On March 22, 2018 #G2Great welcomed with immense excitement Peter Reynolds and Susan Verde as guest hosts to lead a discussion around using picture books to spark collective curiosity. Like most educators, picture books have been a sacred part of my professional and personal life. During my graduate school years as I studied literacy, my most adored professor started each class reading aloud a different picture book. With each book she told a carefully developed story that connected her to the book. When I began teaching I remember sitting in classrooms with my mentors and we just read picture books to each other, combing through our shelves and sharing our books. Our collaborations in dialogue developed from our connections to those books we shared, sparked creative curisosity for all of us. They lead us to share those books with others, just as when my professor read those books each week. Years later I recall sitting at a celebration for the end of a weeklong institute on reading at Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. At that celebration they read-aloud Peter Reynolds’ Ish. This book was then shared back at my school and we all worked along with our students on living “ishfully ever after.”
Sparking Collective Curiosity
Peter Reynolds and Susan Verde joined together, just as so many other do – to share in the collective curiosity that is sparked by picture books. Through their collaboration in creating their books they have SPARKED the COLLECTIVE CURIOSITY of so many others. Read the tweets below to see how they have enriched so many teaching lives.
Engaging Students in Powerful Picture Book Collaborations Through Dialogue or Creation
Collaborations can happen in dialogue or creation, and oftentimes collaboration leads to both. We can engage our students in read-aloud through accountable talk through partnerships and whole class grand conversations. When we invite students to share a book it helps to create a community. It builds a shared experience that potentionally expands from the classroom to each and every contact that each member of the classroom community has beyond the classroom.
Reading inspires writing. When we invite our students to listen with a writer’s mind it can spark the writing process for our students. Students can create their own writing pieces through reflection and connections that grow during the shared experience of reading a powerful picture book. These words, once written can change lives because the dialogue or creation that comes from sharing picture books can create waves of change that spread messages of hope, wonder, joy and peace.
Books That Power Your Classroom Mission
Picture books spark collective curiosity when they are shared, discussed and extended through creative expression. Peter Reynolds and Susan Verde have collaborated on several books that beg to be shared, discussed and extended. These collaborative creations have the power to spark our students to take action and make the world a better place.
The origin of #G2Great was born out of reflection. A conversation that began in my home office over Twitter with a fellow literacy coach, Amy Brennan, and a brilliant author – yes, I am talking about you, Dr. Mary Howard. Together, we were able to connect and create something that has grown as a source for weekly reflection on a grand scale. It was our desire to reflect with greater intention because #G2Great was, and forever will be, inspired by Mary’s book, Good to Great Teaching Focusing on the Literacy Work that Matters. As the chat grew we needed backup! The addition of Fran McVeigh completed our team, and now there is no looking back. We are always striving to, Reflect, Refocus, and Renew (so we may) Refresh Our Professional spirit…
As I meandered my way through Storify to write this week’s blog post, I realized that the #G2Great community is totally stoked in reflection! You all shared practices and insights and this lifted my spirit in ways that were both inspiring and reaffirming.
Making Reflection A Habit of Mind Through Daily Practice
There is no one right way to reflect, the real power for reflection lies in daily practice. When we allow ourselves to just stop breathe and focus on the practices we are holding up our, in the words of Dr. Gravity Goldberg, admiring lens to ourselves. We are so worth the effort! Every time we reflect, we are rooting ourselves in deep appreciation for our teaching. We are being intellectually curious and that leads to wonder and discovery:
Probing Possibilities Reflecting Our Way to Personal Growth and Goal Setting
Reflection spurs change because it is the thoughtful pause that gives us time to nurture growth. Goals are like seeds for reflection work, unlocking our potential. Sometimes we have a plan for our goals, tending to them, reflecting on our needs so they may blossom. Sometimes goals can be like wildflowers! All we have to do is to reflect on what is happening in real time right in front of us, and we see patterns in a beautiful landscape we could not have anticipated. In essence, reflection makes our goals visible, it opens up the landscape for meaningful discourse, and it sharpens our attention for what matters most:
Outgrowing Ourselves Through Reflection
Knowing what you believe is a beginning, not an ending. Reflection is the thing that keeps us flexible and free-thinking if we do it with open minds and hearts. When we untether risk from fear we allow ourselves to take that leap. Every time teachers reflect to expand their beliefs to accommodate a pluralistic lens we push ourselves to grow. Whenever we are receptive to our students, colleagues, or when we decide to try new things we are outgrowing ourselves:
Writing to Reflect Because Writing Will Set You Free
Writing has changed me in ways that I cannot explain; while at the same time, it has brought me to home to know myself in ways I could not have imagined. Teaching demands authenticity we cannot teach what we don’t understand. Understanding of all things begins once we understand ourselves. Therefore, reflection is a practice that is not bound by the school day, season, or year – it is the work of a lifetime. Reflection is our inner voice, our constant companion, and when we write we are setting ourselves free to create and discover:
As I close out my post to you, I am humbled by an overwhelming feeling of connectedness to all the teachers who are willing to share during our weekly chats. Teaching can feel very solitary at times, because minute by minute, we are making decisions that shape our students’ view of themselves and of the world. Some days we will be defeated, some days we will triumph and the space between these realities is filled with a million reflections. The good news is we don’t have to do this on our own, we can look within ourselves and within each other to reflect, refocus, and renew:
There was an air of excitement and electricity that led up to the #G2Great chat with the #BowTieBoys on March 8th. The boys, ranging from 7th graders to 11th graders, craft their own questions, greet folks to the chat and carry on conversations as veterans. I’ve been lucky to “know” the #BowTieBoys for three years but I didn’t fully understand their depth of knowledge and commitment to improving education until #NCTE17. In St. Louis, I saw them individually and as groups multiple times across the days, as they were quite literally the first people I saw at the conference hotel and in four sessions over the course of the conference.
What is their story?
The #BowTieBoys are some very gifted literate secondary students who have literally banded together to study how education could be improved. Their future plans and interests are as varied as they are. Meeting their parents at some of the sessions added another dimension to my understanding. What if students were encouraged to study the work of some of the best and brightest? And who would that be? They were on panels and in pictures with Lester Laminack, Linda Rief, Dr. Mary Howard, Penny Kittle, Kelly Gallagher, Kylene Beers and Bob Probst. They read and study professional education texts. Who wouldn’t grow and learn from those #Edu-heroes?
What are the Keys to Creating a Positive Environment?
1. Relationships and Respect
Relationships and respect are so intertwined that it is difficult to have one without the other. As a teacher, it’s important to build relationships from day one in the classroom. That might be the conversations in the hall about the school event the night before, at the door about individual scores and expertise, or in the classroom pulling in specific student interests to engage the students in the learning. Respect is not about assuming it will be bestowed on teachers as a point of privilege. True respect is about caring for students and being able to be human when students do need a bit of extra care, or being able to laugh and joke as teachers and students learn from each other. Respect is a two-way street and students will earn teacher respect and trust as they also work on developing relationships and treating others kindly. Students have strengths that they can use to teach others in the class, perhaps in the area of digital tools but also in those areas of personal interest where they spend time every day.
As Sam Fremin said,
“EVERYONE in the learning community is a learner AND a teacher.”
Transparency
Transparency is often found in communication that builds on the relationships formed under mutual respect. Secondary students also prefer to have their voices heard as well as to have choices in their daily work. Teachers that can admit mistakes and move on not only exemplify transparency but they also model how to continue to grow and persevere in the face of difficulties. Transparency is necessary for a growth mindset for students and teachers.
Other areas of transparency include: setting time frames for assignments together, having high expectations for all students and developing the assessment/evaluation criteria together. In a transparent environment, everyone is a learner and everyone makes positive growth. Above all, transparency assumes an openness and an atmosphere of honesty from both teachers and students that builds upon the respect previously mentioned and often includes asking for feedback from students and then acting on that feedback.
Strategies to Engage ALL Learners
Several strategies were mentioned during the chat including: time, transparency, and trust. Time included allocating enough time so students can work with their peers. Time to explore topics that students are interested in. Time to work on projects for creation or even problem solving. In addition to transparency qualities previously mentioned, allowing choice of assignments and opportunities to pursue tasks that allow quiet participation for students who prefer to work alone is important. Variations in groupings for work will And with trust, strategies that allow a voice in how the task will be evaluated, perhaps the co-creation of rubrics or the negotiation of due dates, are preferred. Trust can also be built as a part of those teacher-student relationships when teachers attend the co-curricular activities of their students.
Low Student Stress Levels
In the classroom, stress can be reduced by ensuring that time is allocated so that students always begin projects or homework in class, ask questions, and clarify that they know what the learner outcomes are. Students appreciate teachers who chunk projects into smaller shorter deadlines that enable students to have frequent check in points. Feedback along the way in bigger projects or tasks also allows students to know what they can do to improve learning. Simple conversations with students in terms of whether time frames seem reasonable, how can stress be reduced and how does this fit with other course requirements. Similarly teachers who communicate with others can be aware in advance of due dates and not have three or four major projects all due on the same date. Stress is a real issue. Learning does not occur and students cannot thrive when a learner is under stress. That also means that tasks and projects should be valuable to students and teachers and not perceived as busy work.
Reasonable Grading Timelines
What are reasonable timelines for grading? If a task is assigned to be done in one day in one class period, how much time should the teacher have to grade that task? A typical “It depends” answer may prevail because if this is during class periods 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and the teacher’s prep period was period 2, the grades will probably not be posted that day. But is it fair for students if two or three days pass and those grades are still not posted? Grades are an interesting school phenomenon. Grades are after the fact and they close the door to learning.Yes, it would be nice if more focus was on learning and less on grading, but timeliness of grades is an issue that perhaps again relates back to transparency, relationships, and respect.
Cell Phone Usage
Should cellphones be used in classrooms? Again the answer might be, “it depends.” If students in the building have 1:1 devices, the need for cell phones may be reduced. Sometimes cell phones might be more efficient uses of technology and/or feedback for students and teachers. The learning needs should drive cell phone usage rather than the need to have a fun, cute activity. This again, could be a source of both transparency and trust if students approach a teacher outside of class time with a new app or extension that would really make learning simpler in that classroom. Showing, explaining, and providing a rationale in a separate setting would also be respectful of student, teacher and class time. It is important for teachers to be consistent in their messages about how, when, and where cell phones can be used. But if that is not a skill taught at school, where will it be taught? How and when will students learn to manage the distractible portions of cell phone usage?
Student Involvement in Assessment and
Grading
Another feature of a positive classroom environment is student involvement in assessment and grading. This varies from classroom to classroom much to the dismay of students who may see this inconsistency as a lack of transparency. One way to involve students is to have student conferences. Recording the conferences on Flipgrid and sharing with parents would also be an increase in transparency. Students who help develop the rubrics that are used for assessments would also see this as a characteristic of a positive classroom environment. Teachers who routinely complete the “tests” themselves to check for accuracy and necessity are also respectful of their students and their precious learning time.
Safe and Comfortable Classrooms
How do your classrooms look? Are they inviting? Are they comfortable? Some considerations include furniture that matches the needs of the students and the various instructional groupings: space and tables to collaborate in teams, quiet spaces for reading or writing, as well as space for partner work. That might determine the need for tables instead of desks, couches instead of chairs, and a nook or two where students can seek solitude. Flexibility that responds to the needs of the students is important.
As you have read, you noticed the eight components the #BowTieBoys identified for a positive classroom environment were: Relationships and Respect, Transparency, Strategies to Engage ALL Learners, Low Student Stress Levels, Reasonable Grading Timelines, Cell Phone Usage, Student Involvement in Assessment and Grading, and Safe and Comfortable Classrooms. Others exist but these eight could generate great conversations.
Have you checked in with your students lately about your classroom environments?
What would your students say are the keys to creating a positive classroom environment?
Within minutes after opening this phenomenal book, I realized that I was holding PROFESSIONAL LOVE in my hands. Before I could even finish the introduction, Kristi and Christine beckoned me with words that illuminated their “Kids 1st” vision in an opening quote:
“As we taught we realized that so much (too much) of the profession is focused on the ways teachers can make students successful, but not how we give children the tools to build their own success day after day after day.” (xii)
Just like that, I was utterly smitten and eager to accept their invitation to come along as they shared what they learned when they “sat with their failures and rose to teach again.” Their deep belief in joyful kid-centered learning rose from every page of this magical book that empowers us to sit with our own failures knowing that they hold so many potential successes. I smiled as I turned to the last page, filled with a renewed sense of hope for this profession. I paused to soak in the blessing of gazing into the eyes of their children where the real opportunities have always resided.
This beautiful book is divided into four main sections: Heart Work, Physical and Emotional Environment, and Curriculum. Admittedly, I found myself returning to the Heart Work section to reread descriptions of flourishing, empathetic, playful, flexible, and reflective educators. Each of these rich professional qualities were also thoughtfully infused across each chapter.
As our #G2great chat with Kristi and Christine began, my unquenchable thirst to enter the Kid’s 1st world they describe was my chat GPS. I eagerly searched for tweets that would add to my understandings – and I was not disappointed. My biggest challenge wasn’t finding interrelated tidbits of twitter wisdom but how to narrow those connections down for the purpose of this post. As I began to weave their chat wisdom with their book wisdom, ten big ideas emerged that beautifully illustrate the Kids 1st view described in their book. To combine both, my reflections on their chat messages are interwoven with their book message in italics. While these cannot possibly substitute for a deep read of Kids 1st From Day 1, they complement a shift from makingstudents successful to giving children the tools to build their own success day after day after day.
Kids 1st Big Idea #1: Our Commitment to Children
Kristi acknowledges that mandates have the potential to thwart our efforts to create a Kids 1st classroom while asking us to remain steadfast in our responsibility to children. In other words, we cannot allow compliance to deter us since success is possible when the factors are right. I love Kristi’s use of the word ‘power’ since I see this as a two-pronged factor in that we are taking back our own power so that we can hand that power over to children. Making room for student choice regardless of outside demands reflects that our commitment to children will always rise above our obligation to those “other” things, real or perceived. We should never feel compelled to make a choice between compliance to mandates over responsibility to kids.
Kids 1st Big Idea #2: “Re-centering” Our Focal Point
Christine’s tweet beautifully segued from Kristi’s Big Idea 1. She continues this discussion by emphasizing where our first allegiance lives and asks us to make the same shift from a different angle. We are once again reminded to return that power to teachers and children by “re-centering” our decisions so that children rather than school elements remain at the center of our efforts. Her choice of wording that “children lead the way” highlights the idea that we become empowered when we make the very decisions that begin with our children. They are our standard, our curriculum and every other element of school you could possibly mention – not the other way around.
Kids 1st Big Idea #3: Relinquishing Instructional Control
The memory of Kristi reflecting on the child who tore her management chart from the wall amid cheering peers is likely to stay with me for a long time (admittedly, I silently cheered from the sidelines). This Kids 1st illustration from a child’s perspective at its finest illustrates that we do our children a disservice when instructional control is at helm. Kristi asks us to replace control with a renewed emphasis on instructional experiences. We can only be responsive and intentional when we offer faded support that is designed to promote increasing independence. We know that we must ensure that our children will assume their rightful place at the helm and this means that we have the courage to step aside so that they can man their own learning ship.
Kids 1st Big Idea #4: Embracing Our IMPACT
Christine helps us to broaden our Kids 1st scope by moving from a now to next view. This wider lens allows us to look to the future as we make our teaching focus about “life” rather than school. While it is certainly our responsibility to have an impact on our children for whatever time we are blessed to them in our care, a Kids 1st perspective always seeks a higher purpose that will live beyond this time so that our impact will linger long after they leave our care. The only way that we can have a classroom that (mostly) hums with collaboration and camaraderie is if we are willing to increase agency and thus give students ownership of learning.
Kids 1st Big Idea #5: The Gift of Authenticity
When I think back on the five qualities teachers bring to the Kid’s 1st table, authenticity always looms large since it seems to me to be the glue that holds each of those qualities together. By bringing our true and most authentic selves to the experience each tine we are in the company of kids and fellow teachers, those qualities will almost always follow. Kristi wisely reminds us that the ME we purport to be and the ME we demonstrate by virtue of our actions in their company must be one in the same. Authenticity is a tap on the shoulder that we believe we owe it to children to be our best selves – for us and for them. That makes teaching joyful, rewarding, and meaningful.
Kids 1st Big Idea #6: Giving Children Ownership
I smiled when I read Christine’s beautiful line from Lion King, “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” I love this vision of classrooms as our kingdom and the idea that everything in our learning kingdom belongs to our children. No matter how beautifully designed our learning spaces may be or how many things we bring into those spaces, they will have little value unless children interact with them in purposeful ways. Christine reminds us to turn the keys of the kingdom over to our children so that everything in it can become a force of good. It is only when our learning space grows with children that we can create those spaces so that they begin with a “blank canvas, not a finished masterpiece.”
Kids 1st Big Idea #7: Design from a Child’s Eyes
Room design has gained renewed educational interest as teachers scramble to enthusiastically change each aspect of room design. Unfortunately, these designs far too often hyper focuses on the design itself over how that design becomes a mirror that reflects the unique needs of the children who reside in those spaces. Kristi reminds us that a Kids 1st design must carefully match that learning needs of our children. For this reason, our learning design will rise from their specific learning needs and this will always varies according to the children within those spaces. We can only do this if those decisions are guided by our design for the flexibility to be spontaneous in how the classroom is arranged… and that includes children by design.
Kids 1st Big Idea #8: Cultivating and Modeling Empathy
In their book, Kristi and Christine define empathy as the “ability to see the world from another person’s perspective and to understand and feel what that person feels in the moment.” They further distinguish empathy as feeling like rather than for others. Christine shares what every Kids 1st teacher knows – that modeling empathy is not a point of arrival but rather is something that we foster in ourselves and others on a daily basis. I love Christine’s view of empathy as giving ourselves permission to joyfully see the world from a child’s perspective. What a lovely reminder that each of us can re-experience the world from a child’s eye view and appreciate that world all over again. This is a blessing in every sense.
Kids 1st Big Idea #9: Creating a Community of Learners
Kristi and Christine acknowledge that “building a productive, functional, joyful community of unique individuals” is not a simple endeavor by any means. In a Kids 1st classroom, we do not confuse classroom management with building community. We recognize our responsibility to help children become one of many and to develop the skills that will allow them to do so even within a myriad of unexpected events that we may not even be able to anticipate. This does not happen by chance but by intentional and explicit modeling as we support and extend these day to day experiences that will inevitably fill our classrooms with powerful learning opportunities.
Kids 1st Big Idea #10: The Flawed Myth of Perfection
Christine’s words bring to mind a vision of the ball and chain that seems to tether teachers everywhere to an unrealistic view in an elusive search for the “perfect teacher.” In Kids 1st, they remind us “Don’t hope for perfect, plan for growth” (ours and theirs). I chuckled at Christine’s idea to create a “letting go of perfection teacher support group” but that just might be an idea worth pondering. It seems to me that perfection is in our teacher DNA, and yet an unrelenting pursuit of perfection can blind us to the incredible learning opportunities that may be hiding just out of the perfection view. We can instead celebrate hard work that comes from wading joyfully in the mess and realize that we can emerge unscathed and better for the experience. My best learning has always come from my less than stellar teaching trials and tribulations. Let’s not avoid them – let’s celebrate them!
As I look back at this exquisite book and the #G2Great tweets that Kristi and Christine have written in honor of kids and teachers everywhere, I am inspired anew. They share their hope that in writing this book their words may have “tugged on a thread that caught your heart and mind…” and I can wholeheartedly say ‘Mission accomplished!’ Kristi and Christine have challenged us to renew our own vision for what is possible as we re-envision our teaching using a Kids 1st perspective. It is my deepest hope that every educator will accept their challenge to bring their Kids 1st vision to life in honor of incredible children who deserve our best everywhere.
Thank you for showing us what heart work looks like Kristi and Christine!
LINKS
Kids 1st from Day 1: A Teacher’s Guide to Today’s Classroom by Kristi Mraz and Christine Hertz (Heinemann 2018)
On February 22, 2018, Kate Roberts joined #G2Great to have a conversation about taking a fresh look at the whole-class novel. There is something deeply reassuring about her book, because she asks us to lift our presuppositions, regardless of what stance you take, and find some common ground. What is good about this practice? What’s a potential drawback? How can we elevate this practice so it can evolve based on what we now know about strong instructional practice?
We are all teachers who want to get to the heart of the matter… how do we help usher in the next generation of readers? As with any complex endeavor, there is so much to consider. Kate’s book inspired all of us to think past our preconceptions because the more we share the more we could learn from and support each other through professional sharing.
Sharing Experiences
Experiences shape us. They fill us up and give us the ink so we may write our stories. If I understand your experience with this instructional move, I can broaden my own understanding. During the chat, I broadened my understanding and I saw the Whole-Class Novel (WCN) as something that is not a yes/ no proposition I re-envisioned it as an opportunity that may be full of potential.
Sharing Expertise
We are smarter together! Yes, the Whole-Class Novel can be an object of inquiry. When teachers think about their end goals for using this instructional practice it can grant permission for critical thinking. We can take this one book, and open it up to all our students and see where they take it. That can be an exciting proposition.
Sharing the Journey
When teachers and students share the journey to make meaning it is magical. It is also powerful that Kate’s book inspired this revelation for the #G2Great community. This is not an easy proposition but it is a worthwhile one. Students will have vastly different interpretations of a book and that’s ok. The classroom is the perfect place to learn how to have those conversations that may not have been possible without this instructional move.
Thank you, Kate for helping us to re-envision the potential for the Whole-Class Novel. Together we continue to shape and grow our practice, because none of us are as brilliant as all of us…
As educators we work in learning organizations, whether it is a public school, private school, charter school or an institution of higher education – we work in an organization that is built on the idea of learning. Each week educators join us at the #G2Great virtual table to think together and learn together. This incredible group of educators know deeply that the journey to professional excellence begins with learning.
Resources We Learn From
One of the great things about Twitter is the quantity and quality of resources that are shared. Educators join in each week and not only learn from each other but share in meaningful ways different resources, books, blogs and videos. The sharing on Twitter, although each tweet is limited by the number of characters, is a spring board for learning. The professional learning network that is grown from Twitter supports that lifelong learning that educators want for themselves and their students. Books, many of them new and others that are go to and always refer back to educator changing books, are shared regularly through Twitter and discussed in chats where educators have the opportunity to read, write, think, and learn together. The learning that starts with Twitter transfers beyond each individual educator and helps us to continue our lifelong passion, always learning and always improving knowing that this learning will help others learn and grow as well.
We Learn and Students Learn
Our students are at the center of all we do and as educators we know that when we learn, our students learn. Every little tweet, blog, book, video or conversation we have with others who value learning and always improving has an impact on our students and their learning. The power in this is incredible. Educators from all over the world come together, all working in different schools, growing and learning together. No longer are we teaching alone with only our students within four walls. Our learning is collective and changes more students than any one of us can account for individually.
Sharing our Learning with Colleagues
Yet, still as we improve and our students improve there are colleagues we work with in our individual schools who have not discovered Twitter, who do not read books or blogs or watch videos on improving and learning. For whatever reason they have not experienced this drive for lifelong learning and sharing. It does not matter at this moment for them. What does matter is that in small ways we can leave our learning with them. It may be small and subtle, they may not even notice it but over time those small changes make a difference and our impact will change them too. Learning is contagious, but sometimes it begins with curiosity and inquiry only sparked by one subtle interaction.
Each week when we come together at the #G2Great chat, or when we read blogs, books or watch videos, think about the power behind the sharing and remember that although some of us are more passionate – others can still be brought along just in different ways. Some need to come more slowly and at their own pace. Everyone can learn, they just have to be ready. We have to remember that sometimes our own passions can overwhelm others who are not yet there. Sometimes our passions can actually shy them away or even turn them completely away from us and that possibility of learning and growing – and this is not at all what we want. Keep on learning and keep on sharing being mindful that learning begins with curiosity. Excellence comes from that journey we take together in learning, no matter when we join on the journey.
It was fun and exciting to welcome Kimberly Davis, leadership expert and TEDx speaker, back to the #G2Great chat table for the third time to discuss her latest work, Brave Leadership: Unleash Your Most Confident, Powerful,and Authentic Self to Get the Results You Need. Kimberly’s goal was to demystify the whole leadership conversation as she defined brave, discussed barriers to being brave, provided specific strategies to push through to brave and shared tips on how to thrive in a brave new world. The book and the chat both hit the target because this is not just about leadership, it is a lifestyle to embrace. As Kimberly reminds us, “What is possible for you is often way beyond your vision of yourself.”
So What is Brave?
Because we are shaped by our behaviors, actions and responses, we need to celebrate our brave, unleash it, and make sure that we follow through one situation at at time. What do we mean by brave?
The world of work and education has shifted and the old “command-and-control” leadership is not as effective as it may have been in the past. As jobs require more thinking and critical decision-making skills, workers want leaders who model and share those same skills, passions, and commitment. That sense of humanity where the goodness and beauty of all is acknowledged is part of the perception of a vulnerable leader who cares for and connects with the workers around her/him. Brave is a heart thing that adds another dimension to leadership.
“Creativity, engagement, passion, commitment, excitement, loyalty, joy, and trust are all activities of the heart. They come from caring and connection and are accessed through vulnerability.”
So What Exactly is a Leader?
“A leader is someone people want to follow, not have to follow.” (Brave Leadership, p.10)
“Leaders are people, not titles.” (p. 12)
A leader at work could be your supervisor or your principal, but remember the quote just told us that it’s not about the title, so anyone can assume a leadership role. Workers and leaders, when well-matched, are focused. There is no magic formula or prescription for brave leaders. The leader meets the perceived needs of those followers who choose to be there because he or she is genuine, worthy of trust, reliable and believable. The same holds true for schools and learning communities where people follow the leaders at their grade level or in their department and not necessarily those with the fancy titles. It could be “edu-heroes, authors, poets, or mentors!” Wouldn’t the world be an amazing place to live if everyone was a leader? Under this definition, it’s not only possible, it’s also plausible!
Because leadership is about people who want to follow a leader, not those who have to follow, hearts must be connected in trust. In our schools we recognize many times when adults and students have a “leadership identity” – those unique qualities that make a leader special – and embrace them. We want to nurture that confidence, power and authenticity at school, at home and in our community because a “leadership identity” will be valuable to students for the rest of their lives.
Barriers to Brave exist all around us.
Curiosity wanes as children grow older. Our mindsets may become less flexible depending on how well our basic needs are met. If life is about seeing what we want to see; and, in fact, seeking out those who will affirm our beliefs, our perceptions may be a bit skewed. In Brave Leadership, Kimberly suggests that the vulnerability of leaders is impacted by how they interpret the behavior of those around them. Leaders who focus on their impact can harness their attention to be authentic and bring their most authentic self.
How do we do this?
In Brave Leadership the magic happens when we focus on a specific, purposeful action called a “Super Objective”. This allows anyone to align their inner beliefs with their actions in order to create a more authentic pattern of responses to the behaviors and situations around them. Many leadership treatises espouse “goal setting” as a primary function of great leaders, but ambitious, goal-oriented people can burn up. Literally. They become so focused on goals, so goal-driven, and the myriad of goals that they complete and check off that they sometimes forget the purpose of leadership.
“But when we focus solely on goals, our ambition to achieve those goals can easily lead us astray from our best selves and our most fulfilling life. Convinced that we’re doing what we need to do to hit the target, we become numb to the repercussions of our actions, often until it’s too late.”
What makes this book special?
The beauty is in the fact that a “Super Objective” could be for everyone. Not just people with a fancy title. Not just a person in an ivory tower in an office on Wall Street. In our schools, this means that everyone from the principal to the students could have a Super Objective. That focus would be a bit more extensive than a “One Little Word” (#OLW) so everyone can literally make their own impact. (Source for #OLW) The difference is that a brave leader has a focus that extends beyond oneself because that’s how powerful results are achieved.
Two of Kimberly’s many tips for a “Super Objective” that really connected were:
“Use language that means something to you personally and ignites energy within you. Stay away from jargon. A Super Objective is designed to ignite energy within you, not market you to someone else.
You should know when you’re doing it and when you’re not.” (p. 129)
Is this going to be easy?
Of course not, because it requires a change in actions and in thinking. We need honest reflection. Reflection that keeps us real and authentic in order to be ourselves, to be heard and to be courageous is going to take intentionality both in private and in public. Reflection makes us vulnerable and that can be so scary! Vulnerability can be a barrier as we’ve been “trained” to not share our most private side. And yet the power that evolves from our vulnerability will move us forward, even if sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. We are all works in progress but a commitment to brave leadership will put us on our own journey to bring our superpowers to life.
We are leaders whether we are in businesses, schools, communities, or our own homes. All of us have the potential to be leaders. Students. Teachers. Custodians. Lunch workers. Bus drivers. Volunteers. Everyone. Where do we begin?
“We need a strategy! A strategy that gives us a way to look past our perceptions altogether and circumvent our knee-jerk talent for seeing, sorting, deciding, and putting ourselves in a confining box in which we don’t belong. For without the box, the world opens up endless possibilities.”
This is the world that our students have already inherited. What if they studied Brave Leadership in high school government courses or in student council orientations? What if . . .?
Purpose is the spark that moves us to action. Purpose ignites a flame that lights the way for deeper learning. Purpose burns deep within each teacher so we can be leaders who advocate for keeping instruction student-centered, always. This was the conversation that inspired the #G2Great chat, Purposeful Planning: Relinquishing Instructional Control, on February 1, 2018.
How does working with a sense of purpose change us? Expectations. When we have sense of purpose in our work we also have higher expectations for the outcome of our work. This is true for any learner whether they are a teacher or a student.
Purpose Initiates Freedom & Leadership:
Teachers are the most influential leaders in the world, because we are leading students on a journey of self-discovery. We are teaching students to rely on themselves, and when students learn they can rely on themselves they become leaders too.
Every time teachers model how to take risks we set students free. When we are unafraid to try something, wrestle with a problem, or create complex learning experiences we create an expectation for learning. We are teaching them that the productive struggle is to be expected along the way. Each time teachers come to the classroom with a flexible purposeful plan we welcome student thinking into the mix. When we do that, we create stakeholders for learning!
Purpose Honors Identity & Choice:
Every child offers something totally unique. When teachers look at students’ differences as strengths to be integrated into a purposeful plan, we create something magical. We create learning opportunities that emphasize their individual talents.
Student voice and choice is not an extra nicety, it’s a necessity! Surely, these learning opportunities would not be possible without them. Every time students see their interests, their culture, their preferences represented in their classroom they become vested in purpose. Purpose is entirely the point.
Purpose Grows Learning & Success:
In the end, we have to get real about purposeful planning. It’s purposeful planning, not perfect planning. There is no neat and easy road to growth and success. Every time we plan for new experiences, complex thinking, and something a little unexpected we are helping our students to grow beyond what our curriculums asks us to teach.
Resilience is not always innate it can be learned over time. When we see our struggles as a gift, they become badges of honor that every learner can be proud to wear. This is what purposeful planning anticipates and celebrates for students and for teachers alike.
Purpose is defined as, the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.We believe that teacher’s purpose is inextricably linked to student growth. Growth in all its beauty and complexity and for something so big, we have to come at it with a plan. So, plan wisely, plan with great intention and compassion. Plan with optimism and expectations. As Dr. Mary Howard would advise you, plan with heart.
On a personal note, I’d like to wish my friend and mentor, Mary Howard, a very Happy Birthday. You are a gift to me and to so many others. You are the ultimate advocate for students and I thank you for pushing me to live up to your high expectations to be a better teacher than I was the day before. Truly, you inspire me in every way every day. xo
Your grateful #G2Great co-moderators (Fran, Jenn, Amy and me) are so inspired by the dedicated educators who flash onto our Twitter screen each Thursday at 8:30 EST to engage in passionate warp speed dialogue. You get to experience the joyful conversations we support and celebrate each week, but what you don’t see is the joyful behind the scenes planning that grows into those conversations within a community of #G2Great learners. The four of us gather from across the map to ponder topics worthy of your gracious gift of one hour. Our ideas reflect a professional itch we can’t wait to scratch in the company of amazing educators. Some rise from our own curiosities while others rise from the thinking you’ve inspired us to bring to life on the screen. Our dedicated curiosity-inspired itch scratching sessions reflect the ultimate passionate planning we happily do in your honor.
Any educator would be hard pressed to question the critical importance of putting the topic of labeling on the chopping block discussion table. I am certain that our #G2Great family would agree that it is our responsibility and honor to celebrate each child we are fortunate to have in our professional care. But the only way that we can do this is to truly see the child. If labels are all we see, our vision field is narrowed and will blur our view of the amazing filled-with-potential children in front of us.
Since this topic is particularly near and dear to my heart, this week I’d like to share my personal reflections inspired by our chat using three questions and then share inspired tweets at the end of my post.
What are some of the labels that blind us?
Labels have been a part of the educational universe since I began teaching in a special education classroom in small town Missouri in 1972. Labels come in every shape, size, color, nationality and personality and can be both legitimate terms that could potentially inform (not dictate) instruction when viewed flexibly or simply perceived and ill-conceived. There are far too many labels to mention but I think of them as falling into five categories including Diagnosis-Based that range from medical, psychological, cognitive, and physical diagnoses to grossly unqualified individuals diagnosing without benefit of diagnostic qualifications: autistic, ADHD, handicapped, OCD dyslexic, mentally retarded, depression, gifted; Assessment-Based: test, score, level, lexile, grade (or any number that can be charted on a color-coded spreadsheet); Setting-Based: tier, resource, special education, Title 1, remedial, intervention; Class-Based: poverty, race, parental education, financial position; or the very dangerous Descriptor-based: behavior problem, struggling, noisy, hyper, slow, shy, introvert, extrovert, bully, lazy, cry baby, stubborn, pig-headed, troubled, trouble maker, scatterbrained, handicapped (the most dangerous and degrading list of all because all it takes is a slip of the tongue or prejudicial designation). The terms listed above are only a small sampling of those that are pervasive in our schools. I’m quite certain that if you added to this list, it would double or triple. The one thing they all have in common is that when using any label to define children, we risk blurring the lines between what we know about that child and what is professionally useful. Any term that forces us to turn a blind eye to who this child truly is as a human and learner beneath what we see on the surface will become a label that can last lifetime.
What is the potential impact of these labels?
The potential impact of these labels is immense and can quickly spread like a virus across a building. There is a real danger for labels to formulate and perpetuate the myth that children are in some way flawed – thus leading to flawed thinking that could translate into flawed practices. While a diagnosis from qualified professionals may represent legitimately useful information if viewed in a flexible and open-minded way that draws from other sources of information, there is also a risk for the gross misrepresentation that will alter our view of children. Even a legitimate diagnostic terms can be misinterpreted when viewed narrowly. For example, ten children diagnosed with ADHD or dyslexia will reflect ten different sets of needs since there is no one-size-fits-all diagnosis or solution. This means that we have a responsibility to know the child beyond the diagnosis so that we can explore the most appropriate and timely instructional goals based on the needs of this child rather simply a term of any kind. As a past special education teacher, I was obligated to identify descriptors from a pre-determined list that would then give me computerized goals that were not helpful until I could mentally add may own knowledge about my students into the mix. Sadly, this approach is still prevalent with or without the use of computers in the form of narrow grab-and-go goals that are usually far removed from the child. Legitimate or not, any term must be used in professionally responsive ways since hyper focusing on any term while excluding our understandings about children will muddy the instructional waters and cause us to lose sight of the child. I’m even more concerned about the other categories since they often reflect irresponsible labels educators apply to children without benefit of seeing the child beneath the surface, meaning that behaviors can cause emotional reactions to the behavior itself without any attempt to uncover what that behavior could be telling us about this child. Quite frankly, far too many of the labels I placed on this list are mean-spirited and laden with questionable knowledge or personal biases that have little to do with unique learners that fill our classrooms. Sadly, they can also reflect personal preferences so that a teacher who likes a quiet classroom is more likely to label a child as noisy or disruptive rather than to attempt understand the child or even question our own belief systems.
How do we counteract labels to keep children at the center?
This is certainly the ultimate question we should all be asking across an entire school. In order to counteract labels, we must take the culture of the building into account and build a bridge between the labels that diminish our efforts and the student-centered perspectives that will allow us to view our children in a celebratory rather than critical way. We can begin this shift by thinking in terms of three steps: perception, collaboration, application.
PERCEPTION
Our first step is to increase our own awareness that these terms are often used when we don’t even realize it. We have become so immune to saying or hearing label-inducing language that we may not even recognize that it exists all around us and is far more widespread than we are willing to acknowledge. What if we took it upon ourselves to come together as a school so that we can listen for and capture labeling language that is filling the learning air poisoning our thinking from one side of a building to the next. Considering how quickly these terms can morph into label that limit our view of children, this would be a worthy use of time. Imagine if we gathered terms that are actually being used personally and by others and then listed them for all to see. The goal isn’t to point a finger of blame since we are all guilty of doing this without a second thought. Rather, our goal is to turn the process of creating a visible list into a reflective process. Even better, we could ask teachers to make a personal list of the terms that creep into their own language and add them to the chart anonymously. A concrete visual reference would increase our awareness and lead to meaningful conversations about how we can view our children in more purposeful and productive ways. We can’t tackle the issue of labeling until we acknowledge that it’s an issue in the first place. I suspect that every school might be astonished just how quickly this list grows.
COLLABORATION
Once we put a zoom lens on the labels we use without thinking, then we need to consider how we will change the way we think about children. To change our culture and avoid the labels that travel with kids indefinitely and lead to a THAT child mentality, we must alter the kind of dialogue we are having about children so that we can literally change the face of those conversations. When I sit in on a team meeting or talk with teachers to explore their instructional goals and practices, I have to ensure that these terms don’t thwart our efforts to keep our sights on the child. One of the first things we can do to accomplish this is to ensure that we are keeping this child in our discussion in a very concrete way. If we placed a photograph of that child in clear view, we would be more cognizant that we are not talking about a number, descriptor or score but a living breathing child who depends on us to keep our conversations grounded. A visible photograph will offer a visible reminder to keep our discussions rooted in what we actually know about that child rather than what we think based on an opinion or a number that rarely reflects the real picture. We can enrich this process by using the child’s name frequently along with specific now noticings that can lead to next step actions. Respectful conversations move us from labels to understanding. To extend this, I ask teachers to use a strengths-based approach by naming three things the child can do before offering even one need. This is an important shift in our thinking because strengths keep our sights on what is amazing about this child at this moment in time and become a stepping stone to next step goals. When this collaborative process moves us from deficit discourse to success discourse, it ultimately becomes a way of thinking that is worth spreading across our building.
APPLICATION
One of the most important ways that we can counteract these labels is to consider how our decision-making can exacerbate the very things that may have led us to those labels in the first place. This step allows us to hold up a reflective mirror and turn our own thinking inward to consider whether what we do sets up roadblocks to students’ success so that we can relinquish anything that is bringing labels to life in our own minds. We can begin by letting go of the defective notion that one-size-fits-all instruction is a common sense proposition since we do not have one-size-fits-all children. If we could step back from programs, packages and scripts that derail us and flip the word fidelity from publishers to children, I suspect that most of the things we see that lead to labels would begin to dissipate from view. If we omitted computerized tasks that attempt very poorly to do the work only a knowledgeable teacher can do then labels would begin to dissipate from view. If we made student choice a priority across every learning day then labels would begin to dissipate from view. If we created joyful learning experiences that revolve around beautiful books reflective of our children then labels would begin to dissipate from view. If we got rid of level charts, classroom library leveled bins, Accelerated Reader scores, clip up charts and every questionable approach that does little more than beg for the designations of haves and have nots then labels would begin to dissipate from view. This reflective mirror turned inwards forces us to take a long hard look at our own practices so we can question what we do, why we do it and how it impacts children in positive or negative ways. Once we do this, we can then reflect on how to invest our precious time and energy where it matters most – crafting learning opportunities filled with high expectations within a learning environment that celebrates meaningful authentic reading, writing and talking. Combine this purposeful use of time with open-ended flexible experiences and we demonstrate that we embrace the children we have rather than the children we wish we had. In short, we could alleviate the labels that set up instructional roadblocks by assuming professional responsibility for our own professional decision-making so that we can redesign learning environments where every child can and will thrive because we chose to make that our first priority.
In closing, we must be more intentional in our efforts to lose the labels and create a culture of deep respect for our children. I believe that these three questions could be the starting point to that end. At #G2Great, we take labels that blind us to the remarkable children in front of us very seriously. At a time when levels, tests, scores, grades and numbers have come to rule our lives, it is more important than ever that we are aware of the labels that diminish our efforts so that we can open the door to conversations that will lift us to the highest heights of amazing. In her exquisite new book, Literacy Essentials, Regie Routman states:
Instead of thinking, “What’s wrong with the learner?” let’s ask, “What might I offer or do differently to ensure the students is successful?” Sometimes it just takes some compassion, honest, but kind feedback and easy-to-implement ideas to get students started.
We have a professional responsibility to children and a moral obligation to lose those labels in their honor. In the words of Kylene Beers, A Kid is Not an “H.” Perhaps we can also agree that a kid is not a diagnosis, assessment, setting, class or descriptor. Any label that is used to define children will blind us to the remarkable child we can only see when we celebrate them in all their bountiful glory from every possible angle.
Look closely my friends and we just might be surprised by the beauty we see when we do!
On January 18, 2018#G2Great was honored to have Thomas Newkirk as the guest host. Thomas Newkirk has long been an eduhero of mine, two of his books, Minds Made For Stories and Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones greatly shaped my thinking and learning. His latest book is the one he joined us on #G2Great to discuss and I could tell as soon as I read the beginning pages it would be another book to impact me deeply.
In the beginning pages of his latest book, Embarassment and The Emotional Underlife of Learning Thomas Newkirk talks about the pages of the book being “the help we need, the voices we need to hear, the barriers we need to overcome.” He explores the “emotional underlife of teaching,” a topic that needs a space for analysis and discourse. As I read through the pages and reflected on the #G2Great twitter chat I came to realize this is exactly the book we need in education today.
I watch students and teachers silently struggle, not taking risks, hiding their embarassment by deflecting attention from teaching and learning to trivial topics that are mere distractions from the fear of revealing themselves. All of this because they fear the consequences of what comes by revealing their own struggles.
Share the Struggle
“I’ll go first.” Through the opening line in his book, Newkirk brings us into a story where he offers a narrative we can hold onto when he was young and experienced an embarssing moment in school. As educators, whether we are teachers, administrators or staff developers we need to follow Newkirk’s lead and say, “I’ll go first.” Sharing struggles and modeling how to talk about failure is the first step in suppporting all learners, whether they are adults or children. Too often educators and students do not feel comfortable revealing what they do not know or when they are learning something new that contradicts what they have been doing for so many years. This unfortunately is compouded because in education there is a perception that when you are at a certain point in your career or if you are a student and were always told you were “smart” – even the thought of revealing a weakness can be paralyzing. We tend to avoid situations that we perceive could show us failing, we believe if this does not go well and our weaknesses are revealed it will be a catastrophe. Embarassment silences learners, whether those learners are teachers in a professional learning setting or they are children inside a classroom. By acknowleding this emotional underlife of teaching we can begin share struggles and build safe spaces to be open about our own learning. We can give space to adults and children to try new things by giving time and space for students and teachers to talk – we can no longer allow the silence that comes from embarassment to hinder anyone’s ability to learn, whether they are adults or children. Model ways to ask for help, provide a sample of the language and be specific in the help you would like. We can start class, a professional development session or a faculty meeting with an “I’ll go first, let me share with you what I struggled with.”
Talk with the Team
My husband watches sports, every sport, all the time. I used to watch with him and now I just watch once in a while and with a completely different lens. Athletes and their audiences view mistakes or failures publicly and then move on immediately. Newkirk spoke with athletes and their coaches to better understand how they develop the capacity to face embarassment,move on and try again. In the moment athletes have to recover from setbacks, they have to clear their heads and try again. This is how they continue to take risks to perform their best. They do not let the embarassment lead to cautious and limiting behaviors. Newkirk points out that athletes have coaches and teams that support them and say it is ok, move on. They get past the failure. We need to be more like coaches and teams in order to create supportive environments where we learners can try, fail, try again and find success. We have to acknowledge that learning in education is just like sports, we may experience multiple iterations before we see success and likely we may suceed once in practice but when we are in the game, we might fail. We need to clear our head of that particular failure and try again. We can experience multiple iterations of something before we get it. We have to allow that for our students and we have to allow that for ourselves. Let’s talk with the team, create a safe environment where we can look at how we do something together and then support each other in moving past that to build the capacity to be resilient and not allow embarassment to get in the way of our learning process.
Frame the Fear
As I look at the walls of my family room I notice that they are adorned with frames with pictures of my family. Each one frames a particular moment in time, holding it as a precious memory of a time when… Those pictures capture a particular moment in time. You cannot tell from that one picture what happened before or after or even what I was thinking before or after. When looking at the word frame in reference to a movie or film which tells a longer story, the frame is a single one still photo that is part of a series that creates the film or video. If we can learn to frame the fear you can see what comes next and it does not have to be catastrophic. The more we push past the fear frame the more we will become reslient to failure and allow ourselves to try again which will ultimately lead to continued growth and learning. As we share the struggle with our colleagues and students and create spaces for ongoing talk with the team we can begin to frame the fear that we have for embarassment. It is then that we will be able to allow ourselves and our students to take risks as learners to grow.
Check out the Tweets below from the #G2Great chat.
If you want to explore this topic more or learn and read about Thomas Newkirk follow the links below:
Embarrassment: The Emotional Underlife of Learning by Tom Newkirk (Heinemann)
