Joy of Learning

Recently, I attended an event called IGNITE in Delta.  IGNITE evenings are popular in many lower mainland districts now.  Attendees gather to listen to about twelve speakers, each of whom has only five minutes to talk about their educational passion.  The fast pace of the speeches ensures that the listeners' attention is rapt.  As well, the enthusiasm of the speakers is contagious.

Of the twelve presentations we heard last night, the one that resonated with me the most was a teacher who spoke about finding the JOY in teaching and learning.  A few years ago, I read an article in my daughter's ski instructor magazine.  It was about how learning should be serious fun.  That might be obvious on the ski hill, but not so much in our schools.  I remember a school psychologist, years ago,  talking about how a student had "low tolerance for tedium."  Tedium?  Why should anything in school be tedious?

Sure, we need our students to stick with things, practice and persevere.  But if we are going to engage students in true and lasting learning, we had better find ways of making it really matter to the students.

Last week I had an opportunity to meet some teachers visiting from China.  In trying to explain how we plan for teaching in Canada, I found myself saying, "We can't know what to teach until we know our students."  What are their interests, their skills, their talents?  But instead of asking, "What is your passion?" how about asking, "What is your heartbreak?  What do you care about so much in the world that you would like to change?  Climate Change?  Racism?  Poverty?"

There has been an awful lot of bad news in the world lately, the most recent in our own "backyard," in Quebec City.  It is easy to fall into the habit of pessimistic thinking, believing that the worst thing one can imagine is continually outdone and surpassed by actions that are beyond imagining.  This weekend I witnessed two acts of kindness within an hour that lightened my heart.  At the corner of Robson and Burrard Streets an old man was sitting on the sidewalk, wondering aloud why no one was stopping.  He cried that he was hungry and people were just passing him by.  As I was wondering the same thing, a young man in his mid twenties went up to him and said, "Sir, can I buy you something to eat?"  When I looked back they were both gone.  A half hour later I was on the opposite corner.  There was a young man lying on the sidewalk in a sleeping bag.  Another young man bent down and tucked some money into his hand.  They exchanged eye contact and a thumbs-up.  It was a  precious moment of human contact I will always remember.

Back to the idea of joy - we can't have too much of it!  We need to actively seek opportunities to find it, share it and nurture it for our students and ourselves.  Perhaps one day there won't be folks sleeping on sidewalks and begging for kindness.

The Gardener and the Carpenter

I have just finished reading a new book on parenting:  The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley.  As her title suggests, she argues that "parenting" is not a practice that one can master, like becoming a master carpenter.  Rather, it is the process of nurturing the relationship between parent and child, like a gardener tends a garden, providing children with the sustenance and support that they need to flourish.

She writes, "Childhood is designed to be a period of exploration and innovation, learning and imagination," and bemoans the fact that, "ironically, in a society that values creativity and innovation more and more, we provide fewer and fewer unfettered opportunities for children to explore."

Gopnik also discusses how children learn, attachment and relationships, the "work of play."  It is quite a dense text requiring close reading, but with interesting perspectives about what modern parents think they need to do, rather than how they need to be. "We don't care for children because we love them; we love them because we care for them."

This book will be available for teachers and parents to borrow from  our school library in the New Year.

Back to School With Growth Mindsets

Last spring, seventeen of our staff members signed up for a book club with Carol Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Last week was our first meeting.  Our members discussed the difference between growth and fixed-mindsets and what that means for students, and also for ourselves and other adults that we live and work with.  We also decided that we all have a mix of fixed and growth mindsets, depending on the circumstances.  We can see evidence of fixed vs. mindset in watching how people take on challenges.  Do they avoid or embrace a challenge.  When they make a mistake, fixed-mindset folks see it as a failure and are embarrassed, while growth mindset people see it as a temporary setback, something to learn from and move on.  Perseverance, asking questions and taking risks are other qualities that are strong in the growth mindset character.

What does this mean for our students?  Teachers are becoming more aware of and sensitive to how children think about their learning.  Teachers are able to then coach students in how they think and talk about themselves.  For example, if a child child says, "I can't do it," a teacher might say, "You can't do it yet  but with more practice and perseverance, you will be able to."  If a student were to say, "I'm no good at math," the teacher might reframe it as, "I find math challenging, but I know I can get better."

We know so much more about the brain and its plasticity than in the past.  Science has given us the facts to back our teachers' instinct: that every child can learn. We want our students to be optimistic and resilient people, to be able to do good in the world and make it a better place that it is now.  I am grateful to be in such a hopeful community of teachers and learners.

Here is my speech from the Farewell to Grade 7's.

Good morning students, staff, parents and special guests.  It is my honour to say a few words today at this assembly, as we bid farewell to our friends in the seventh grade.  I am so grateful to have had you as my first grade 7’s at McNeely.  You have set the bar incredibly high for future grade 7’s with your kindness, your helpfulness, your work ethic, your intelligence and your creativity.  I am proud to know you, each and every one. 

As you go off to high school, you may experience a little nervousness, maybe some anxiety.  For some people, change is terrifying.  For others it is energizing.

One thing I know for sure is that change is inevitable and the more resilient and confident you are, the more you will be able to adapt and adjust, riding the wave like a surfer.

To that end, I’ve made a short list of things I would have liked my 12 or 13 year old self to know. 

     1. Don’t take things personally.  As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make    you feel inferior without your permission.”

     2. Don’t take yourself too seriously.  Find your funny bone. Exercise your imagination.  Life’s too short to worry about things that are out of your control.  We all do it. But try to do it less.

    3. If you’re feeling afraid, fake courage! I do this all the time.  Don’t let fear stand in your way.  Don’t let fear win.  Because there really is very little to be afraid of.

    4. Know that you are loved.  And because you are loved, those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.  That’s a funny way of saying that not everybody’s opinion counts.  See rule #1.

    5. And finally, do the right thing, even when nobody’s watching!

So as we say farewell, I hope you will leave our school just a little smarter, braver, and kinder.  Walk into high school with confidence and pride.  Come back and visit, and remember where you came from:  Kathleen McNeely, where we care about each other, we care about ourselves, and we care about our school.

Parent Participation

Our school is blessed with a strong parent presence.  Their generous donation of time and hard work makes our school a richer place.  They contribute in ways that show our children that they care about our school, the teachers' and the students' well being.  The effect of this shared information cannot be  minimized.  Children knowing that their parents are invested in the school has a ripple effect upon behaviour, engagement and learning.  What we do shows what we value.

There are so many ways that parents can contribute, even without coming to the school.  Being informed is one way, through our newsletters and our school website.  We try to communicate in a number of ways so as to meet the  different learning styles of each family.  At our monthly Tea and Talk last week, parents told me that they would like more e-communication in the form of email reminders and notices, so that will be a project for the fall.

Some other ways parents help are: attending field trips, organizing and serving our hot lunches and Treat Tuesdays, reading to children in the mornings, cleaning up after Breakfast Club, volunteering in the library, and, of course, planning the fundraisers like Purdies sales, Movie Nights, and other events that help us purchase things to enhance student learning and school connectedness, like our popcorn machine!

Even the words and opinions parents share with their children about school have impact.  One wise colleague once said, "The greatest gift a parent can give his or her child is to like their teacher."  I've thought about that a lot over the years.  Of course, we all have opinions about teachers and their efficacy.  We have all been to school and believe we know what good teaching is!  Knowing that every teacher is unique and brings their own gifts to the classroom, and having patience for those who do not meet our expectations in some way, allows children to develop the bond with the teacher that facilitates learning.  Learning is so dependent on emotion!  Feeling safe and calm in the classroom is the best predictor of success.

We thank the parent community of McNeely for the obvious trust that they have in our staff, for the hours of volunteer time they contribute, for the acts of kindness and generosity they do, and for the love that they have for their children. We are so grateful. 

Learning in the Long Run

Tonight I am to speak at Richmond Ignite, an event that our school district has organized.  There will be about 15 speakers, each with only 5 minutes to share something they feel to be important with the attendees.  Here is what I plan to say.

I'm very pleased to be able to talk to you about two of my passions and three things they have in common:  Public Education and Long Distance Running, ultra marathons, mostly on trails, as you can see from my slides.

I started running at the same time, not coincidentally, as I began my teaching practice.  In 1990 I was a stressed out single mum, a student in the teacher ed program at UBC, living in my parents' basement.  I needed cheap and easy therapy and running fit the bill.  I started a bit at a time, until I could run about 5 km to The Gates and back.  In the spring I heard about the Sun Run.  My brother had done it and he said - if you can run 5 km you can run 10.  So I did and was overwhelmed by the feeling of joy crossing the finish line, feeling proud of my own accomplishment, but also part of something bigger than my self.  So I just kept doubling my distances.

The first lesson from the long run I'll share is to be present, to show up.  Our students and colleagues deserve nothing less than our full attention, our full engagement.  I time when being present really paid off for me in running was when I entered my first 100 km race.  We started in the pitch dark and the field of runners quickly spread out.  With 92 kilometres under my belt, the race director pedalled up to me on his bike and said, "Ok, Margaret, the next woman is 15 minutes behind you and if you keep up this pace, you will win and set a new women' course record." I looked at him in astonishment!  "What about the fast girls who signed up," I asked.  "They didn't show up," he replied.

I could not have completed that race, (anything over 42.2 km is called an ultra marathon), without a plan and a support crew.  My second lesson from the long run could be called collaborative UBD.  Beginning with the end in mind and having planned with a colleague.  In teaching these days, collaborative and planning give us the best odds of ensuring that our students are engaged in the kind of deep learning we want for them.  Running without a plan is called junk miles.  A time when I had an epic fail in a race was when I had trained all year to run 100 miler.  What I failed to do was plan for a pacer, a partner to run with me through the night.  I was too shy, too stubborn to ask for help, And in the night, in the dark, scare and alone, I pulled the plug and quit.  Collaboration makes the seemingly impossible, possible.

The third lesson from the long run I will share is to remain ever hopeful.  There are a lot of irritants in the long run, from bugs to blister to bears, muscle cramps and gastrointestinal distress. What I now know from finishing over 50 long distance races is that you can feel like hell, like every fibre of your being is telling you to stop, but it can get better. A friendly smile from a volunteer, having something to eat or drink, everything can change for the better.  And I think this is the greatest gift we can give our students - the gift of hope.  I think of the children of Attawapasat, of my own dear friend who's 15 year old somehow lost hope on the night of March 3rd.  We need our kids to know that there is hope - that things can and will get better.  There's an aid station just around the corner.

So in your work, be present, plan with a buddy, promote a growth mindset, and we will all cross the finish line and make a difference in public education.  Thank you.

Cookies and Blankets

Last Friday, I attended a Professional Development Day in Squamish.  The keynote speaker was a woman named Monique Gray Smith.  Her presentation was entitled "Fostering Resiliency with Indigenous Children and Families," but what she had to share made sense for all of our children and families.  She taught us about the physiological responses to stress and trauma.  When the brain judges a situation to be “dangerous” it responds by releasing epinephrine, cortisol, norepinephrine, serotonin, endorphin and ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone).  These chemicals are meant to help the body for a short period of time, but when the stress is prolonged, these chemicals can act against us, compromising our health and immune system. 

“Resiliency is the ability of individuals and systems (families, groups, communities) to cope successfully in the face of significant adversity or risk.”  All children and families, Monique reminded us, have the ability to learn new skills to become more resilient.  She then described four “blankets” to “wrap” around our children: Self, Family, Community, and Culture, Language and Connection to the land.  When we work in one of these four areas to build confidence and knowledge, we create a ripple effect into the other areas.  Success breeds success.

Many students in our schools are stressed.  This inhibits their ability to learn and remember, to imagine and create.  At a recent McNeely Morning Tea and Talk, parents expressed concern and wondered how to help their children cope.  At school we try many approaches to creating safe, calm learning spaces.  We do this with children in circles, with morning meetings, with greetings and good byes, with lessons on self-regulation and mindfulness, and most of all, kindness.

At home, you can limit children’s and your own screen time, have dinner as a family, plan some unstructured time for children to play freely and use their imaginations.  Visit the public or school library and spend time reading.  Exercise together by walking, playing ball or soccer.  Not every minute needs to be scheduled. Resist the temptation to add to the rush of modern life.

Monique Gray Smith encouraged us to surround ourselves with Cookie People.  Cookie People who make you feel bigger than yourselves, who bring out the best in you with their care and love.  Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote:  We find delight in the beauty and happiness of children that makes the heart too big for the body.

Let’s be Cookie People for all of our children.