Wow! What a journey it's been, 32 weeks of personal and professional development. The most invigorating, challenging, confronting yet rewarding experience I have had since first becoming a parent!
The timing of the Mind Lab post grad course could not have been better for me. I had recently been given the role of "Director of Innovation" at our school. A description that was equal parts exciting and overwhelming. As I crashed around in the online environment trying to lead staff in first defining what innovation meant to us, and then coming up with ways we could all develop it further, I was desperate for some guidance. The Mind Lab course provided me with this. Within the first three sessions I felt a sense of grounding - this was exactly where I was supposed to be.
The Practicing Teacher Criteria 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice, has been substantially demonstrated with my participation in this course. The change in practice in my teaching and learning has been immense. The grounded feeling I experienced was because I was being exposed to latest best practice which was based on sound educational research - not just things I had happened to come across online. It hasn't been without it's dramas though. I really question why I was teaching Accounting (especially after checking out Will a Robot take your Job).
The outcome has been that I have developed an absolute passion for developing a more integrated curriculum. As Frances Valentine the founder of The Mind Lab and Tec Futures Lab explains, we need to “open their eyes wide” when referring to students. The relevance and context of what we chose to do in class is everything. She has challenged educators to “stop valuing only what we can measure” and celebrate divergent thinking. The purpose is to produce students who are design thinkers, social crusaders, politically mobilized and educative disruptors. These are exciting times and I am keen to "turn and face the strain."
Osterman& Kottkamp (1993) define reflective practice as "neither a solitary or relaxed meditative process" - complete understatement there! By using reflective practice to become more self aware of my teaching and learning has been an uncomfortable process. The experience of becoming a student again delivered my first major change in practice. More specifically, the experience of receiving a grade that was inversely related to the amount of time and effort put in (and my expectation). I was surprised at the level of disappointment I displayed and the associated behaviours when I first saw my grade. It took a good week and a half before I was even in the head space to be able to take in the feedback given (I did read it on the first day, but just scoffed at the comments and thought bad thoughts about the marker)!
Reflecting on this experience I have altered the way I give my students grades and feedback. I no longer give out the grade first. For internal assessments feedback is given first along with the criteria. For practice examinations each paper is "marked" with codes, we go through the marking schedule as a class with the students checking their papers. Once this is completed (with accompanying teachable moments) the students add up their codes to reveal their overall grade. Previously when trying to go through the marking schedule to find those "teachable moments" a third of the class would be slumped on their desks, obviously disappointed with their grade, not hearing me over the negative self talk going on in their heads, while another third smugly thought they didn't need to listen to anything because they had already received an Excellence pass so obviously knew it all! This experience has certainly developed my understanding around the Practicing Teaching Criteria 8: Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding o how akonga learn.
So where to now? In conjunction with looking a ways to develop a more integrated curriculum at school I am also looking forward to the freedom of being able to blog on whatever area of interest I have and not be concerned if, a) I have met all of the criteria of an assessment rubric, or b) what I have to say might not be "worthy." The fact that I now want to blog is a monumental mind shift for me. The opening description to this blog states Even though it goes against my natural inclination, I need to blog, so here goes ....
I now can appreciate the benefit of sharing my thoughts, not just for my own self awareness, but to contribute to a online social network - the strength in which is increased by connections and contributions. At this point I have to give a shout out to my mate Wozza - it took a few years but I got there (even if I have stolen your idea of song quotes as a title)!
And as Mick Jagger said so well; "you can't always get what you want," but by crikey, I sure have got what I need!
The blogosphere needs you! Great post - I'm pretty much 90% decided I'll do that course next year - I need a year to embed first. A few of us at school are planning to get stuck into it then.
ReplyDeleteI'll be a regular visitor as you embark on the next exciting chapter of your story (can't bring myself to write 'jour...').
Great to hear you are keen to do the course! I have seen them advertise specifically for senior leaders as well. It is always more powerful if there is a group doing it together from a school - well done and thanks for all your support.
ReplyDelete