To encourage dialogue and reflection about the practice of naming and sharing our gratitude, our question for the week is: What are you thankful for this year? Acknowledging and Naming Our Thanks (Week of 11/20/22) (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
Attending the opening night performance of High School Musical was the perfect way to end the week and start the weekend! I continue to be so impressed by our students with their presence, courage, and the sense of community that they exhibit through experiences like this. Congratulations to the cast and crew and thanks to Tracy Allen, Maureen Doctoroff, Joe Knaus, Nancy McLaughlin, Deb Alkalay, Ann Marie Tremblay, Kim Price, Alice O’Connor, Kaitlyn O’Connor, Diane Horvath, Athena Polechronis, Cas Kolovos, Becca Cole, Elise Casinginho, Ashley Casinghino, and all of the parent volunteers - special kudos to Tracy for her leadership and work with all of the students! Katie and I also enjoyed some time with the boys, watching Grayden’s basketball and relishing one of the last ‘in between season activities’ weekends for us. We definitely are looking forward to having Maggie home for Thanksgiving!
(these words)...have helped me to reflect upon our work with students, the practice of gratitude, and the implications for our community. These are certainly ‘seasonal thoughts’ as they come to the forefront of my thinking each year...
- It is so important to reflect and convey our thanks
- We need to act on our gratitude
- A community must be inclusive of all
- Modeling our gratitude and acknowledging our areas of growth for where we are ‘falling short’ is critical
- We must practice, adjust, listen, recalibrate, and stay with our work - it will help us foster a culture of gratitude and support
- Gratitude is an intentional practice
- I hope we can learn and give thanks to one another
- Giving thanks is something that we all can do
Each week, this ‘forum’ of communication helps me to center my own thoughts and hopefully provide a window into some of the thoughts and themes that are being discussed, and the season of gratitude is certainly prevalent for me right now. My intent is not to come from a ‘place of knowledge’ or to ‘preach’ - rather, the intent is to reflect and open up dialogue. And, I fully recognize that many of the shares are easier said than done. Thanksgiving and the holidays are rooted in traditions, and my ‘traditional sharing’ is one grounded in gratitude – gratitude for tangible ‘artifacts’ of recent learning, reflective/active learning, and learning as a community - along with some ‘annual sentiments of thanks’...
Vitamin G
The expansive power of gratitude
by David Destano from The Character Lab
Gratitude is a super virtue. It’s an idea that dates back to Cicero, who said that gratitude is not only a great virtue but the parent of all other virtues.
To be truly grateful, you have to be other-focused. Sure, people will say, “Oh, thanks” if you do something for them. But there’s a difference between expressing a quick thanks and actually pausing and allowing yourself to feel the emotion. For a lot of people, feeling indebted to someone is a negative. Some people think that if they have to ask for help, it makes them seem weak. But actually, that’s a misprediction. A study by Sara Algoe, Chris Ovies, and other psychologists finds that if we see someone express gratitude, we perceive them as being a better person. People actually like us more when we do it.
It sounds silly, but gratitude is like taking a virtue vitamin. It strengthens many virtues, not just the virtue of gratitude itself.
…savoring moments of gratitude throughout the day becomes a habit.vJust like with medicine, where you might take multiple doses, that helps the feeling of gratitude stay in your system. Because when you feel it, that’s when it influences your behavior the most.
Recent Learning - I am thankful that we are a learning community that is willing to share and listen to one another
Some posts and links to recent podcasts that have sparked my interest and hopefully help to draw connections to the work with all of our learners…
Only out-of-the-box solutions will tackle the root cause of what ails schools - Christensen Institute
by Michael B. Horn from The Christensen Institute
As members of the media have bemoaned the tragic results of students on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)—also known as the nation’s report card—many have been all too willing to jump into the game of who is responsible. Yet, few have sought innovative solutions to change the fundamental underlying reality: today’s schools were not built to maximize each and every student’s learning.
…the report then points out that, “Just as an engine has little value atop a horse and buggy, truly realizing new possibilities requires fundamentally reimagining elements of existing paradigms in order to transition to something new and better.”
The learning models they create, “Out of the Box” argues, won’t just include a new curriculum. They should include instructional design, of which content and assessment are a part; an aligned set of pedagogical practices; an operational design that reimagines how teachers do their work, the use of time, and a physical classroom design; and a technological design that embeds the use of tools to execute the model.
Schools that seek out these innovative models will also be turning to autonomous entities that have had the freedom to rethink schooling—its purpose, its underlying experiences and use of time, and its systemic implications—to transform schooling and unleash student potential. That would, at long last, not just deal with the tragedy of the present, but transform schools to deal with the deeper travesty: that our schools, designed long ago for a different age, weren’t built to optimize learning or serve anyone particularly well.
What Teenagers Want Adults to Understand About Their Lives Online
from The Learning Network in The New York Times
Young people told us they see the internet as a “world of endless possibilities.” But, they admitted, it’s not without its downsides.
To celebrate Media Literacy Week in the United States this week, an occasion dedicated to “amplifying the importance of media literacy education across the United States,” we asked students “What Don’t Adults Understand About Teenage Life Online?”
Despite the many positives they said the internet brings to their lives, students also told us of feeling powerless to put down their phones at times, and of generational divides that keep the adults in their lives from understanding how, as just one example, social media functions more like a necessity than an option.
Can adults be of help? Though one student wrote, “We can’t expect adults to have a solution if they don’t know the problem,” many said they wished their parents would trust them — and their digital literacy skills — more online, and hoped adults could see the good, not just the bad parts, of an interconnected life.
Why teenagers make risky decisions
Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Life Stages Of The Brain
Teenagers often make risky choices that appear absurd in the eyes of their parents. But neuroscientist Adriana Galván says these decisions are critical for adolescent brain development.
Hidden Brain: A Better Way to Worry on Apple Podcasts
(52 minutes)
Anxiety is an uncomfortable emotion, which is why most of us try to avoid it. But psychologist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary says our anxiety is also trying to tell us something. This week, we explore how we can interpret those messages and manage the intense discomfort these feelings can generate.
Is School a Competition?
by Dr. Matt Doyle, Executive Director of iCERP, and Jennifer Peirson, iCERP Action Council Lead in Education Week
Is school a competition? Should some students feel like winners and others like losers on the last day of the school year?
If ‘education is life,’ we need to reset the conditions for learning to become more aligned with continuous improvement rather than high-stakes tests and arbitrary grades. All students can and want to improve; the shift is in how we measure their performance along this continuum of improvement. The measurement should be less about competing for a grade and more aligned to their progress toward becoming a well-rounded adult, complete with the habits of mind necessary to successfully navigate a complex world of work that places much higher value on persisting, thinking flexibly, and listening with understanding and empathy than on a grade point average or SAT score.
Creating a continuous improvement process is an ongoing invitation for all students to learn. All too often, the traditional grading practices serve as an invitation for struggling students to trade in learning for other, less productive pursuits. The central purpose of a performance framework is a change in assessment practices; a move away from assessing students (e.g., emphasis on testing for verification of learning, comparison, grading) to assessing with students (e.g., the formative assessment process). The formative assessment process, also called assessment for learning, is the process by which all students are empowered to deeply understand their results and are encouraged by their teacher to take action that leads to progress.
The performance framework requires reshaping our pedagogical culture. In other words, to redefine culture is to redefine the way we do business; and our business is to ensure that all students follow a pathway to success.
Reflective/Active Learning - I am thankful that our community seeks out learning and reflects upon our experiences
Some notes from a recent workshop as part of DESE’s Teacher Diversification Professional Learning Community, along with a sampling of responses from our students…
Talent Diversification PLC - Notes
- Pay attention to the soil of your school
- Research shows that students of color who see someone like them before 8th grade have a better chance for graduation
- 3 As to guide our work - awareness (know our why), auditing, aligning/adjusting strategies
- Attend to your staff
- Tend to yourself
- Community Agreements
- Stay engaged
- Expect and accept a lack of closure
- Speak your truth
- Expect to experience discomfort
- Bring your identity
- Bring a willingness to learn and unlearn
- Use first names
- Have more time to complete homework during school
- They can be happy.
- you are all doing wonderfully already!
- Explain things really well
- I don't know
- By pushing me to be the best I can be/achieve
- They can be supportive and kind
- Be kind
- After school help
- Encouraging me
- Teachers can help me and my other classmates grow by teaching us how to do other things in different periods. Like during social studies we should be learning about taxes because taxes help us to learn when we’re older. What I’m trying to say is that teachers can teach us things that we can use in our own life now and moving forwards.
- Put more “artsy” projects on the schedule
- Help us a little more, and when were stuck they review it with is
- Interactive learning (games, toys, puzzles, etc.)😀
Learning as a Community - I am thankful that our community cares for one another as learners, students and adults alike
A few notes from Kathy McDonald’s (Director of Medfield Outreach) visit and work with our New Teachers and Mentors at our meeting this past week, along with a post of interest…
- Importance of community in terms of self and collective care
- Impacts we have every day on our students
- Relationships are critical
- Self-care looks different for all
- Work can be a way to relax
- Importance of a ‘soft place to land’
- We are modeling for kids
The World Seems Complicated. Perhaps It's Time to Be More Human (Opinion)
by Sean Slade and Sean Slade & Alyssa Gallagher in Education Week
Education is a human endeavor. It is a sector and a function that relies and thrives on relationships and the connections between people…Learning takes place most often when our classes feel safe, connected, and understood. We teach most effectively when we know our students, not just who they are but how they learn, collaborate, and respond.
The same applies—and it’s obvious when we state it—for our teachers and principals. Staff work best when they have colleagues they can connect, share, empathize with, and learn from. And the same applies for our school and district leaders.
While all feedback is insightful, there is a key theme emerging from leaders at all levels within education. It’s the need to slow down, pausing to take a breath, and reflect on how better to accomplish the work to be done, perhaps by delegating some work or, better yet, empowering others to solve problems.
During November in the U.S., people’s thoughts and attentions move toward festivities and connections. The Thanksgiving holiday, besides being a time to give thanks, is also a time to reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors. It’s a much-loved holiday not because of any gifts that are given (there are none) but because of the personal connections that are renewed, reinforced, and even started. It’s a time when we celebrate our human-ness and our relationships.
As we enter increasingly uncertain times, the need for us be connected—both at home and in our work environments—is paramount. It’s time for our educators and our school leaders to know that they have permission to be human.
Some Thankful Sentiments - Shared Each Year (modified a bit)...
Although they will (and most likely do) read and sound familiar and repetitive each year, I promise that the sincerity of these sentiments continue to grow in their depth. As I share each year, Thanksgiving is a holiday that holds great significance for me and my family since an accident I experienced while running back in 2009. It is hard to believe 13 years have passed since that time (Grayden was 3 months old!). At that difficult time, Katie and I found ourselves filled (overwhelmed, actually) with gratitude, appreciation, and love for the care and support we received from our Holliston and Blake/Medfield communities. Those feelings, sentiments, and emotions are still very strong and present for all of us.
At our assembly on Wednesday, I will be sharing my own sentiments of gratitude with our students and staff and I know it is important to keep acknowledging, naming, and sharing them. It can feel hard to articulate at times, but my intention remains true to keep expressing it - thank you. It is a privilege to work in a community that has both fostered and encouraged my own growth while also showing deep care for me and my family. I have shared these words from President Kennedy and the post/video below for several years and will be sure to continue bringing them to light...
(7:13)
I encourage everyone to find seven minutes this week to watch the clip and share with others.
In Praise of Gratitude
from Harvard Mental Health Letter
I have shared this brief post for a number of years - my very dear friend Mike Norton, who has done extensive work on happiness, sent it to me a few years ago. It provides a nice explanation for why gratitude is important and also offers tips to be more grateful.
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can't feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.
It is equally important to recognize and name that this time of year can be a particularly stressful and emotional one for both students and adults - and, maybe even more so this year. Personal situations, the loss of loved ones, or memories can bring forth many emotions, so please be sure to look out for one another and also rely on our community for support. Although I wish I could, I know it is unrealistic for me to have the opportunity to personally wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving before Wednesday afternoon.
I am incredibly grateful to be a part of the Blake community and believe we are making a difference. Please know that I am always happy and eager to process, listen, discuss, and share - my door is always open. Let us be sure to maintain a culture and spirit of eternal vigilance for learning, listening, and gratitude. As always, thank you for walking this path with us as a community.
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Take care.
Nat