"...It's time to go public: mistakes, masterpieces and everything in between."
Thanks to all those inspiring bloggers and online creators out there, I've decided it's time to be a more active contributor to the online stratosphere. No longer can I just nod & smile as I read one great article after another. No longer can I consume other people's great ideas and regurgitate something I call my own. No longer can I reflect for my sake alone. It's time to go public: mistakes, masterpieces and everything in between.
My overarching goal this year is to do less (in a way) and do it better. I want to figure out what the important stuff is in my classroom and life, and eliminate the stuff that gets in the way as much as possible.
I began at the end of last year by taking down everything in my classroom. Don't get me wrong, last year's stuff was ok, but I could do better and my learners deserve the best. I decided that if it wasn't something my young artists really needed to refer to and/or wasn't created by my learners then it was gone. When I saw just how much went after this self-imposed maxim, I realised this goal was long over due and I needed to apply it to every aspect of my teaching and learning.
To help provide me with some direction, I have broken my overarching goal into 4 SMART goals:
1. Talk less >>> Watch & listen MORE
I aim to give learner's more time to experiment/ inquire/ process/ question by shutting up more. By preparing the learning experiences so that I can convey the necessary instructions/boundaries clearly, succinctly and in a visual way as much as possible I can give students more time "doing" and we all know that's how everyone learns best.
This is going to be hard for me at times. I am an extrovert and love to 'perform' for my students. But it is necessary that we remove our ego if we are to put the learner in the spotlight so here I go.
So far I've been teaching myself the 'google-approach' to keynotes and am starting to eliminate as much of the wording from my presentations, demonstrations and any handouts as possible. The students should be generating the majority of the words and art in our classroom and their sketchbooks surely.
Next though, I need to record myself or find some way to track the percentage of the lesson that I am the focus and the percentage of time that my students are doing. This is the hard data that I need to be able to measure the changes I hope to make. I have no doubt this will take me all year (and beyond) to improve at, but it's liberating to have begun the journey.
I am also trying to listen to everything my learners are telling me through their words, body language, facial expressions, interactions and art. This is not easy when I see 200 learners for at most 80 minutes a week. But I will find a way to improve at it. Suggestions are welcome.
2. Answer less >>> Question MORE
I don't want my students to be reliant on me for their learning; they are not helpless. I don't want them thinking of me as the fountain of all knowledge; we have so many resource banks available to us these days . I don't want them thinking there is one right answer; the one I give. I want to coach and mentor my learners to find their own answer whenever possible. I want to give my students the gift of pondering questions and seeking answers. Too often in the past I have reflexively answered a student's question before thinking they could have answered that, or another member of the class could have.
Plus, I want to model being a learner, not just a teacher - I think it could be really important for my students to see this.
I'm still figuring out a way to make this goal measurable so let me know if you have any ideas for it, but it's my goal nonetheless.
3. Work alone less >>> Work together MORE
Ever since I started tweeting more than two years ago, the awesomeness of collaborating with colleagues near and far has been an increasingly large part of my life and something I want to spend more time doing.
I do think we need time alone too, but getting and giving feedback is so important for personal and professional growth and is such a great way to get ideas and build on them, that I just can't recommend PLNs and great PD enough.
Hopefully I can get an #ObserveMe movement and/or pineapple chart happening at my school this year to encourage collaboration that goes beyond my teaching partner and subject specialist crew. The invitation to visit my art room has already gone out to homeroom teachers, and I've asked to step into their world in return so now I have to start booking in times and dates. We can do this folks! We are better together.
4. Stress less >>> Stop & praise MORE
The idea of not sweating the small stuff is not new, but it is still relevant. As is the idea that you can't drink from an empty cup. Stress at an unhealthy level doesn't help anyone and looking after yourself always does help, so I'm aiming to eliminate the former and increase the latter. Thankfully my husband is quite good at the former so I can learn from him there, and we are both working together on the latter. We have created time when we each get to work out regularly this year, and it's amazing how unfazed our kids are by the changes to our routine. In fact, the example we're starting to set for them will be golden I hope when it comes to them making regular time for mind/body/soul activities and personal passion pursuits.
I'm still working on balance, saying no sometimes, coming up with my passion pursuits, being thankful out loud and figuring out who I want to be 'when I grow up' but so far I'm liking the changes I'm making and I am hopeful that my husband and I can continue to prioritize time for each other to be/do what we need/want.
So that's my start to the year. How is your school year going so far?
