Just when I didn’t think I could squeeze anything more into my day, here I am at 10:30 pm on duty in the residence, having finally started writing my report cards, after a busy day of teaching, planning and meetings. and I’ve managed to squeeze in my first ever google hangout – Design Thinking. Welcome to the world of teaching as a residential Head of House.
My head has been very busy since my first Cohort 21 Face-to-face, thinking of all the possibilities for my classes and my students. Every time I write up a lesson on Edsby I find myself questioning its quality – am I asking my students the right questions? Are they walking away with the information I want them to? How do I know they learned anything at all??? All questions that are racking my brain at night – all questions that need my attention, and that’s where my action plan comes into play. While I don’t have it all laid out, I have a better idea of what I should be focusing on just from a few conversations I’ve had with LCS colleagues and now Cohort 21 Google hangout colleagues. I’m looking forward to using the Design Thinking framework to tackle my question head on and come out with a focused approach that will hopefully improve my teaching and my students learning.
I think for many educators we are often questioning how things can be improved both within our practice and within our classroom. However, I find it often stops there because of time or another more immediate issue and most often – I don’t know how to make those changes. The little I’ve used and know about Design Thinking I’m seeing how it has already started to open up that dead end that I find myself running into. It seems to tackle an issue and approach it from all angles causing you to think about it in a different perspective.
Let the thinking begin!
Absolutely! Let the journey begin! This is all about mindset too. It’s important that we take the time to look at just one thing (and all of its complexities!) and explore. That is why we call Cohort 21 “the end of the beginning” – it’s important for us to just take the step and focus on it…
Yes Connelly!! So great, another symptom of the #Cohort21 effect rears it’s head – sleepless nights thinking about your craft! You’re asking yourself great questions and I feel your pain/excitement as a Head of House!
I was sad I couldn’t get in on the Hangout because it was full but they are inspiring – especially @ckirsch! What I love is all the ideas that I get from hearing about what other people are doing and I constantly try to recreate that in my classes.
I’d love to hear about how your ideas have shifted since our last chat. Oh, and…You’re a blogging machine!
Wow – a busy day for you! I think we all feel the squeeze as educators. I just suspect that I don’t look as cute as that kitten when it’s crunch time. I, too, find that I’ve thought a lot about what it is I want to do….now I just have to jump in! Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts.
Awesome! Thank you for sharing a snapshot of what it is like to be a teacher and house head at a boarding school. #fullplate. What great questions you are asking. Our next face to face session will really allow you to wrestle with them and focus in on something you really are interested in exploring and changing in your teaching.
I will sound somewhat repetitive to the other comments Alaina, but I do feel the questions you have asked are the core to great teaching. When we reflect on things like ‘have I asked the right questions?’ and ‘have my students learned?’ innovative and improved pedagogy is a given. Even Robert Marzano has come to state there is no singular magic bullet in classroom instruction; there are countless approaches that we use for different groups in different times and places. The magic in teaching is the act of reflection.
Hi Dave,
This is long overdue but I’m now starting to make headway on my attempt to tackle formative assessments. Looking forward to the coming months to continue using tools and changing things up for my students learning.
Hey Alaina,
It was great to see you at that Hangout, as well as the F2F…I’m now so curious to read about how the second F2F has been marinating and how your thinking has changed since doing the design thinking protocols with the group.
Looking forward to reading the next instalment of your thinking!
Hi Celeste,
This response is LOOOOONG overdue mostly because I think I’ve been overthinking my next steps to the point where I was feeling stuck weeks after our second F2F. Since coming back from Christmas, I’m feeling much more relaxed (as I’m sure everyone does) and more focused on what I’m wanting to get out of this whole process. I’m excited to see what the next few months bring as I have ideas to incorporate design thinking into my OE class and into a staff/student committee group I’m apart. Finally feel like the ball is rolling again! See you next week at MARS.