I've been having an immense struggle this year. It's a real case of FOMO, pedagogy-style.

I've been stopping, observing, and listening in awe of what my colleagues are doing with their students.  I've been watching, sometimes helplessly, as opportunities to do more amazing things with my kids pass me by. Or even more than that, seeing strategies that could make my current practice better. As I see all of the incredible demonstrations of learning going on in the classrooms on Twitter, I can't help but feel like I'm not performing to my full potentials as a classroom teacher... But I simply cannot take on any more commitments this year.

I know I'm hard on myself. I know that we are our own worst critics. I know it's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm only a third-year teacher, after all; I have a lot of career ahead! So I'm going to say from the outset of this post that I know it needs to stop. But I think that the idea behind this is worth sharing.

When this feeling of FOMO is happening, I become increasingly aware of the things, both big and little, that are not working in my classroom. I've become so acutely observant of this fact that it sometimes feels torturous to deliver any semblance of poor pedagogy. However, I cannot address every one of those "things" because it's just not feasible to do so at this very moment. Maybe it will happen by the end of the year, but I cannot address it with the immediacy that I wish to. 

For example, I still deliver math drills in my Grade 3/4 room... Guilty as charged. In fact, I delivered one today. Here's my thinking:

• Is this the best way for students to showcase their learning in a student-centred way? No. 
  
• Does this method lend itself to some, if any, formative assessment on procedural numeracy strategies? Not likely.
• Is my students' thinking visible? No. 
  
• Is it helping them to reinforce some form of immediacy and procedural knowledge for their future in education as far as numeracy skills are concerned? Kind of. 
  
• But if I think it's so wrong, why am I doing it in the first place? In our math lessons, there is immense difficulty with fact computation for several students. Some need a lot of extra practice with the basics. The drills only take up 5 minutes of the week.
• Can I fix this all RIGHT NOW? ... No. 
  
• Why can't I fix it right now? Because I'm trying to fix other things in my classroom that take priority over this issue.
  

Welcome to the hyper-analytical cycle that occurs in my brain. This is a problem. And I've been reflecting on this... A lot. I'm not looking for an answer to fix that example I just provided. I just can't say "yes" to accommodating that right now. It's not a priority over other things that I can effect and make change on in bigger ways.

I used to think that people were weak if they didn't say "Yes" to cool opportunities for their classroom that crossed their path. I'm now learning that prioritization and balance are one of the most important skill sets that an educator can possess. I am highly considerate of the things that I say "yes" or "no" to now because I have to be. But it shouldn't take a forced hand to consider that balance for oneself. 

This post is intended as a confession that my personal skills in this area are weak. You just cannot do it all. I'm building those prioritization skills up as I balance work, grad school, extracurricular commitments like the EdTech Mentorship Network, presentations, #bcedchat, and sharing my classroom. Oh, and that little thing called a personal life. :)

In closing, I'm sure this is something everyone already knows, but it never hurts to be reminded of:

It's okay to say "No". It's just not always easy to.

Things that don't suck: "Things That Suck" sessions in EdCamps. 

Before I attended EdCampDelta today, I was pointed toward this post on Things That Suck sessions by Bill Selak, an awesome educator from California. Then I received a demanding tweet from Karl Lindgren-Streicher and Kristen Swanson saying that a Things That Suck session had to go down at EdCampDelta today.

Problem: I had never even been to one of these sessions before, let alone facilitating one of these conversations! But hey, why not just dive into learning something new? After all, isn't that what EdCamp is all about?

So I downloaded Bill's slidedeck of topics to cover in the session and tweaked a couple of them to be more relevant to our work in BC schools. If you didn't read Bill's post, the basic premise is that the room is divided into two camps - things in education either SUCKING or ROCKING - making clear your stance on the specific debate topic based on where you stand in the room. I did give a nod to the grey area crowd as well, where I stand on quite a few issues myself. The facilitator then would have folks justify their opinions on the topic at hand and have a friendly debate about it. Participants can move about the room as they choose based on the points coming up in the conversation.

BUT. There's always a BUT... 

Most of the participants in the room were students. In a room that was quite full, I would actually say that well over half of them were students. Some of them had NO IDEA what some of the topics even were, including topic related to technology! After having to explain a few topics to them like Technology Carts, the New BC Curriculum, Interactive Whiteboards, and ePortfolios, I made a quick realization:

Cue the cool idea in my head that has a lot of potential:

EdCamp is based on the idea that we should come choose our own conversations to have around professional development, right? So why not have participants select topics that they actually want to have a debate about before the session begins? It's really no big deal to discuss and throw those suggestions into a Google presentation or a Keynote in a matter of minutes as the participants trickle into the room! And voila - your conversations are tailored to the needs of the participants - it's like an EdCamp within an EdCamp! (#MetaCamp? :) I digress.)

More than that little idea, Chris Wejr later pushed me to consider that the "fence-sitters" should have to decide at some point on which side of the topic that they're going to pick to debate. Keep in mind that they can move as the discussion continues, but this promotes an increased amount of conversation and thought, even if one is forced to play devil's advocate (I did for a few topics, and it was really fun). 

Either way, our Things That Suck session was incredibly infused with ever-valuable student voice, insightful parents, and amazing educators. I had a lot of fun and learned a ton! 

Thanks to the organizers of EdCampDelta for a fun-filled day of conversation, discovery, and learning. My other three sessions were also fantastic and I just can't wait for EdCampWest and EdCamp35 coming up in the spring! 

Virtually every member of our society today has an experience with public education in some form. Whether you’ve worked in education, worked alongside it, or received your education in a public system, you are very likely to hold an opinion of what that experience did (or didn’t) do for you.

I’ve been reflecting on this concept after several conversations with Shawn, my administrator (he’s actually the one who planted this bug in my brain, as he usually does). The fact that we all have different opinions of what education is and what it can be creates an extremely convoluted mess of politics, preferences, beliefs, and leanings for each individual in the system itself. It seems that even in the world of educational professionals, there are a million and one reasons to disagree on every aspect of education: pedagogy, assessment practices, evaluation, communication… may the list go on. Then you add in educational stakeholders, students, parents, and support staff and BOOM: you have one hot mess of an institution right there.

Based on my experiences, I have come to the conclusion that there is somewhat of a continuum in the communication of these opinions. There are aspects of our beliefs that may sit in one camp or the other, occasionally swinging based on our current realities. I know that I have both static and dynamic opinions about particular issues in my own classroom. I challenge you to reflect as you read on where you are most rigid and where you are most flexible in your own approach to educational issues.

Static opinion-holders are the types of folks who hold onto their educational experiences hard and fast. On one hand, it allows us to develop philosophies and practices based on solid foundations of our opinions and beliefs. On the other hand, it may cause us to be inflexible, rigid, and not open to new practices, beliefs, or ideas.

The Bad

This, unfortunately, is a very typical place for folks to be who do not involve themselves in getting to know the educational system beyond what they have experienced. They often don’t communicate enough to grasp a firm understanding of what works and doesn’t within the existing system. They don’t have a solid understanding of what kind of conversations need to take place in order to fix the brokenness that exists.

Bad static opinion-holders tend to be unyielding. I have run into these folks in the form of colleagues and parents particularly. (I’m sure I would run into them as students if my students were old enough to be so - something to ask my high school colleagues for sure!) I find that the problem is that they do not carry and possess a growth mindset as far as educational awareness is concerned. And it doesn’t mean that the opinion they carry of education is necessarily negative; it just means that they hold it in the same regard with whatever experience they may have had in their past.

The saddest part of this for me? I know for a fact that most of these opinion-holders still place a high value on education. The fact that they may get involved just to speak in conversations, but not to listen, breaks my heart. Taking the initiative to get in the know and to model learning is so very important for education to find its progressive stride within our society.

The Good

Now that we have an idea of the negative side of holding static opinions, let’s bring in some good news! Here it is: That which is static is grounded, solid, and stable. It is a foundation for all of our firmest and fondest beliefs on what education can and should be. Static opinions allow us to make progress in our passion areas because we believe so strongly in it. They also allow us to make calls on what belongs in classrooms and how it is delivered. We can then better decide what is best for kids - the whole child, not just strictly academically.

I firmly believe that static opinions are the reason that I found my passion for education in the first place. As I shaped my philosophies and saw what personalized learning could do for students, I knew right away that this belief would be a fixture in my pedagogy moving forward. Even today, 3 years later (and I hope far into the future as well), I can say that meeting a student where they are at is something that I will not stop working towards. This static opinion is the roots to a solid philosophical foundation for me.

Dynamic opinion-holders are just that: dynamic. They change and morph their opinions on education based on their latest experiences with it and/or reflections on it. They may approach each situation differently based on the needs of the people within it, whether those people be their own child, a student in their class, or a colleague they’re working with.

The Bad

If one is dynamic at all times, they are arguably inconsistent. In my opinion, being too dynamic can hurt kids because then they never know what to expect from you. If you’re always flexing to a need, you can never “put up the wall” that the child (or teacher, parent, administrator, etc.) may need to run into. Lessons are supposed to be difficult sometimes. Without a certain amount of rigidity, or staticness, there is no difficulty presented to a person and arguably, then, no authentic learning.

From another perspective, you may never actually advocate for what you need in a given situation if you are always going with the flow. Advocacy for self and others in education comes from a place of static beliefs, those which are both necessary and good. Being dynamic in all areas does not lend itself to progressive change.

The Good

Dynamic opinion-holders are, above all else, open-minded. They possess a growth mindset and understand that there is learning in every given human situation. This understanding often comes with an increased ability to empathize, relate, and move conversations forward. To progress. And that’s what education needs, right?

I’ve worked with a lot of educators, both offline and online, who possess this mindset. I’ve worked with administrators and parents who give teachers the space to practice this dynamic approach with their students/children. Understanding that both adults and children will make mistakes SAFELY in educational settings is important to help change the system. I think that a lot of static opinion-holders cringe when we say the words “fail” or “risks” because they imagine the absolute negative value of those terms. The dynamic opinion-holder is not so quick to judge the meaning behind “failure” or “risks”; instead, they look at it as an opportunity to grow. After all, isn’t every experience in life an opportunity to grow? Why should education be any different?

I think I am most dynamic in my ability to assess students' learning. I am open to new and different interpretations of assessment practices, data (preferably qualitative), and subsequent changes to my teaching as a result of that data. This has been an area of growth and change for me since I began teaching and is, again, one I hope to continue solidifying in years to come.

It is important to keep in mind that while we all approach education with individual biases, beliefs, and opinions, we must be open to learning, shifts, and changes in the system. Education cannot and will not progress without that openness. That does not mean we have to sacrifice what we believe in, but rather that we need to listen, learn, and share for the sake of ourselves and others as we work together to progress effective practices.

As I’ve written this, I have been trying to keep in mind ALL perspectives of my words. But alas, I am human, and I do hold the perspective and bias of a classroom teacher and technology coach, so that may be present within this piece. Please leave a comment to add in your perspectives where you see fit.