Why do I do what I do?

This post is inspired by the following video by Simon Sinek.

It got me thinking about my vision in teaching. Why do I do? What drives me to go to work everyday?? What is my vision of teaching????

Let's run through them, should we?

I believe that my students need to be creative and innovative. Therefore my students need to create and innovate.

My students need to be able to pull knowledge (off the Internet) and construct their own knowledge, be critical and be aware.

My students need to be problem solvers.

I am only a guide. Often, in learning, I am not always necessary. I am merely providing the structure.

I am responsible for creating 21st century students, ready for a 21st century world.

I am a teacher.

Constantly exploring the WHYs continually challenges me to teach in a more effective way. I now need to listen more to myself when I am asking these WHYs!!

M.

Investing in Creativity and Innovation

I'm supposed to be writing curriculum resources at this moment. I've been blessed with the opportunity to join a committee writing lessons for teachers, focusing on equity and diversity in the classroom. No small feat.

I find it is a rabbit hole of sorts - the more I read, the more I get inspired, the deeper and further I go - viral learning at its best. I've gone off on many tangents, been distracted (Hey! I can get Facebook at the board office!), been inspired. It is teaching me again and again that I need to teach my students the ability to manage information. Teach them to navigate the incredible amount of information, mis-information, distraction, filler - teach them to create and be innovative amid all that chaos.

Which makes be thankful that my board is investing in me. I've been given the precious gift of time to create and be innovative. Now, there may be no such thing and anything new - but I am able to spend time climbing up on the shoulders of giants to see further than I have ever seen before.  Amid my caffeine fuelled wandering I am able to pluck, shine and present a couple of really good gems. Plus the time to network ain't bad either!

So here again is the power of time, collaboration, access to information... take your pick. It all works in order to be creative and innovative!

M.

Flipping it over: Let's try it the other way...

Thank goodness I can read - and do read, more regularly now that I am committed to write. In reading other teacher's reflections, observations and musings, I am often pushed and inspired to go beyond what I already do... and I find this exciting!

In one of my viral stints, I came across the idea of the Flipped Classroom. This idea has intrigued me to no end. I am now thinking of ways to get the classroom started on this - will it be math? Language? How will differentiation work with this? Oh, the questions!!!

Just like it all though, I gotta jump right in and give it a try. I'll figure it out while I go along. 

In experiencing change and pushing/shoving at school towards progress, I am owning and taking pride in that quality about myself. It may seem reckless, but it is how I learn. I can't possibly figure out all the things I need to know, predict all the contingencies and know all the possibilities before taking one step. Things may get a little crazy, but we all go along together. So with my next unit, let's try flipping things around a bit. 

This is gonna be interesting!

M.

Creativity and Innovation

I seem to be returning to this theme quite regularly within my reflections upon my practice, then quite acutely when I read this post by Jon Castelhano, entitled This and That: Creative Juices. This post spoke of the necessesity of creativity and innovation in today's education.

Well, I seem to be working towards that! My writing program, I feel, is really leading the students to be creative in their work. Just today, one of my students M was looking for his next piece to write. Having just written to describe, he needed to choose another purpose to write. I suggested writing to socialize - perhaps choosing  an apology to write? He wanted to write something about hockey. Together we came up with the idea of someone writing an apology letter to Sidney Crosby for hitting him too hard and giving him a concussion.

This was an amazing event, that was over in a flash, but set this child upon a writing task that is creative, innovating, engaging and motivating! He is writing! He is inferring! He is commenting on the state of hockey today! AND (to add panache to my writing) this is a reluctant boy writer (well, before he came to my room). Look! Boys who write!

All joking aside, this is a clear example of how creativity and innovation are thriving in my room. With just that short intervention, I have taking a struggling child on a path that is going to get him writing.

This creativity spreads around the room. With that loud conversation, others (who were meant to) overheard and were inspired to do their own writing. Very quickly I heard from two others who wanted to write something similar. Soon I had a couple of boys lean in and help M with his writing, giving him names, dates, games, locations that he could refer to. Off M went with his plan! Collaboration!! Amazing!!!

Though we, as teachers, spend little time recognizing when we do good work, I want to take this space today to do just that. I foster creativity and innovation in my writing program, and its a good thing!

M.