Standards... The Beginning of Standardization
Over the final decade in that place has been much give-and-take nigh standards in addition to the comport on they have got on education. Initially, for me, it was all nigh the NYS learning standards, specifically inward the areas of ELA in addition to Mathematics, which also informed the standardized testing that shaped the learning inward Grades iii - 8. The conversation in addition to so went national amongst the unveiling of the Common Core State Standards for Learning. Again the focus was on ELA in addition to Mathematics but these standards had fifty-fifty greater implications because non entirely were they linked to high stakes standardized testing but at ane time the tests our kids were subjected to (ridiculously challenging tests that resulted inward way also much learning fourth dimension beingness lost) became business office of the evaluation procedure for our educators. This is where the problems actually began in addition to the Common Core standards chop-chop became the Darth Vader of pedagogy because they had a expiry suitcase on our practices! That's right the same standards that were supposed to live on saving pedagogy were inward fact cutting off the air because our educators were forced to address the standards (some of which are developmentally inappropriate) inward their daily learning experiences inward the hopes that our students would master copy them in addition to perform good on the standardized assessments that would live on used to assess the educators. That, my friends, is a expiry grip. It feels similar in that place is no escape in addition to in that place is entirely ane solution... standardizing our practices or submitting to the expiry grip.
That's right... nosotros went from educational standards, which had the potential to comport on positive alter inward pedagogy if they were done correctly, to standardizing education. In the end, the victims were our students, our educators, our families, our back upward staff, our Boards of Education in addition to anyone else amongst a vested involvement inward our schools. Many schools were hyper focused on coming together standards for fearfulness they would lose nation funding, they would have a depression rating or, fifty-fifty worse, live on shut down. The standardization didn't halt there. The Common Core Standards also brought amongst them a standardized terminate goal for all of our students yesteryear normalizing the thought of college in addition to career ready. So, non entirely were the standards standardizing what nosotros did inward our schools, in addition to how nosotros assessed our kids, but they were basically standardizing the profile of our graduates (I realize this didn't hand off inward every schoolhouse but it happened inward many). "College in addition to career ready" became the "it" phrase inward pedagogy for a long time. I cannot tell y'all how much I've heard that phrase over the final decade - from informal conversations to workshops to Twitter chats to schoolhouse vision statements - everyone was determined to ensure that all students were college in addition to career ready. But what precisely does that mean? What careers are nosotros preparing our kids for when nosotros standardize education? What nigh the careers that are yet taking shape? What nigh the kids who are choosing a gap twelvemonth or forgoing college all together? What nigh life?
LIFE READY: The Birth Of a New Goal & Standard
I late began the side yesteryear side stage of my professional person journeying when I was appointed equally the superintendent inward Hastings-on-Hudson, NY. As business office of my work, I developed an entry plan that helped me larn equally much nigh Hastings equally possible yesteryear interviewing diverse fundamental stake holders inward the community. The procedure is yet unfolding but thence far I have got heard from parents, Board of Education members, district administrators, staff members, community members in addition to some students. During these many conversations (there have got been over twoscore thence far) in that place was ane recurring theme... supporting our students yesteryear educating the whole tyke so they could live on produce anything they encountered. The discussions went way beyond exam scores, transcripts in addition to college in addition to career ready. In fact, patch chatting amongst ane of our teachers, she brought upward the inquiry nigh who our Hastings kids would live on afterwards they graduated twelfth flat - how much of their identity would live on shaped yesteryear their learning experiences inward our schools in addition to how would they purpose those to inform their side yesteryear side steps? That is when it came to me - nosotros desire our kids to live on LIFE READY (this informed my opening twenty-four hours remarks inward Hastings in addition to y'all tin check it out here)! We know that each learner is unlike in addition to that trying to standardize the learning or the outcome is non sustainable. Instead, if nosotros focus on empowering our students through meaningful learning experiences that become beyond the academics in addition to bring upward the powerfulness to yell back critically, live on reflective through high levels of self-awareness patch also respecting in addition to appreciating others nosotros mightiness simply live on preparing learners who are produce for life no thing what their college or career choices mightiness include.
5 Practices To Support Life Ready Learners
In monastic tell to back upward in addition to bring upward life produce learners in addition to brand that the novel norm I recommend the next v practices, which I have got embraced. To live on clear, I am suggesting that life produce non entirely live on the goal for our students but that nosotros model these practices equally the adults. Here nosotros go...
1) Life Ready is nigh Relationships! I have got said this fourth dimension in addition to fourth dimension ane time to a greater extent than but edifice positive, good for y'all & respectful relationships must live on our principal focus inward education. When people experience connected, respected in addition to valued the flat of appointment changes in addition to learning thrives. In monastic tell to brand good for y'all relationships the norm, nosotros must model that inward our demeanour through the relationships amongst kids, colleagues, families in addition to the broader community. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to explicitly teach them nigh how to railroad train in addition to bring upward good for y'all relationships. We tin instruct them nigh everything from the encephalon enquiry equally it relates to relationships in addition to the enquiry around social learning theory, which speaks to the effects of relationships on learning. Relationships matter!
2) Life Ready is nigh Being Learners First! Relationships in addition to learning become hand-in-hand because relationships comport on learning. We know that learning is a social build in addition to learning to a greater extent than oft than non occurs equally a final result of experiences amongst other people. And inward the end, learning permanently changes us. If nosotros tin empathize in addition to encompass this Definition of learning nosotros volition live on able to broaden how nosotros enact learning inward our schools in addition to classrooms. Learning is also nigh beingness able to critically eat information in addition to empathize its comport on on a broader scale than simply our classrooms. Again, nosotros must model beingness learners commencement for our students, colleagues in addition to families. If pedagogy is nigh learning in addition to so the educators must live on the Pb learners inside our schools in addition to classrooms. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to part our learning amongst them so they tin watch us equally the models for beingness learners first. Additionally, nosotros tin instruct our kids nigh the concept of learning in addition to how it unfolds inward an attempt to empower them to rails in addition to drive their ain learning. Being learners commencement is how nosotros volition alter the world!
3) Life Ready is nigh Nurturing & Embracing Curiosity, Creativity, Risk Taking in addition to Failing inward our Schools! In thinking nigh this thought I kept coming dorsum to this idea... Curiosity is what piques our interest; adventure taking is what inspires our learning; failing is what helps us iterate in addition to inventiveness is what changes our world! This how our footing changes; this is excogitation (thank y'all George Couros for informing my perspective on innovation) - curious people who pursue something in addition to and so have got risks (and probable failing repeatedly) to creatively address/solve a work or issue. This is how nosotros could construction learning our schools - solving problems through curiosity, inventiveness in addition to collaborative efforts (again, the importance of relationships). And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to model this for them in addition to acquire inward the norm from the twenty-four hours they walk into pre-school. Their lives earlier schoolhouse is all nigh curiosity, creativity, adventure taking in addition to failing inward an attempt to learn. Whether they are learning to walk, utter or ride a bike, it happens because they ask to alter their footing on some flat (communicating or traveling) in addition to they volition continue trying until they do. We ask to build on this natural curiosity inward schools, which way a full redo on how nosotros define learning, homework in addition to assessment in addition to shift from a focus on the finish to instead a focus on the journey.
4) Life Ready is about Having High Levels of Self-awareness in addition to The World Around Us! This practise is critical because it involves both agreement of self in addition to understandings of others. Aside from learning, in that place are many other social constructs that comport on us each twenty-four hours in addition to some of them, such equally racism, are destructive in addition to prohibit us, equally a nation, from achieving our side yesteryear side in addition to ameliorate iteration of self. In monastic tell to deconstruct in addition to rebuild social constructs such equally racism, nosotros must laid about yesteryear developing high levels of self-awareness patch also agreement people in addition to groups who have got consistently been "othered" or marginalized. If nosotros are going to alter the narrative inward our gild nosotros must focus on the powerfulness of education, empathy in addition to inclusivity (another argue why relationships are important). And when it comes to our kids, nosotros must explicitly instruct them nigh concepts such equally racism, hatred, bigotry in addition to biases so nosotros tin inform their perspectives to ready them to deconstruct long-standing social constructs. This of import function starts amongst us equally the educators in addition to nosotros must model high levels of self-awareness in addition to speak openly nigh how nosotros are changing the narrative.
5) Life Ready is nigh Finding The Joy In Our Learning! When we find our joy nosotros also rediscover our happiness in addition to happiness leads to endorphins beingness released inward the body. These endorphins alter our experiences inward positive ways in addition to they let us to have got our learning to a whole other level. Yes, joy is critical to our function inward pedagogy for both our educators in addition to our students. Relationships, curiosity, learning in addition to changing should all live on sources of joy inward our classrooms in addition to schools. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros should instruct them the encephalon enquiry around joy/happiness in addition to the comport on of endorphins on learning. We could also empower our students to pursue their passions in addition to interests through sacred times similar Genius Hour. As the educators, nosotros should also have got the fourth dimension to pursue our ain passions in addition to interests equally they relate to our personal in addition to professional person development. Finding in addition to protecting our joy volition brand the footing a ameliorate identify inward the journeying towards creating our LIFE READY IDENTITY!
In The End...
We aren't simply looking for the side yesteryear side Ivy League grad or Fortune 500 CEO because nosotros know our kids volition live on prepared to arrive at those goals through audio instruction. We are looking for the global citizens who are going to rewrite the narrative through their actions; Who are going to alter the world; Who are going to deconstruct in addition to rebuild the social constructs that impede us from moving frontward equally a society. Racism, biases, hate, in addition to marginalization tin entirely live on eradicated through high levels of self-awareness in addition to an agreement in addition to appreciation for the footing around us. We are going to brand the footing a ameliorate identify because of the explicit in addition to intentional learning that volition unfold inward our schools. We are going to function together to define what it way to live on LIFE READY!
That is our charge.
That is our goal.
That is our future!
5 Practices To Support Life Ready Learners
In monastic tell to back upward in addition to bring upward life produce learners in addition to brand that the novel norm I recommend the next v practices, which I have got embraced. To live on clear, I am suggesting that life produce non entirely live on the goal for our students but that nosotros model these practices equally the adults. Here nosotros go...
1) Life Ready is nigh Relationships! I have got said this fourth dimension in addition to fourth dimension ane time to a greater extent than but edifice positive, good for y'all & respectful relationships must live on our principal focus inward education. When people experience connected, respected in addition to valued the flat of appointment changes in addition to learning thrives. In monastic tell to brand good for y'all relationships the norm, nosotros must model that inward our demeanour through the relationships amongst kids, colleagues, families in addition to the broader community. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to explicitly teach them nigh how to railroad train in addition to bring upward good for y'all relationships. We tin instruct them nigh everything from the encephalon enquiry equally it relates to relationships in addition to the enquiry around social learning theory, which speaks to the effects of relationships on learning. Relationships matter!
2) Life Ready is nigh Being Learners First! Relationships in addition to learning become hand-in-hand because relationships comport on learning. We know that learning is a social build in addition to learning to a greater extent than oft than non occurs equally a final result of experiences amongst other people. And inward the end, learning permanently changes us. If nosotros tin empathize in addition to encompass this Definition of learning nosotros volition live on able to broaden how nosotros enact learning inward our schools in addition to classrooms. Learning is also nigh beingness able to critically eat information in addition to empathize its comport on on a broader scale than simply our classrooms. Again, nosotros must model beingness learners commencement for our students, colleagues in addition to families. If pedagogy is nigh learning in addition to so the educators must live on the Pb learners inside our schools in addition to classrooms. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to part our learning amongst them so they tin watch us equally the models for beingness learners first. Additionally, nosotros tin instruct our kids nigh the concept of learning in addition to how it unfolds inward an attempt to empower them to rails in addition to drive their ain learning. Being learners commencement is how nosotros volition alter the world!
3) Life Ready is nigh Nurturing & Embracing Curiosity, Creativity, Risk Taking in addition to Failing inward our Schools! In thinking nigh this thought I kept coming dorsum to this idea... Curiosity is what piques our interest; adventure taking is what inspires our learning; failing is what helps us iterate in addition to inventiveness is what changes our world! This how our footing changes; this is excogitation (thank y'all George Couros for informing my perspective on innovation) - curious people who pursue something in addition to and so have got risks (and probable failing repeatedly) to creatively address/solve a work or issue. This is how nosotros could construction learning our schools - solving problems through curiosity, inventiveness in addition to collaborative efforts (again, the importance of relationships). And when it comes to our kids, nosotros ask to model this for them in addition to acquire inward the norm from the twenty-four hours they walk into pre-school. Their lives earlier schoolhouse is all nigh curiosity, creativity, adventure taking in addition to failing inward an attempt to learn. Whether they are learning to walk, utter or ride a bike, it happens because they ask to alter their footing on some flat (communicating or traveling) in addition to they volition continue trying until they do. We ask to build on this natural curiosity inward schools, which way a full redo on how nosotros define learning, homework in addition to assessment in addition to shift from a focus on the finish to instead a focus on the journey.
4) Life Ready is about Having High Levels of Self-awareness in addition to The World Around Us! This practise is critical because it involves both agreement of self in addition to understandings of others. Aside from learning, in that place are many other social constructs that comport on us each twenty-four hours in addition to some of them, such equally racism, are destructive in addition to prohibit us, equally a nation, from achieving our side yesteryear side in addition to ameliorate iteration of self. In monastic tell to deconstruct in addition to rebuild social constructs such equally racism, nosotros must laid about yesteryear developing high levels of self-awareness patch also agreement people in addition to groups who have got consistently been "othered" or marginalized. If nosotros are going to alter the narrative inward our gild nosotros must focus on the powerfulness of education, empathy in addition to inclusivity (another argue why relationships are important). And when it comes to our kids, nosotros must explicitly instruct them nigh concepts such equally racism, hatred, bigotry in addition to biases so nosotros tin inform their perspectives to ready them to deconstruct long-standing social constructs. This of import function starts amongst us equally the educators in addition to nosotros must model high levels of self-awareness in addition to speak openly nigh how nosotros are changing the narrative.
5) Life Ready is nigh Finding The Joy In Our Learning! When we find our joy nosotros also rediscover our happiness in addition to happiness leads to endorphins beingness released inward the body. These endorphins alter our experiences inward positive ways in addition to they let us to have got our learning to a whole other level. Yes, joy is critical to our function inward pedagogy for both our educators in addition to our students. Relationships, curiosity, learning in addition to changing should all live on sources of joy inward our classrooms in addition to schools. And when it comes to our kids, nosotros should instruct them the encephalon enquiry around joy/happiness in addition to the comport on of endorphins on learning. We could also empower our students to pursue their passions in addition to interests through sacred times similar Genius Hour. As the educators, nosotros should also have got the fourth dimension to pursue our ain passions in addition to interests equally they relate to our personal in addition to professional person development. Finding in addition to protecting our joy volition brand the footing a ameliorate identify inward the journeying towards creating our LIFE READY IDENTITY!
In The End...
We aren't simply looking for the side yesteryear side Ivy League grad or Fortune 500 CEO because nosotros know our kids volition live on prepared to arrive at those goals through audio instruction. We are looking for the global citizens who are going to rewrite the narrative through their actions; Who are going to alter the world; Who are going to deconstruct in addition to rebuild the social constructs that impede us from moving frontward equally a society. Racism, biases, hate, in addition to marginalization tin entirely live on eradicated through high levels of self-awareness in addition to an agreement in addition to appreciation for the footing around us. We are going to brand the footing a ameliorate identify because of the explicit in addition to intentional learning that volition unfold inward our schools. We are going to function together to define what it way to live on LIFE READY!
That is our charge.
That is our goal.
That is our future!
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