Celebrating Authenticity and Affirmation

Since creating the "Power of Inspiration" a little over thirteen months ago, I have had the opportunity to submit posts on topics that reveal both my interests and passions.  Each submission has given me the opportunity to reflect on my craft and renew my enthusiasm for writing. While I have enjoyed writing each piece, the posts that I enjoy writing the most, focus on my students and the authentic learning experiences we have collectively shared. The following  post, inspired by the efforts of my students, traces the evolution of our second marking period Technology project.

The Launch

Prior to leaving for an extensive winter break my students concluded an exhaustive unit on the "early humans". Awaiting them upon their return would be a long term project that would give them the opportunity to create a product model relevant to the study of the "early humans". This product model would be constructed with the mindset that it was capable of assisting the "early humans" in their daily lives. Within a few days they would need to develop an idea and present it to me and my co-teachers for our approval. After reviewing the assignment handout and answering questions, the class concluded for the day. Their enthusiasm  for this project as usual did not disappoint. As students got up to leave for the day, a handful were already stopping me and passionately sharing their early ideas.  As the day continued more would stop by and share their ideas as well. Over the course of the week I would have many conversations  about the visions that my students were having for their projects. I couldn't wait until Friday.

The Challenge

The following day I challenged my students to take advantage of this opportunity to do something great. I told them they had full creative control and virtually no limits on what they could accomplish. I then told them that not only was this an opportunity to potentially achieve individual greatness but that each one of them was quite capable of doing something great.  I visually referred to a project from a previous year that they all agreed was outstanding and reminded them that the student responsible for its creation, shared common circumstances with them. I then left them with the challenge to go beyond ordinary and strive for greatness.

New Ideas

Over the course of the week I would have many conversations about the early visions that my students were having for this project. When Friday finally arrived we were able to finalize and approve most of the ideas but there were still students that were working through the process that required guidance and support. This year's ideas included; portable fire pits, baby carriers, first aid kits, poison detectors, security systems and a host full of other authentic and useful ideas. The next three weeks would be exciting for sure as we would all witness these innovative ideas blossom into finished products.

Sketches

One of my favorite days of the project experience was when I had the opportunity to review their sketches. It was exciting to gain an early glimpse at their designs as they continued to develop their ideas.  I was also afforded the opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions that may help them move forward as they prepared to enter the construction phase of the project.  As this phase came to a conclusion I was confident in the direction that my students were heading and eagerly awaited the arrival of the finished products.

Presentations and Affirmations

The day of the grand unveiling of the projects brought with it a great deal of excitement. Both the  students and teachers eagerly awaited the beginning of the presentations. Collectively this batch of models/inventions was of the best that we have witnessed in years. The craftsmanship reflected ideas that were very well designed and executed. A three week journey which commenced with the project launch was now one step closer to conclusion.  This day and the few days that followed thoughout were special for many reasons. 

All of the students began revealing their products to one another in short oral presentations. We learned of the genesis of their ideas, the purpose and function of their products and essentially the process in which the product was constructed. We learned of research that had been completed, trials that had been endured and ultimately of  the success that had been achieved. Following the presentations the students asked very thoughtful questions of the presenters which required very thoughtful answers.  This was an impressive element of the presentations as the students were showing genuine interest in each others efforts. 

This year we all were treated to an unexpected bonus feature. As some presentations concluded, the students were offering complimentary affirmations to the presenter instead of asking questions. One student commented to another about  their idea being " very creative", or another commented on how the finished product indicated that they spent a "great deal of time" working on it.  These affirmations were unprompted and unsolicited but  indeed provided a special quality as some of the presentations concluded.

Reflection

After the final oral presentation had concluded our journey was all but complete.  There was one final step that I was looking forward to taking with my students in order to bring closure to this project. As has been tradition following the final presentation students were required to participate in a reflection activity. This activity explored their thoughts on the positive qualities of the project experience, ways that it could be improved and finally what they had learned throughout the entire process. This as always was one of my favorite legs of the journey because it gave the students an opportunity to add an honest voice to the process. Once again as in past years they provided me with valuable feedback and have helped me to reaffirm the enduring value of the project.  Their feedback will also help me to make adjustments and strengthen the assignment for future classes.

 Some of the positive feedback this year included the following; "it was fun and I enjoyed the opportunity to be creative", " we could make our own choices and there were not many rules" and "it gave me a chance to bond with my mother or father".

Some of the improvements that were suggested included "share more models", "model an oral presentation" and "give more specific guidelines regarding the journal." 

The went on to tell me that they learned how to manage their time better, that homework can be fun and that they learned more about the problems and needs of the early humans.  

As the reflection activity came to a close, I was proud to be able to add the voice of my students to this project once again.  They appreciated the opportunity to add constructive and honest feedback as well.

Final Thoughts

When given the opportunity to create and work without constraints my students will embrace it.

My students like challenges and love the feeling that accompanies achievement.

 Authentic learning is the best way to learn because it allows my students to immerse themselves into their learning  environment. 

 When my students demonstrate that they value the hard work of their peers,  it strengthens the culture in our learning community.

  We need to continue to ask our students if the learning experiences that we provide have value. Their feed back will always be honest because they have the most to gain if they are engaged.  This project, like others  authentic in nature, empowered my students to become active learners. The more engaging the activity the more meaningful their learning will become.  The voices of our students need to be the ones that we hear the loudest and we need to pay attention to them. If not, we risk losing their interest and this is not a result that we can afford.  We must continue to celebrate the success of the authentic learner and affirm the value of their commitment and effort whenever possible.

One Life to Live... and Learn.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."~ John Wooden

 Each fall, my good friend Ken Boardman an associate professor at Rider University, passionately emphasizes to his pre-service teachers this pearl of  wisdom; " the world is your classroom". Undoubtedly this has always been true in a conventional sense. Today's news will always be fodder for tomorrow's class discussion. However, with our current ability to become connected students and educators this idea has taken on new meaning. On a global scale, today's teachers and learners have unprecedented access to information and knowledge due to the availability of electronic resources, the internet and social media. Human and electronic resources are literally at our fingertips, for our convenience.  The opportunity to learn has never been more immediate nor has our ability to transfer knowledge to others.

Thirteen months ago I unwittingly embarked upon a journey to improve as an educator.  I began to explore the possibilities of using Twitter to develop a Professional Learning Network. Within the first month I began to establish personal connections with likeminded educators that shared my passion for making a positive impact on the lives of today's youth. Through hashtag conversations, tweets and blog posts, personal and professional relationships were being formed, renewed and strengthened. Authentic learning experiences were taking place as wisdom was being mutually shared. Eventually opportunities were created that allowed me to meet my PLN face to face at regional and national conferences.  Our connections were being strengthened as we shared our convictions for education.  Connections were being made at the local, national and global level and I was feeling empowered to strengthen my instructional practices as well as create engaging learning experiences for my students.  Learning was now occurring autonomously and at my convenience.  Resources focused on current educational pedagogy were consistently made available and were essentially limitless. I was living out of my comfort zone and I was growing. Furthermore, my students were reaping the benefits because my learning experiences translated to improvements in  the classroom..

Last week I was engaged in a weekly #Tlap conversation about the ABC's of learning and at the end of the conversation there was a challenge question in which we were asked by the moderator, Shelley Burgess to include a response using the UN prefix. Essenntially this was a contest to generate the most favorities and or retweets per individual response.  My response was Unforgettable, and that I never want my students to forget why they love learning. It was a response that met with many retweets and favorites. Also it resulted in my winning of  the contest and receiving and autographed copy of the new book P is for Pirate which is written by Dave and Shelley Burgess.  One of the favorites came from my friend and valued PLN member Barry Saide who reminded me that "nor should we" as educators ever forget why we love learning. His sentiment  reminded me how much my love for learning has been rejuvenated since I became a connected educator.  The places that learning will take us is amazing if we are willing to make ourselves available to new ideas. While the "world remains our classroom" as connected educators the current and future possibliliities for learning will remain limitless if we continue to embrace new and innovative ways to do so.  My only regret is that I only have " one life to live and learn."

C is For Culture ( My Word for 2015)

The dynamic and inspirational author Jon Gordon made an excellent suggestion to start 2015 off in the right way. He suggests that rather than make a "resolution" (because most of us fail to keep them anyway) we may be better off finding  "one word" that we can embrace and then use it as a driving force to inspire us throughout the year. While overwhelmed at first at the daunting task of choosing just one word, upon further review it became clear that there was only one truly appropriate selection for me.  My word challenges me to bravely consider existing conditions in my personal and professional life and then make courageous changes where they are necessary and appropriate. My word of course is Culture."

C is for Caring. As a parent and an educator it is vital that the children I am responsible for nurturing believe that I care about their social, emotional and intellectual growth.  I am responsible for putting them in situations that will allow them to succeed and/ or fail. When success occurs I must find ways to praise and celebrate that success. When failure occurs I must provide coping mechanisms to assist them in moving forward. Either way, the children in my life need to know that I care deeply about the outcomes of their efforts and I must find ways to demonstrate this.

U is for Understanding.  Each of my students are very unique individuals. They possess their own skill sets and approach learning in their own diverse way. When developing a relationship with my students, assessing their work or evaluating their behavior it is important that I remain aware of their unique currencies. Ultimately this will help me to understand the rationale behind their actions and help me to avoid making assumptions about their character. As a parent the stability of my relationship with my children hinges on my ability to show compassion and understanding during the most challenging of situations.

L is for Love of Learning.  My hope for my students and my own children is that they will evolve into productive adults and eventually make consistent contributions to our society. This will not happen accidentally. The passions that lead to the development of their skills and eventually to the pursuit of career choices are ignited in the classroom during their formative years of education. Books that are read, discussions that captivate  and engaging experiences that they take part in, lay the foundation for an intellectually prosperous adult life. My job as an educator and a parent is to help ignite that spark and foster a love of learning that continues throughout their lifetime. The best way to accomplish this is to model this " love of learning" by always seeking new opportunities to learn and then sharing these experiences as they occur.

T is for Trust. In order to provide guidance and support and to be a vital part of a child's life, it is necessary that I establish and maintain trust throughout our relationship. If something happens to fracture the trust, I must give immediate attention and effort towards rebuilding that trust and ultimately the relationship. Trust is built when I take an active interest in their lives, when I show them that I genuinely care about them, that I am present and accountable, and that I follow through on things that I promise in a consistent fashion.  Furthermore I need to show them that I believe in them and that I will go to great lengths to help them.

U is for Uplifting.  One of the most important responsibilities that I have as parent and an educator is to maintain a positive attitude and inspire my students and my children about the world they live in.  While there are many stories today that are mired in negative detail there are plenty of opportunities to accentuate all of the good that goes on in the world. Not only is it important that I provide evidence of the events that inspire us, but it is equally important that I empower them to find sources of their own inspiration.

R is for Relationships.  My success as an educator and as a parent is largely dependent on my ability to establish solid relationships with my students and my own children. The foundation for each relationship is the genuine interest taken in their lives and a willingness to share a part of my life with them. Not only is it important that I take the opportunity to get to know my students at the beginning of the year but in order to cultivate the relationship I must take an ongoing, active interest in experiences that take place inside and outside of the classroom. As far as my own children are concerned its about being present, staying interested and providing guidance and support when its solicited and sometimes when its not.

E is for Engagement.    An area that continues to concern me regarding today's learner is engagement. A Gallup poll taken in 2012 that surveyed students revealed that our secondary level learners become less engaged as they progress through middle and then eventually high school. According to the poll only 60% of the students were engaged in middle school and then it dropped to 40% in high school.  As a parent and educator this revelation alarms me because it indicates to me that collectively our students are less than enthusiastic about learning as they prepare to enter college and eventually the workplace.   As stakeholders that have a vested interest in the outcomes of educating our children, we need to act collectively and collaboratively towards changing this trend.
Dave Burgess a teacher/author, in his book "Teach Like A Pirate" discusses the value of developing engaging educational practices for his students and he has met with great success in his classroom.  His book, his weekly conversation on Twitter (#tlap) and his Professional Development sessions have sparked a global movement that is entrenched in various ways to engage todays learners.  Educators throughout the world are embracing a more engaging and empowering approach to their instructional practices and we are heading in the right direction.  Moving forward we must continue to give credence to the importance of engaging and empowering our students if we hope to continue to develop productive adult members of our society.

My challenge for 2015 is to honestly assess the health of the culture in my household and my classroom. Once the assessment is complete, action must follow, either to strengthen or improve the culture. One thing is certain, I cannot be passive if I expect to influence growth within either culture. At home, my wife and I must empower our children to assist in the growth process. In the classroom all stakeholders must be empowered to assist in the strengthening of our classroom culture.  Moreover, regardless of the setting, all of the members of each community need to continue to feel valued and respected if we can realistically hope to avoid complacency, or worse apathy. The goal for 2015; sustain a culture where achievement goes beyond potential, growth is measurable and where my students and children prosper.

 My word, simple, Culture, I cannot imagine another that has more value in my life. What's your one word and how will you address it in 2015?

( A special thank you to; Jon Gordon, Dave and Shelley Burgess, Glenn Robbins and Heidi Jones for inspiring this post.)

Mirrors

 Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.

~Peter Drucker~

The Man In The Mirror
Each day of my life, I seek to become better. I seek to make the necessary strides to improve upon my life in various capacities.  As a husband, a father, a son, a friend and an educator, I desire to grow each and every day. This is a challenging proposition because in order to grow it is necessary to reflect upon shortcomings that need attention, or flaws that need correction. Sometimes the honesty that accompanies reflection can be painful to endure and life is easier or more comfortable if it is avoided. However if growth is the objective, stepping out of the comfort zone is a risk I must be willing to take,

Sharpening the Tools

The last twelve months of my life have encompassed unparalleled professional growth. A conscious decision to become a "connected educator" has allowed me to elevate my reflective practices to new heights. Weekly online and eventual face to face interactions with a global network of educators, have improved my instructional practices exponentially. These relationships formed as a result, have influenced a personal and professional  transformation. My classroom has become a community that provides an authentic and engaging learning environment for my students. Within this environment we have created a culture that empowers students to develop their own reflective skills and thus grow as 21st century learners.

Paying it Forward

Reflection has been a priority over the course of the past ten weeks that I have spent mentoring pre service teachers from Rider University.  One of our weekly exercises was to spend time reflecting on the observable outcomes of a particular day. If they taught,we reflected upon the quality of their lesson, if I taught we reflected upon the quality of my lesson.  Our conversations focused on the strengths and the weaknesses of the lesson, while looking through a lens that examined student learning.

Although the exercise was to help them understand the value of reflection and improve, I can honestly say that their reflective feedback enabled me to grow professionally and improve the quality of my instruction. At the end of ten weeks I firmly believe that they embraced the idea that honest, authentic reflection is a vital componenent of the learning process. Ultimately it is this reflective piece that leads to success, for both the student and the teacher.

Eyes On The Prize

We are living in an age of an unprecedented commitment to student centered learning . As educators it is important to facilitate opportunities that allow students to collaborate and create. With both collaboration and creation we should expect students to experience a "productive struggle" as they work to complete various tasks. The development of clear protocols must occur at the outset to ease students through the navigation process. Once the task has been completed and the desired outcomes reached, the students need to be encouraged to honestly reflect about process and outcome. Again as is the case with the adult learner this will force the student beyond their comfort zone. As educators we need to find a way to help our students embrace authentic and honest reflection.  Moreover, we will need to encourage the celebration of their success and assist them in the rebuild when failure occurs. Only then will authentic growth be a natural consequence of their reflection.

Parting Thought

The "growth process" is personal in nature and everyone arrives there in their own way but at the end of the day, the quality of the image in the mirror forces us all to contemplate, "what is" and "what can be."

Exercises in Gratitude

Throughout the course of the past few days my students and I took advantage of several opportunities to express our "gratitude." With the onset of the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaching  the timing was particularly appropriate. I expected my students to express gratitude for their family, their friends, their homes and their pets. With each conversation their responses did not fall short of my anticipated expectations. After 20 years of teaching and learning, you develop an understanding of the middle school students mindset. However, what unfolded became an unexpected surprise as the exercise quickly developed into a learning experience. 

For the past couple of weeks we have been investigating the challenges that  the Paleolithic humans had faced in attempting to fullfill their basic needs.  My students are well aware of the struggles that their ancestors faced due to various physiological and environmental factors. I was impressed during the "exercise of gratitude" that my students were grateful for their ability to meet their basic needs and for the efforts of others to provide for them. It was obvious to me that in considering their own gratitude that they were reflecting upon the challenges that were faced by prehistoric cultures. They were expressing gratitude for not having to endure similar circumstances. This was not something that I had expected to learn as the exercise progressed but was thrilled when I realized that this had become one of the outcomes.

The exercise would also teach me a valuable lesson about stretching the thinking of my students. During this exercise my most  "social "group of students revealed themselves as my deepest and reflective thinkers. When asked about what they were grateful for, they provided responses that reflected a great deal of contemplation. Their answers revealed an obvious depth of thinking and the exercise unexpectedly taught me a great deal about their willingness to stretch their thinking. These students were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to stretch their thinking. This question of  "gratitude" had peaked their interest, and their responses  revealed, passionate reflection and genuine enthusiasm. 

However, this exercise did not produce the same result with all of my classes as other groups of students gave one word answers to the question. They seemed reluctant to push the limits of their thinking and their responses seemed to indicate a lack of confidence or a lack of interest. What is clear with the later group is that new strategies need to be implemented in an effort to stretch their thinking, build their confidence and spark their interest.

As I prepare to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family, I am grateful for the love of my family and friends as well as all of the positive influences that have shaped the course of my life within the past eleven months. Additionally I am grateful for the gifts bestowed upon me by my students when they are least expected. It is those gifts that teach me the most valuable lessons and allow for my maximum professional and personal growth.

Roots!

                                                                                           

" And suddenly you know its time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings."

    Meister Eckert

The past eleven months since I began blogging have provided numerous opportunities to celebrate and reflect upon my experiences as a middle school educator.  This has been a year full of milestones both professionally and personally, having started my twentieth year as a middle school educator, celebrating my fiftieth birthday and this April, my wife and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage.  Throughout these past twenty years I have benefited greatly from the guiding and supportive hands of many experienced educators who I am fortunate to call friends. The relationships that I have built with peers, students, administrators and parents throughout my career have made a profound impact on my success as an educator. While my career is one which I reflect upon proudly, the early chapters of my professional story go well beyond the walls of Pond Road Middle School.

The journey actually began approximately 10 miles North in Lawrence Township twenty five years ago. I began working as a substitute teacher and was eventually hired as an assistant Winter Track Coach at Lawrence High School. From 1989-1995 I played an active role in helping to build a successful Track and Cross Country program until I eventually resigned in 1995.

Throughout those years I had the privilege of developing relationships and working with hundreds of quality students, athletes and coaches. The positive and consistent support that I received from my Athletic Director helped to shape the early years of my my career in education as well as my young adult life. 

These experiences during the my early years were full of life lessons that would ultimately have a lasting impact on me as an educator.  While observing the maturity of many athletes and students, my experiences with them was also part of my maturation process. Indeed it was a time when we were all coming of age, albeit at different periods of our lives.

The athletes that I was fortunate to coach directly, or watch develop taught me the value of respect, responsibility and trust. These are values that I still have the highest regard for, even today. Although I have lost contact with most of them, every once in awhile I will learn of their successes.  To actually be able to learn of their success in the adult world as a contributing member of society is indeed

quite gratifying. 

In turn, I am full of gratitude and appreciation for the countless number of veteran educators, and administrators from Lawrence Township who recognized the potential that lived inside of me.  Their mentoring allowed me to continue to move forward in this profession, ultimately enabling me to make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people, as both a teacher and a coach.

The foundation for my success took root a long time ago in the halls of the Lawrence Township public schools. My experiences there and the relationships that were forged there, still occupy a special place in my heart. I am reminded that every journey must have a starting line and a finish line. While the finish line for this journey looms in the distant future, I will always be grateful to the people of Lawrence Township for providing the starting line.

Living Outside of the Comfort Zone

Teaching children of the 21st century we are consistently encouraging them to live outside of their comfort zones and take risks. We do this for various reasons. One, we want them comfortable with the idea of "taking chances" despite the possibility of failure, two , we believe that the growth potential can be exponential with each risk that is taken and three, it will stretch their capacity to learn over the  course of their lifetimes.

Lifelong learners ourselves we must lead the way and embrace this concept of risk taking as well. If we expect our students to fully buy in to the idea, then we must demonstrate a courageous mindset. One that reflects potential failures and gains. Moreover, we must be willing to openly share these pursuits and their results, if we expect the same of our students. 

Within the past two months I have been

confronted with situations in my personal and professional lives that have required me to make multiple courageous  decisions. Each decision required a departure from my "safe" or comfortable life. They were not easily made and were given careful consideration. However the leap outside of the comfort zone has paid great dividends on all recent occasions.

Had I not decided to fly to New Orleans by myself to attend a National Education conference  (#ecet2Nola) I would have denied myself one of the most enriching experiences of my professional life. I would have missed out on collaborating with amazing educators from my state and throughout the entire nation. I would have missed out on a chance to be part of over 300 teachers parading down Bourbon Street, escorted by a High School Band and local law enforcement. (Talk about elevating and celebrating. Wow!)  I would have missed on a chance to improve my craft in ways that would ultimately benefit my students.

Had I not decided to play on a PGA golf course ( the longest one in Disney World) I would have missed out on an amazing bonding opportunity that my oldest son and I will remember for the rest of our lives. He is still talking about how we played on a course that the great "Tiger" Woods played on.  Furthermore had I not taken advantage of the opportunity to tackle the highest water slide in the world (Summit Plummit) with my youngest son Scott, I would have squandered an authentic opportunity to demonstrate my willingness and the importance of taking risks to my son. We both successfully embraced and completed the challenge and it was awesome to hear him say that this was the highlight of our trip.

As the adults of the 21st century we must continue to cultivate opportunities for our children to push their limits and take risks. We must do so in an environment that presents failure as the "first attempt in learning" and remove inhibitors that may cause them to dwell within their comfort zone. Lastly we must celebrate the risk and the result if our children are expected to achieve their true growth potential as both learners and contributors.