This has the week of the phoenix.
There are several moments that I need to acknowledge and I think this blog entry is best told as vignettes.
Monday, Room 11 2, Group Meeting, Brigid and Rebec ca, 4:15pm
It seems like we had only just seen each other, the first round had only been implemented the Friday before; I could feel everyones sense of both excitement and anxiousness at moving forward with such purpose. Both 8th grader teachers read and brought reflections from the weekend blog posts, it was the starting point of our discussion, a shared jumping off point of conversation.
She took a huge risk, she found her words carefully, she thought about all the context she wanted to build up so that she could come out and say what was most true for her in that moment.
Brigid: Honestly it was one of the best lessons, I kept thinking 'I wish I was being observed right now' because I knew what it meant to be distinguished and I could see it happening: the kids were doing all the work. I just got to walk around and help them exactly where they were on they worked the rest of the time.
This moment, from a teacher, who sometimes misses her own brilliance giving herself far less credit than she deserves, FELT what it meant to have a classroom where kids were REALLY taking ownership of learning, how different it was, what her role was, how she fit, how good it felt.
"You know the other thing I am appreciative of, is that our students with IEP's have not been pulled yet because we are figuring out what their needs might be with this work. Today some of the students had to work in groups with other kids they don't usually work with and they were really asking for everyones input." - Brigid
A child who usually gets pulled from class, who never really does the same work as everyone else, who is OBVIOUSLY different (and not in a good way.. right??) because that's how middle school works- this kid got to be the same, got to have a voice, because everyone was equally unsure- as one right answer was impossible.
She saw her own magnificence, she was excited, she sounded invigorated. She WAS the Innovation.
Within 5 school days students:
1. Answered critical thinking questions using a variety of documents from diverse content areas,
2. Used google drive to manage it
3. AND looked back on their work as a collective to make a scale of answers
all
...in order to improve their understanding of what excellence looks like.
There are several moments that I need to acknowledge and I think this blog entry is best told as vignettes.
Monday, Room 11 2, Group Meeting, Brigid and Rebec ca, 4:15pm
It seems like we had only just seen each other, the first round had only been implemented the Friday before; I could feel everyones sense of both excitement and anxiousness at moving forward with such purpose. Both 8th grader teachers read and brought reflections from the weekend blog posts, it was the starting point of our discussion, a shared jumping off point of conversation.
She took a huge risk, she found her words carefully, she thought about all the context she wanted to build up so that she could come out and say what was most true for her in that moment.
She felt vulnerable.
What would it mean for her to BE an innovation- not something she was doing- but the embodiment of change?
This is my work as a spiritual revolutionary in the field of psychology and education- psychoeducation as I have not come to understand it- the new version. This is the work I can SEE these teachers DOING with students already.
What would it mean for her to BE an innovation- not something she was doing- but the embodiment of change?
This is my work as a spiritual revolutionary in the field of psychology and education- psychoeducation as I have not come to understand it- the new version. This is the work I can SEE these teachers DOING with students already.
I see the summer work as dropping a pebble in a still pound and these the first wrinkles out, the flow of change rippling across our lives.
She was sparked, she wanted to start a blog.
We had some wonderful conversation about the next level of the lessons (with the student development of standards scale), made some concrete plans for the days of implementation in the next month, and came up with a powerful idea for the retreat NGC is sponsoring for the 8th grade in a few weeks (more to come!!!).
Tuesday, conversation with Brigid on the phone about how the implementation of students evaluation experience went, 5:15pm
Me: So how did it go?
She was sparked, she wanted to start a blog.
We had some wonderful conversation about the next level of the lessons (with the student development of standards scale), made some concrete plans for the days of implementation in the next month, and came up with a powerful idea for the retreat NGC is sponsoring for the 8th grade in a few weeks (more to come!!!).
Tuesday, conversation with Brigid on the phone about how the implementation of students evaluation experience went, 5:15pm
Me: So how did it go?
Brigid: Honestly it was one of the best lessons, I kept thinking 'I wish I was being observed right now' because I knew what it meant to be distinguished and I could see it happening: the kids were doing all the work. I just got to walk around and help them exactly where they were on they worked the rest of the time.
This moment, from a teacher, who sometimes misses her own brilliance giving herself far less credit than she deserves, FELT what it meant to have a classroom where kids were REALLY taking ownership of learning, how different it was, what her role was, how she fit, how good it felt.
"You know the other thing I am appreciative of, is that our students with IEP's have not been pulled yet because we are figuring out what their needs might be with this work. Today some of the students had to work in groups with other kids they don't usually work with and they were really asking for everyones input." - Brigid
A child who usually gets pulled from class, who never really does the same work as everyone else, who is OBVIOUSLY different (and not in a good way.. right??) because that's how middle school works- this kid got to be the same, got to have a voice, because everyone was equally unsure- as one right answer was impossible.
She saw her own magnificence, she was excited, she sounded invigorated. She WAS the Innovation.
Within 5 school days students:
1. Answered critical thinking questions using a variety of documents from diverse content areas,
2. Used google drive to manage it
3. AND looked back on their work as a collective to make a scale of answers
all
...in order to improve their understanding of what excellence looks like.
Thursday, phone conversation with Rebecca, 8:30pm
She told me she completed a blog post, but said it was probably bad, crowding her creation in a cloud self doubt before I even read it.
I told her I wanted to respond in person, even before I read it, because I wanted the authenticity presence brings, instead of the technology keeping our connection apart.
But then I read it.
Her vulnerability echoed the phoenix risings from the rest of the week. Her blog post is a powerful testimony to someone BEING the work.
Please read this powerful entry which needs no other introduction HERE
I know now, more than ever, that this work is not just about a model. Its not about the exact lesson plan or mini lessons, it is not about a perfect evaluation systems with SMART goals.
All those things are GOOD, they help you become clearer on qualities of the work when it is going well.
But the work, is about responsiveness- about assessing, deciding, and being what it is that will help the person you are with in the moment.
Innovation doesn't happen through pen and paper- it happens when we act out our ideas in the world- and the root of change- for me- is compassion.
I am honored to be a part of this journey of phoenix births: from ashes to wings and back again. I love what I see around me, I am honored by the reflection of Love I see, I can feel our collective force of energy ripping the shackels that bid us.
To many more moments of growth and personal discovery.
Namaste.
She told me she completed a blog post, but said it was probably bad, crowding her creation in a cloud self doubt before I even read it.
I told her I wanted to respond in person, even before I read it, because I wanted the authenticity presence brings, instead of the technology keeping our connection apart.
But then I read it.
Her vulnerability echoed the phoenix risings from the rest of the week. Her blog post is a powerful testimony to someone BEING the work.
Please read this powerful entry which needs no other introduction HERE
I know now, more than ever, that this work is not just about a model. Its not about the exact lesson plan or mini lessons, it is not about a perfect evaluation systems with SMART goals.
All those things are GOOD, they help you become clearer on qualities of the work when it is going well.
But the work, is about responsiveness- about assessing, deciding, and being what it is that will help the person you are with in the moment.
Innovation doesn't happen through pen and paper- it happens when we act out our ideas in the world- and the root of change- for me- is compassion.
I am honored to be a part of this journey of phoenix births: from ashes to wings and back again. I love what I see around me, I am honored by the reflection of Love I see, I can feel our collective force of energy ripping the shackels that bid us.
To many more moments of growth and personal discovery.
Namaste.