Learning is Messy

via GIPHY

"Learning is messy, and we have to be comfortable with risk, failure, growth, and revision." 

~George Couros, The Innovator's Mindset, p. 131

Learning is messy, and sometimes the process that one must go through in order to learn something new, something different, is even messier! 

What makes learning messy? 

It looks different for different people. We all learn at different paces and in different ways. There is no cookie cutter way to learn or to go through the process of learning, and there is definitely no guarantee that I will not fail before I succeed. Since there is no prescribed formula for learning, my approach to a situation can be completely different from a colleague's approach, yet we both still learn, we both still move forward. This causes a MESS and messes can be difficult. 

I have two girls, I can remember when they were beginning to prepare their own snacks and pack their own lunches. It was messy. Perhaps there was more peanut butter on the counter than on the bread, and the jelly may have dripped onto the floor, but they went through the process of making their own snack and with practice, there is less "mess" and they have become more independent in meal preparation. At 12 and 9 years old they can successfully use the microwave, stove top and oven too (I still assist my youngest with the oven)! I could have saved the headache of cleaning up dried jelly off the floor or wiping up peanut butter off of the counter by making the snacks and lunches myself, but they were eager to help. Who am I to squelch that independence? 

In schools and classrooms there is no peanut butter or sticky jelly to clean up, but sometimes it is hard to sit back and watch or work through the difficult process of learning. As a teacher, it is difficult to restrain from giving too much assistance and information. It is difficult to watch the students struggle, but the learning that can take place when students are allowed to work through difficult processes can be beautiful. 

I have facilitated several BreakoutEDU experiences for teachers and students. I totally struggle with restraining the impulse to give too much information or too many clues too soon! I want the students or teachers to be successful in breaking out, so my initial thought is give a hint, or point them in the right direction. After a year, I have realized there is power in the process of struggling to figure something out, and when a group is successful on their own, their experience is much more meaningful. 

As an instructional leader it can be difficult to embrace each teacher's individual pace. Maybe if we are all on the same page, at the same time, going at the same pace, it will be easier to manage or prettier to look at, but when we focus on keeping teachers at the same place, at the same time, we can keep some teachers from exploring new possibilities while at the same time dragging others along for a ride they just are not ready for. 

We are all in a continual process of learning. Our paces are not the same, some strides are longer, but as long as we are all moving forward, we are heading in the right direction. 

#IMMOOC
@kristinedwards3

Focusing on Strengths and Unleashing Talent

I want to open with a question.

1.  Teachers: Do you know more about your students areas of weakness than their areas of awesomeness?

2. Principals / School Leaders: Do you know more about where your teachers need to improve or more about their strengths and passions?

Strength-Based Leadership is tapping into the areas that your staff, or students (if you are a teacher) are really good at and empowering them to continue growth in that area. I think this is a fabulous approach to working with adults, especially teachers. Many times while looking at data our sole focus is looking at what is lacking, and while this is important, it is not the only information that data provides. Focusing on strengths and passions requires an established relationship and investment in people. I think it is easy to find deficits, faults and areas of weakness, but it takes a genuine eye to focus on areas of strengths. Allowing teachers to grow and share their strengths and passions is a great way to build confidence in an individual. Passions and strengths are where our sparks come from, and it only takes a spark to ignite a fire!


@kristinedwards3
Innovator's Mindset
#IMMOOC

200 Words, Less is More

"I am taking part in the #IMMOOC “3 Blog Challenge” this week.  3 blog posts under 200 words.  If you are interested in participating, details can be found here."

Sometimes, less is more. I am reading The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros and participating in the Book Study / IMMOOC (Innovator's Mindset Massive Open Online Course). Part of the IMMOOC is blogging. This week our blogs are to be short, 200 words or less and more frequent, three times this week. Because the blogs are shorter, I have been able to read, process and respond to more of them than in the weeks prior. Sometimes, fewer words make more of an impact.

Here are a few of my take-aways for the week:

"Be the spark...Then get out of the way..." ~Tara M. Martin, @TaraMartinEDU Check out Tara's full post here.

"What if at the end of the school day a student asked you 'What did you learn today about your teaching?' instead of the other way around?" ~Jamie Wiitala, @Jamie_Wiitala   Check out Jamie's full post here.

"Today, will I innovate, or let the excuses win?" ~Aaron Hogan, @aaron_hogan  Check out Aaron's full post here.

"Give me a leader who is humble all day because I know that they are that and more!" ~Justin McKean, @JMcKeanK12

"But really, I just needed to ask the right questions and then get out of her way." ~Amber Teamann, @8Amber8   Check out Amber's full post here.

How can we apply less is more? 

Less mandated PD so teachers can get more out of PD they are passionate about.

Less homework for students in trade for more learning in the classroom.

Less "No", more "Yes, I will support you in taking that risk".

Less teacher doing, more student doing.

Less schooling, more learning.

Less talking, more listening.

The ... list... goes... on! But remember less is more, the less I say the more thinking you can do!

Simply stated, sometimes less is more. Let's get the most out of the time we have with our teachers and students. 

It Only Takes a Spark

By definition, Passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion. Passion can take on a different look for different individuals. For an athlete, passion is leaving everything out on the court or field after every practice and every game, not just the championships. For a parent, passion is that impulse of doing anything and everything within your power to protect and support your child. Passion in and for education is no different. Principals who lead with passion and teachers who teach with passion have a significant impact on those they lead and serve. I believe that a person's passion is the small spark it takes to ignite something bigger within a larger group of individuals. If we look at significant moments in history, passion is what sent a spark which ignited change.

Continual growth and learning is what ignites my passion and excitement. Reading, being networked, questioning ideas (my own included), supporting individuals in their classrooms, risking failure when trying something new, all of these things ignite a spark me.

I would argue that in the School vs Learning infographic, learning is about igniting passion, not just exploring your passions. I was unaware of my "passion for innovation" prior to reading The Innovator's Mindset. Instead, it was my passion for learning and personal growth that led me to this book, this book study and the #IMMOOC. The more I read, and the more I participate and connect with others who are impacting education, the more passionate I become about the changes that need to be made in education . . . the changes that I can make in education. Remember, it only takes a Spark to ignite a fire!


@kristinedwards3
#IMMOOC