Conversations on Education // 9

                      THOUGHTS ON FORGIVENESS AND THE FUTURE

               "Forgiveness does not change the past but it does enlarge the future"

Paul Boese

Today is a unique opportunity to Forgive. It is an opportunity for everyone who suffered at the hands of those who did not care and do not necessarily deserve our forgiveness. We get to give it anyway. 

Forgiveness, is for ourselves and not necessarily for the person(s) we forgive.  Undoubtedly, as it liberates the perpetrator from the constant guilt that may plague them, it may also change them.  This is the hope but not the reason we forgive.

We forgive to be bigger than any circumstance or hurt that tried to take us off our best path. We forgive to defy the bad in this world and while we forgive we purge the darkness that tried to take over our hearts. We wipe it clean of the constant repetition of hurtful events and we create an open, inviting place.  This place is ready for a day by day life unmotivated by revenge and fully engaged in living in an enlarged pleasant life and hopeful future.

This blog is my heart and not necessarily part of teaching protocol taught in universities.   It is, however, entirely human and a constant battle within tough times.   Our responsibility as teachers and parents and overseers is to forgive.  As a result we walk with open futures. We should teach this skill, largely through demonstration. I recognize forgiveness does not diminish our need to protect those who are in our charge. Forgiveness is not admonishment. As a student who received protection from my teachers and eventually learned to forgive I am aware that each situation requires unique wisdom  and sometimes even intervention. This wisdom truly flows more freely from the enlarged future that forgiveness provides.

Conversations on Education // 9

WHO'S CHAMPION ARE YOU?

In a recent staff meeting, with a group of wonderful teachers, I was privileged to watch a remarkable YouTube instruction by Rita F. Pierson. It was called Every Kid Needs a Champion. 

I hope that my teaching career is based entirely on the premise of this video.  It is one thing to teach; it is an entirely different thing to believe in the whole child. This requires the teacher to recognize that the faces in front of them each day are not just what they see.  These students have happiness and sadness, strengths and weaknesses, belief and doubts and all the emotions and challenges that we each face as we walk through life. We cannot see into their homes, their history or their hearts but we can remain ready to listen for "that instant" or commit to the process that will provide these students with their champion. We get to champion the causes of these human beings. We get to listen and truly hear. What a privilege. 

Here is the link. I encourage you to visit!

Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion

Conversations on Education // 8

EVERY DAY HAS A MOMENT

I have lived my life rather focused on output and work and doing well at all that I endeavor.  This in and of itself is OK and even respectable. I get things done. However, as a result, I have often been unaware of my surroundings, and the beauty of singular moments. This was well represented to me at a recent teacher's in-service day where we as a group of ten teachers were required to move around from classroom to classroom to perform specific learning activities relative to new educational protocols.  At the end of this exercise we were to return to classroom five which some of the teachers in my group had affectionately called the monkey room. This did not register with me.

When I inquired why they had dubbed this room the "monkey room", they thought I was kidding.  Upon returning to the room, there were monkeys everywhere: in pictures, hanging from the ceiling as stuffed animals, on the bulletin boards etc. Need I say more? I missed an incredibly strong visual as a result of being so riveted on the task. In this situation, no harm, no foul.

My oldest son Chad came to me at the age of four and said, "I can read this book Mom".  We were at a skin specialist for dry skin on his elbows and knees. It was his first encounter with the book. He read it orally; with wonderful enunciation and flow. How had this happened without me knowing it? On another occasion he came to me at age five and presented me with a perfect cube made out of a piece of paper. I'm not a mathematician but this seemed unusual. In both cases I cheered and praised him for these accomplishments. I was, however, unaware of the process he had taken to get there. I recognized his mental acuity at a very, very young age, however I cannot say for sure if I was aware of his processing.  

Since that day, I have had a couple of illnesses: a brain tumor in 2001 and a large cancerous tumor in my right leg in 2009.  Chad, the same boy and 23 at the time of this incident, came with me to many of my appointments for the 2009 situation. We had met with the doctor to hear the verdict and the procedures of chemo, radiation and surgery.  We listened carefully, then he and I walked back to his truck and he opened my door for me. He stopped me before getting into the truck to take me by the hands and said, "I wasn't there for you for the brain tumor Mom, but I am here for you now.  Tears were coming from his eyes and an indelible mark registered on my heart. That was "My Moment" and it transformed my cancer journey. I knew I would make it. There were other moments with my other children that had the same impact but this is an example of when I finally caught the sincerity and revolutionary nature of one moment. 

As teachers, I truly believe every day has a moment that transforms. Some days may have many. We may be aware of their power, or blissfully unaware.  However, life is simply moments followed by moments that we partner in.  They may be indelible like my moment with my son or they may simply point a child in a right direction for that day. Whatever they are, one thing is for sure, they have incredible power.  Today's a great day to look at  each moment as an opportunity and to listen carefully to your intuitive nature. Thank goodness, "Every Day Has a Moment"!

Conversations On Education // 8

September is so busy that I often get caught up in a work mentality and risk missing the real gems of why I'm in the teaching profession. Granted it IS busy with setting parameters, getting a strong academic start and focusing on systems to enhance expectations. Undoubtedly, a teacher needs to prepare and be working hard in September to obtain and maintain a profound start to the school year.  However, the intuitive nature of why we teach must remain pervasive and alert.

As a child, school was a safe haven for me; a place of peace. I felt comfortable enough to sleep in my grade one class. However, the comment "Avaline would be a great student if she would just wake up" indicated that the teacher was not as pleased with this level of comfort. What she didn't know was that this was a great compliment. I was afraid at home and didn't sleep soundly.

In my mid-teen years, family conflict rose to disproportionate levels and the fear was accompanied with anger, yelling and unfortunately with physical abuse. I was a good student, a strong athlete and a reasonably easy kid.  Mom said I could entertain myself with toys as a small child for hours and as I grew older saw very little use in television but preferred books and study. It may have been my subliminal way of hoping things would get better by retreating into my own thoughts. Additionally, I joined EVERY team I could. It was a way to stay at school even longer every day. 

In the end, all these coping strategies met with a final and difficult beating made my resolve strong enough to leave home without anything at the unreasonably young age of sixteen. 

I have complete forgiveness for the perpetrator but come at life with a different set of eyes because of these experiences. As a suddenly independent and reeling young girl a word, a kind gesture, a momentary smile or a thoughtful comment on a written assignment became lifelines. Teachers and other adults in my life knew this and, from scared young girl to terrified teen, I managed to survive and thrive because of the haven my school had become. The comment "they don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" has always meant a great deal to me. It rang true for me then and rings true now as I try daily to positively impact people (my students, my colleagues, student's parents, etc.) so they too can live peacefully and profoundly, regardless of what other variables they might have working against them in areas of their life I might not have any knowledge of. 

As teachers we have this opportunity daily, to pour into our student's lives and show them how much we care. Curriculum and essential outcomes are important, sure. But the care, compassion, security, and support we offer our students might just be what really makes the difference in one or many of their journeys. I hope you take encouragement from my story and remember what an important role we can all play in the lives of our students. 

Conversations on Education // 6

AN AMAZING STORY!

I wish to share this brilliant story with all you amazing teachers this morning.  

My hope is that you truly enjoy!

 Brain Bulletin #91 - Words Can Change Your Brain  from the 

Terry Small Learning Institute

Conversations on Education // 5

"FELT WITH THE HEART" - INSPIRED BY AUTHOR HELEN KELLER

Image Via

Starting the school year, the teacher, as one person in a network of people has the true possibility of being a "high impact" positive influence on students.  Beyond the layers and layers of knowledge and technique instruction teachers should look closely for simple common denominators in human experience to know how to effectively impact with one word and one action at a time.

Consider the following far reaching human priorities:

1.  No judgement; show acceptance and compassion

2.  Set clear parameters, give second chances

3.  Clarify and reward learning benchmarks, give students every opportunity to succeed

4.  Each day is brand new: it is a fresh start. Let go of mistakes and give grace instead of blame.

5.  Each word has impact for good and/or bad. Better to have few words than many.

6.  You won't know what your individual students are dealing with; be sensitive.

Helen Keller sums these ideals up beautifully in the following quote. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart." If we, as well-trained and learned educators, listen to our hearts and follow simple yet foundational wisdom, students will undoubtedly be impacted both powerfully and positively.

Conversations on Education // 4

TEACHING FROM THE GENERATIVE MODE RATHER THAN A CONSTRICTED MODE

Generative which means capable of producing or creating has the synonyms: multiplicative, procreative, propagative and reproductive and is a fabulous overarching descriptor of liberated mentoring and productive teaching,  This word typifies the free, engaged and emulative teacher whose story is clear and whose methods are fair and productive.  She/he is true to her/himself and "gets" who they are and creatively engages in instruction which accounts for inevitable strengths and weakness in themselves and in their students.   There is no judgment of self or student, rather there is a symbiotic growth that reproduces the good qualities found in the accepting classroom.   Students love to emulate the confident, aware and equally flawed persona of their teacher because that teacher is honest, "not perfect" yet highly caring and non-judgmental.   The teacher recognizes that they can laugh at themselves, enjoy the antics of their students and their innately flawed "perfection" gives them the type of empathetic hearts that students so desperately crave .

As a student who grew up in a traumatic home environment, teachers were the life-line toward acceptance, awareness and the ability to "cut-myself-some-slack".   From the perspective of a kid that could not get her parent's approval even with high grades and strong athleticism, perfectionism was to be the slated downfall.   Perfectionism is always a by-product of a constricted mode because it is not possible and is generated from the "prove-one's self" approach.  Liberty that embraces unique yet "non-perfect" qualities is accompanied by an awareness that does not make a student strive for less; rather it inspires them to see what they can achieve despite their situations or their weaknesses.

Take the time to think about what generative teaching, devoid of any constricted modes could mean to you and to your students.   Perhaps brainstorm an honest list of items that would generate a truly accepting and highly productive year of teaching.   This list will have the "perfect" yet "flawed" you written all over it and will make allowances for real successes and brilliant stories of engagement and learning. 

Conversations on Education // 3

"STUFF" FROM 30,000 FEET

While chatting with Carli the other day, she mentioned a phrase her husband often uses about dealing with day to day specifics while still keeping the 30,000 foot "stuff" - the bigger picture - in mind.  This is highly applicable within teaching and the classroom. Practical daily "stuff" needs to be ritualistically taken care of as well as the 30,000 foot-view "stuff". The challenge is how to achieve this balance.   The practical daily elements (classroom organization, student activities, targeted learning, scheduling and prioritizing essential outcomes, etc.) is that daily ritual of itemized outcomes, completions and methodological choices. The inspirational-intuitive nature of the teaching process is the 30,000 foot view "stuff"…. the big picture. Within this balance is the student, their future, their dreams, their aspirations and their genius and it's all gold.  

Imagine looking at a fine piece of Rembrandt's art and applying the grid principles that art teachers have often "wowed" their schools with.  Grid the work of art, give each student a section of the grid that they must reproduce and come together with the completed "pieces" to show the collective genius of the classroom full of burgeoning artists. These large mosaics can be found on walls of schools everywhere and when all the pieces are put together, they are inspiring and lovely. They are an example of the 30,000 foot view that no single child could have imagined as they worked on their tiny, methodically gridded portion of the larger picture. Teachers have the opportunity to perfect both the minutia and the grand and will eventually find that these two are quite mutually inclusive of each other. Taking the same steps, the committed steps, the often tedious steps each day brings the teacher to the "ah-ha" enlightened moments of the 30, 000 foot view. 

It is a committed premise that the structure must be solid on a moment by moment basis before the expanse can be enjoyed. Concurrence with this perspective in non-negotiable. If the fence of day to day structure and essential expectations is not built the student will hover in a small section of the possibilities. Their main ambition becomes knowing what needs to take place at that specific moment instead of living within a finely tuned system that sets the students at ease to learn on a larger scale. Through great planning and some visionary insight, the day to day specifics can align with the 30,000 foot view to yield delightful and awe-inspiring results in your classroom. 

Conversations on Education // 2

FAIRNESS

At the expense of being right it is always best to be fair. This maze of education has many turns and students come into our lives for a relatively short period of time. In that time, the impact of fairness can literally transform the student from sad to happy, cynic to believers and underachiever to a hard-working young person. I was "that student" that left home at sixteen, many years ago. Industrious by nature and a fighter by choice as well as necessity, I needed to stand up for myself at a younger age than conceivable. Kicked out of the house by an alcoholic father and on my own, I went to a gentleman who owned an apartment complex and for whom I had been cleaning hallways and empty apartments as a summer job."Do you think, if I worked very hard, that you could sublet an apartment to me while I finish high school?" I inquired. His answer was a resounding yes. 

I moved into nice two bedroom apartment, with little furniture, no food and an ambition to get the job done. Life had NEVER been fair! Fortunately, the teachers at school became my surrogate parents. There was little Mr. West, my high school biology teacher. Each day I heard, "How's my girl?" and knew he watched out to make sure my questions were answered. Mr. Goble was the Social Studies teacher who gave consistent kindness, his winning a smile and a quiet assurance that life would become better. My basketball coach, Mr. Brian Clarke, worked incredibly hard to check in, coach me and finally in grade twelve help me to obtain a basketball scholarship for Mount Royal University. With their constant support and my own ambition, I won the top academic student award for grade twelve. Although hatred for my dad still deeply affected me from time to time, I had seen a speck of light in a very dark tunnel. 

At home the word "fair" had not existed. At school though, I was on equal footing with my classmates and this awareness freed me to excel. Since then, I attended university to follow in those teachers' footsteps and have been teaching "that age" of student since 1979. It is still my purpose in the short time that a student is in my class, or on a team I coach, to exhibit fairness and trust even if it means I must retreat from being right, from 'academic' protocol or take that extra time to try to understand what I might never fully know about a student's struggle. A word, a smile, an acknowledgement, an extra chance, a re-write, a listening ear, or any gesture that lets each student know that they will be treated with dignity and fairness speaks louder, much louder than any other thing you will ever teach them. 

Conversations on Education // 1

Kick-starting An Amazing School Year

Wow, it is August, 2014 and we are preparing to enter into the 2014-2015 school year with the hopes of great results, an ease of teaching and a great connection with our new students. Thirty-five years ago, I began this teaching odyssey. The first year was TOUGH. I had not indulged the idea that data and thought and process flows naturally into systems that assist the teacher in their performance and the students in their understanding. I barely survived teaching high school physical education, grade nine history and art and religious studies for grades 7-12. In addition, I was asked to coach the basketball team and the track and field team. Crying was often closer than laughter. It was exhausting. 

However, that was then and this is now. Now I see students as future leaders, and my role as mentor far exceeds the curriculum. It is the role of giving tools that will help the students navigate the essentials of learning and assisting them to create systems within which they can interpret data, design their thinking and present their thoughts in ingenious methods. 

One thing I quickly became clear of is that September is not for fun in my classroom and I have little concern for whether the students 'like' me. With that in mind I do have the experience to know that this sacrifice of establishing credible systems in the classroom, in the student's work and in the manner in which the work is presented results in greatness and deep appreciation from them to me by the end of the year. The most "dreaded" teacher becomes the most loved. Isn't it so funny how this cycle works? Simply put, the order, the pre-work of planning, great resources, consistent expectations and an understanding that our role goes "Beyond the Curriculum" is the kick-start that will bring times of intense concentration, joyful silence and unbridled laughter both from your students and from you.