Week 32: Changes in Practice

My Mind Lab haiku:

The Mindlab journey
Transformational mindshift
A challenge conquered

A lesson we all should learn early in life is understanding the difference between getting what you want and getting what you need.  That life lesson revisited me in March of this year.  I have mentioned this before; I want to win lotto.  (I tell myself it would be so I could teach for fun and not simply to pay my mortgage.)  But Mind Lab was, looking back after these 32 weeks, just what I needed.  For more years than I care to admit, I’ve felt stuck in my job and I didn’t exactly know how to get myself unstuck.  I now refer to that time as BML (Before Mind Lab).

Mind Lab has required me to confront assumptions I have held about teaching and learning and has asked that I test new ideas through ongoing and reflective practice.  Osterman and Kottkamp (1993, p.2) suggest that “reflective practice is viewed as a means by which practitioners can develop a greater level of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance”.  I have, as a consequence,  “develop[ed] a conscious awareness of my own actions”.  
Over the past weeks and months these reflections have challenged and changed my views on 21st century education and I have gained insights into some exciting, and perhaps daunting, future educational trends.  This inquiry mindedness is my plan to stay unstuck.  This process revealed that perhaps the problem was, in a word, me!

       

  www.thebluediamondgallery.com

Participating in Mind Lab has transformed my mindset around the significance of building relationships to create positive learning environments.  I have always considered the relationships I build with my students to be a core strength of my teaching practice.  Now I believe, it is important to take the time and focus on enhancing relationships with parents, whānau and with my colleagues both within, and beyond, my school community.

From the Practising Teacher Criteria and e-learning website:

Criterion 1:  Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all ākonga.

BML (Before Mind Lab) I would post content to the class blog.  I tried to be timely with reminders, include photos and videos of all students and keep it short.  But I know now that I wasn’t building relationships.  I was only sharing content using social media.  I had no idea which parents were using the information unless they left a comment (and few did).     

My journey to have purposeful parent engagement starts with a plan to gather feedback from my parents and whānau by creating an online survey (paper based for those who may need it) next year.  Who knows?  A class twitter account may feature as a means to keep parents aware of what their children are up to during the day. That is, if the community sees it as a way to enhance our class learning environment.

Many families will need support and encouragement as they learn to become more engaged in their child’s learning.  Offering to provide time and assistance will be a top priority.  I would like to broaden the idea of family to include siblings, grandparents, aunties and uncles.  Some have already grasped this simple notion … I would like to ensure everyone knows they are welcome.  The African proverb, ‘It takes a village to educate a child” is a  relevant concept to keep at the fore when trying to make a positive difference for student learning.

Today I envision greater two-way communication that would be a blend of face-to-face and digital content that is culturally inclusive whilst being sustainable by all those involved.  I have learned that if I truly want to increase home involvement in my student’s learning then I need to give my community authentic opportunities to contribute their ideas and opinions.

BML (Before Mind Lab) I didn’t make a deliberate effort to become part of an online community of practice.  For me, this is an area for exponential potential growth and professional development.  I owe much of my educational renaissance in this area to educational theorist,  Etienne Wenger.  I have spent years observing within various online communities without actively participating.  I recognise that now I have to change my approach and consider what I have to offer to my online community rather than just taking information.  My new mantra will be: If I know something I will share it.  

For the past eight months I have taken the time to be a learner myself.  Bit by bit I have tried to put as much of what I have learned into practice in my classroom.  I have shared these ideas with colleagues at school and I am starting to slowly develop these professional learning communities.  These relationships have given me the opportunity to connect with others, share my ideas, find resources, stay up to date with trends in education and provide feedback and support.

So what’s next?  Mind Lab has reminded me how much I enjoy being a learner again.  I am definitely making plans to finish off my master’s degree.  Decisions about timing and the exact direction of my studies still need to be decided.  Overall, I have enjoyed linking the ideas around leadership with my previous business degree.  It may take some time to figure out how and what I want to accomplish but I am certain that further study is my path.  One thing I am sure of, this has been one heck of a ride.   

Perhaps a new slogan for 2017?  Mind Lab:  A defibrillator for your brain!

References:

Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective Practice for Educators.California.Cornwin Press, Inc. Retrieved on 23rd Octover, 2016 from http://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf

Ministry of Education (nd). Practising teacher Criteria and e-learning . Retrieved from http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Professional-learning/