An Open Stance to Learning

I've heard this phrase more often in the past year or so and it often makes me think....

What stance to learning am I exhibiting each day?

In the past few years I have become more willing to tell students that "I don't know" or that they should "google it." Often, it's not that I truly don't know or that I can't fathom an answer to the question that I'm being asked; rather, I have committed myself to demonstrating that I might not have all the answers. More importantly, I have been trying to model this for my students as much as possible - so that they understand that the process of learning is never-ending and lifelong in its scope.

Lately, I've been saying to students who approach me with a question (that I know they could google or find out an answer using their own device): "I'm a teacher - not a teller. My job isn't to tell you the answers but to teach you the best way to get to the answers." Sounds cliche, I know, but it has slowly begun to take shape in the mindset of my class.

When we have an open stance to learning, it is important that we truly appreciate the value of this lens. When we are open to the questions of others - it often allows us to consolidate our own views or alter them in some way. Through discourse and reasoning, educators are sometimes even able to open the eyes of colleagues who hadn't considered certain ideas before.

Physically, an open stance to learning, is leaning forward in our chair during a discussion. It is making eye contact and nodding your head to the speaker. When we show positive body language and ask clarifying questions, we emanate interest and intrigue. These are the same behaviours that excite us when our students show them during class discussions and lessons. We certainly want to see engagement and activated thinking in our class - but can struggle to buy in to the same ideas when conversing with colleagues during professional learning activities.

Be open to the ideas of others - both the tall and the small. Learning is a loop but each new pass offers new views and fresh perspectives. Be bold enough to notice the changes and identify the possibilities.

"Be More Dog"

It takes a great deal of courage to 'put yourself out there.' It takes a growth mindset - to view your life (and learning) as a work-in-progress. It is a profound moment when you can honestly say that reflection has truly affected your own next steps.

We all have a voice. 

Whether you are an educator or not, what you think and how you view the world, indeed, matters. We are all trying to do our best to navigate our lives and forge pathways. 

Whether you blog, tweet or simply have conversations with people - share your ideas and reflect on your experiences. The world will be a richer place with your voice in it. 

As Donna Fry (@fryed) and Mark Carbone (@markwcarbone) reminded me just 10 minutes ago (with a terrific video clip) - "Be More Dog" (shout-out to http://ossemooc.wordpress.com)

Carpe Diem!

What a terrific day for learning here at #Connect2014. So many voices make inspiring conversations! Thanks for your voice and your thoughts today, Ann, Andrew and Anita:) Now - to keep this momentum going and plan for action!

Curious Questions to Open Professional Practice

One of the greatest obstacles to overcome in the context of change management and instructional development is the perception of everlasting change. As a teacher, one of the most difficult ideas to come to grips with is that your practice is in need of changing. As a result, many educators opt to be stagnant and keep quiet – and only do what they have to do.

We need to become better at selling change.

A conversation grounded in the need for change will often do nothing to invoke a real change. Instead, use “curious” questions to get to the real heart of the matter when it comes to examining professional practice:

• How does this benefit students?
• How will this method reach your classroom audience?
• How does this activity improve student learning?
• How will we be able to see the gains in student achievement?
• How does this teaching style capitalize on your teaching strengths and abilities?
• How does this approach take into account multiple entry points for learning and student preferred learning styles?

Beneath the murky waters of driving school improvement – there lies a truth…

We are all in the business of doing what’s best for students. Check your ego at the door and open your mind to the possibility that your own personal growth and development rests on your ability to become pliable and receptive to professional change and improvement.

The path of educational progress lies ahead…

My Evolving Educational Philosophy

What guts and confidence does it take to open ourselves up and expose our most personal views and insights for all the world to see. Education demands that we peer inside ourselves, first, and plan for learning, second. As teachers, self-assessment of what we truly hold important and that which we frame all programming and delivery decisions needs to be authentic, timely and specific; indeed, if it is to evoke needed re-tooling, re-framing and re-imaging exactly why it was that we stepped forward as our generation's "teachers."

Here is my journey so far. For me, my own education, classroom teacher experiences, professional development and life experiences have all culminated into what I can now confirm is an ever-changing journey of my own life and learning.  

THE BEGINNING: THROUGH A "TRADITIONAL" TEACHER LENS (2001)

(TEACHER'S COLLEGE)

Through my experiences as a student, I have developed an insatiable thirst for knowledge that can only grow through my future experiences as a teacher. My best teachers shared an ability to carry themselves and the material in a certain way directly to their students. I cannot wait to join the 'club' of teachers. I foresee myself placing an emphasis on critical thinking, especially on key world issues, so that my students will be able to 'decode' today's world into terms that relate to themselves and their experiences. I cannot wait to be given the opportunity to directly facilitate personal intellectual growth in the classroom through lessons, films, activities and exercises. I feel that today is an exciting time to be a teacher as resources such as the internet and personal computers have become key partners in the learning process.

THE MIDDLE: THROUGH A LEADERSHIP LENS (2010)

My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Values and Guiding Principles

Education needs leadership. It craves direction and begs for insight. Teachers need to feel that they matter and are part of a bigger picture in the lives of their students. Without strong educational leadership, no teacher can teach to their true potential. Leaders find purpose and value in any action; whether it is a positive or negative experience. Visionary leadership is the ability to make connections that are not even there yet, and to offer possibilities that no one has thought of. However, it is the social connections that leaders make with their educational teams and staff that cultivates the audience for your school ambitions and goals as a leader.

My own personal philosophy of education is that people, intrinsically, want to better themselves. Learning and interacting are two important ways to accomplish this, and both are available through the vehicle of education.

The classroom environment is as important to a student as a home to a family member. Within these walls, students must feel safe, appreciated and welcome. Whether through the seating plan, wall posters or classroom routines; your decisions must consistently demonstrate fairness - not necessarily equality. The same is true for a staff. Fairness must emanate from your choices and actions. Your decisions must be transparent and predictable, that is how teachers become comfortable with your vision for the school and its direction as it pertains to their daily work.

Effects of my Philosophy on my Interactions

My educational philosophy guides and influences the majority of what I do and say. It is through my beliefs towards education that I foster positive relationships with colleagues and community, in an attempt to get closer to the promised land of self-fulfillment and attainment of my personal goals. Functioning as a valuable team member on a school staff is only possible through the use of the same differentiation instruction techniques we use when instructing students. Depending on the person we speak to, it is important to change our tone, change our words, or even to change our overall approach to the conversation. Our methods of reaching students are the same. No one style can reach all learners. No one approach can be successful with all colleagues.

Contemporary Issues/Theories in Education

I think that, as teachers, we find ourselves in interesting times. The current educational system in this province – and even beyond our provincial boundaries – is in disarray. Funding formulas seem unsustainable. Student enrollment is declining. Data-driven goals are placing heightened pressures on administrators and teachers alike. Caught in the middle of a technological revolution, schools find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to reaching students and motivating learners. Many teachers are learning how to implement new technologies and incorporate fresh ideas in their classroom practice, but curriculum constraints and increasing accountability to a vocal (and aware) public inhibit true change in many teachers today.

Whole shifts in the way we approach learning in a 21st century school are needed. Previous ideologies and values are being eroded and compromised by a student population that has been raised to believe, “that which they do not like, they re-write.” Online social media and web 2.0 tools have placed new perspectives on learning and the sharing of knowledge. Raising digital citizenship in our classrooms and surviving this educational crisis is only achieved through visionary and bold leadership decisions.

My Motivation to Become an Educational Leader

I want to be at the forefront of this exciting educational transition. Possibilities and perspectives emerging in academic and social discussions offer truly unique ideas in the organization and administration of schools. Having experiences as an overseas teacher, French teacher, Special Education teacher, and Junior/Intermediate teacher, have equipped me with a fused view of teaching from many different perspectives. Through my involvement with the Federation (as a collective bargaining rep and steward), I have been able to experience first-hand the overriding principles of our collective agreement and regulations and the practice of their implementation at the school level. This administrative step is the next phase of my educational journey in being a part of the new process of reaching 21st century students and teachers. It is only through direct involvement in these matters that I will satisfy my ambitions and pedagogy in the field of education.

THE NOW - THROUGH A SELF-DIRECTED/INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING LENS (JUNE 2013)

My Philosophy of Education

Students are the key. Whether it is designed authentic, learning experiences based on student need and interest; or engaging in purposeful conversations to uncover who they are and what they hold important – we need to know our audience.

Through inquiry-based learning, collaborative planning, feedback and sharing sessions, we are able to create the conditions for learning that will raise student engagement and improve student achievement.

Redefining teaching practice and constructing student-centered learning requires bold reflection and brave risk-taking. We need to expose ourselves as the life-long learners we truly are. We need to put our practice on display for ourselves and others to experience, discuss and reflect upon – if we are actually going to make the necessary changes to meet the needs of an ever-changing world.

The keys to facilitating learning for today’s students rests on our own ability to treat the daily experience as a work in progress and not a well-rehearsed presentation that we have perfected over the years.

If you want to join in the conversation of your own evolving educational philosophy and how you can make sense of it, use #engagedinmyed on Twitter. Thanks, Neil!

Hook, Pressure and Support: How to Help Teachers

The term "pressure and support" is seen as a leadership strategy and mantra for improving teaching practice and developing educational capacity. By applying pressure to teachers in a way that promotes change or development, there is a greater chance that this will take place. The support part of the process is to ensure that teachers feel like they are being helped on their pathway to 'betterment' and not simply thrown in the deep end to fend for themselves. I think, though, the "hook" is critical in beginning this process.

If teachers feel the pressure to change and develop, regardless of how much support they receive, they are experiencing the push from an external place (whether it be an administrator, coach, superintendent, board policy). Effective leaders need to find a way to 'hook' them into desiring the change. Teachers need to feel like they are driving the actions that will make them a more informed and effective educational influence.

Often, a carefully-crafted model or exemplar of something that is desirous and whose potential to transform pedagogy is evident is a good place to begin. It is typically when we experience something that we can envision ourselves performing it too. This is a stark contrast to an approach that begins with a memo and leads to expected participation.

If you want teachers to try new things - show them how great those new things can be. Don't expect them to take risks - if you, yourself, are unwilling to do so. Some of the greatest movements, indeed, begin with a simple idea, but it is through purposeful and powerful steps that these things drive action and inspire longevity.

We all want to be successful. If your comfort zone is exactly where you left it, eventually you will watch others find destinations that you have not dared to visit yourself. The process can be scary. The commitment can initially be daunting. The payoff, though, will be clear. Your students and colleagues will watch a transformation take place that breathes new life in your words and casts bold shadows on your movements. Your teaching will be born anew.

Whether it be incorporating more technology in your practice or co-teaching with a grade partner - change can be a wonderful thing to those who dare to try. Without it, we all become footnotes to our original dreams of educating others.

Teaching Teachers

How do you teach someone whose job it is to teach others? How do you instruct the instructor in a way that promotes growth and incites excitement among educators? How do you evoke urgency in professional development?

A colleague of mine had always done an activity in his class called "Teach the Teacher." He would allow each student in his class (junior/intermediate) an opportunity to choose a skill or talent they had and teach it to him. He would try to learn the skill and then demonstrate it in front of the class. The students loved the chance to be the teacher and control the focus of the activity. Plus, he lowered his 'guard' to show a person who is willing to learn and take risks. These are the kinds of things that we need in our classroom practice.

Teachers are inherently critical when being taught (as experts in the field). They are appalled by workshops delivered in a single-sense focus (i.e. auditory => listening to a speaker), since they are constantly be asked to incorporate differentiated techniques with multi-sensory approaches in their daily lessons. I've attended differentiated instruction workshops that were more of a sit and listen - instead of actually using DI to show the potential of a lesson format. To avoid these hypocritical types of situations, it is vital that presenters of workshops are using the latest and most effective techniques themselves to 'hook' teachers - just as we are attempting to hook students.

At the end of the day, teachers are academics who have chosen to teach as a career - and vocation. They are self-directed learners who crave knowledge in many different ways and are willing to invest a great amount of time and energy to hone their repertoire in the classroom. Give them respect in your workshops by providing a forum for their opinions. In my experience, most professional development comes from collegial discussions and experimenting in your practice - not initiatives delivered 'top-down.' We all want to do an effective job and then receive the recognition in some way of our prowess and victory. Whether this credit comes as an administrative 'thank you' card, a kind note from a parent, or a smile from a struggling student - it allows you to keep things in perspective in these times of change.