teaching, learning, leading and life
Written by Graham Vogt
Recently, on an otherwise quiet Sunday morning, my 12 year-old daughter who had just gone outside to embrace a very spring-like day, exploded through the front door, crying. Distraught. “Where’s Guthrie?” she yelled. “I need Guthrie!” She ran up the stairs towards the bedrooms, in search of her little brother. After a secret but frantically … Continue reading “Release the Squirrel: A Leadership Lab Journey”
Written by Graham Vogt
On the first day of my Bachelor of Education Program, Dr. Deborah Berrill walked onto the stage of the Wenjack Theatre at Trent University to welcome us all into a very special world. The time period was ‘way-back-when’, so as clearly as that moment continues to resonate, I am at best paraphrasing her words. I … Continue reading “Why Courage?”
Written by Graham Vogt
My daughter loves puzzles. Of all her wonderful interests at the core of her beautiful spirit, this endless pursuit of the classic jigsaw puzzle pleases her doting father to no end. Witnessing her deep immersion in the seemingly unforgiving challenge of compiling 1000 tiny pieces into an otherwise forgettable monochromatic landscape brings unparalleled peace to … Continue reading “My Daughter Loves Puzzles”
Written by Graham Vogt
I’m reading my most recent post (from nearly a year ago! ugh), and my determination to honour time. This is an outcome of loss and tragedy: a pronounced need to slow down, to treasure each moment and remain connected to what matters most. There is a tension – a well documented, ancient tension – within … Continue reading “Time for Time!”
Written by Graham Vogt
How’s this for an Action Plan? Survival. Hanging on. Getting through. Soul-shaking tragedy, loss, trauma. To be clear. I most certainly owe a separate blog post to a personal journey of healing, filled with endless gratitude towards a community of colleagues, friends and family (Cohort21!) that spreads well beyond that of the great school at … Continue reading “Plans of Action (and life!) Disrupted: Reflecting upon ‘Time’ (and learning!)”
Written by Graham Vogt
Over the past two years I have thought and written a lot about community; I have placed the concept at the core of my personal practice and Cohort21 Action Plan. In this time of intense challenge and deep reflection, the very idea of community is, perhaps, more important than ever, and so I find myself … Continue reading “At Rosseau Lake College, Community Endures (and Strengthens!)”
Written by Graham Vogt
First, a few thoughts balance: In a community, such as say a teaching faculty, it’s important. It’s not a directive, it’s a choice. It’s achieved through active, ongoing engagement. It is personalized. It is not provided, it is sought. It is maintained through shared experiences and ongoing discussion, listening, respect, open-mindedness, thoughtful contribution. The very … Continue reading “A Few Thoughts on Policy: Proceed With Caution”
Written by Graham Vogt
We are each others’ single biggest resource and so we must search for ways to access and leverage that. I believe it begins with the endless assurance of collective support through endless, collective celebration. Each morning at RLC we gather in a circle as a school (yes, we’re that small and it’s awesome!) to offer … Continue reading “It Begins With Culture: Fostering and Leveraging a Healthy Community Eco-System”
Written by Graham Vogt
Cohort21 for instance is without a doubt the gold standard of a supporting culture and the outcomes as measured through the amazing initiative of hundreds of empowered educators speak for themselves. I read this memoir by Yvon Chouinard – he’s the guy who started Patagonia – over the summer, and it offered such a powerful … Continue reading “Let Your Students Go Surfing!”
Written by Graham Vogt
Warning: this post veers dangerously into that “cohort21 as a cult” sentiment so often captured in blog posts, twitter shout-outs and face2face confessionals. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, well… don’t allow it to! Embrace the magic! What do you say when someone asks “what is 21st Century Learning?” I don’t know, maybe something like … Continue reading “Reflecting on The Cohort21 Advantage: 21st Century Learning”
Written by Graham Vogt
It really is a test. Am I ready/willing to take a moonshot of my own? Where do my beliefs truly lay? How far am I willing to go? IT was even theatrical. I was at the absolute height of my enthusiasm, channelling a famous American, pleading for the essential role of “dreaming and imagination” at the … Continue reading “A Few Thoughts on Moonshots”
Written by Graham Vogt
To an ever-growing extent, the very concept of grades, or the attempt to accurately quantify learning, is a lingering artifact from an increasingly extinct approach to teaching and learning. If grades are a necessary component of the larger institution of learning, then I believe it is the responsibility of the 21st Century Educator to re-imagine … Continue reading “Down With Grades! Can We at Least Talk About It?”
Written by Graham Vogt
This past week in our Discovery Program (Grades 9 and 10) we “disruptED” the general routine of learning with a symposium on the skill of “presentation”. It was awesome for all the reasons we imagined it would be awesome. It was also awesome for many reasons we may not have fully imagined. All of these reasons … Continue reading “The 48 Hour Challenge… Building a Skill and So Much More!”
Written by Graham Vogt
Recently, I had the privilege of visiting the Grade 12 higher-level English classes to guide a dramatic reading and discussion of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It’s been years – 15 was my rough estimation to the students – since I’ve interacted with this play with any amount of intimacy. What a treat, and, as is the enduring … Continue reading “Co-Constructing a Way of Seeing: a Shakespeare Inspired Epiphany”
