I have been reflecting on this last day of 2015 on what I think has been the most impactful educational strategy for me and my schools this year. Without hesitation I would say having a growth mindset.
All of the schools in my Superintendency serve needy populations. Often teachers and administrators become caught up in the circumstances affecting the lives of their students over which they have no control and they lose sight of what they can control. Educators feel powerless to create positive change for their students and they accept mediocre results as the best their children can do. They love them, they feed them, sometimes they cloth them but they really don't have very high expectations for their students academically.
Such was the belief of many of the teachers in my superintendency. They were hard working, committed teachers doing the best they could given the children they taught but they didn't really see how it could be any different. Beginning to look at things through the lens of growth mindset became a game changer for many of my schools and I believe it will continue to be so in 2016.
Some of my administrators went through an exercise with their teachers looking at what they could control and what they couldn't. When the staff collectively began to look at what was within their control, amazing things started to happen. Teachers and administrators started to look at their instruction strategies. They used "If and Then" statements to challenge themselves based on what the student work told them and they used the 30 day challenge concept as a frame for their work. Collaboration became a powerful tool with student work at the table and administrators worked to become co-learners along side their teachers. They were also gifted with talented instructional coaches to help guide the work.
Believing that we, as educators could make a difference for our children, was a liberating concept. The belief that collectively we are much stronger than working alone became our modus operandi and in some of my neediest schools we began to see change.
In 2016 I think growth mindset will still be a powerful tool for helping us to move forward. The challenge for me as a superintendent will be to assist my Principals in being as open and as vulnerable as they have asked their teachers to be.
As administrators we need be co-learners and accept that collectively we are much stronger than we are individually. My motto has always been, "If we want them to do it, we have to model it," and I believe that is so true in this particular instance. So, in January, we will begin. We will be setting our "If and Then, statements as administrators. We will learn what collaborative inquiry looks like for leaders in a System, and we will embark on our own growth mindset adventure for the benefit of our students.
How will we measure our success you might be asking?? By the improvement of our weakest schools because we are a team!
Best Wishes for a Happy and Successful New Year!!
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Wednesday, 7 October 2015
My visit to the school at the Roy
On Tuesday I officially become the Superintendent of Education working with the Staff at the school in the Roy McMurtry Detention Centre. Today I went for my second visit and when I left I was walking on sunshine!!
The staff and the administration at the Roy school have hearts the size of New York City. They have no delusions about their clientele but they are people filled with hope, optimism and you can tell they don't give up on a student easily. All of it is music to my heart.
The staff at the Roy are models for all of us. With their Principal they have redesigned the timetable to truly meet the needs of the students they serve. Initially they were a bit skeptical but they now realize the changes made were the right ones. Their students are more relaxed, feel safer and are better able to focus on their studies. Staff feel safer too.
When young men are placed in the Roy, they have committed a very serious crime. Many have few high school credits, and some have some pretty significant learning disabilities, but through the work of the staff at the Roy, some boys actually graduate.
Today I met a young man who is one of those graduates but not only did he graduate, he found his passion at the school in the Roy. He excelled in the wood shop and he creates absolutely beautiful things. Currently he is enrolled in the construction management program at a local college and he will graduate after one more semester. When he isn't in class, he comes back to the school in the Roy and works in the wood shop with whom I suspect is his favourite teacher.
Working with kids at risk is my passion and I think that is why I was so drawn to 21C learning. I think many of the tenants have the power to make school an accessible place for all students.
After my visit today the question I have left in my head is, "Why did that boy have to go to a detention centre school to discover his passion? Why wasn't he able to do that in regular day school?"
The question isn't a rhetorical one and I don't want you to waste sleep thinking about it but I do want you to think about it. When will we have the courage to do as the Administrators and teachers have done in the Roy, and make schools student centred instead of adult centred?? We all need to chew on that one.
The staff and the administration at the Roy school have hearts the size of New York City. They have no delusions about their clientele but they are people filled with hope, optimism and you can tell they don't give up on a student easily. All of it is music to my heart.
The staff at the Roy are models for all of us. With their Principal they have redesigned the timetable to truly meet the needs of the students they serve. Initially they were a bit skeptical but they now realize the changes made were the right ones. Their students are more relaxed, feel safer and are better able to focus on their studies. Staff feel safer too.
When young men are placed in the Roy, they have committed a very serious crime. Many have few high school credits, and some have some pretty significant learning disabilities, but through the work of the staff at the Roy, some boys actually graduate.
Today I met a young man who is one of those graduates but not only did he graduate, he found his passion at the school in the Roy. He excelled in the wood shop and he creates absolutely beautiful things. Currently he is enrolled in the construction management program at a local college and he will graduate after one more semester. When he isn't in class, he comes back to the school in the Roy and works in the wood shop with whom I suspect is his favourite teacher.
Working with kids at risk is my passion and I think that is why I was so drawn to 21C learning. I think many of the tenants have the power to make school an accessible place for all students.
After my visit today the question I have left in my head is, "Why did that boy have to go to a detention centre school to discover his passion? Why wasn't he able to do that in regular day school?"
The question isn't a rhetorical one and I don't want you to waste sleep thinking about it but I do want you to think about it. When will we have the courage to do as the Administrators and teachers have done in the Roy, and make schools student centred instead of adult centred?? We all need to chew on that one.
Monday, 20 April 2015
Give us your ideas; creating a re-vamped 21C vision
Last week I met with my 21C teaching and learning team and we began the process of updating our vision. As a Board we have done a lot of the heavy lifting to make 21C possible and now we need to focus in on the next steps.
We began the process by doing some "Blue Sky" thinking. I asked folks to picture what they would like a classroom in Peel to look like in five years. Once they had the picture, I asked them to answer the following questions:
1. What will the role of the teacher look like in an effective 21C classroom?
2. What will the role of the student be in an effective 21C classroom?
3. What role does technology play in a 21C classroom?
4. What are some of the key pedagogical strategies important to a 21C learning environment?
5. What does assessment look like in a 21C classroom and how does the teacher ensure quality and rigour with differentiated products?
6. What is our vision for a 21C learning space?
7. What role does curriculum play in a 21C environment?
As a committee we believe the more voices we can capture to inform our work, the more compelling our updated vision will be. I am asking for your input.
If you were blue sky thinking, what would your ideal 21C classroom look like. Add your comments to the bottom of this blog to allow us to build your great ideas and thoughts into our deliberations as we create our vision for moving forward. One we have established our statement I will share it out.
The vision is of course only the first step in moving forward. Once we know where we want to go we will then have to work on scaffolding the steps to get us there. Looking forward to your comments and ideas.
We began the process by doing some "Blue Sky" thinking. I asked folks to picture what they would like a classroom in Peel to look like in five years. Once they had the picture, I asked them to answer the following questions:
1. What will the role of the teacher look like in an effective 21C classroom?
2. What will the role of the student be in an effective 21C classroom?
3. What role does technology play in a 21C classroom?
4. What are some of the key pedagogical strategies important to a 21C learning environment?
5. What does assessment look like in a 21C classroom and how does the teacher ensure quality and rigour with differentiated products?
6. What is our vision for a 21C learning space?
7. What role does curriculum play in a 21C environment?
As a committee we believe the more voices we can capture to inform our work, the more compelling our updated vision will be. I am asking for your input.
If you were blue sky thinking, what would your ideal 21C classroom look like. Add your comments to the bottom of this blog to allow us to build your great ideas and thoughts into our deliberations as we create our vision for moving forward. One we have established our statement I will share it out.
The vision is of course only the first step in moving forward. Once we know where we want to go we will then have to work on scaffolding the steps to get us there. Looking forward to your comments and ideas.
Thursday, 19 March 2015
Time to re-focus the 21C vision
When I was writing my last blog my eyes wandered to the profile I posted to accompany my blog. I wrote I couldn't wait to see what classrooms looked like in five years after all of our 21stC work. That caused me to pause and wonder if I was content with how far we had come and what we had accomplished. If you know me, you would know the answer was automatically no. Four years ago when I wrote that profile my mind was full of very "blue sky" visions and I was determined to make them happen.
When I met with my 21C teaching and learning steering committee I voiced my disappointment and suggested we needed to redefine our vision for moving forward to guide our work. One of the teachers on my committee responded to my comment with a resounding, "I disagree with you completely and here is why." He continued to describe in great detail, with enthusiasm shining on his face, about how he has changed as an educator in the past four years and how the educational experience he facilitates for his students has completely transformed. What an awesome reality check.
I think one of the most important things a leader must be able to do is listen to the people around them. Leaders aren't always right and leaders don't always have the right or best answer. Reflection is a powerful tool and a leader who doesn't reflect is going to be one of those folks on the bus to Abilene with no one else on the bus.
My 21C committee is very grassroots. There are some Superintendents on it, including me, but there are also teachers, IT resource staff, Instructional Coaches, Vice Principals, Principals, Department Heads and Curriculum Coordinators and we welcome new folks all the time. I facilitate the conversation as the committee lead but every voice on the committee has equal value.
We are going to re-visit our 21C teaching and learning vision. During the process my colleagues will make sure I take the time to celebrate what we have already accomplished while continuing our journey towards the blue sky and beyond. This is all about our kids and we owe it to them to be the best and not rest until we are. It is humbling to work with a group so committed to excellence.
When I met with my 21C teaching and learning steering committee I voiced my disappointment and suggested we needed to redefine our vision for moving forward to guide our work. One of the teachers on my committee responded to my comment with a resounding, "I disagree with you completely and here is why." He continued to describe in great detail, with enthusiasm shining on his face, about how he has changed as an educator in the past four years and how the educational experience he facilitates for his students has completely transformed. What an awesome reality check.
I think one of the most important things a leader must be able to do is listen to the people around them. Leaders aren't always right and leaders don't always have the right or best answer. Reflection is a powerful tool and a leader who doesn't reflect is going to be one of those folks on the bus to Abilene with no one else on the bus.
My 21C committee is very grassroots. There are some Superintendents on it, including me, but there are also teachers, IT resource staff, Instructional Coaches, Vice Principals, Principals, Department Heads and Curriculum Coordinators and we welcome new folks all the time. I facilitate the conversation as the committee lead but every voice on the committee has equal value.
We are going to re-visit our 21C teaching and learning vision. During the process my colleagues will make sure I take the time to celebrate what we have already accomplished while continuing our journey towards the blue sky and beyond. This is all about our kids and we owe it to them to be the best and not rest until we are. It is humbling to work with a group so committed to excellence.
Monday, 16 March 2015
Is Engagement only about students??
I love questions that aren't really questions. The answer to this one is, of course, no. Engagement in the educational process is just as important, if not more important, for the educators as it is for the students. It is highly unlikely a student is going to be actively engaged in a classroom where the teacher is disconnected and not motivated. Engaging teachers in creating interesting and captivating educational experiences for students is key. I do not support cook-book education.
Teachers are smart, they are talented, and given the opportunity, they can be creative and innovative. When teachers, like most other employees, are full vested in an innovative change, magic happens. It is the difference between doing change to teachers and inviting teachers to have a fulsome voice in the change and what it will look like.
There has been a Tweet circulating in the last two weeks, and I apologize to the creator of the quote because I don't know who it should be attributed to, but it says, "If we want children to take risks then they need to see their teachers taking risks, and if teachers are going to take risks then they need to see administrators taking risks." Nothing could be more true.
Education is a vocation where many voices help to improve the end result. The more we learn and the more we look for ways to apply that learning, the better the student experience will become. Perhaps the biggest learning for me as I have travelled through my 21st Century journey has been the need to not only listen and value the teacher voice, but the student voice as well. We need to see all of the stakeholders in the educational process as able and critical contributors to the direction education takes. There is no formula, no textbook with all the answers, no guru who can give us all the secrets to success. Success will come when all members of the educational community are actively engaged in creatively and innovatively transforming education into a powerful experience designed to ensure our students are ready for the world they are going to inherit.
Teachers are smart, they are talented, and given the opportunity, they can be creative and innovative. When teachers, like most other employees, are full vested in an innovative change, magic happens. It is the difference between doing change to teachers and inviting teachers to have a fulsome voice in the change and what it will look like.
There has been a Tweet circulating in the last two weeks, and I apologize to the creator of the quote because I don't know who it should be attributed to, but it says, "If we want children to take risks then they need to see their teachers taking risks, and if teachers are going to take risks then they need to see administrators taking risks." Nothing could be more true.
Education is a vocation where many voices help to improve the end result. The more we learn and the more we look for ways to apply that learning, the better the student experience will become. Perhaps the biggest learning for me as I have travelled through my 21st Century journey has been the need to not only listen and value the teacher voice, but the student voice as well. We need to see all of the stakeholders in the educational process as able and critical contributors to the direction education takes. There is no formula, no textbook with all the answers, no guru who can give us all the secrets to success. Success will come when all members of the educational community are actively engaged in creatively and innovatively transforming education into a powerful experience designed to ensure our students are ready for the world they are going to inherit.
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Why is Creativity and Innovation so important?
When talking about 21st Century Pedagogy the notion of creativity and innovation is often referenced. It is one of the components of 21st Century Pedagogy that often causes teachers, schools and even Districts concern. Creativity and innovation is often thought of as synonymous with new initiatives but it is not.
When we are presented with challenges, educational challenges or challenges in any other aspect of life, we need to problem solve to find solutions to those challenges. One can suppose it is safe to assume the challenges exist because either a situation has changed or the practices used in the past have ceased to be effective.
To be more specific and concrete, Math continues to be an area of the curriculum Ontario students find difficult and perform below the level of proficiency set by the Province. This would suggest the strategies teachers have been using to teach and support their students are not providing the results the educational community would like to see. How do we respond??
We could choose to continue to do what we have always done, or we could develop creative and innovative strategies, responsive to the student learning classroom teachers observe, to ensure student success. In the vernacular of a problem of practice, if we begin to look at Creative and innovative strategies to make Math come alive for students, assisted by the use of technology, then students will gain a better understanding of Math and demonstrate improved competency. Finding new and creative approaches to teaching mathematics does not represent a new initiative but rather presenting new ways to more effectively present mathematical concepts for students.
Creativity and innovation are highly desired skills by current employers and one can only assume will continue to be desired skills for the future. When one considers the rate of change and technical development talking place currently, the ability of business and industry to stay viable and competitive will depend on the creative and innovative skills of their employees. More importantly when one considers the challenges facing the world today, answers to these challenges will not come easily. It will require a will to find solutions and it will require creative and innovative thinkers willing to challenge the status quo. The static and lock-step education provided in 20th Century classrooms will not provide the kind of thinkers needed for the 21st Century.
I find it ironic we talk about the 21st Century skills our students will need for the future but they are skills educators are hesitant to adopt for themselves. We need to be the models of 21st Century thinking. We need to be creative, innovative and we need to be prepared to take risks for the benefit of our students. Being bold is not about introducing new initiatives, but rather it is about looking for new, creative and innovative ways to support our students in becoming capable, competent citizens ready to take on the challenges of the future.
When talking about 21st Century Pedagogy the notion of creativity and innovation is often referenced. It is one of the components of 21st Century Pedagogy that often causes teachers, schools and even Districts concern. Creativity and innovation is often thought of as synonymous with new initiatives but it is not.
When we are presented with challenges, educational challenges or challenges in any other aspect of life, we need to problem solve to find solutions to those challenges. One can suppose it is safe to assume the challenges exist because either a situation has changed or the practices used in the past have ceased to be effective.
To be more specific and concrete, Math continues to be an area of the curriculum Ontario students find difficult and perform below the level of proficiency set by the Province. This would suggest the strategies teachers have been using to teach and support their students are not providing the results the educational community would like to see. How do we respond??
We could choose to continue to do what we have always done, or we could develop creative and innovative strategies, responsive to the student learning classroom teachers observe, to ensure student success. In the vernacular of a problem of practice, if we begin to look at Creative and innovative strategies to make Math come alive for students, assisted by the use of technology, then students will gain a better understanding of Math and demonstrate improved competency. Finding new and creative approaches to teaching mathematics does not represent a new initiative but rather presenting new ways to more effectively present mathematical concepts for students.
Creativity and innovation are highly desired skills by current employers and one can only assume will continue to be desired skills for the future. When one considers the rate of change and technical development talking place currently, the ability of business and industry to stay viable and competitive will depend on the creative and innovative skills of their employees. More importantly when one considers the challenges facing the world today, answers to these challenges will not come easily. It will require a will to find solutions and it will require creative and innovative thinkers willing to challenge the status quo. The static and lock-step education provided in 20th Century classrooms will not provide the kind of thinkers needed for the 21st Century.
I find it ironic we talk about the 21st Century skills our students will need for the future but they are skills educators are hesitant to adopt for themselves. We need to be the models of 21st Century thinking. We need to be creative, innovative and we need to be prepared to take risks for the benefit of our students. Being bold is not about introducing new initiatives, but rather it is about looking for new, creative and innovative ways to support our students in becoming capable, competent citizens ready to take on the challenges of the future.
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