Being the Change
Day 22 (of 187) – October 3, 2018
Hello Hat-Trick of Daily Blogs of Learning… Yes, I’m almost caught up. For the past handful of days, I’ve been really reflecting on my practice and the kind of educator I want to be. I’ve been in the field of education for almost 25-years and I am always learning. To learn is to be humbled. As great and wonderful things have been going, I should have expected a downside to offset all of the amazing things that have been happening to me. I respect the opportunity to be grounded and be struck by reality. It’s a good thing, in hindsight. With all learning, it’s not the mistake or error that matters, it’s what you do with that knowledge that matters. I’m thankful to have friends who help me to reframe.
First… I removed all names and photos from my summer class. Based on feedback from the course review, it was clear that I overstepped my boundaries and it was not appreciated. All of those weekly blogs have been updated and revised. Although I am disappointed that we were not able to share our learning in a way that I had hoped, it was not about me and I should have sought consent. I was trying to model what I hoped to see, but I was not aware how much it upset my students. I think that upset me the most… was not knowing. FORMATIVE FEEDBACK goes both ways, but I did not make the connection that my students were so disgruntled until after the fact. That said, I knew that they had struggled with some concepts that I was trying to model in light of BC’s New Curriculum, but it was perceived as defiance and lack of direct instruction.
Second… in deleting those names and pictures, I am conscious of mentioning names in my PROFESSIONAL BLOG and what pictures I post. Since my feedback, I’ve been asking permission to use student photos or know that retweeting photos is OK. I’m even hesitating with names I’ve mentioned my last two blogs in fear of negative feedback. I mentioned them because they are AMAZING and want to acknowledge them. I need to rethink how I teach, learn, and lead in higher education. WE ARE NOT THERE YET… is a mantra I hear on a regular basis. When will we be there? I think about my edu-hero Dr. Geoff Madoc-Jones. How did he do it? He must have felt alone… yet, I know that everything he did was to implement change and help students rise. He was AMAZING.
Third… I end my hat-trick of edu-blogging tonight by acknowledging my classes today. No names mentioned… no pictures of them revealed… but they were absolutely AMAZING today. Yes, I dropped the ball on bringing my own birthday cake to one class (LOL), but my other class started the class by singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me. I will cherish this day. I will continue to work on relationships and being my authentic self. My first class today re-brainstormed a bunch of MUST-HAVE words for good teaching… professional, competent, caring, flexible, engaging, reflective, passionate, student-centred, inclusive, motivator, collaborator, and learner… to name a few. These words resonate with me.
When you know better you do better – Maya Angelou