To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the importance of taking time to recognize accomplishments as a learning community from the past year, this week's topic/question for the dinner table is: Share something you would like to celebrate about your own learning from the 2015-2016 school year. Please see link to Google Form to share your responses: A Community of Learners (6/12/16) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Trying to find time to breathe, relax, and simply be is a challenge at this time of year - trying to fit everything in with both family and school. We had a nice dinner out with the boys Friday evening, sports on Saturday, and then enjoyed the kids' music recital on Sunday after Owen's baseball championship - it was a beautiful day. It is hard to believe we are now in our last full week of school!
At the end of each school year there is always an abundance of posts, articles, and tweets asking the question, 'How can we assess progress at the end of a school year?' They are not all phrased in that same manner, but the overall intent is the same as we all look to assess or simply 'take in' or 'measure' the essence of a year. How we actually do this in an effective manner is up for debate and can certainly take different forms, but one 'measure' or method of reflection is to take some time to self-assess the progress has been made in relation to these questions (starting each question with 'How have you learned to...' may help)...
- Will you account for the goals of the community?
- Will you learn to recognize the indicators of a strong, positive character?
- Will you know how it feels when you do the right thing?
- Will you know how to emulate the admirable traits of your peers?
- Will you know how to be the peer your peers choose to emulate?
These are the questions that we have established as a Blake community to help guide our individual and collective progress towards our overall 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. Mission statements are important, but they are only effective and meaningful if we take the time to truly use them in a meaningful way, as is true with all of our endeavors.
At the heart of this mission and our work is to grow and foster a 'community of learners' (students, staff, parents, and greater community). That is the essence of our mission/work and a thematic/reflective approach is critical. At our end-of-year luncheon next Thursday, after the students have left and begun their summer vacations, I will be asking all staff members to answer the following questions...
- What was meaningful this year? What made teaching worthwhile? What mattered?
- Describe a positive interaction or experience you had with a student during this academic year.
- Describe or explain an accomplishment you attained or something you are proud of taking place during this academic year.
- Describe a particular student or situation during the school year who or that you feel you could have handled in a way that would have resulted in a more positive learning experience.
- How have you 'lived' our mission statement in your work and growth this year?
- What is an area that you would like to grow professionally?
These questions are the same (with the addition of the 'mission statement question) ones we have used the past few years, with the intent to foster a meaningful sense of closure, while also looking ahead to the coming year.
Self-reflection is a challenge as it requires vulnerability, a powerful but humbling 'state of reality'. But if we are 'practicing what we preach', I know it is important as it is in the dialogue (with oneself and others) that we can better understand perspectives, listen, and ask more questions. This past week's screening of Screenagers provided a great opportunity for our community to do just that - come together, reflect, and share perspectives and I hope we can continue these conversations. Brene Brown's words are empowering - 'Vulnerability is not weakness. And that myth is profoundly dangerous. Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.'
Trying to tie the ideas of reflection/closure together as we end this academic year, I am sharing three posts that are 'worth the read' as they encourage thinking about the ideas of collaboration (Blake's theme for this year coming full circle), the importance of showing up, and remembering that it should always be about the students - how can we celebrate as a community? I hope that they can help all of us (teachers, parents, students, and staff) practice the process of reflection...
Who Knows What's Best for Students?
by Peter DeWitt (@PeterMDeWitt) in Education Week
The question posed by DeWitt is one that is continually asked in regards to education - practices, homework, lessons, grading, curriculum, etc. The list could go on and on. DeWitt articulately conveys the message that we must include all constituents (students, parents, teachers, building leaders, consultants, and researchers) and keep the dialogue open - pushing the notion of collaboration beyond 'surface level'.
Long before social media there were still people writing articles and books about what works best in classrooms, and we flocked to read what we would hope would solve all of our issues with all of the students sitting in our classrooms. We found out after we read through those articles and books that there were no silver bullets that would solve all of our problems. Sometimes we walked away with more problems.
Truth be told, I hope I never have given the impression that what I write about, or what others write about in guest blogs for Finding Common Ground (FCG) is supposed to be a one-size-fits-all answer to all of your problems because...there are no easy answers to all of our issues. And sometimes we make issues where there aren't any.
Collaboration is a word that we use a lot, but sometimes that collaboration is very surface-level because the decisions have been made well before the group ever comes together to collaborate. Schools are good at surface level. There are too many schools that say they are "Growth mindset schools," "Daily 5 schools," or "PLC schools" when the reality is that they are just doing it in name alone and true, deep dialogue is not taking place across the grade levels and departments.
You Work Too Hard - Just Show Up
by Dan Rockwell (@leadershipfreak)
I have always found Rockwell's posts to be inspiring as they challenge be to think a bit differently about leadership. This post reminds me that things do not always have to be complex - 'showing up' is important and his ideas give meaning and purpose to the notion of simply getting out and about and 'wandering'.
You're working too hard. Show up by wandering around.
Exit Celebrating: 8 Epic Ideas for Ending the School Year
by Vicki Davis (@coolcatteacher) in Edutopia
Vicki Davis offers some nice ideas for teachers to end the year with the students in a celebratory manner. Reflection is one of our core values at Blake, and celebrating is certainly part of that process.
Our time is important. The kids that we teach are precious to us, and they need to know that our time together was worth it. So don't just let the year end. Celebrate learning, celebrate the moments you've had, and savor the time you have left together.
Yes, time is important. Think of the last day of school as the finish line of another yearlong race. How are you going to emphasize the excitement and joy that you and your students got out of the school year?
We should take some time to reflect, collaborate, show up, and find ways to celebrate the learning that has taken and is taking place. If we can all (teachers, students, parents) try and keep these principles in mind over the next week and a half, we are doing what is best - and, we will be pushing 'beyond the surface' as a community. Hopefully the questions noted above will help us get there, always keeping the question posed by DeWitt at the end of his post in mind - 'How is this best for students?' I promise to do my best to keep them in mind and will pose my oft-requested plea to keep me honest as well.
I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
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Take care.
Nat Vaughn