To encourage dialogue and reflection about the ways we process our own learning and growth, our topic/question for the week is: When thinking back on 2021, what have you learned about yourself and how have you grown as a learner? Learning Lessons (Week of 12/19/21) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
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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
With the ‘last stretch’ of the calendar year now upon us, I hope last weekend provided a space for everyone to rest and regroup a bit. I definitely needed it as I slept in until about 8:30 on Saturday morning - very rare for me! I would be lying if I said I was not feeling guilty about it, but Katie assured me that this was what was needed (and I need to practice what I ‘preach’ - always easier said than done!).
In thinking about these posts, the two themes that kept bubbling up were these notions/ideas of uncertainty and the high pressure that can be rooted in the desire towards success/perfectionism (or perceived success/perfection). And, what are the systems and strategies that amplify these dynamics and what are those that diminish (or address) these challenges? Reflection is critical and listening will help us along the path. Knowing that the coming year will bring more of these feelings, and trying to build in time for my own growth, the ‘shares’ this week are thematic (or I hope they read that way!) – rooted in reflection and a ‘systems approach’ for our foundation, while always listening and growing together as a community…
by Elizabeth Smith in NAIS
In a society that is obsessed with early and frequent success, I keep asking myself: How can we reduce student stress? How can the college admission process change? How can we help young people find a sense of peace and confidence? How can we ensure that all students be granted the freedom, curiosity, and courage to sample and find the spark that lights them up—in ninth grade or at any point in their lifetime? Rather than solely praising high achievement and accomplishments, what might it look like if teachers celebrated all students, including the late bloomers, in the classroom?
…Rich Karlgaard states that the term late bloomer in academics “is often explored through the lens of dysfunction or as an abnormality.” I have heard people use words such as “average” and “mediocre” to describe a late bloomer. The definition that resonates with me centers on the idea of a person who eventually finds something interesting enough to pursue. A student who never had much interest in school might get the opportunity one day to take a class or have a job that captivates their attention. And that curiosity leads the student to blossom.
School and even life should be a time to explore and discover.
Rather than forcing an early bloom, when rich and fertile conditions exist in a school, every student can blossom where and when they are ready.
Reimagining Our Pandemic Problems With the Mindset of an Engineer
by Siobhan Roberts in MIT Technology Review
In a recent essay, “Accounting for uncertainty during a pandemic,” the researchers reflect on their roles during a public health emergency and on how they could be better prepared for the next crisis. The answer, they write, may lie in reimagining epidemiology with more of an engineering perspective and less of a “pure science” perspective.
One tactic against all the uncertainty is statistics. Gelman thinks of statistics as “mathematical engineering”—methods and tools that are as much about measurement as discovery. The statistical sciences attempt to illuminate what’s going on in the world, with a spotlight on variation and uncertainty. When new evidence arrives, it should generate an iterative process that gradually refines previous knowledge and hones certainty.
Good science is humble and capable of refining itself in the face of uncertainty. - Marc Lipsitch
“An engineer is always updating their picture,” she says—revising as new data and tools become available. In tackling a problem, an engineer offers a first-order approximation (blurry), then a second-order approximation (more focused), and so on.
Letting go of the desire for certainty can be liberating, he says. And this, in part, is where the engineering perspective comes in.
An engineer is always updating their picture. - Susan Holmes
“Good science is humble and capable of refining itself in the face of uncertainty,” he says. “Scientists, usually over a longer time scale—years or decades—are quite used to the idea of updating our picture of truth.”
Leading Out of the Storm: Taking Schools Forward (Not 'Back to Normal')
by Joshua Freedman in IntrepidEd News
Trust is the missing link; it’s a call for safety in an era where students, parents, faculty, board members and administrators feel overwhelmed and buffeted by volatility. While “return to normal” might sound appealing, it’s a myth that’s actually contributing to the conundrum. The only path is forward, which means that braver is safer.
In the last few years, the ground shook, and now leaders are asking: Can I fulfill my purpose here? Do I have the support to lead with purpose? Many schools were on a path of change pre-pandemic — can school leaders re-engage their communities to move forward?
In a world of distrust, anxiety, and volatility, what’s at stake is safety. So what will make school leaders and their followers feel safer? One option is stasis. All these pressures might make leaders want to retreat — don’t rock the boat. At the same time, the status quo is not going to survive. We’re in a time of upheaval, and our constituents are demanding change. Another option is bravery. We don’t need to and shouldn’t eliminate the valuable messages of fear. And, emotional intelligence doesn’t mean “obey all your feelings.” We need to listen and move forward. That’s courage.
In this quest for authenticity, rather than decisiveness that accrues points to the leader, in a relational context the goal is mutuality. To move beyond the volatility of the current storm, we need people to feel seen, heard, and valued. That means going beneath the surface. Safety, then, requires us to engage our own and one another’s emotions.
This is why, ultimately, the tool for trust-centered leadership is emotional intelligence (the learnable skills to be smarter with feelings). If we’re going to step into this arena of authentic connection, we need to know and trust ourselves and have the tools to know and trust one another. Social-emotional learning, then, is for adults at least as much as for students. It’s for all of us learning to navigate new territory, and cultivating the skills to step forward together.
Sampling of Responses from Last Week’s ‘Question of the Week’: What strategy(ies) do you use to ‘refresh’/recharge to have more energy?
- I like to write, draw or read to refresh or recharge my energy
- Hang with friends
- I like to close my eyes or stay in bed and take time for myself
- Chill
- Sleep, get outside and hang with family and friends
- Being around my friends and laughing
- Recently I have been going to bed about an hour earlier than I used to. We all know sleep is good for us, and an extra hour of sleep feels like it has translated into many more productive hours when awake.
- Take a moment to rest on a couch.
- I try to calm myself down, have some time to myself, or I spend time with my friends.
- Reading, watching an exciting TV show, listening to music, and of course… napping. :)
- Listen to music and relax
- I just remember that tomorrow is a new day.
- I eat filling food, and get 9 hours of sleep.
- Take a walk with my dog or talk to my friends.
- Giving myself permission to NOT do things that I think I should do, and giving that time back to myself.
- I read, or meditate
- I just look up at the sky and think about my day.
- In order to recharge, sometimes I like to do something productive in another part of my life!
- I try my best to go to bed early and make sure to drink lots of water in the morning to help wake myself up and have more energy for the day.
- Deep breaths, Nice thoughts, laying down after a busy day
- I read.
- Fall asleep on the couch for 3 hours and then doing my homework whenever I wake up
- Sleep, eat, come to school
- Sleep
Over the vacation week, I will set aside time to intentionally and purposefully reflect about personal and collective learning, growth, challenges, and successes. This is an annual practice, looking and reflecting upon ‘influential posts’, resolutions, and implications for myself and our learning community at Blake. The images and words below are ones that I hope will center us, guide us, challenge us, and lead us on our ‘imperfect journey’ with the hopes of ‘getting it all done’ (they were shared last year and are worthy of carrying forward into 2022 and beyond)...
As always, let me know of any questions/concerns.
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Take care.
Nat