Every child knows how to like something, but they don't always know how to make it applicable to learning. Sometimes they don't see the connections and that's where we have to help. The more transparent we can make the learning process, the better students will be able to choose when you ask them "What do you want to learn?"
Although there have been countless other daily risks taken as it pertains to assessment reform and conversations had, the above were the most significant risks I took this year. Since I'm always looking to keep pushing forward, standing on the precipice of success and failure, has become a ledge I'm all too acquainted with. And failure does happen. And that's okay. With each unsuccessful risk comes an opportunity for reflection and continued growth.
Any change worth making take a fair effort of all stakeholders involved, so it is necessary for us to do our best to make sure the message is clear as to why and that lines of communication are open to answer questions that arise. Change is hard and it invokes fear in most people, so we must make sure we do what we can to ease that discomfort.
Remember the children we teach are "whole". We can't always cater to the academic at the peril of other aspects of who they are as people. Consider the social emotional well being of your students and let them reflect on learning already done and prepare for what is to come when they return.
More than learning about myself and others, was dispelling myths about certain ways of communicating and working on leaving judgment behind. It's important to see these styles as a given and once we know who we are and we are dealing with, we can more effectively collaborate.
Many students work hard when it comes to doing the things they connect with like playing a sport or learning a musical instrument; even gaming generates opportunities to persist. Candy Crush for example, says you "failed" when you don't complete a level, yet, we don't throw our hands up in the air and never return to the game. We keep playing until we pass and sometimes we even continue to play to surpass an earlier score. However, students don't connect these skills to their learning. We have to make it transparent.
Living outside the box, has helped me engage countless students into a dance that encourages them out of their own comfort zones and into their own unique skins. First helping them take the labels off, and then placing their reflective glasses on.
We must be mindful in what we ask students to do on their free time and really make sure it's something worth doing. Do we want them to love reading and spend time doing it because the enjoy it or do we want to monitor their every move and determine how they will interact with text?
#ECET2NY914 will kick off this weekend as a part of the growing trend of regional ECET2 (Elevating and Celebrating Teachers and Teaching) convenings happening all over the country. Participating in events like these is a unique and inspiring experience, but in addition to participating this year, I'...
We must continue to offer students opportunity to take ownership of their learning or they will never learn how to do so. The more we insist on their involvement, the more they will have to get involved.
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