Authentic Learning at McMaster Children’s Hospital

What better time to reflect and blog than at the end of a school year?

This past C21 season I focused on creating more authentic and deep learning experiences for students. Throughout the year, I made strides to both seize and create opportunities for willing students to engage in deep rooted experiential learning. Personally, I also made commitments to “practice what I preached” in terms of becoming a more connected learner. In the end, I was pleased with the professional development experience through the action plan process, but knew that it was indeed the “end of the beginning”.

However, I could not have foreseen that, by chance (and bad luck), I myself would be thrust into a challenging learning experience in short order………

It all began when out of nowhere, my youngest son (Everett, age 3) was diagnosed with osteomyelitis (a bone infection).  Our normally hectic lives came to a standstill as we pivoted to a new learning environment: McMaster Children’s Hospital. Throughout our ten day stay, we learned a lot about disease diagnoses, treatment options, and overall how our health care system functions.  Driven by a constant state of worry, my wife and I became focused learners when doctors described the meanings and implications of blood tests, MRIs, and ultrasounds, and justified the use of different IV pain medications (morphine, ketorolac, etc.). We also had to simplify these understandings into communicable “3 year old” terms for our son.

Everett was in serious pain for the first 5 days of our stay as an inoperable abscess had formed on the bone infection, creating pressure on an already painful situation. Needless to say, by quickly positioning ourselves as learners, we were able to better rationalize what was going on, then best support the situation moving forward. Whether it was creating ad-hoc games or distractions for Everett, or learning about the risks associated with medical procedures or medications, we were actively engaged thinkers, decision makers, and carers.

Furthermore, our interactions with health care professionals was constant. Doctors, interns, surgeons, pediatricians, nurses, cleaners, dieticians, volunteers, and others were all involved in some form of the treatment and recovery process, and at the forefront of my mind was an appreciation for the collaborative framework used to treat my son. We would literally be asked the same question 6-7 times a day by different doctors, interns, and support staff. Communication was continuous. Each approach was unique to the learner (in this case – the doctor trying to ascertain new understandings), and at the end of the day a group of doctors would meet to share findings. Similarly, my wife and I had questions about the daily updated information that was being presented to us. Both the doctors, Everett, and my wife and I were all seen, heard, and valued in each interaction – the hallmarks of the formation of true connection.

We witnessed 3 other families come and go in the bed beside us during our stay. Each new patient and their families had different approaches to coping with the new hospital environment and health circumstances. The challenge for anyone placed in a stressful situation often lays in what type of learner they are going to become: frustrated, skeptical, and assumptive? Or, curious, trusting, and collaborative. My wife and I felt fortunate to be educators. This somewhat naturally led us to act as co-learners with medical staff. Challenging life situations (deaths, births, family strife, health concerns, etc.) are going to happen to everyone at some point in their lives. Although there is no silver bullet to prepare anyone for such traumatic events, embracing communication and collaboration can certainly go a long way in fostering supportive connections during difficult times. I often thought of C21 during my time (and sleepless nights) at the hospital. Perhaps it was a useful distraction to help me cope. But, I definitely noticed parallels between medical practitioners at work, and our own thinking processes. I even muttered several “how might we” questions in my head that led to more discussion and inquiry around different aspects of my son’s health and recovery. We are lucky to be part of a community of learners who share ideas, challenge each other’s thinking, and support each other’s continuous learning journey.

Overall, Everett eventually had an operation to clean out the abscess, and his pain subsided. Towards the end of our stay, he even claimed that he wanted to remain at the hospital for another year (likely due to the on-demand ice-cream, snacks, and toys he received)! He is now recovering well at home with a steady stream of antibiotics and regular visits from a nurse. We hope to be back to normal by mid-summer, but are cognizant that new challenges will always be on the horizon.