Tag Archives: learning

Are you at the top of your game?

13 Friday Sep 2019

Posted by in education systems, Learning, learning environment

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Everyone wants to be on top of their game, no matter what the game is – soccer, math, work, relationships, etc. There is nothing like feeling you’re in control – you’ve got it. We tend to be more generous, offering to help others and imparting our wisdom when we feel we’re on top. Most of us have been on this earth long enough to know that we can’t be at the top of our game in every situation, though that doesn’t stop us from wanting to be. 

In schools, students are urged to be at the top of every single game. School is a child’s introduction to formalized education and, ironically, one of the most unrealistic places for that learning to occur. Is it reasonable to expect every child to meet or exceed each goal of a standardized curriculum? Is it reasonable or possible to expect every child to understand and learn everything in sync with everyone else who happens to be the same age? Is it possible that children learn differently and at their own pace? Is it possible that the quick math mind will have a struggle at some point in their school career? Is it possible that school does not allow our children to grow in confidence, understanding and broadening their knowledge? 

I spend all of my days in school. I watch children approach work gleefully, carefully and with slick avoidance tactics. School is so much more than the formalized lessons that make up most of a child’s school day. It is a place for children to grow into themselves… to learn, explore and experiment with all kinds of learning. Studies have shown that the things that are remembered from school are often related to extracurricular activities, not the hours of lessons, reading or homework that was done. Yes, students learn the basics, but the substance of their learning happens outside of those formal lessons. 

Does your school have enough of the “real” learning opportunities in place? Are students able to make choices, direct their own learning and try new things? Or are they confined by the constraints imposed upon them by what we “know best” in an effort to push them to be at the top of our game – and not theirs?

The Discomfort of Growth

08 Thursday Aug 2019

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I made the decision to take an online class this summer. It was a carefully considered choice, one which would push me personally and professionally, and one that I knew would lead to growth in both of those areas of my life. I did not fully think about my discomfort with much of the class – the format, getting to know new teammates each week, and considering ideas that are far from my everyday experience at work or at play. 

As I write this, I am exactly halfway through the course. I have met people I would never have met otherwise. I’ve entertained ideas about subjects I’d never heard of or read about. I was asked to consider questions and reveal aspects of myself that I typically hold on to tightly. It has been a great experience and a scary one as well. 

As I reflected on this class and all that it entailed so far, I was reminded of what we ask of students each day. We ask them to be uncomfortable without fail, and often without giving them the choice to avoid this discomfort. We ask them to work with others who they don’t know, don’t like or who we know won’t contribute fully to the group experience. We ask them to speak up, listen well, be creative, get along with others at all times, and do a good job no matter the subject or their interest in the work. We ask them to be superhuman. Most of us, as adults, would not take on that challenge. Most of us would try to negotiate another way to do things or ask for assistance at every turn. Some of us might even opt out of an experience if it did not have some comfort and familiarity built in. 

There are things we do each day that allow us to have choices, and some things we simply have to do. Children must attend school. Time in school can be spent in a variety of ways that involve student choice along with the “have tos.” How do we want students to spend their time in school and recall their days in school in the future? Will they remember the learning, challenges and enjoyment, or the intense discomfort and unknowns? Balance is the key to building the strength needed to learn and grow.

Summertime

27 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by in Learning, Teachers

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Ahhh… summertime. We all anticipate the relaxing days that summer promises. With the end of another school year comes the promise of longer days to relax and engage in the activities we enjoy. Students and teachers alike create lists – on paper or in their minds – about how they will fill long stretch of days ahead. That may mean trying new things or enjoying the comfort of those pastimes we set aside until summer comes once again. 

Most educators spend part of their summers taking classes, planning lessons and generally continuing the work they do during the school year. Teachers may have a more relaxed pace to their days, but many spend some part of their summer “break” working on behalf of the students they serve. Learning doesn’t stop when the calendar turns to the month of June. Summer is the time to take a deep breath, hit pause, and continue to learn, create and grow in ways that time may not allow during the rest of the year. Here’s to another summer of learning!

Learning with Purpose

07 Thursday Mar 2019

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When we look at the things that each of us has learned most deeply in our lives, the same certain conditions almost always apply: Among other things, we had an interest and a passion for the topic, we had a real, authentic purpose in learning it, we had agency and choice, deciding what, when, where, and with whom we learned it, and we had fun learning it even if some of it was ‘hard fun.’

– Will Richardson

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There is not much more to say. When did you learn something that was quite difficult? What were the conditions under which you learned it – was it forced on you or did you want to learn? Did it matter to you? Was there a reason to learn it? In other words, did you have agency, choice and an authentic purpose for learning? This, more than any imposed requirement, leads to the deepest learning. Once we have acquired the basic reading, writing and math skills, it is then up to us to determine what we want to learn and how we will learn it. This is the work of schools and education.

What’s the recipe?

28 Thursday Feb 2019

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Do you use a recipe or do you let your senses, intuition and previous experience guide you when you cook? Do you closely follow directions when assembling a piece of furniture or model? Are you willing to experiment with the “known” – the instructions provided?

When I first became a teacher I was surprised to learn that the teacher editions of all textbooks/curriculum provided the words to say when giving each and every lesson. They are the recipes for teaching – the precise recipes. That’s nice to have, I suppose, but what it fails to take into account is the dialogue and conversation that is essential to learning. If we stick too closely to the scripted directions of lessons, we can miss the very thing that makes learning so worthwhile.

Learning is a dynamic process. The dialogue between teachers and students is nothing short of eye-opening and inspiring. The conversation goes well beyond the directions and instructions, instead pushing us each to learn and grow in many different directions. There is not one best recipe for learning or teaching. There are millions. The first is to be who you are each every day and to recognize the children in your schools and classrooms for who they are. It is by being willing to put aside the mandated conversations and instructions that we grow as learners and yearn for more. Great cooks know that recipes are meant to be adjusted. The same can be said for great schools. Learning is an ever-evolving recipe based on the essential ingredients the students bring each day.

Paying Attention

15 Thursday Nov 2018

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All learning occurs from a foundation of previous lessons and skill acquisition. As babies develop, they build muscles and learn from prior experiences. Children learn what they can and can’t do based on the feedback they receive from a particular action or activity. Smiles and affirmation reinforce behavior, and scolding or stern looks provide negative reinforcement. Businesses learn from their customers’ behavior. Over time, they provide more of what customers buy and less of the items that remain on the shelves. This works for just about everything if we are paying attention.

Maria Montessori did a great deal of research as she built her educational model. She observed what children were doing, created a lesson or material, and then observed how the materials were used to make sure they served the intended purpose. She learned from the children in her midst, and adapted lessons and materials accordingly. Continue reading →

Off to a Good Start

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by in Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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We are nearing the end of the first month of the 2018-19 school year, and everyone is settling in. Many schools spend the first six weeks of school focusing on two things: establishing the classroom community and assessment of academic skills. These are perhaps two very different things, but both quite necessary to set the tone and the agenda for the year ahead. Continue reading →

Energy in Schools

20 Thursday Sep 2018

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As this school year gets underway, I have had the pleasure of working more closely with a few classrooms. This has meant everything from meeting about supporting students, to discussing potential field trips, to helping plan lessons. Though these are not my “typical” responsibilities as head of school, they are things I thoroughly enjoy. Getting closer to student learning is always interesting and energizing.

When many of us were in school, each teacher was in charge of his or her classroom. Teachers followed the textbooks given to them from the school and were responsible for making sure all of the topics within each subject were adequately “covered.” Coverage. We may think of that when painting a wall or protecting a passer in football. Does it belong in school? Is the goal coverage? Or is it something much more? Continue reading →

Time Frames, Not Timelines

13 Thursday Sep 2018

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Time. It’s one thing many of us say we don’t have enough of. It’s finite, yet also unlimited. Thinking about the time that has come before today is, in many respects, incomprehensible – just as it is to think of time far into the future. Children know now... it takes years for them to understand yesterday or tomorrow. They truly live in the present moment, which is something many adults strive to do.

It can be said that time is an artificial construct. It is divided into seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries and so on. In other ways, it provides the structure we need to manage our lives. School years mean something different than fiscal years or calendar years. Within each of these “years” are other divisions of time. In schools, each year brings new classrooms and students as well as different aspects of the basic subjects taught there. Continue reading →

Summer Reflections

06 Thursday Sep 2018

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As summer comes to an end, I have been thinking about the fun I’ve had with friends and family. One thing I was reminded throughout the summer is that even as adults, we all come with our preferences, struggles and abilities.

A friend who visited for a few days this summer did some “odd jobs” at our house, jobs that we may have had to hire someone to do if not for this visit. He loves being busy and is able to figure out how things work even if they are new to him. By the time he left, we had checked several jobs off of our list. While traveling with family, one member relied on another to determine the inner workings of a schedule and map. It was too frustrating to untangle for one and easily done by the other. And yet another family member said that writing is too hard, and he always asks someone to write for him if it’s an important communication. He is well-spoken and has a professional job. He just can’t write well and finds it incredibly frustrating. Continue reading →