“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.  The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.  The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have just delved into Robyn R Jackson’s “Never work harder than your students and other principles of great teaching”. If you are a red dominant person on the Hermann Brain Dominance Inventory or some one who loves to read and learn from story, I think you might enjoy this.

Jackson reminded me of my worst year of teaching.

My first experience with year 7 and 8 students.  My great opportunity to exercise “inquiry”, “multiple intelligences”, “De Bono’s six thinking hats”, “Bloom’s taxonomy” all to a very sophisticated degree, because I was teaching year 7 and 8s!!  Goodness did I employ these strategies to the finest degree.  You should have seen my class full of displays that illustrated that this class, my class was rather sophisticated and used all of these strategies.  You should have seen my planning!  Detailed planning referring to my use of all of these strategies, students with personalised booklets monitoring their progress along the way of using those strategies – what a legend.  And let’s not forget how as the teacher I carefully crafted and negotiated the curriculum from the childrens’ interests of skateboarding, art, cars and traffic, and bikes.  And this was my worst year of teaching.

My class drove me into the ground, challenged me with behaviour and even pedagogically.  Yes, Anton was heard stating to my lead teacher that “She does not even know me, and her teaching style is not meeting my needs”.  He was right.  I did not really know him and his needs were not really being met.  I started the year all about me, the super teacher with all of the most 21 century strategies under my belt.  I had the methods and I was applying them, but what were my principles driving my teaching?  Back then I think I was driven by the need to be like the infamous Lane Clarke, teach like the school up the road, be like the gurus at all the conferences I had been too.

Looking back now I had not really understood two principles that are fundamental to all that I do as a teacher.  Building genuine relationships – I spent no time getting to really know and understand my class as a group or individuals.  Empowerment – this class was not empowered, in fact I disempowered them by telling them what they would learn…through the use of some great strategies mind you!

My actions were driven by the trendy methods I knew…”Look at me I am a super teacher” rather than the principles of why I teach, principles of learning – reasons why I should choose certain methods.

Ignoring principles led me to trouble.  How do you think about teaching?  What are your principles?  Or are you driven to try the very next method that some guru professes to be worthy of 21st century learners?

Which of these is the most appropriate analogy for your learning community?

This week I was treated to an evening of entertainment at Selwyn Ridge Primary School – the “Talent Quest”.

The evening was led by the “Front Runners” (a student council group) and passionately co-ordinated by Andrea Meredith.  After weeks of build up with lunchtime heats for drama, instrumental, dance and vocal sections the finals were on.

Room 18’s band opened the evening.  This nine piece rock band was amazing to watch.  As I watched intrigued by their individual talents and contributions to the whole, they watched each other, they kept it together for each other, their piece built up gradually, creating tension and anticipation.  Individually they were great, however they were better because of each other.  The Room 18 rock band, as with all of the other group performances were interdependent and each member contributed a small part of something bigger than them and more out standing.

They were inspiring.  Throughout the evening I wondered about the learning communities (classes) I have been a part of and when they rocked and how they rocked, along with the place of the misunderstood concept of collaboration.  For me the most successful learning communities reflected a rock band or jazz band.  Each member shared different roles that built toward something bigger than us as individuals.  Every participant pursued their passion, or developed their skill/talent/understanding but was interdependent on others to create something together – united by their diversity.  At times, I know our learning community was a symphony orchestra: I as the conductor had the vision and got everyone to play my vision.  There were different sections responsible for different parts, but I had the overall vision.  All the same we created great music.  To begin with my learning environments may have looked more like a solo artist…my song, my way, everyone fall into line…or just be my audience while I shine!

So which of these analogies suit your learning community?

Our learners today need to experience a community like a rock band or jazz band.  I am becoming increasingly convinced by this as my understanding of and the importance of collaboration and its place in our world and future deepens.  Recently, this clip was shared with me.  Randy Nelson of Pixar University explains what schools must do to prepare students for the collaborative age.

Learning and Working in the Collaborative Age: A New Model for the Workplace

Collaboration is not co-operation on steriods!  Collaboration amplifies possibilities of what network of humans can create.  I love the reference Randy makes to a factory line to illustrate what Pixar feels collaboration is not.  It is the networking of people who have depth, but seek breadth through communication.  Just like the rock band – each individual developed mastery or depth with their instrument.  Their part was enhanced and enhanced others parts by being interested in others ie through timing, dynamics etc.  Together they communicated something that was amplified by the whole and could not have been achieved solo.

Co-operation gets the job done!  Randy suggests that because of the fast paced world or work or school we are driven to get things done.  Co-operation works best when we want to get through things, but is that what learning or innovation is about?  Deep learning and innovation need time and cannot happen quickly.  Time must be made for collaboration to occur effectively.  If collaboration also depends on networking people with mastery of depth, then that too needs time and Randy suggests that mastery cannot happen on the job, that it must be experienced before the job.  One is motivated to master something that is more often than not a passion, yet do our schools or classrooms offer time to connect with a passion?  Who decides what should be mastered?  How do you discover your passion?  Perhaps it is by being interested that we discover our passion and if so that needs time.

The rock band makes time, it is a priority.  Each member connects with their passion, works on mastery of it and is amplified by a connection with others to create something bigger than they could alone.  The members of the rock band are self motivated to succeed.  It is these qualities that Randy suggests will enable our children to succeed in their future.

Rock on!

Check out this documentary from “The Return of Fly My Pretties” and consider the passion, collaboration, belonging, talent, authenticity, high expectations and creativity….in my opinion this is a great analogy for a rockin’ classroom.

The Return of Fly My Pretties (Part One)

I have recently joined the Twittersphere.  I am a slow, I know.  However, in my defence I did sign up a year ago, but wanted to get my head around this micro-blogging idea first.  I love twitter!  By creating a network with people who I can connect with, or who challenge my connections  I have entered the twittersphere immersed in a wealth of great thoughts.  Thoughts that connect to other thoughts, that create new thoughts.  It’s like a mute conversation.  From the tweets I read weekly I have learned a great deal and my thinking has been challenged and redirected.

Ackygirl tweeted me in the direction of 2M Gems blog and their post “Talking about Learning”.

The Gem’s (six and seven year old Australian learners) have a passionate conversation with a fellow adult learner on learning, how they learn and what they learn.  I enjoyed their podcast reflection.  They were empowered, involved, reflective, engaged and enthusiastic.  The Gems clearly love their role as learners.  Mrs M their teacher is described as a “spy”, she creates opportunities for exploring their learning wishes.  Mrs M learns with them and from them.  The see their blog and blogging as a way to connect and learn from global learners.  The Gems are involved in many online conversations.

Conversation is I believe are an element of human greatness that most of us enjoy.  Conversation grows conversation and conversation is a platform from which powerful learning can grow.  Conversation can also be detrimental to learning.  Relationships and the premise on which a conversations are had are crucial.  My most memorable and favourite conversations are those with my colleagues/friends who are leaders of learning, with learners, and those around the dinner table with friends or family when we solve the problems of the world.   These conversations encompass:

• trust
• choice
• possibilities
• creativity
• challenge
• provocation
• flow
• questions

The conversations I have found least appealing are those with people who are forced to be there, are boring or with those individuals who must prove a point.  History has led us to use argument as a force to prove something wrong or right.  Conversations can sometimes be held on this premise.  In a classroom, learners can sense this type of conversation.  They repeat what they think the teacher wants them to say. This cycling is challenging for a lead learner to break when they are trying to embrace conversational dialogue with students or even between students in the classroom.  To create meaningful conversations their needs to be trust, choice, creativity, challenge, questions and provocation.

The Gem’s clearly enjoy all of these elements above in their learning environment and are enthusiastic conversationalists.  Twitterer’s that I follow are a network of people who I trust, I have chosen, are creative, enjoy challenge, creativity and questioning.  Twitter, and blogging are great tools for conversations but it is these elements that create powerful conversation.