To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the ways that that reflection can help us improve, our topic/question for the week is: What are you hoping to learn or improve upon over the next three weeks? Conscious Reflection (Week of 11/29/20) (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
Following a very reflective Thanksgiving weekend, I am keeping my sharing relatively brief this week with the intent of building more time for quiet, recharging, and space.
Our philosophies, beliefs, and practices of and for meaningful feedback, fostering/developing intrinsic motivation, authentic learning, and empowerment/agency are prime for this experience and time period. The impetus for engagement, choice, and support is critical. It will be critical that we build in systems of feedback and reflection for our students, staff, and families. I do not want us to miss out on what we are all learning right now (on many, many levels).
The intent of my sharing these words is that I hope we can find and make time (like the time I was able to afford myself over the Thanksgiving weekend) to step back, shift thinking, be curious with intention, and gain perspective. The podcast, post and sampling of responses of gratitude shared below all speak to the ways that reflection, intention, and sharing can help us grow and learn…
Brené with Priya Parker on The Art of Gathering
(1 hr 1 minute)
In this episode, I talk with Priya Parker – a master facilitator, strategic advisor, and the author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters. We dig into what it means to come together, why connection requires intention, and the often-invisible structures inside our most meaningful gatherings. Priya even helps me deconstruct my wedding and why, decades later, people still tell me how different and fun it was!
Falsehoods We Believe about Grading and Reporting | NGLC
by Gary Chapin (@GaryChapin67) in NGLC (Next Generation Learning Challenges)
This brief post is well worth the read as it challenges many of the stories, assumptions, and biases that are shared and conveyed - directly and indirectly - to students, families, and ourselves. It holds up a mirror that is necessary to view - providing an impetus for intentional conversations and learning.
What do we believe about grading? No, not what do we say we believe...We talk a good game, but If you look at our actions to discern our beliefs, then it becomes obvious that what we say we believe isn’t what we actually believe, and that what we actually believe isn’t necessarily truthful, helpful, or ethical.
Here is a list of those beliefs—I’m going to call them falsehoods—discerned from watching the system in action over the years (with appreciation to Carisa Corrow and Alec Barron for comments, conversations, and contributions). You can come at me with “not all educators,” but I’m going to push back and say, “Not relevant.” I indict all educators in this list, including myself, because we all bear the responsibility of fixing our broken grading systems, jettisoning corrupt assumptions, and devising something that actually works “for good.” The purpose of this list is to interrogate our assumptions. If you find yourself saying, “I don’t believe that!” ask yourself, “Am I acting as if I believe that?” Or is your system demanding that you act as if you believe?
Sampling of Responses from Our Last Topic/Question (Week of 11/22/20): What are you thankful for?
- Food, music, a home, warmth, family, friends
- I am thankful for the people in my life, and having a roof over my head. I am thankful for everything in my life as I know not everyone has what I have.
- I am thankful for overcoming adversity and never giving up.
- My Family and Friends
- I’m thankful for food.
- For making ODP (Olympic Development Program)
- I am thankful for my family.
- my house, food and family
- I am thankful for my friends and family.
- I am thankful for the opportunity to go to school
- I am thankful for my family, my friends, my house, and staying healthy.
- I am thankful for my family.
- I am thankful for having my family and my friends.
- I'm glad I'm still alive.
- My family
- My family, house, food and water, and being able to go to school and learn.
- I am thankful for my family.
- I’m thankful for food.
- My family
The last few days provided a necessary pause and now find myself recharged with anticipation for gathering together (in many forms) with intention, as we collectively work to improve for ALL of our learners.
As always, let me know of any questions/concerns.
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Take care.
Nat
#willfulhope #willfulaction #longasIcanseethelight