Twenty-Year Old Energy

My niece posted a saying on FaceBook that I’ve been thinking about:

Live your life. Take chances. Don’t wait. Because right now you are the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be…ever again.

The viewpoint of a twenty year old student reminds me of the energy and, could it be called “perkiness”?, of starting new things with new people. Most of us have a context to live in. We know what we can do and what we can’t do. We have systems built through tradition, logic or both. We know the rules and we typically work within them. We have adapted to the systems we entered as young adults and, in many ways, we make sure they continue as they were upon our arrival.

Young people aren’t so concerned with all that “stuff”. They are learning in colleges and universities about things they care about; they engage with their peers and their eyes are opening  to new ideas and new patterns of interaction. They’re excited about the opportunities of the world they are entering and they are determined to see if there is a better way.They don’t accept systems at face value: they challenge the status quo and push at tradition. Their attitudes can be scary for those who have been successful in “our” systems. Their fresh viewpoint, without the brakes that we automatically apply, is both energizing and intimidating!

On the Sunshine Coast our school district has begun to define a new model of professional inquiry for all teachers and principals. At our recent introductory session we discussed what this initiative (a change in some of what we do) will look like over the next three years. We discussed why inquiry is effective and what teachers and principals are truly interested in learning to support their professional growth. Many told me of the energy they feel as they look forward to sharing new insights with their colleagues. They talked about ideas that are new to them. They met colleagues they have not interacted with before and began discussions that could go on for years as they explore their professional passions. Inquiry is not new to many of them, we have amazing expertise on the Coast. Many want to get going with the excitement of learning with their colleagues as soon as they can and some have already have begun!

Sounds like twenty-year old energy to me!

At a recent event, the B.C. Ministry of Education program department leaders discussed their openness to innovation. They referenced their flexibility for school districts to discuss school year calendar change in their communities and to develop innovative and enhanced opportunities for students. They asked if there are structures or processes that are in place right now that are interfering with the ability of school districts to make change that will support teaching and learning. They want to support creative work that will enhance student learning.

The Ministry is excited by new ideas, new initiatives and people working together on a professional level. Their contagious enthusiasm is energizing our province to embrace innovation and to research best practices. Their flexibility will support creative teaching options and more open-ended opportunities for students.

Sounds like twenty-year old energy to me!

I hear principals talking about options and possibilities in their schools. I hear the School District No. 46 (Sunshine Coast) trustees I work with talking about pathways for students and asking questions about how we support their teachers and support staff to meet student needs. I hear members of the British Columbia School Superintendents’ Association (BCSSA) talking about the exciting learning opportunities that are taking place in their districts.

These, too, sound like twenty-year old energy to me!

Motivation and support for exciting innovative work in education is here right now. Teachers, principals, superintendents and the Ministry of Education want all of our students to have the very best of opportunities in our public school system. They always have. We have, right now, this commonality, this focus, and this mutual support for excellence in our province.

Live your life. Take chances. Don’t wait! Because right now you are the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you’ll ever be…ever again.

That’s what twenty-year old energy sounds like!

That’s what education in British Columbia feels like!

Pride and Energy

Education in B.C. is running through a tough time right now. Labour issues are distracting us from focusing on teaching and learning. There are other matters to discuss and challenges to confront. Where do we find our energy when challenging times come along? How do we maintain our pride in public education?

We find it in our schools.

The trustees of SD No. 46 (Sunshine Coast) and our Secretary-Treasurer and I recently spent two days touring all of our learning sites. Principals told us of their plans and dreams for their schools. They proudly guided us around and we chatted with our amazing teaching staff. The teachers boasted of the accomplishments of their students. We watched innovative teaching strategies and learned more about the diverse programs offered to our students. Most importantly, the trustees and I saw motivated students working with bright eyes and energy on their learning. From kindergarten children with their inquisitiveness and natural exploration to high school students taking apart engines, performing dramatic presentations, displaying beautiful artistic expression and engaging in sophisticated academic learning, we were smiling for two days straight.

For those of us in education who do not spend all of our time in schools, we need reminders of the wonder that is education. These visits made us proud to be in our district, involved in education and taking our role forward at the trustee and senior team level. We are energized and looking forward to a bright future in public education on the Sunshine Coast.

Our sincere thanks to the principals and staff of our schools for their warm welcome.

Professional Development on the Sunshine Coast

Today is a Pro-D day.

SD No. 46 (Sunshine Coast) teachers, principals and other staff are engaged in professional development activities that support their growth as educators. Many are looking at innovative strategies to address the needs of their students; others are acting as mentors to their colleagues. The commitment they demonstrate by being fully engaged in their own learning, being accountable for it and sharing their expertise with colleagues confirms what it means to be a professional teacher in British Columbia. By working together they are far more able to address the needs of their own students than by working in isolation. Further to this, working in collegial groups allows teachers to make a difference beyond their own classroom walls as they influence, support and enrich the professional lives of their colleagues.

As they look to the future of the district, the Sunshine Coast Board of Trustees have committed to investing in the professional learning of its staff as a multi-year commitment. The trustees believe in the professionalism of their staff to focus on what makes a difference to student learning as teachers and principals extend, share and innovate in the very sophisticated, challenging and exciting world of education. 

 

 

 

 

Squamish Nation Reconciliation

I was honoured and humbled to attend a reconciliation session on the Squamish First Nation this week. The elders and Chief and Council invited non-aboriginal people from many walks of life into their longhouse to tell stories of residential school tragedy and heartbreak. They shared with us intimate details of pain and suffering that most Canadians cannot imagine. They reflected on abuses, on being taken from their families by government officials, and of being forced into a culture as very young children that they could not possibly understand. They spoke of not being parented and, therefore, not knowing how to parent their own children in later life. Much pain was shared.

And much hope was shared as well. This was not a session for hearing only but of telling as well! The Squamish people don’t want to forget these experiences, they want to reconcile their pain with an exciting future for their children. They do not believe that they live in isolation, but that they are a part of a world that offers opportunity for their youth.

At this session, they wanted to hear our stories as well. They want to know their neighbours who are not aboriginal so that together we will offer to their children, and our children, a world of respect of each others’ values, beliefs and experiences. The Squamish people are, as one elder told me, walking from one room to another room.

I felt welcome in the Squamish longhouse. I felt valued and respected. As a proud  Canadian, I look forward to returning that respect.

I CAN DO THAT!

The motto in Bill Clarke’s carpentry and joinery class at Elphinstone Secondary School in Gibsons is, “I CAN DO THAT!” Bill is teaching his students how to research, plan, problem-solve, communicate and safely complete a carpentry task. Students leave Bill’s classroom as confident learners ready to move on to the next stage in their development as carpenters.

The rest of my visit at Elphinstone confirmed for me yet again the exceptional quality and variety of education that Sunshine Coast students experience. I chatted with teachers who are passionate about their subjects and devoted to their students. They proudly described their programs, boasted of their students’ achievements and demonstrated exceptional student engagement as Principal Fred Thorsell and I observed their classes in action.  The teachers were using (and experimenting!) with technology to enhance learning. Engaged students chatted enthusiastically about their projects and studies.  I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with a group of students who described their school as positive and caring with great teachers who know and respect them as individuals.

As I reflect on the, “I CAN DO THAT!” philosophy from the carpentry class, I realize that it extends far beyond Bill’s class. The entire school has an, “I CAN DO THAT!” attitude. Teachers, administration, support staff and parents are involved together in making Elphinstone a great school.

The Ministry of Education has recently released the BC Education plan to put forward a vision for a positive and productive future for education.   As we discuss the BC Education Plan we need to embrace our proven  traditions that motivate and excite students in their learning. At the same time, it is our responsibility to learn about new, research-based ideas to teach for the changing world that our students are growing into.  Deep and engaging discussions about instruction, assessment, evaluation, technology, reporting and parent engagement are taking place across our province and around the world

Is it possible to take an educational system that was developed in a time very different from our own and update it?  Can we develop an educational system that is based on solid research, creativity and collaboration ?

We can look to Bill’s students to have the right attitude that will ensure our success.

“WE CAN DO THAT!

Music Education on the Sunshine Coast

This weekend the combined bands of Pender Harbour, Chatelech and Elphinstone Secondary Schools performed in front of  a large audience at Camp Elphinstone. The spectacular presentation demonstrated the talent and dedication of the students, the teachers, and the community to music education on the Sunshine Coast. A short clip can be seen here of the combined bands in action.

The benefits of a sound music education are well researched and have been understood for thousands of years. Plato wrote, “Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.” Martin Luther, just a few hundred years ago wrote, “Whoever has skill in music is of good temperament and fitted for all things. We must teach music in schools.” Modern educational research has consistently confirmed the academic, social and even physical benefits of music.

Music education is the epitome of modern pedagogy. Nowhere will you find better examples of personalized instruction than in the fine arts. Music teachers use formative assessment, positive reinforcement, and detailed and ongoing feedback with their students.  The student will have had many opportunities to refine his or her skills, using his or her preferred instrument, under the teacher’s guidance and support.  The final, summative musical performance is a demonstration of the many scaffolded steps that have taken place in the teaching and learning process. This weekend’s performances most certainly demonstrate our teachers’ solid grasp of what assessment for learning is all about.

In the face of competing time, priorities and resources, music education is central to a well educated student and, in many ways, is a model for instruction that other disciplines can learn from.

“Logic will get you from A to B.  Imagination will take you everywhere.”

–Albert Einstein

For further information on Formative and Summative Assessment please see this article . It is written from a Middle Schools perspective but is valid for all educators looking for a clear understanding of how formative and summative assessment can support excellence in education.

Sunshine Coast Aboriginal Education

I had a very exciting afternoon on Wednesday this week. I attended an aboriginal education class at Cedar Grove Elementary School. The teacher brought her own talking stick which was hand carved by a Squamish artist specifically for her when she graduated from her teacher education program.  She shared this beautiful piece of artwork with us as she taught us about animals, respect and sharing. We admired and took turns with her talking stick as we shared stories that we have had about our encounters with bears!

One of the ways that we support students is through understanding each others’ interpretations of the complicated world around us. By looking through the eyes of an aboriginal teacher we were able to better understand not just a different way of seeing, but that we all have special gifts to offer each other.

The Sunshine Coast School District is very proud of our aboriginal program and its support of our students and staff. Our district is located on the traditional territories of the Sechelt and Squamish First Nations. Through educational programming for students we hope to honour their cultures and the cultures of all first nations and to develop a deeper understanding of each other.

For much more information about aboriginal education please go to:  http://www.allnationscoast.net/

Canoeing: a Metaphor for Leadership

After an excellent all day session of discussion and review of district and school plans and goals, the principals, assistant superintendent and superintendent of School District #46 (Sunshine Coast) climbed into two 31 foot Nootka canoes in Pender Harbour on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. We were joined by elder Barb Higgins of the Sechelt First Nation who told us stories of the values, culture and history of the region as we paddled. We were guided on our trip by Ed Hill and Fred Stark, former RCMP officers, who taught us not just about how to paddle in such extraordinary craft, but how to work as a team, how to share leadership, how to mentor and how to be in harmony with others to accomplish a task. When we returned to shore two hours later we assembled in a traditional circle and shared our appreciation for the experience, and we celebrated our success.

We learned some key lessons on our journey along the coast that can be tied directly to our work of motivating, encouraging and supporting staff and students in our schools.

Be Positive

• There is no room in the canoe for negative energy. If just one person in the canoe is negative it can be felt immediately by the whole group. Interpersonal conflict, bad feelings towards others, anger or frustration will slow the canoe. A leader needs to be sensitive to these conflicts and support their resolution so that the team is functioning well again. A high degree of empathy for others is required to respect where everyone is on his or her personal journey as well as the journey of the group.

Share Leadership

• Our leader watched from the stern, scanning for dangers well in front of the canoe, changing direction as appropriate to avoid major obstacles.  He knew our general direction, had checked the weather ahead of time and steered our canoes to our destination. His use of data (GPS!)  and knowledge of the waters helped us to understand how to best move forward as a team.

• At times we came to narrow and shallow areas. Barnacle encrusted rocks seemed to emerge from the ocean floor threatening to damage the canoe. The paddler in the bow became the leader. She watched closely for the dangers, moved with the support of just a couple of other paddlers so that our speed forward was not too great and adjusted moment by moment to ensure that we carefully advanced, but the canoe kept moving. Her constant and positive communication with her partner in the stern of the canoe ensured that all paddlers knew what was required and how we can support her leadership at that time.

• In education we all show leadership. At different times we are in the stern, the bow, or providing the collective strength in the middle to move us all forward: all of us have opportunities to show leadership and commitment to learning and all can choose to work together in a positive way.

Mentor Others

• In the canoe, a wide range of paddling experience came together from different backgrounds. Those of us with less experience brought enthusiasm and a desire to learn. Those with experience and skill taught us and encouraged us to continue and to take on leadership positions as our skills developed. Throughout our journey there was laughter, encouragement and support for each other. Constant communication kept the paddles moving in harmony.

As we begin this school year we can look forward to sharing leadership opportunities to support student learning. With an optimistic approach to any trials or challenges that may come along, we will provide the education that all of our students deserve.

Students: “Help me to feel welcome. Teach me in the way that I learn!”

We have just completed and analyzed our online School Climate Survey of all students, staff and parents from grades four to twelve.  Our district survey was based on the Ministry of Education’s survey. This was a fascinating exercise to explore how our students, parents and staff are feeling about their school environment, its safety and inclusiveness. The data has been broken down to the school level and provided to each school’s Safe School Team as a part of the data to inform their school improvement plans. Our district committee has been analyzing the results to inform our next move to supporting students.

An eye-opening response that really made us pay attention was from the following question:

“If you do not feel that you are welcome or that you belong, do you think it is because of any of the following?” ( A list was provided.)

26% of students replied that it is “The way I learn.”

37% of staff replied that it is, “The way they learn.”

36% of parents replied that it is, “The way they learn.”

Our staff work very hard to ensure that our schools are warm and welcoming environments for our students. They have strong character education programs, they model and expect appropriate behaviour, they are dedicated professionals who come to school every day welcoming their students and hoping and working toward the very best for them. They differentiate their instruction, utilize assistive technology, Smart boards, ipods, etc. Our schools are great places to spend the day learning. For almost all students.

Learning Styles

Not All Kids Learn the Same Way—and They May Learn Differently Than the Way the Teacher Teaches

However, we now have this information that indicates that the way many students learn is creating a significant barrier for their feelings of being accepted in the school community. Students, their parents and the staff who teach them all agree on this point to a significant degree. One quarter of our students who don’t feel welcome indicate that their discomfort at school is because of the way they learn.

We will use the information from our survey to hone our character education programs, some of our practices for communication and some other matters. However, this particular response from students, staff and parents indicates that we have no ethical choice other than to work very hard to learn how to better understand the learning styles of all of our students to help them feel welcome in their own schools.

It is interesting how a simple survey can confirm so much of what modern educational and brain research can tell us about teaching and learning for children.

In-depth professional learning: Kindergarten Critical Inquiry

Professional Learning That Makes a Difference!

We have all attended sessions in our professional development experiences at which we are energized by a topic, we travel back to our work place with the ideas flying around in our heads about the possibilities and the potential of what we have just heard…..and confront reality. Time and resource limitations, competing interests and needs, possible resistance from those who were not a part of the PD experience can each grind the great ideas to a shuttering halt.  We know that we can’t do it all, so how do we ensure that the professional development that we are a part of really makes a difference in our capacity to serve our students with excellence in education?

This past week I was very pleased to spend a short amount of time with a group of early childhood educators, early learning teachers, and principals who are focused on a Collaborative Inquiry project for early learning.  Through the collaborative model, these professionals were developing their understanding of how to best support their students by developing enabling environments which inspire purposeful play and establish opportunities for children to inquire and investigate in the early learning classroom.

There was an exciting energy and enthusiasm in this group of educators which have been developed over the course of many months of maintaining focus on this key element to their early learning program. The shared experiences, discussions and presentations have bonded them as a group and developed a true learning community that is making a permanent change in their instructional practice and has set up what I’m confident will be life-long professional relationships that will continue to pay dividends for years.

There will always be a need to have conferences and workshops that introduce us to new ideas . These sessions also allow us to meet others with shared interests and needs. Often, now, these opportunities for building awareness occur online as we learn about ideas from colleagues on Twitter, Facebook, and other networking sources. Consolidating the learning in person and online with colleagues leads to lasting change in teaching practice.

In-depth professional  learning takes time, commitment and focus. It requires an ongoing assessment component to ensure that it is making a difference in the success of students. The inquiry shifts and moves to meld with the learning needs of the participants. The outcome is a group of people who share a common understanding and a common passion for learning for children informed by solid research and clear data that demonstrates their success and moves them forward for their next steps in their journey.

Resources:

Kindergarten Makeover video from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario

http://www.etfo.ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/Pages/KindergartenMakeover.aspx

ASCD Collaborative Inquiry: a great general overview

http://bit.ly/elnUB5