Context. Connections. Community.

          Context. Connections. Community. These are the elements of Parent/Teacher evenings that I value most. Yes, they're also about important conversations centred around student learning. And for my students, those conversations will be self directed. But as essential as those conversations are, for me it's the additional level of context, or insight into a students' life that is the most rewarding element of such a night.
          Facilitating Student Led conferences allows me the luxury of inviting more than just the "obligatory" parent into my classroom. Unlike some more traditionally structured parent/teacher interviews, Student Led conferences can be designed as a celebration of learning, where students are encouraged to share their successes, triumphs and challenges with parents, siblings, aunts, cousins or any other significant individual in their lives that they choose. I've written in previous posts about how essential it is to learn the stories of our students, and how this can often be a daunting task. I teach in a school of close to 1500 students...that a lot of stories to learn! But an essential piece of those stories is missing if we aren't inviting our communities into our schools. Each piece that I can add to that very complex puzzle provides context, context that informs how I can best support and empower my students in their learning and growth.
          One particular "story" comes to mind. A grade 11 boy. Typically quiet, even sullen in class. Try as I might, I couldn't get this kid to crack a smile. And believe me, I tried. As the time for Student Led Conferencs approached, I was pretty sceptical that this particlar student would attend. No surprise that for most teens, the prospect of having a conversation with families about "their learning" isn't exactly met with great enthusiasm. It takes some preparation and encouragement on my part, and the sincere promise that students will be determining the content and direction of these conversations...they choose the focus and the elements that they wish to share. I shake hands, offer coffee and cookies, and step back to allow the student to step up.
          But much to surprise, at the appointed hour not only did my grade 11 saunter through the door, but he was followed by both parents and the cutest, bubbliest, dressed in frills, little girl, who as I soon to discover was his sister. What immediately struck me how different my "sullen" student was with this little girl in tow. He proudly showed her where he sat, pointed out a poster on the wall that he'd comlpeted, and led he over to a computer to show her his blog. It was pretty clear that he doted on this little girl. The enormous grin on his face while she admired his work was evidence of that. Her presence transformed him. And it gave me an "in", a context, a connection.
          The next morning in class, this same grade 11 boy reverted back to his typically quiet, sullen self. Until I began to ask him questions about his little sister, at which point a small, shy grin replaced his usually stone-faced expression. That connection opened to door to a relationship that I was able to nurture and grow for the remainder of the semester. It established a level of trust. It gave me an "in", an opportunity to discover how best to support this student in his social, emotional and academic growth.
          So for me, as essential as it is for students to take ownership of their learning by leading their own conferences, the true rewards of such an evening come from the insight that I gain into my students' lives. Context. Connections. Community.
       
       

Adding pieces to the puzzle...

My Heroes Are...

My Heroes Are...

My students, who willingly take risks in my classroom every single day, bravely sharing bits and pieces of themselves with me and with their classmates, simply because I ask them to...

My colleagues, who can make me laugh, even before my morning coffee, and support each other despite increasingly demanding schedules, demonstrating an unending zeal for learning and discovery...

My family, who give me the enormous gift of time to explore my passions and forgive my numerous flaws and foibles...

My friends, who show such courage, overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges with grace and patience, all the while offering me unwavering support and encouragement...

They may not wear capes, leap tall buildings with a single bound, or possess supernatural abilities, but without a doubt, these are my heroes. 

Taking the Next Step: Collaboration Calendar & Shared Learning Resources

          Teachers at Sullivan Heights Secondary are ready to take the next step. Already "Taking the Lead" when it comes to establishing a culture of trust and collaboration, teachers want the opportunity to extend and build upon the "Teacher Drop in Day" experience.

Selection of responses from Learning Partners "Teacher Drop In Day" follow up survey.

          Teachers clearly valued the collegial and collaborative environment that was created by the day, but wanted the opportunity to extend the "Open Door" policy and sharing of innovative teaching and assessment practices, on an ongoing basis. As such, a collaborative partnership between Learning Partners and members of our Information Technology department, led to the creation of a "Collaboration Calendar".
          By using Outlook to create and share the "Collaboration Calendar" with our staff, teachers are now able to enter and share actives and assignments with their colleagues. They are then able to visit each other's classrooms before or after their teaching day, (Sullivan Heights operates on an extended day schedule) during prep time, or by accessing Learning Partners department release time for class coverage.
          Rather than being confined to a single day, we are now able to facilitate "Teacher Drop in" on an ongoing basis. As well, the goal is that the "Collaboration Calendar" will function as a digital artifact of the many great things that are happening in classrooms, and so even if teachers aren't able to visit on a particular day, they can still be inspired by the various activities that are entered on the calendar.

Learning Partners "Collaboration Calendar"

          While creating the "Collaboration Calendar" was a logical "next step", it also made sense to provide an opportunity for teachers to share the specific documents that accompanied the activities and assignments that they were entering. Ben Richardson, a member of the Information Technology department at Sullivan Heights, proposed the creation of repository of  "Shared Learning Resources" for this very purpose. Originally from Australia, Ben had previous experience with a similar sharing platform. The question was, which platform would best meet our needs?

Considerations as to which online sharing platform to use included:
1. Accessibility
2. Efficiency
3. Sustainability

         Ultimately, we wanted teachers to have easy access regardless of whether they were at school or at home, be able to share a variety of document types, and be assured that whatever we decided upon wouldn't be phased out within the next couple of years. It was determined that Google Drive met all of these criteria. As well, in a move towards the gradual integration of the redesigned curriculum, folders were created that will encourage and support teachers as they focus on creating lessons and assessments that connect to the "Core Competencies" .

          By accessing the shared Google Drive, teachers can upload a variety of documents, creating an enormously valuable repository of free, cross-curricular resources. Ultimately, the goal would be to perhaps extend this "sharing" of resources beyond the walls of Sullivan Heights, to other schools within the Surrey School District.

A sample of documents in the "Integrating Technology" folder. 

          As with any new initiative, Learning Partners will continue to gather feedback from staff and navigate challenges as they arise. But based on the culture of collaboration and trust that has already been established at Sullivan Heights, I have no doubt that our teachers will once again "take the lead" as they continue to demonstrate their willingness to take risks and reflect on their own professional growth and development as a means to enhance student learning and achievement.

 

Connections Over Content, Every Time.

 

     

So, a confession. I don't particularly love English. The subject, not the language.

I'm pretty sure I just heard a collective gasp from my students. 

And perhaps my principal.

          Don't get me wrong, I love literature and writing. And most of my students and colleagues know that I'm pretty fond of Shakespeare. And not so fond of poetry. But what I'm passionate about as an educator are the connections, not the content.

Relationships are essential. Punctuation isn't.

Another collective gasp.

          But it is the connections, the relationships, that I form with my colleagues, students, parents and members of the school community that I value most. These relationships inspire and energize me. Not the content. As a teacher leader, it is contributing to the larger vision and goals of my school and of my district that fills me purpose and passion. Not the content. 

          I was reminded of the importance of connections over content in a recent tweet by SD #36 Director of Instruction, Elisa Carlson.

          Her son's "favourite memory about learning" wasn't in any way related to the content. Clearly he had an awesome math teacher. But it wasn't a memory of a spectacular mathematical equation that resonated most. It was a unique experience, a connection that he had with that teacher. 

          I've had similar conversations with my own son. When I ask him about his day at school, more often that not, it's not a lesson or new skill that he shares with me. It's a joke his teacher told. Or something goofy that his principal did to entertain the students on the playground. 

          When my students come back to visit me years after they've graduated, they don't come back to thank me for teaching them how to analyze a poem, or integrate a quote, or write an essay. They come back because of a relationship. A connection. 

          Yes, my heart still fills with joy when a student of mine integrates a literary allusion into a tweet related to a sporting event. And yes, I have enough Shakespeare memorabilia in my classroom to open my own store. 

But I will take the connections over the content, every time. 

         

The "Cost" of Reflection

          "Reflection is a fundamental tenet of learning, and therefore a fundamental part of teaching." (Terry Heick, "Reflecting on Reflection: A Habit of Mind" http://www.edutopia.org/blog/reflecting-on-reflection-habit-of-mind-terry-heick).

          Recently I've had an opportunity to share some of my most formative experiences as a teacher leader. As part of this process, I've taken the time to read back through several of my previous posts, as my blog is an invaluable component of my reflective practice, functioning both as a digital artifact of my professional growth and development, as well as an active and living document. As I noted in a previous post, I quite often actively "write my way into understanding". So while my blog is an opportunity for me to collaborate and share some of my formative experiences with others, perhaps more importantly, it also allows me to make sense of those same experiences. In this way, my blog functions as both a private and a public platform. 

          And so if reflection is such an essential or fundamental element of professional learning and growth, shouldn't we be providing educators with the time to reflect, in the same way that many schools now provide time for educators to collaborate? In the midst of increasingly demanding schedules, filled with seemingly endless and varied tasks, is it realistic to ask that educators now somehow also find the time to incorporate daily reflection into their busy days?

          As department leader of Learning Partners, a program that facilitates and supports peer-mentoring, collaboration and teacher inquiry, I've been privileged to experience first hand the numerous benefits of providing teachers with that most valuable of commodities, time. I am also mindful that the existence of programs such as Learning Partners relies heavily on the support of both school and district leaders. And let's be honest, financial support. The reality is that providing teachers with the time that is so essential for collaboration and reflection is a significant financial investment. Release time is expensive, and justifying that expense can be a challenge. I would argue that the difficulty lies in the intangible nature of "reflection". What does "reflection" look like? How long does it take? Where can it happen? And should there always be the expectation that there will be a concrete or tangible product as a result of that reflection? 

          Ultimately, when many district are challenged with budget cuts and stretched resources, is it realistic to ask our school leaders to invest in providing educators with the time to reflect? But in the same way, with teachers struggling to keep pace with innovative instructional and assessment practices to effectively support student learning and achievement, can we really "afford" not to?

         

Writing My Way Into Understanding

         Relationships. Connections. Trust. Resilience. Risk. 

          As I reflect back on my recent posts, these seem to be the reoccurring themes. It strikes me that in many ways I have been trying to write my way into understanding. I have been striving to make the intangible, tangible. And so what I have I discovered? That the most essential, impactful elements of a thriving school community are also those elements that in many instances are the most difficult to articulate. And so I thought I would share an experience that is "evidence" of what I believe is the most essential of these intangible elements. 

********************

          Several years ago "Discovery Time" was implemented at Sullivan Heights. The primary goal was to provide the essential time that is needed for teachers to establish and build trusting, impactful relationships with students. The original intent was that teachers would retain the same group of students over the course of several years. Once a week teachers would meet with students for 20 minutes. As part of this initiative, there was a conscious effort to keep this time free from the administrative tasks that are commonly associated with a more traditional homeroom model. Teachers were also given the autonomy to determine how they wanted to structure their time with their group of students. 

          I was fortunate enough to be paired with a group of grade 8 students. I love grade 8s. I was able to explore a wide range of topics with this amazingly energetic and diverse group of students. Some weeks consisted of more structured mini lessons, while other weeks we simply sat and talked, typically as we munched on a selection of Timbits. I watched these students grow and transform over the course of the school year, with all of the various growing pains that are commonly associated with the first year of high school. I kept track of their marks, their report card comments, took note of changing hair and fashion styles and relationship status'. We had our share of laughs, of conflicts and even the occasional tears. My once timid and uncertain "little" grade 8s evolved into more confident, even slightly cocky grade 9s. 

          The following year, however, as a result of various unforeseen circumstances, our school transitioned back into a more traditional homeroom model. While I retained the same group of students, I saw them less frequently, perhaps a total of five or six times throughout the school year, to hand out report cards and letters home. However, the relationships that we formed as a result of our weekly sessions during the previous year continued to thrive. My "Discovery kids" would often drop by to visit, and I continued to check in on "my kids" periodically throughout the year. I would stop and chat with them in the hallways, comment on a new hair cut or a growth spurt, and kept up the supply of Timbits. 

          This year, due to the demands of an increasingly challenging time table, I wasn't able to retain the same group of students. My homeroom is now my period 3 class. As such, it became more of a challenge to maintain the relationships with my now grade 10, "Discovery kids". In a school of over 1400 students the likelihood of running into any of my original students is significantly decreased. It made me a little sad. I was concerned that the foundational relationships that I had established with these students would weaken and dissipate. And yet...   

          ...Last week as I was walking through the office, I noticed one of "my kids" sitting in the conference room. At my school, that is the universal symbol for "I've gotten myself into a spot of trouble". And so as I often do in similar circumstances, I took the opportunity to wander in to have a little chat. It was pretty obvious that he was embarrassed that I had come across him in the midst of what was clearly a disciplinary issue. And it was also obvious to me that he was desperate to talk. After a minute or so of general chit chat, I asked him, "Are you feeling like you want to share with me why you're here?" His response was "Yes." and he proceeded to do so. In great detail. And not without an element of shame. He knew that what he had done was wrong, and he was worried that I would be disappointed in him. But to be honest, in that moment, I couldn't really care less what series of events had brought him to that point in time. Well, of course I cared, but what mattered more to me was that this boy, this young man, who I hadn't seen more than a handful of times in the past year and a half, still trusted me. He still saw me as someone who cared and who would listen. 

He was still "my kid". 

It's the Little Things...

          This past Friday I attended the "Connecting Leaders Symposium on Mental Health" which was jointly sponsored by the BC School Centred Mental Health Coalition (BCSCMHC) http://www.schoolmentalhealth.ca and the BC Principals and Vice-Principals Association (BCPVPA). The opening keynote by Dr. Connie Coniglio provided some eye opening statistics about the prevalence of mental health disorders amongst children and youth. As well, Bill Naughton, the Associate Deputy Representative for Children and Youth, outlined the enormously vulnerable status of children in care, and specifically some of our aboriginal youth. What became increasingly apparent as the day progressed, is the integral role that school communities play in supporting children and families who are coping with mental health issues.
          Regardless of the individual session or speaker, the essential message remained the same:

The more connected a child feels to their school, the better they do. 

In addition to larger scale provincial and district initiatives and programs, it became clear that in many cases it's the "little things" that can also make a significant difference in the life of a child. As essential as these larger initiatives are, it's the individual, personal relationships and connections that are formed with teachers, administrators, coaches, counsellors, janitorial and support staff that provide our most vulnerable students with the guidance, stability and support needed to overcome some of the obstacles that can be associated with mental illness. The culmination of numerous positive interactions with a caring adult can sometimes be far more impactful than a more formal program or workshop. As well, symposium presenters emphasized the need to foster resiliency and mental health in youth by taking an "asset based" approach that focuses on inner strengths rather than on apparent deficiencies.
          So while we have a responsibility to provide focussed, targeted programs to support children and youth who are struggling with mental health issues, educators can also provide invaluable support by consciously nurturing the numerous impactful relationships that are so essential in a vibrant and welcoming school community.