To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the ‘things’ you wish and want to learn more about, our topic/question for the week is: What do you wish you had more time to learn? Is it possible to learn about that topic/area/subject during the last few weeks of school? Intentional Learning (Week of 5/25/20) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Blake's Guiding Lights
Our Students
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
The three-day weekend was a welcome respite in our house, providing some time to be more intentional about stepping away from work and devices - I am always struck by the ‘mental shift’ that the extra day provides in my own thinking. We spent as much time as we could outside - going for walks, planting and gardening, bike rides, s’mores, and reading. Although I did not have the same ‘post-D.C. trip’ exhaustion as I have had over Memorial Day weekends in the past, I still enjoyed a couple afternoon naps as well!
Taking time to articulate the explicit learning that has been sought/acquired...
A question for both students and staff I have come to truly value is this - ‘What is the biggest 'takeaway' that resonated with you - whether it was a certain site/memorial, museum, experience, or interaction?’ There have been two themes emerging from the responses from staff - relationships and connections. The same has been true for me - the experience has provided opportunities for relationships and connections to be made, fostered, and examined. I so appreciate the importance of vulnerability, connections, and listening - getting to see the students in a different light, letting them see us in a different light, and the same with one another.
Taking time to connect learning to beliefs, mantras, tenets, and mission...
Along similar lines, the experience naturally prompts us to truly put some of the beliefs, mantras, tenets, and our mission into practice - #leantowardsyes, curious not furious, relationships matter, empathy, diversity, the importance of agency, a culture of discourse, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt (the list could go on and on). At various points of the trip these are made evident through history as well as on ‘the ground level’ with one another. And, from a ‘40/40/40’ perspective (Which Content Is Most Important? The 40/40/40 Rule), reflecting upon this question will help us hopefully assess its import…
The question was simple enough. Of all of the academic standards you are tasked with “covering” (more on this in a minute), what’s important that students understand for the next 40 days, what’s important that they understand for the next 40 months, and what’s important that they understand for the next 40 years?
These words from the Library of Congress certainly hold up to the 40/40/40 ‘test’...
The foundation of every state is the education of its youth.
Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers.
Taking time to recognize learning in various spaces and that learning/adapting, while necessary, is easier said than done - and often has an emotional implication (this is one I am struggling with now - longing for face-to-face interactions, and recognizing our collective need to adjust - this one is not easy)...
Taking these thoughts and reflections into a productive mode (beyond just the nostalgic mode that I thoroughly enjoy), I am encouraged by the optimism I feel for the learning, opportunities, and growth that lie ahead for our students, school, and community. We (students, staff, and families) have learned a great deal and it will be important that we, in the educational realm, do not ‘sleep through this wake-up call’ (to quote a dear friend) and make concerted steps to make necessary changes for our students - some that have been ‘a long time coming’ (if you have not seen or heard about the changes in CA, this is worth the read - University of California Will End Use of SAT and ACT in Admissions).
The quotations, posts, and sampling of responses from last week’s ‘Question of the Week’ are ones that speak to this unique juncture in education - reflecting upon our current modes of learning and keeping an intentional eye on how we want to shape the culture of learning in our near and distant future...
by Jane E. Brody in The New York Times
This post speaks to me on many levels - as one who identifies as pretty self-motivated, I have definitely felt challenged to maintain ‘my own status quo’. I am seeing it in my own children, and feedback from teachers and families indicate that I am not alone - seeing it in ourselves and our students. Within are some salient posts that I found helpful for myself - and I hope will be helpful for others - setting attainable goals, service for others, and knowing oneself (to name a few).
Maintaining motivation is becoming an increasing challenge for many people slogging through life curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Initially facing weeks confined to our homes, we tackled, with some satisfaction, long-neglected chores like weaning closets of clothes that no longer fit our bodies or lifestyles, reorganizing drawers and emptying pantries and refrigerators of forgotten foodstuffs. But as the weeks morphed into months with no clear end in sight for much of the country, the ennui of Covid-induced isolation can undermine enthusiasm for such mundane activities, however rewarding they may have seemed at first. I’m among a growing number of people I’ve spoken with who admit to a lack of motivation for tasks they know need doing but now are unable to face.
“Doing what’s meaningful — acting on what really matters to a person — is the antidote to burnout,” said Dr. Goleman, who wrote the introduction to Dr. Frankl’s book. He suggests to those who are feeling bereft of motivation: “Face what’s happening. What does it mean to me? What really matters to me now? Is there a way I can act upon what’s meaningful to me?”
Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, former Surgeon General of the United States and author of the recently published book, “Together,” explained this month on “The Brian Lehrer Show” on public radio, “Our fundamental worth is intrinsic. It’s based on kindness, compassion and generosity, the ability to give and receive love. Service to others has a powerful effect on how we feel about ourselves as well as on how it makes others feel. There are many opportunities to serve, to switch our focus from ourselves to others.”
As Dr. Goleman put it, “The news of the day constantly provides an unconscious reminder that we are all mortal. This can result in negative thought patterns — harsher judgments, blaming the victim, greediness and us-versus-them thinking. But if we consciously reflect on our own death, none of this matters. What really matters is the people we love and helping people.”
Richard J. Davidson, professor of psychology and neuroscientist at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has demonstrated that “when individuals engage in generous and altruistic behavior, they actually activate circuits in the brain that are key to fostering well-being.” In other words, caring for other people can be its own reward.
(I shared this post below a year ago - these 5 guidelines will certainly serve us well as we look in the present and ahead)...
Five Guidelines to Make School Innovation Successful
by Katrina Schwartz (KSchwartz) in MindShift
I first met Chris Lehmann (@chrislehmann) from Science Leadership Academy back in 2012 at a conference and his words and beliefs deeply resonated with me - it sparked our examination of our mission statement. Within this post, Schwartz highlights ‘five areas that leaders need to consider for change to be successful’ - they are lessons learned from Lehmann’s work and are worthy of consideration and reflection.
Simplicity Matters
This laserlike focus on a simple mission and vision can help make sure every person in the building is focused on putting into daily practice the things the school says it values.
Common Language Matters
...because change work is hard, every teacher and student needs to know what values guide the work. “If your ideas don’t add up, if you’ve got beautiful flowery language, but it doesn’t serve anything,” then you’re doing nothing, Lehmann said. And worse, students usually see through inconsistencies like those and choose not to buy in.
Operations Matter
The values also extend to the adults in the building -- inquiry, research, projects, collaboration, reflection and a culture of care don’t exist only for students. They are part of how teachers interact with one another and how they go about their work, and they are central to how leadership treats teachers...much of what happens in school is a negotiation between the needs of students and the needs of teachers, and that’s fine. But he doesn’t think schools should hide that fact, and they should be transparent about how tricky that balance can be.
Culture, Talent and Instruction Must Align
Any great school has a strong school culture, talented teachers and a powerful instructional program that all overlap to create a sweet spot for learning.
Startup Is Hard, But So Is Sustainability
Sometimes the all-encompassing nature of the work is OK because passionate people are excited at its potential and know it will end at some point. But Lehmann said the schools that have been successful in their transitions intentionally plan for the moment when the hectic startup mode turns to sustainability mode.
...it is clear that even though they open their doors to visitors from all over the country and share their approach at this annual conference, they don’t feel finished or all-knowing. Teachers here are constantly pushing to improve, try new things, and balance the demands of school with a fulfilling personal life.
Sampling of Responses from Our Last Topic/Question (Week of 5/18/20): What goal(s) do you want to focus on over the last month of this school year? What step(s) are you taking to meet this/these goal(s)?
- I want to deepen my understanding and usage of resources like flipgrid, screencastify, and other remote learning resources. I really hope we won't need them in the fall, but by strengthening these resources for current students, I will gain valuable experience for the fall too.
- Continue to establish strong contact with parents as well as students. If there is a silver lining, with my experiences these past couple of months, it is that many parents in great part have stepped up.
- End the school year well and start the summer well
- Keep participating in all classes, for every assignment. I will read my emails, and check daily assignments every day.
- I’d like students to know that I care about them and I want to ask them to help me make sure they know.
- I want to focus on getting fit and lacrosse.
- Complete all of my school work. I will plan out what I do everyday to meet that.
- I want to focus in putting more efforts in my grades
- My goal is to come up with the best way to engage my students in Zoom. I've tried whiteboard.fi, kahoot, and I am about to try Nearpod.
Each year I share a sampling of quotes from the week with our 8th grade - I did my best to narrow the collection down (yes, this is a narrowed down list!) to a select few and wanted to share them (connecting traditions, rituals, and history with our present learning) - for me, they read as though they were written for this time period...
If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that's a good picture. - Eddie Adams
Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world, you are no wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. - Edward R. Murrow
The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth on them. - Ida B. Wells
Let us gear ourselves to the great task of mapping out a pathway that will truly lead to a better world for us all. - Mary McLeod Bethune
I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom. - Nelson Mandela
We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience. - MLK, Jr.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - MLK, Jr.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. - MLK, Jr.
I never forget that I live in a house owned by all the American people and that I have been given their trust. - FDR
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. - FDR
Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans. - JFK, Jr.
For the dead and the living we must bear witness. - Elie Wiesel
I look forward to the work that lies ahead for all of us.
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Enjoy the week and take care.
Nat