Empowered in the Process

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I read this great post from Deidre Roemer recently, where she discusses a letter she received from a former student. With deep reflection, although the message was very complimentary of the student’s time with Deidre, I appreciate Deidre’s self-reflection on what she read:

When I read the letter the first time, I felt really good about what I had done for J.  I read it again and realized where I almost got it right. So much of what she said in the letter was about what I had done for her.  I engaged her in school in a way that connected to her and helped her grow. What I did not do for and with her was empower her to take charge of her own learning.  I moved into a leadership position in our district at the end of that school year and she struggled. Too much of her education and success was dependent on me and what I was doing for her.  What I needed to do was do things with her to empower her to take charge of her own learning.  “Mrs. Roemer has left my school and barely has any time to come and visit I‘ve had some troubles paying attention in my classes but sometimes I just have to try and manage without her.”   In his book, Innovator’s Mindset, George Couros said, “Engagement is more about what you can do for your students.  Empowerment is about helping students to figure out what they can do for themselves.”  I definitely engaged J and sometimes empowered her, but not often enough that she could do it when I was not there.  Her learning should never have been about me. It should have been about her.

As I thought back on my time with J, I wonder if I had had more time with her if I would have been able to help her move from engagement to empowerment.  In his new book, Innovate Inside the Box, George wrote, “ “It’s okay, good even, to look back. Just make sure that you are practicing meaningful reflection, not self-loathing. Reflecting empowers you to move forward and take action instead of getting stuck in that cycle of regret or jumping into the hamster wheel of rushing forward and not even taking the time to look back.” It is important to reflect on that time with J so that I am able to move forward in the work I am doing now.  I get to work with teachers and leaders to help them understand how to connect to students, understand them from an empathetic lens, and help them to grow in their abilities to self-advocate and be agents of their own learning.

Such a great post from Deidre, and I appreciate her reflection and vulnerability in sharing (here is the whole thing). I know Deidre and the work that she and her team do in West-Allis Wisconsin, and I believe one of the reasons they are doing so many great things is because of their ability to reflect on the past to move forward.

A few things I was thinking while reading Deidre’s post:

1. Every educator, including myself, always looks back and wishes they could do more for their past students. Of course, we can’t go back in time and have a “redo” but what I have focused on is learning from “what I could have done” and shifting that to “what can I do now?”  As Deidre modeled in her post, reflection to move forward is a vital part of not only education but growing as people.

2. Too often, when I hear people talk about “empowerment,” they talk about the “stuff.” For example, “our students are empowered because they have their own Chromebook.” Or, “our students are empowered because they get this cool opportunity to do _______.” These are great opportunities but do not lead to empowerment on their own. Innovation and empowerment are not about the “stuff” but the voice, choice, and ownership of the direction by the learner.  Engagement and empowerment do not work in contradiction but are intertwined in their importance. But engagement is a step, and empowerment is the goal.

3. We can’t create a culture of empowerment in schools for our students when practices for staff are about compliance.  For example, “We want you to empower students and help them find their way, but you have to follow this script for your teaching.” That doesn’t make any sense. Empowerment starts with the adults. I love this quote from Kate Morgan; “Reaching a goal isn’t just about success; it’s also about the process.”  The journey (process) of education should be as important as the product, if not more so, for all learners.

A great post from Deidre that made me think about the importance of helping students and staff find their way.

The Importance of the Reciprocated Relationship in Education

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I encourage you to watch this video from Edutopia on the importance of relationships for learning:

It would be an excellent video for discussion regarding the importance of relationships in our schools and classrooms. One quote from the video resonated;

“Students who feel safe and supported are more likely to perform better academically.”

The reason this quote resonates for me is that a focus on building relationships isn’t about making a “fluffy” school that is all about making kids making feel good about themselves only. The focus on relationships is so that we can push our students to grow.

What I also appreciate about this video is the focus on the reciprocated relationship. This was not just about the teacher knowing their students, but students knowing their teacher as well. There was a vulnerability displayed in the examples, and it revealed a certain “humanness” that is beneficial to the growth of students, educators, and schools as a whole.

I talk about the importance of the “reciprocated relationship” for learning in “Innovate Inside the Box“:

Relationships don’t serve only to build up our learners; they give us a foundation to be able to challenge them as well. And the truth is, we are more likely to rise to high expectations when they are held by someone we like and trust.

If schools do not push our students to grow, then there is no purpose for them to be there in the first place. But if there is no relationship where learners feel seen and cared about, when we push our students or colleagues, there will be little motivation, if any, to respond to that encouragement. How do you find that balance between building up and challenging others to grow? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have any positive connection other than this initial interaction, and do they know their contributions are valued?

2. Do I ever connect with this person to say something positive, or do I only share feedback with others (or specific people) when it is negative?

3. Am I open to being challenged and critiqued in the same manner in which I am ready to deliver?

The common denominator in all three questions is the importance of the reciprocated relationship. Ultimately, you can learn without a relationship, but you will also go much further when one is present.

If we want to be able to push the people we serve (students and staff), we will be much more effective when those same people know we have their backs and will support them when they fall.

The Importance of Meaningful Creation

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I am often asked, “how much screen-time would you suggest for a child?” This question usually comes to me after a presentation, and then I ask, “how much screen time have you had in the last hour?” I often get responses from 0-30 minutes, but then I point out that the presentation was on a screen so if you were looking at your phone for 30 minutes while the screen was in front of you, does this count as 60 minutes or 90 in the past hour? As I am not an authority on the topic, I defer to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) which changed their suggestions from “no-screen time” at a certain age, to encouraging more thoughtfulness of what the time looks like in front of a screen.  They (AAP) changed their guidelines from the past as they have acknowledged that “screens” are a part of our world and we should be more thoughtful of what that time looks like, as it is often unavoidable.

Of course, we need to be aware of the access and opportunities our students, and we have today, and playtime, time without access in front of a screen, are all essential elements of our lives.  There are many opportunities that our children have today that we didn’t, but we also have to recognize there are lots of opportunities that we had away from screens as kids that have positively shaped us today.  It should not be an “all or nothing” scenario.

Directly from the AAP website, they make some suggestions on how to guide your child as a parent (both with and without screens), but there is one suggestion that I want to focus on in particular:

Screen time shouldn’t always be alone time. Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children when they are using screens – it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Play a video game with your kids. It’s a good way to demonstrate good sportsmanship and gaming etiquette. Watch a show with them; you will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives, and guidance. Don’t just monitor children online, interact with them – you can understand what they are doing and be a part of it.

In the context of schools, we have to recognize that while students are around others, the use of technology can still be done in isolation. Is the student-focused solely on the mobile device in front of them, or do they have opportunities to actively collaborate and create with others while on a device?

My thoughts are not based on “how much” time our students have in front of a screen. My focus is, what does our time in front of screens entail?

If we have students using screens solely for the use of consumption, that is a huge opportunity lost.  But if we focus on students having ample time for meaningful creation in their learning, that changes what the time looks like in front of a screen.

This quote from the “Center for Accelerated Learning” has always resonated with me regarding the importance of “creation” for learning.

When I use the term “meaningful creation,” it is essential that it is meaningful to the student, not only the teacher. If you would have asked me as a student, do I see myself as an author in the future, I would have laughed.  But I have come to love writing because I have the consistent opportunity to write about things that I am interested in discussing. That “voice and choice” in my learning matters, as it does for our students.

I recently observed students participating in a photo scavenger hunt for their teacher on the school property. Yes, they were on their phones, but they were having conversations with their peers discussing what they were finding and what they wanted to highlight.  It was a collaborative endeavor where students were outside, observing nature, while also having access to technology, collecting and creating evidence of learning.  It was powerful to see some of the conversations students were having with one another while watching them making connections in their learning.

The question for “screen time” in schools should be less focused on “how much,” and more on “how meaningful.” Is the learning in front of a screen active, collaborative, and creative, or is focused mostly on consumption?  As John Spencer shares, critical consumption is an integral part of the learning process, but the opportunity for meaningful creation is something that we need to focus on both with and without devices.

Bringing Out the Gifts and Talents of Every Child

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This is from Sanée Bell’s fantastic book, “Be Excellent on Purpose; Intentional Strategies for Impactful Leadership“:

Students should have rich, relevant, and authentic experiences at school, across the board. If every educator in every school pursued excellence instead of allowing excuses about what students can and cannot do, we would meet the needs of all students. Our goal has to be to create schools where excellence is the standard.

…When an educator is struggling in their craft, seldom do we hear the word “low” used to describe them. We often say they need to be coached up and given additional support and training. We focus our resources, both fiscal and human, on identifying where they need support, and we provide it with fidelity. We monitor and give feedback, and we make adjustments as needed. They are expected to become better educators as a result of this focused, intentional support and training.

But once a student has been perceived to be “low,” it becomes a point of no return. Too often, that label becomes the ceiling for that child.

There is so much that stuck out in this book but the above resonated.

What this quote made me think of is the importance of understanding that “academically gifted” and “smart” are not the same thing.  I was an average student in high school, yet I was always in trouble for “talking too much.” I now speak for a living.  Obviously, there is an issue when I was disrupting the learning of others, and I don’t blame a teacher for wanting me to be thoughtful of when I used my voice. But that skill that inherently was a strength for me, didn’t fit nicely into the structure of school, so it could be easily dismissed and ignored in pursuit of focusing solely on “doing” the curriculum?  I believe that all kids are gifted, just maybe not in the structure of school. When we focus on finding these gifts, it might not only help them academically but will assuredly help them in their lives.

What matters about the below statement from Sanée is not that all students have the same experience, but their opportunity within a school is meaningful and brings out the gifts and talents of every single child.

 

Beyond a Diploma

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I have no idea where I am going with this post, but I wanted to work through these ideas through writing. Bear with me.

Here is a question that popped into my head recently;

Would our students and communities see school (K-12) as valuable and as an essential endeavor if there was no diploma offered?

If you google the benefits of having a high school diploma, the top results will state things like you will get “better job opportunities,” you can “earn more money,” or it will “pave the way to college or trade school.” All of these things are important, but is the process of school seen as a means to an end (diploma), or is school about something more?  Most educators will say that it is something much much more (as would I), but what do our students and communities believe?  I am not saying they do not see it as something more, but I am honestly wondering.

I recently posted this picture on Instagram:

If this was how communities saw K-12 education, would the be more of an emphasis placed on the process of school than merely the product?

There are many barriers to making the above statement happen in education that is outside of the control of teachers and administrators. The whole premise of “Innovate Inside the Box” is the idea that we can make that statement come to life despite the constraints that so many educators face.

I am not saying we should get rid of diplomas. There are still seen as an important measure in our world today.  I am just thinking a lot about the “purpose of school” and how educators see it versus our communities. And if educators see the purpose as something uniquely different than our students and communities see education, how do we connect these ideas?

In my opinion, the process, which happens over a 13 year period for most students, should be more important than the product.

After writing this, I feel like I have more questions than answers but it is just something I wanted to try and process through writing.

The Enthusiasm of Our Students

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In my workshops, I often talk about the importance of greeting students at the door in the morning to set the tone for the entire day. A simple welcome can provide the enthusiasm and warmth that gets a student excited and ready for the day. As shared in “Innovate Inside the Box,” this simple gesture is actually to have been proven by research to be beneficial for our students:

“…a simple greeting at the door can make a significant impact on how a student feels and acts that day. A recent study found that when teachers greeted their students positively at the door, academic engagement increased by as much as 20 percentage points, while they saw a decrease of 9 percentage points in disruptive behavior. It’s really much bigger than someone’s physical presence at a classroom door. It’s about positive relationships.”

The reason I bring this up though is not only because of the benefit to the students but also for the adults. I was recently asked how we keep up the beginning of the year “energy” the entire year, and my answer was to connect and enjoy the students. Being outside of the classroom and greeting students, seeing their smiles and enthusiasm, can also give that energy boost to the student, as well as the adult.  As an administrator, I knew that when I was feeling overwhelmed, I would get into classrooms to be around students and connect with them.  They not only reminded me of why I do what I do, but their enthusiasm was contagious.

I know that there are tough days with students; I have had them myself.  But if you look for those positive interactions with students, you will not only find them, but they can be the fuel we need to bring up our energy.

As kids, we often dream up wanting to be adults, and then as adults, we look back wanting to be more like kids.  It is a true blessing to be in a profession where you can be continuously inspired by the youthful enthusiasm of our students.

 

Maintaining “First-Day” Excitement

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All over Canada, and at many schools in North America, today is the first day of school. Doing the work that I do today, I did not realize that until I opened up Facebook this morning and was hit by a barrage of “the first day of grade _____” pictures all over my feed.  The excitement on the faces of many students was contagious, but it also seemed that some parents were pretty happy to send their kids back to school as well 🙂

What I have been thinking about a lot lately is about how we maintain that “first-day” excitement in our students throughout the year? Although this is something that I do my best to support in my work, I know that this is not an easy task for educators and schools as there are so many variables in the lives of our students and ourselves that have an impact on our experience in school. My focus here is on how do we create an experience in school that is both joyous while challenging.  The reason both elements are essential is that it is easier to “challenge” our students to grow in a space where they are excited to be in the first place. If a student hates coming to school every day, it is going to be a lot tougher to push them toward growth.

I was humbled when a former colleague and friend of mine shared that a picture from an article I wrote that is also featured in “Innovate Inside the Box” was shared in her school’s staffroom.

The focus of these suggestions in the image is to find ways within our work to,

a) build relationships with our students and caregivers, while creating a joyous environment for them and ourselves

b) we focus on knowing and serving the students in front of us, and

c) we build and tap into their strengths.  

These ideas connect directly to a post I recently wrote that focuses on these three questions, which are my hopes for my own daughter’s school experience:

  1. Will she feel valued in school?
  2. Will her teachers look to find and bring out her talents and strengths, or only focus on developing things she struggles to do?
  3. If she misses time in school, will she feel that her contributions are missed?

Again, none of what I have just shared is easy; teaching is extraordinarily hard work, and the only predictability in each day is that it will be different and there are so many obstacles educators face daily.  As Todd Whitaker says, “The best thing about being a teacher is that it matters. The hardest thing about being a teacher is that it matters every day.” These thoughts are just a reminder for myself of why educators do what they do.

The first day and the last day of school for each year are the ones that are often most celebrated, but the days in between are the ones that often matter most.

It will always be hard to maintain that “first-day excitement,” but it doesn’t mean we don’t try.

#InnovateInsideTheBox Book Study (Starting September 15, 2019)

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Katie Novak and I are really excited to announce the #InnovateInsideTheBox book study, starting September 15, 2019, over on Facebook.  This book study will go over a 4 week period and is an opportunity to not only dig in deeper into the content of the book with Katie and me but will also be a space for people to share ideas and learn from one another as we focus on creating opportunities for purposeful learning for every one of our learners.  This book study is one that you can do at your own pace, but also will encourage participants to create multiple means of representation in sharing their learning through the process. To be a part of this, simply do the following:

  1. Get a copy of “Innovate Inside the Box” if you do not already have one.
  2. Join the open Facebook group for the book study.
  3. Comment on this welcome post to introduce yourself.

Although we are “formally” starting the process on September 15, 2019, we are going to give some prompts and facilitate some conversations before the “official” beginning so please feel free to join any time. 

Here is the tentative reading schedule for the process:

September 15 – September 21 – Read the Foreword until Chapter 2

September 22 – September 28 – Chapters 3 and 4

September 29 – October 5 – Chapters 5 – 10

October 6 – October 12 – Chapters 11 -14

In addition to participating in the Facebook discussion, we encourage participants to create one post per week (video, audio recording, written post, visual, or anything else) in their own space to share their learning back to the Facebook group.  For me, my blog is a great space to create this learning as it allows for multiple ways to embed different mediums, but you might also be able to create this on a Twitter, Instagram account, or other sites. The focus is that we want this experience to be one where we create a community but also dive deeper into our own reflective process to deepen learning while modeling different mediums.

If you do not have a Facebook account, you can follow along with the “Innovate Inside the Box” for the weekly prompts. 

Although Katie and I will be keeping to a schedule of when we share, we want all participants to go at a pace that works for them.  We know that every single month in the school year is extremely busy and we appreciate people taking the time to join. This is your experience so you make it what you want!

We look forward to working through this process! It is my first time using Facebook for a book study so hopefully, it is a good experience for all!  Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in the book study!

By Lifting Others

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I found this old tweet

It made me tear up.

I have been mindful to focus on the people who lift me up and cheer me on. Not only because it is better for my mental health, but I want to be that person that cheers people on to make a positive difference. Finding this tweet wasn’t an accident, and it seemed to come right at a time when I needed it most.

A good reminder below.

 

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The Importance of “Belief”

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I wrote this in 2014:

Belief.

I have always believed the importance of relationships and how they are foundation of a great school, classroom, or organization, but having “belief” in every student you interact with, no matter how hard it is and where they have come from, can make all of the difference.

If we don’t believe kids can change the world or even just make it a better place to live, they are already starting in deficit.

Embodying that one little word, can make a huge difference for a kid who needs you more than you will ever know.

So when our students are starting the school year, do they know that they have the power to impact the lives of others in meaningful ways? I do a lot better with people that I know are rooting for my success, and our students are no different.  It is not enough to have this belief in all of our students but to ensure they know we believe they can make a purposeful impact in the world.

Over five years after writing that blog, the word belief is one that is just as important to me than ever.

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