Literacy Lenses

Focusing on The Literacy Work that Matters

DREAM BIG: Envisioning Possibilities

Guest bloggers Susie Rolander and Justin Dolci

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Growing up, Thursday nights meant Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends. NBC ruled the ratings, but after those shows went off the air, the truth is Thursday nights really have been blah. That was until….#G2Great. While only in its second season, the ratings are through the roof.  Not many Twitter chats trend almost every week and word has spread across the Twittersphere that #G2Great is the place to be.
This past week’s episode, Dream BIG: Envisioning Possibilities, did more to inspire than Sam, Jerry and Rachel combined. We might be biased, but this episode was right up our alley because the scenes are near and dear to the work that both of us feel so passionately about.

One moment as we go to a commercial break….

We co-produce a small, independent blog 2 Teachers Let Me Shine. At the heart of this production, is our curiosity in identifying the critical factors that need to be in place in order to let students shine.

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Now we return from our 30 second commercial break (Hey, 30 seconds is nothing these days)


Four highlighted scenes of this, sure to be Emmy Award winning episode saw the starring cast of #G2Great educators talking about the very things that inspired us to spin off our own dedicated journey. Those four critical factors that let students shine also just happen to let students and teachers Dream Big

SPOILER ALERT!

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Critical Factor #1: Building Relationships

If Neilson ratings were the only validation of the success of a show, we would be left with very few shows. (Horror!) The truth is, shows captivate different audiences because they build a connection and foster relationships with their viewers. In our ever obsessed data driven world, it’s very easy to lose sight of the lives in front of us.  In order for people to dream big, we must grow relationships which requires us to dig deeper than the number on a chart. #relationships

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Critical Factor #2: Forming Community

Many successful shows have been built on the camaraderie of the cast. There is little doubt the behind the scenes deep friendship of the entire Friends cast was key in making their on screen acting even stronger. Similarly, the stars of #G2Great have created a powerful learning network (PLN) which pushes everyone to “build bridges” to Dream Big.  Isn’t it our responsibility to create these bridges for our students?  #community

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Critical Factor #3: Seeing Strengths

Casting agents are faced with the difficult task of matching roles with actors which requires not only knowing the actor, but identifying their strengths.  Could you imagine anyone else but Ted Danson flourishing in the role of Sam Malone?  Likewise, we must find those secret places in the hearts of each of our students, their own individual strengths, and bring them to the surface. #strengths

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Critical Factor #4: Risk Taking

The amount of piloted shows that are tried and rejected is jaw-dropping.  What makes directors and producers keep trying?  It is a culture of risk taking; failure is expected and embraced as part of the process.  What we see on TV is a result of the many dreamers, but behind the scenes are countless tries. Without perseverance, we would never find the gems.  Similarly, the cast of #G2Great made it clear that we need to embrace this risk taking and growth mindset in our classrooms and schools in order for our students to Dream Big. #takerisks #growthmindset

FINAL SCENE

#G2Great is no longer a pilot!  It is here to stay.  You too, can be in future episodes.  It is a place where the cast of characters always Dreams Big and lets each other Shine. #2tlmshine Join us!

Our friend and fellow #G2Great cast member Trevor Bryan encapsulates it so perfectly….

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2 thoughts on “DREAM BIG: Envisioning Possibilities”

  1. Justin and Susie,
    What a remarkable post. Love your use of Friends as a metaphor and a comparison of its critical attributes for #G2great weekly chats. (But I have to tell you that I have never seen any of those shows, Cheers, Seinfeld and Friends, and quite frankly can’t remember the last time I watched anything on NBC.)

    It’s not surprising that Dreaming Big involves relationships, community, strengths and growth mindset. A dream has to be bigger than the current reality and our current reality has no ceiling because of #g2great. It’s become a regular source of sustenance for our hearts, bodies, and souls when daily struggles try to pull us down.

    Trevor’s art work as the final scene is such a part of both of you! “Come in and celebrate your uniqueness which makes you, YOU!” also celebrates relationships, community, strengths and a growth mindset.

    Thank you for this reflective post that takes us all well beyond Thursday’s chat!

  2. I thought I had already taken a trip to analogy heaven with Justin and Susie Fran, but you just add a new layer with the #G2Great ceiling: It’s become a regular source of sustenance for our hearts, bodies, and souls when daily struggles try to pull us down.” It makes me so proud to have friends who have joined us on this journey!

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