And here I am with Mr. George Couros himself. He's every bit as fun as you'd imagine him to be.
It was this quote that hooked me:
I mean, really. Does compliance not sum up a traditional mindset? I serriously dislike that word. I also dislike when we, kid professionals, put kids in a box and mass produce society robots.
I have four grown children- two with learning deficits who have persevered and survived a flawed system. My four children could not be more different. From their taste in music to their interests and strengths, and they are all on a life path that is both fulfilling and challenging. All are in leadership roles where fostering relationships is critical. I have so much respect for them. They, thankfully, have beat the system.
I now have two perfect little grandsons (ages one and two). There is seriously nothing that compares to the love a grandma has for her little boys. At one and two, Jaren and Toby are becoming little people with interests and personalities. Toby is two. He loves to help me clean! His dad says he's going to be a janitor some day, I disagree. He's going to be an inventor, an engineer, an author, some sort of creator. He loves to figure out how things work. He is fascinated with moving parts and making things change. He is a lover of stories and anything hands on. He's usually carrying his football and dead front and center watching the Vikings game with grandpa. He's sweet and caring, shy- always says please and thank you. He searches a youtube app for his favorite shows, taps his folder on my iPhone to play his games, and knows how to get his favorite songs off of my music app. He's a thinker! Jaren is one, is lover of books and puzzles, is a quiet thinker, but a loud talker. He likes to drive his car on the gravel roads- yes, he drives it. He plays fetch with the dogs, nuzzles the cats, and fills their water bowl. I cannot fathom school wrecking their little innovative minds. I feel responsible, as a kid professional, to advocate for them. Simple as that. They deserve a system that values the following:
And so... I'll share. I'm not, in any shape or form, a teacher with all the answers. In fact, I'd be the first to admit that I am struggling. Every day, I think about everything I should have done, dream about what I could have done, ask myself what I could do better next time. I know I need to change how I teach and that building relationships built on trust is crucial!
I have a mindset. I have goals. I have a vision. I also know I can't do it alone. There has been an increase in energy since Friday's PD. People are reflecting, questioning compliance, and collaborating. It's a start.
How do we keep this momentum? We could start by sharing what we do with each other and others both inside and outside our district, by asking other teachers and students for honest feedback, and by continuing to empower kids to make choices and decisions about their learning. By trying things and constantly asking yourself, "How can I make this better?".
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