To encourage dialogue and reflection about our interests and the (potential) ways that they can influence our learning, our question(s) for the week is: What activities, interests, and/or hobbies do you find most enjoyable? Why do you enjoy them? Sharing Our Interests (Week of 1/28/24) (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
This weather over the past few weeks has certainly provided opportunities for us to adapt - going from the frigid temps of last weekend to the feelings that Spring is right around the corner. The milder temperatures (when they pop in) have made our walks with dogs both pleasant and muddy! Our weekend was a relatively quiet one, enjoying some down time, baking, and time to ‘just be’. I am guessing I am not alone in feeling that time for these types of things feels like a real gift.
Encouraging Learning
In this vein of practices and habits, this past week a colleague recommended the two episodes below from Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead podcast. They highlight the work of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, and the ways that our habits establish our systems…
Atomic Habits, Part 1 of 2 - Brené Brown
(49:51)
Even before James Clear and I met, I knew this would be a two-part series. I just had so many questions for the author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. Not surprisingly, this turned out to be exactly the type of conversation I’d anticipated. In part 1 of our series, we talk specifically about developing identity-based habits and how we can become the architects of those habits, not the victims of them. We also talk about the intersection of his work and mine, the collective stories we make up, and how our mindsets and our systems can set us up for success. It was so meaningful to finally meet James, to hear his story, and to take in his insights into how he developed such a deep understanding of the importance of consistency over intensity when it comes to forming habits that last.
Atomic Habits, Part 2 of 2 - Brené Brown
(54:38)
It’s part 2 of our two-part episode with James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 50 languages. In part 1 of our series, we talk about building systems to create habits, and in this episode, we talk about how and why habits are atomic and how to build a habit or break a habit. We also look at our environments and how we can tweak them to support the habits we want to have, and then dive in and talk about organization habits and how we create habits in a team and in organizations. I took multiple pages of notes on this memorable conversation on forming habits that last.
Routines and rituals have always been a source of comfort for me. As one who struggles with change, the routines and practices (from the day-to-day habits) to some known elements of the cycle of a school year) provide both internal and external structures that help to ‘contain me’. As I started to think more about the routines, as is often the case, I found myself noticing them more frequently, in both myself and others - where we park in the parking lots, times we pass one another in the hall, topics of conversation, etc. - the list could go ‘on and on’.
One routine/practice I noticed in myself is asking others towards the end of each week, ‘What are you up to this weekend?’ It comes from a genuine interest, and if I’m being honest, feels like a ‘safe question’ to ask as an introvert - I’m more comfortable listening to others rather than sharing! As I listen to the responses, I have found it to provide a window into the interests of others. Granted, sometimes our responses are mundane (errands, catching up, yard work, etc.), but the simple practice of sharing and listening opens up space to learn about interests and activities from one another. This may read as obvious and nothing groundbreaking, but the recent reflections from both students and staff (end-of-term reflections, questions of the week, PD reflections, faculty meeting prompts, student connectedness check-ins) are steps and ‘stakes in the ground’ to build upon. They are avenues towards relationships and learning as relevance is such a critical component in finding import in the process.
In this vein of interests and connections, I hope we can continue in both the micro and macro realms to tap into the interests of our students and one another - to foster learning, acceptance, and belonging. One of my interests/hobbies is reading and listening to grow and learn both personally and professionally - I find I am drawn to the work of psychologists and researchers. And, as I have shared before, Adam Grant’s work truly resonates. I have shared a few of his more recent IG posts (@AdamMGrant) below as they highlight some research-based findings that have implications for our students and our work. Along with some responses from last week’s question, we can develop more proverbial ‘tools in our toolbox’ to support our students and work towards our mission.
- I often need time alone to prepare for or process complex situations. It gives me a better perspective and less of a knee-feel reaction!
- I need to have the correct mindset to be a present learner
- I need safety to help me learn.
- a good foundation for creativity
- happiness
- Calm and peaceful warm area
- I need people to be encouraging instead of aggressive.
- A calm environment, which I have.
- A safe place where I feel that I can show what I know and not get made fun of.
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Take care.
Nat