Rio 2016- & “me”

As to Politics: when we can figure out why people would rather waste money creating problems for people or using people instead of spending money to prevent problems in the first place- we will have created a better world! the Olympics are far from “perfect” and do cost a fortune to prepare for- but – at least for a brief moment we get to see “healthy competition” and a variety of mutual respect – athletes encouraging athletes; “giants” shedding tears; surprise challengers taking the podium, and real emotions on display- too many pictures to select only one to demonstrate the gratitude and awe I feel each time any of the athletes steps up and shares- young and old we each may learn something…

Ears wide open

If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others. Haim Ginott  (Columbia University) 

Over thirty years of teaching and working with both children and adults and the validity of the statement quoted above remains strong-and not merely for children- Any administrator would do well to focus on reinforcing strengths – a teacher’s strength, a parent’s strength, a volunteer’s strength, and a community’s strength – and in this way when the focus is on encouraging the positive any negative that might need to be addressed is seen as what it is – simply a deficit that could be improved with strong positive action.

Brainstorm- separately and together to decide if it will take a combined effort or requires looking outside the community to enhance a program, apply a solution or indeed access much needed funding; each School Culture being unique but the overall goals being similar: to enhance and encourage student growth and development, to see sustainable growth over the years, and most importantly to recognize students, families and the “school family” as all a part of the solution, each participant leading rather than simply following the leader for then respect between and amongst the parents and their children has a space within which to Grow.

Summer is traditionally not merely “time off” for Educators and many students it is also a reflective period; though now with year round schooling in places, summer learning programs, emphasis on camps and the competition for some camps as strong as the competition for some Academic programs, much needed Reflective time is often ignored.  Personally I create a T bar on a scrap piece of paper and on one side begin listing all the positives; by the time that one side is full, the other side is often close to blank or has only the truly major needs for the coming weeks and I am able to smile at what is the positive as I approach anew.  And when active, the time to “worry and fret” is minimal so that actions towards clearing the residual issues produce results-even if not always bankable results.  This bankability is what affects many an educational institution, even ones not interested in labelling themselves an institution such as small tutoring practices, or community resource outlets, or student led activities that to the students fill their personal need but aren’t expected to become formalized.  And with each active participatory endeavor, adults and children come closer to uncovering their personal goals, dreams, and talents, while remaining the most important resource any Educational environment should be working with!

My positive side nearly always begins with names-the people I am pleased to Thank.  So on this very warm July morning, armed with a cup of strong coffee and a pencil I will exit my computer for a brief reflective practice, and bask briefly in the warmth that considering the positive allows.  Try it!

 

 

 

 

Everday Learning

In praise of popular culture

Only a real fool would equate being excited to read the latest novel, watch the latest show, or participate in the latest technology as a “waste of time!”

We do our students a disservice when we insist on their learning only the “traditional ways” as much as we do cultures a disservice when we insist that people drop their traditional ways.

Students do need to be aware of the world “out there” and how technology is bringing home the concepts and actions of people globally.  For when we allow students to uncover their own curiosity and engage in a variety of activities we give them the strength to challenge themselves and when we offer a variety of story (I personally for example hate the idea of parrots and the imitation of anything becomes negative teasing if not downright bullying), “diverse,*” yes, but for depth characters must engage in challenges and students must be able to see themselves also overcoming obstacles.  For this reason I not only read Young Adult novels, pore over magazines, and exalt that TV shows may now be watched at leisure since “prime time” may be taken up with other activities.

After all I not only wish to be able to make conversation with other educators and administrators I also want to register genuine enthusiasm for what students may found engaging. With year end right around the corner and the continuous emphasis on testing and summatives and portfolios, TV actually becomes a great relaxer for students who might otherwise not have a mini paper topic handy.  Assignment: Choose a popular or special TV show and apply all learned to date examples of Literary conventions that fit the particular plot or story.  This exercise consistently generates enthusiasm while giving students a chance to recognize how praise is as important as unpacking the plot; too often the students will simply rewrite the plot or  story line, however if a shared show is reviewed together, then the students will have the model for how to be genuine in praise.  This later allows students when asked to help with peer editing to be more confident in expressing comments on their peer’s assignment.  They know it isn’t enough to simply state a grade or percentage- they recognize that it is more beneficial to suggest where points could be improved or extended and when a “plot twist” may encourage a reader to wish for more.

So when I am asked, “have I watched” or “am I familiar with,” I often encourage the students to share why they found it important, via oral discussion – to give less talkative students the chance to share and to further recognize the students who may have strong oral speaking skills that better demonstrate their knowledge than the requisite paragraph or two would do.  Not everyone is a writer, or would choose reading as a favorite pastime however many students will feel strongly about aspects of popular culture.  And I too am learning when I hear the passion of “fans” for a particular character or a special story; we are expected to model life long learning and curiosity aren’t we?

What popular culture also permits for is the discussion of necessary topics- schools have no right to ignore their proper role in also furthering and growing cultural biases.  Bias is an unusual word- it is not necessarily negative, and if a school encourages students to lean towards the open culture of RESPECTING DIFFERENCES then the bias of the school is towards not merely speaking about empathy but actually taking action through a whole school approach to questioning “accepted” behavioural practices and to understanding how much politics and fashion have not only illustrated cultural “norms” but also worked at reevaluating the expected normative vision to effect the change neccessary for generational “progress” to occur- we do want our students to be constantly striving to make not only their lives more comfortable but also the lives of others too; the “Human Race” actually refers to the entire group- not the isolated few who may manage to find a place in the top economic arenas.  Shows like “Survivor” reminded all of the ways each person has different talents and also reminds viewers that winning at the expense of everyone else is a questionable form of wining at all. If as Educators we argue that some (school) tests are not actually accurate preparation for “life” then we must also argue fully and deeply which practical topics and actions should be taken to empower our students to effectivly stick up for one another- not merely themselves.  And we must as Administrators, principals, and parents, encourage the entire staff to feel that the “complaints department” actually exists and that vocalizing discomfort about any aspect of a sitution will not be greeted with tactics meant to “silence the complainer” but instead, be the safe and secure situation which not only our students but we ourselves as adults ought to expect and ought to receive.

*Please don’t order books for school shelves simply because they fall into the category without at least reading a copy and deciding if the story has a lesson for all members of the group otherwise the stories are not empowering but isolating of specific groups!

 

Through the Wardrobe

With Thanks

Funny how we interpret things; in a music video Bowie is shown stepping into a large wardrobe, and for many I already read they view it as his coffin- I saw it as the Wardrobe in the CS Lewis story, with all the magic awaiting on the other side- he is of British origin and for so many that story is a beloved one, and one that also has religious overtones. When I read the CS Lewis books as a child, I hadn’t felt any religious overtones, because to me it was a fantasy tale, and I accepted it as such. But that is the magic in the writer; the ability to allow for the story to become real even with the fantastic set of characters, and to also be giving us a set of morals and metaphors and guidelines for growing. When one reads about the children removed from London and other dangerous areas during war time, and recognizes that the kids in the real London of the real world also were sent away we uncover a depth about “war time” different from simply reading statistics. We can begin then to imagine Lucy burrowing into the warmth of an old fur coat, wrapping herself in its texture, and wishing she could be, together with the other children, a bigger player in the troubles affecting the real world; and so the fantasy begins. And it is not only in story that children do save the day; this happens each and every day for each and every adult blessed with a second generation around. Yes on the literal sense of children inheriting the world, but more deeply than that, for their very presence becomes a reminder of life itself.

I choose to hope that such a great artist was thinking of the future, his future, as holding a special parallel universe in which the child in him would be able to continue to create, to participate and to learn, sharing through love to help bring a positive force of peace.

–and we still have the music…

to listen and find out more about David Bowie you may follow the official twitter accounts…