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This is a Tuesday
Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.
Slice of Life.
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day.
Check out the Two Writing Teachers website for many more reflections on teaching.
I spent last week at WISSIT, Washington International School's Summer Institute: Connecting DC Educators with Project Zero Ideas. The following quote is taken directly from WISSIT's promotional literature about the institute and provides a good summation of this thought-provoking week:
The institute invites educators to reflect deeply on how they design and facilitate enriching, rigorous learning opportunities for their students. A “Day at the Museums” on Wednesday, August 3, will highlight the ways educators can use museums as powerful sites for learning. The week-long experience includes both large and small group sessions, each addressing the following strands:
- Building a Culture of Thinking: How do we help learners develop dispositions that support thoughtful learning across school subjects? How do we effectively create a culture of thinking, in classrooms and school-wide?
- Educating for Global Competence: How do learners demonstrate global competence? How do educators ensure that learners in their charge explore complex issues of global significance through multiple perspectives?
My head is full from all the rich learning I experienced and I am very excited about the school year ahead. In the spirit of wonder, I thought it would be fun to share my reflections through questions.
How do we build a culture of thinking?
How do we grow the learning?
How do we slow down and allow children to dig deeper?
What will we notice if we slow things down?
What language do we use to encourage thinking?
What if we routinely asked, How do you think we might? What might be some possible solutions?
What makes you think so? What do you see?
What subtle shifts can I make in my language to have the mind be more open?
Am I rescuing children or encouraging initiative?
How long do I give children to respond before I jump in?
When do adults listen to children?
Who is doing the thinking?
What if classroom discussions were more collaborative?
What is the possibility of giving children something new and meaningful?
What is a powerful learning opportunity?
What is the purpose of the work we ask of children?
When do children get the opportunity to listen to one another? to try other approaches? to make sense of something?
What is an effective listener?
What is an effective listener?
How do children learn?
What is the difference between doing a whole lot of work and having a lot of learning?
What happens when you align beliefs with actions?
What if we started with student's passions and questions and built our curriculum from there?
How do we provide opportunities for children to struggle, to grapple, to figure something out?
How are children being pushed?
How are children expected to extend their learning?
What happens when children have the habit of communicating their thinking?
What does it mean to be a citizen?
How do we prepare children to be globally competent?
Why is it important to consider varied perspectives?
What does perspective-taking feel like?
What if we invited children to be in conversation with one another?
What if we teach children to reflect on their assumptions?
What is the untold story?
How do we share the other story?
How much risk do we take in teaching?
What are we modeling for students?
When do teachers take the learner's stance?
What do we focus on when we observe classrooms?
What learning is visible?
Where do we see learning taking place?
What if we slowed down and noticed the details?
What if we did reflection instead of assessment?
What is my image of the child?
How will my teaching grow and change this year?
Where will this thinking lead me?
Where will this thinking lead me?
What is my take-away?
What are my next steps?
What if I start small?
What are my next steps?
What if I start small?
The PD sounds fabulous. We all have so many questions as we step away from meaningful workshops. Next steps, starting small and keeping your students at the center of your work sounds like the the perfect way to start. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe PD sounds fabulous. We all have so many questions as we step away from meaningful workshops. Next steps, starting small and keeping your students at the center of your work sounds like the the perfect way to start. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonder of a week, Maureen. I love the questions that will help guide you through the year, but especially "How do we slow down and allow children to dig deeper?" which touches also on "Who is doing the thinking?" When teachers hurry because the "next thing" waits, I believe they tend to give the answers, or hints to the thinking so they can move on. Having time is a gift to give students. Thanks for sharing so much to ponder!
ReplyDeletethat sounds like a great PD!
ReplyDeleteI like asking questions, Maureen, and this is a lot of questions! I appreciate how the last batch will help you size up your next moves. Best to you in the new school year...
ReplyDelete