To encourage dialogue and reflection about the importance of hope and the role it plays in our lives, our question for this week is: As we begin Term 3, what is one hope you have for yourself as a learner? Willful Hope (Week of 3/13/22) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
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Blake's Core Values: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness, Reflection
Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.
The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning. - John Dewey
You cannot teach today the same way you did yesterday to prepare students for tomorrow. - John Dewey
With one less hour of time for rest and restoration this past weekend due to Daylight Savings, I hope that everyone was able to step back a bit for whatever is needed. The weather on Saturday contributed to a very quiet day in our house, and Katie and I enjoyed taking Lila for a walk Sunday afternoon with the extended sunlight.
- We held our incoming 6th grade informational meeting for families on Wednesday - a sign that we are entering the ‘in between’ phase of two school years. ** As a side note, our last ‘in person’ event at Blake for families was the incoming 6th Night back in 2020, prior to the quarantine period. It was so wonderful to have some families in the building again.
- Term 2 ended on Friday - in many ways, it’s hard to believe we are at the beginning of Term 3.
- Conversations and meetings are happening about our end of the year - this brings forth both excitement and ‘a little panic’ as we have so much yet to do.
With so much going on for all of us (students, staff, families, and community) as we start (what can be) a very busy time of year for many, I keep coming back to the importance and role that hope and optimism can play for us. Truth be told, one of the reasons I keep the hashtags of #willfulhope and #willfulaction in e-mails and communications is to hold myself accountable - it is hard to sometimes find the proverbial ‘light in the darkness’, but I do know that it is critical. The post below by Michael Fullan brought some light for me, and it may do the same for others - and, the responses from our question shed some light as to how an articulated understanding of ourselves can help to meld hope and action in the path of learning and growth.
Why We Can Feel More Optimistic About Learning
by Michael Fullan in Education Week
As we enter 2022, humanity is exhausted. Few of us can remember being so downtrodden in our lifetimes. Physical (climate) and social (low trust and mutual dislike) negativity are at extreme levels. Mental stress has rarely been so high for so many. Education is in disarray. Yet human evolution is a crazy thing. It can rebound when things seem hopeless. It can take off with great speed and power when new configurations begin to appear and feed on themselves. In this respect, there are six reasons why I am optimistic about learning in the coming year. Together, they provide a runway to future learning that could be transformative.
At the same time, the next period could go horribly wrong. There is a vacuum now. Bad things fill vacuums faster than good things do. My six optimistic reasons are not automatic. They provide a platform for what’s worth fighting for. The hard work remains to be done. The quality of our future, maybe even our very existence, depends on our individual and collective uptake of these six interrelated themes…
- Escaping a bad system.
- Recognizing and working with our best allies.
- Well-being and learning are joining forces.
- New more powerful forms of learning are on the rise.
- Diverse leadership will grow and present new benefits
- Systems will begin to change.
It is debatable whether human evolution will inevitably self-correct in positive ways (humans are born to connect, but not all forms of connection turn out to be positive). But I do think when destructive patterns begin to feel permanent, that most of us, especially the very young, are inclined to want to do something about it. They are our best bet. This is why a strong learning system is key. It will be beautifully ironic if positive contagion turns out to be our savior.
Sampling of Responses from Last Week’s ‘Question of the Week’: What do you need from others to help you learn?
- I need support.
- Inspiration and humor!
- Collaboration
- Not distractions
- Patience and grace that I may make a mistake or two along the way.
- To listen and be curious about my understandings.
- An ear
- I need my teachers to touch all perspectives of ideas.
- You need advice from trusted people.
** And, in a moment of serendipity, a good friend forwarded me an e-mail this morning, along with these words speaking to the importance of practicing hope rather than planning for a perfect future…
As always, let me know of any questions/concerns.
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Take care.
Nat