed again.
And she said her second graders were very good at it as were her daughters--
And I asked her again.
And again there was silence.
She never could bring herself to say it.
I finally asked, both of us laughing some more, "Does the letter have points or curves?"
"Points" she said.
To which I replied, from what you have told me, of course, it is an A.
Why is self assessing for very smart learners so hard? We didn't use video in the Skype call; did that make a difference when we couldn't read each other's body language? Had we not developed enough trust between us?
I surely do have my moments--
Sometimes I am so dense--
And then what I missed jumps up and slaps me in the face-- hard--
It is for those slaps that I am extremely grateful--
The most recent-- thanks to the very wise, very accomplished women educators in the recently finished section of the Connected Coaching eCourse.
As they reflected collaboratively on our 11 weeks together and I listened in our final webinar, it became crystal clear--
I have repeatedly attributed the depth of learning and the collegial relationships evidenced in each section of the eCourse to the very intentional building of trust and relationships that we focus on early in the course. I wrote about that here and here. Now that I've listened so closely, I realize I developed a lazer focus, neglecting to highlight critical elements that also contribute to what have been extraordinary personal outcomes for all of us who have co constructed knowledge together. Don't get me wrong, there is no way the importance of trust and relationships can be understated. No. Way.
It is that, coupled with process that creates an environment for learning that leads to each member leaving the course with a bittersweet feeling. Bittersweet-- It was like climbing a mountain. Bummed that it is over. I struggled. I am a changed person. It was hard, rigorous. We need to maintain these connections.
I am convinced an appreciative, strength based inquiry approach to learning, one in which co learners are self directed, self governing, leads to the deepest learning and self realization. The approach enables each co learner to explore that which they wonder. It requires deep thinking in that the inquiry is facilitated through questions, those of the lead learner and that of all co learners. The approach creates a "no fail", safe environment for learning in which each learner feels valued.
Add to that the element of a personal learning contract described as challenging, empowering, difficult, freeing, respecting the learner. Woven together, the contract, the appreciative strength based inquiry process and the intentional growing of relationships and trust create a rich tapestry that embraces, immerses, and supports collaborative personal learning that enables the best of knowing and doing.
Well, duh! Of course-- Now that I've heard it from them, it seems pretty obvious to me.
Wendy, Heidi, Amy, Dawn, Judi, Janne, Pati and Lindy-- thank you! Thank you highlighting what I should have realized so much earlier. And thank you for giving so much of yourselves during our 11 weeks together.
