Here’s what we shared with our team this year in planning for our open house. More exciting…we have coupled our time with families on the same night as a home football and are hosting a “pirate picnic”…a time for us to come together, eat at the stadium, and then go cheer on our feeder pattern high school, […]
The post Planning an Open House? Make it a night to remember! appeared first on Technically Yours Teamann.
One of my favourite quotes is: “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” from D.L.Moody.
Our character is very much defined by our values and, based on this, we have a responsibility to put values at the forefront of every child’s education.
The news that we are fed appears to be a constant stream of criticisms or praises regarding the character of various sportspeople, entertainers, business leaders and politicians from all over the globe, with criticism far out-stripping praise in terms of news content. To a certain degree, it seems as though we are becoming more content to live with the significant character flaws of key leaders in our respective societies, to the point where leadership in certain domains has become morally bankrupt. The impact that leaders have on us and, more importantly, our students is significant in shaping societal culture and that which permeates into our schools.
We have a moral obligation not to just guide students in learning about and developing values but to lead the way, showing our values through our behaviour. We have to challenge what is unacceptable and what is good, human decency. Only together can we make the world a better place.
Most schools have a set of values but I put forward the following question:
To what extent are your school’s values demonstrated everyday through the actions of school leaders, teachers, support staff, parents and students?
The key to providing a successful values-based education, is to make sure that the teaching and learning of the values is explicit.
Once of the reasons that the school in which I work in an International Baccalaureate World School, is that it places values based education at its heart through its learner profile. In implementing IB programmes, schools are required to ensure that the teaching of learner profile attributes are actively planned for, resulting in explicit teaching and learning.
It was great to venture into Kindergarten classes this week to see students learning about what it means to be caring, principled and open-minded and be able to articulate and demonstrate this so well given their age.
Surely, a greater focus on values has to be more important than the subject content that is so often prioritised in our classrooms? But we must not forget to model the way in our own behaviour first.
Originally posted on the Ed Leader blog
Connect with me @richard_bruford
In the book, “The Power of Why” by Amanda Lang, two quotes on the importance of curiosity in education stood out to me:
In an educational system in which productivity is measured by hours logged per task, number of worksheets completed and scores on standardized tests, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to prompt kids to ask more questions unless the questions are about what’s going to be on the test. In many classrooms, stopping to encourage and mull over questions that aren’t procedural or directly related to the material at hand is viewed as wasting time. It’s no big surprise then that most kids come to school bursting with questions, but exit, a dozen or so years later, asking very few. Curiosity declines from one grade to the next, and the reason isn’t that kids’ thirst for knowledge has been satiated and they now know everything they want or need to know.
Here is something I have been thinking about…Whether “school” is the direct reason why kids lose curiosity over time shouldn’t matter. What should matter is that school should become a place where curiosity is developed in individuals no matter what factors have led to its decline.
And then this:
So instead of learning how to learn, many kids are learning how to be good at going to school. The straight-A student is, in virtually every educational setting, the one who has figured out what the teacher wants and how to deliver it.
I am not sure that I agree with the idea that the straight-A student” is always the one that appeases their teachers, but I know that all students should feel challenged to grow as learners. I had an interesting conversation with a student recently and they had acknowledged how “school” came naturally to them and when they first faced adversity, they had buckled under the pressure because they were not used to feeling challenged. Resilience is developed through challenge, not comfort.
Curiosity is often what leads to challenge. We often ask questions about the things we don’t know (but want to) and finding answers to those questions is part of what leads to growth within education and after.
Source: George Couros
In the book, “The Power of Why” by Amanda Lang, two quotes on the importance of curiosity in education had stuck out to me:
In an educational system in which productivity is measured by hours logged per task, number of worksheets completed and scores on standardized tests, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to prompt kids to ask more questions unless the questions are about what’s going to be on the test. In many classrooms, stopping to encourage and mull over questions that aren’t procedural or directly related to the material at hand is viewed as wasting time. It’s no big surprise then that most kids come to school bursting with questions, but exit, a dozen or so years later, asking very few. Curiosity declines from one grade to the next, and the reason isn’t that kids’ thirst for knowledge has been satiated and they now know everything they want or need to know.
Here is something I have been thinking about…Whether “school” is the direct reason why kids lose curiosity over time shouldn’t matter. What should matter is that school should become a place where curiosity is developed in individuals no matter what factors have led to its decline.
And then this:
So instead of learning how to learn, many kids are learning how to be good at going to school. The straight-A student is, in virtually every educational setting, the one who has figured out what the teacher wants and how to deliver it.
I am not sure that I agree with the idea that the straight-A student” is always the one that appeases their teachers, but I know that all students should feel challenged to grow as learners. I had an interesting conversation with a student recently and they had acknowledged how “school” came naturally to them and when they first faced adversity, they had buckled under the pressure because they were not used to feeling challenged. Resiliency is developed through challenge, not comfort.
Curiosity is often what leads to challenge. We often ask questions about the things we don’t (but want to) know and finding those answers to those questions is part of what leads to growth within education and after as well.
So over the summer I spent some time in a little town called Port Hawkesbury, and every morning I’d get up and begin my day with a long run along the water. The road that I’d run was lined with businesses and beautiful family homes, all with a view of the sea and of the boats that sailed up and down the strait. Half way through this early morning routine I’d always stumble upon a little house on the street that seemed completely out of place. It was a run down shack of a home in desperate need of repair, and you could tell that the best years were behind it. One day however, as I was running past, I noticed that the owner had placed this huge, beautiful bouquet of bright yellow flowers out on the front porch, and it literally made me stop in my tracks. Suddenly this run down, out of place eye sore of a home had been transformed into the most beautiful house on the street, and from that day forward I woke up eager to see those yellow flowers…just seeing them filled my day with inspiration and filled my heart with joy. I began thinking about how in life it’s often times the little things that make a huge and profound impact in your life, and transform the ordinary, or less than ordinary, into memorable moments of beauty and inspiration.
Another similar experience happened just the other day on the first day of school with our students. I was welcoming all of the eager and anxious faces into the building when I heard a teacher say to a kid, “I was hoping all summer that you’d be in my class, and you are…this is going to be the best year ever!” Well, the child’s face looked like it was about to explode with happiness, and with that one simple little comment a child’s day (and year potentially) was transformed into something memorable, magical and special. Once again I was reminded of the power of the little things…the little comments and the little gestures, and all the small moments that make up our days, which ultimately have a tremendous and transformative impact on our lives.
As we all begin the year with our kids and with each other, I want to ask that you pay attention to these little things…these little moments that have such potential and such impact on a person’s daily experience. Whether it’s the way that you set up your classroom, or the way that you engage with the curriculum, or the way that you speak to the people that you meet throughout the day, remember that it’s the little things that hold tremendous power. Be conscious of the opportunity that you have to change someone’s day for the better with a single comment, or the opportunity that you have to engage a kid in their learning with a simple, personal connection. Recognize the unique beauty that all of our students have, and find a way to understand how they best learn…what makes them special and what sets them apart…what is it that makes them beautiful in their own right…what is their bouquet of yellow flowers that transforms them from ordinary to extraordinary? Find ways throughout each and every day to use these little moments to make inspiring, day changing memories for everyone that you meet. If we all commit to this, and keep it in the forefront of our minds, then we will surely be the positive agents of change for our community that we all desire to be.
Okay, with that I want to wish you all a tremendous school year, and I want to thank you in advance for striving to make this year the best one of your professional lives. I love the beginning of a new year because it holds so much promise and so much opportunity. Right now we have everything to win, and together we can bring our dreams to life…it starts now and it starts with the little things and the little moments that make up our days. Whether it’s a bouquet of yellow flowers or a simple comment to a child, the opportunity lies with us and it doesn’t take much. Our lives are made up of thousands of little moments as you know and most go by unnoticed…let’s find ways to make just a few of them throughout the day transformative for others. Have a wonderful week ahead everyone and remember to be great for our students and good to each other.
Quote of the Week…
Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.
– Winnie The Pooh
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Kate Atkinson. Life After Life is one of my favorite novels. This novel returns to World War 2, and is a spy thriller. I can't wait to dive into the talented writing of Kate Atkinson. Due out in the U.S. September 25th. 
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