My best learning experience

Welcome to you Cohort 21 Blog. This journal is an integral part of your Cohort 21 experience. Here you will reflect, share , collaborate  and converse as you move through the C21 Action Plan process. 

This is your first post and an opportunity to share a little bit about yourself as a learner and leader. Please respond the to the following prompts below:

1) Reflect on your own personal learning journey and K-12 education. Identify one learning experience that you can point to as having made a significant impact on some element of your own growth and development. It could be that teacher and subject that really sparked significant growth or a trip that opened your eyes to a whole new world or way of thinking or a non-catastrophic failure that you learned so much from.  Briefly describe the learning experience and identify the various supports, structures, mindsets and relational ingredients that were put in place by the teacher or facilitator that directly contributed to your growth and success. 

I had in my mind the instance I was going to discuss in this section when the other day another moment struck me as more impactful on my current practice, despite the fact that it was so small. My grade 12 Economics teacher, Mrs. Arnold, would always bring us candy when we wrote a quiz or a test. She always said that brains need energy to write the test and that sugar = energy and she wanted us to all start with the energy needed to be successful. Such a silly, simple gesture, but I remember feeling like Mrs. Arnold really cared about us and was dedicated to our success in that small act. In my teaching, I try to show my students all the time how invested I am in them and that, despite them sometimes feeling that my homework/assessments are tools to punish them, I will support them and am rooting for them every step of the way. Small moments can have big impacts and Mrs. Arnold showed me that.

2) What is the one Learning skill (MOE) or Approach to Learning (IB ATL) that you feel is MOST important in this day and age? How do you intentionally build it into your curriculum and develop it in your students throughout the year?

I believe that responsibility is the most important of the learning skills because I feel like it forms the foundation for success in acquiring the other skills and work habits. Acting independently and being accountable for the decisions we make is intertwined within the other categories in my eyes. I set the foundation for this expectation at the beginning of the year when I tell students that if there is a conflict with my course and another (in terms of due dates), or if they are going too be late handing something in, to come and have a discussion with me so we can see if there is something we can work out. I explain that this communication creates a back and forth that allows them to demonstrate that they are taking ownership of their own learning. My line with students is that I’m really quite a reasonable person if you just talk to me! I reiterate my open door policy throughout the year. In early days, I have discussions with individual students who do not do this to try and encourage this dialogue and foster this sense of responsibility. In addition, I praise students who come to me and do my best to accommodate them when they do so. Lastly, I try to get in touch with parents when these positive conversations occur as another way to try and reinforce and motivate this behaviour.

3) Insert an image below that best captures the essence of that Learning Skill or ATL.

I chose this picture of a student and teacher talking to exemplify my thoughts above!

Photo from iStockphoto