Joan Brink Young Children Services is always willing to try something new without any other reward than to have a video to show her students.
Everyone is responsible for the team; one person does not lead it. This is not what I am use to. I have in the past been given a direction and I do it. This idea gives everyone the responsibility and the reward. I like it.
Everyone is responsible for the team; one person does not lead it. This is not what I am use to. I have in the past been given a direction and I do it. This idea gives everyone the responsibility and the reward. I like it.
You can either try to plan to succeed by scheming, which is unfulfilling or live without a pattern of strategies or alternate objectives. Instead living with real compassion and honest expression will let you live free.
We have to be able to see how things are, but also how they could be without our assumptions or feelings but to look at the facts of where we’ve been and where we could be. Do not speak anything that excludes possibilities.
Let go of anything that is holding you back and participate fully.
I am writing these notes from Art of Possibility as notes to self. These ideas will help me resolve a lot of issues I am fighting in my own mind that deals with the changes at work. I think our assistant superintendent read the book and is practicing this with us. I just wish everyone else would read it too. There are a lot of staff who will not open up to creating educational videos in their classroom because it is not how they use to do it. They are always coming up with many reasons why it cannot be. This makes many hurdles for me to do my job. Some teachers are willing and able.
Sunny, if you get the chance I hope you'll check out my blog with a similar meme of creating teams of educators rather than individuals teaching students in isolation. The book brought this out as a way to make the product better because of the interconnectedness of the performers in an orchestra. In my world, I see parallels in my place as a squad leaders for my Marines. Why can't these apply to schools? Yo mentioned hurdles, and I see these obstacles as challenges to attack with a new eye. As Chapter 8 suggests we need to be passionate about our work to make it meaningful and rewarding. I feel that many teachers just need to remember that between the paperwork and all of the administrative red tape, we really need to embrace our love of teaching, learning, and engaging the students in a meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteThe videos are obviously one way to do that for some teachers, but maybe not for all. I would put it to them and find their level of comfort and what they love. I am currently trying to do the same with my staff. My hope is that if we start sharing what we love and bring it to work everyday, others will see possibilities for extension I have yet to consider.
Sunny,
ReplyDeleteThat must be frustrating for you. It always confounds me when team members are willing to spend tireless energy fighting change, when if they would put 1/2 of that energy into giving the proposed change a chance they might find that a tool is being proposed that could actually prove beneficial to their students and selves. :-/
It is tough to see whether the risks we take are going to be worth the effort. Fortunately, you are among many who share your concern and anxiety about the future. Wrapping our head around the problem to the point of seeing the opportunity that it may possess is a place to start. Good luck and hang in there.
ReplyDelete