Core Curriculum, Homework, and MindSets

As I prepare for the Core Curriculum Committee meeting this afternoon, I'm looking forward to a healthy discussion about homework and how we can maximize the benefits of it while paying attention to the whole child. 


This article from ASCD's Educational Leadership publication lays out a thoughtful analysis of the research that's been done to address the issue.

We are going to create a white paper outlining and defining our philosophy about the work we ask our kids to do in and outside of the classroom. This document will be distributed to the faculty and will be communicated to parents and the Board as a clarifying statement for us as a school.


Carol Dweck’s research (Mindset in particular) concerning the effects of a ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ concept of intelligence is a key component in shaping this work and I'll be posting articles and links related to her work in future blog entries.  


Big, important questions: 


Are our students meaning makers or vessels waiting to be filled with information? 


Do we recognize the messages we send them when we praise success based on being smart vs. working smart? 

Other key questions:

Do we value play in our teaching?

What lessons from athletics and the arts are we incorporating into our academic work? 

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts on Preparation

In this NY Times article, Mark C. Taylor,  chairman of the department of religion at Columbia University and professor emeritus of humanities at Williams College, asserts that many of his students end up at college not exactly knowing why they're there.


His point resonates with much of the research on motivation and 21st Century educational thinking in that so much time is spent preparing for the next level that our kids don't have time to think about and develop  passions. As we race to prepare our students for the next level, we make it very difficult for them to find out who they are and what they care about.


This is a real issue.


Overemphasis on product over process leads to disengagement and passivity. Creativity is a necessary component of a life lived well, and time must be given to develop a creative mind-set within the context of the school day. Students involved in meaning-making will be the adults who improve our world in substantial ways. Schools like ours need to understand this and work to structure educational experiences so that our students are connected, inspired, and challenged to bring themselves fully into their world and to make a difference for those around them.


As we move into the third week of school and as our routines are becoming, well, routine, I remind you to stay focused on what matters and why. If our students are to develop their passions and involve themselves fully in their work, we're going to have to make sure the work we ask them to do is the kind of work that nurtures the spirit, raises consciousness, and allows them room to find themselves within it.

Rethinking Study Skills

Just read an interesting article about study skills. It seems as though much of our prior thinking is misguided. I will be trying some of these ideas with my own kids at home. I'll let you know if they begin to work. 

Have a great weekend...

Even Geniuses Work Hard

Here's an interesting and important article by Carol Dweck on fostering a growth mindset in our schools.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Libya, Words, and Bieber.

I just realized that I can check to see where people are reading my blog. I have readers in the US, Canada, Japan, France, Ireland, Aruba, Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Libya.

Libya.

Just today, for instance, there were 5 'page views' of my blog in Libya.

It's hard for me to believe that anyone, much less someone living in Northern Africa, would care about my thinking, my travel, and my fitness regimen.

But someone does, apparently.

Because we're no longer anchored to our birthplace like we were not so long ago, where we find ourselves in our lives can be quite surprising. Our futures aren't predictable and our careers change and evolve in ways unheard of twenty years ago.

As it happens, someone with whom I used to work is now living and working in that country and from what I can tell is quite happy to be there.

It's striking that our instantly-connected and interwoven global community is so real and yet so 'virtual'. Just a few years ago my words had exceedingly limited range - if I could convince my students to listen to me and to remember instructions for assignments, I could honestly say I had achieved something.

Now it seems as though my ramblings have found ways to escape the bubble, as it were, and to spread like one of those Tron light-cycles around the planet.

My mother always told me to be careful about what I wrote because it was almost a guarantee that the one person who I didn't want seeing it would almost certainly end up seeing it.

And, I would be sorry.

Now I still have to be careful about how I use my words, but it seems that my ability to reach others has radically changed. Our students are enmeshed in this interconnected world and they think it's normal. Understanding that requires us as teachers and parents to speak their language and use the tools they use so that we can communicate effectively and meaningfully. At the same time, it's our job to teach them how to slow down, look each other in the eye, and listen carefully.

The challenge is to find the balance.

This brings me to Justin Bieber. His song: U Smile is apparently quite popular. But, being over 40, I don't really have much time to spend listening to it, or anything he sings, for that matter. It's only 2 minutes and 40 seconds long, but it seems to last forever.

Ironically, I heard a version of this song slowed by 800 percent. The tones and rhythms remain exactly the same, the only thing altered is the tempo.

It is stunningly beautiful. All 9 minutes and 50 seconds of it.

Don't believe me? Listen to the original version and compare it to the slow version.

If Justin Bieber's music can sound this good just by slowing it down, think how we'd all feel if we could slow things down and appreciate the details that rush by in normal life...

Pep Rally Today!

As you may or may not know, tonight we play our rival, Heritage Hall at home. Kick-off is 7:30. You also may or may not know that Monday night this week, our security guard interrupted two individuals who were spraying "Round-up" on our field in the shape of an H. When discovered, they ran off, their work unfinished. 

I’ve discussed the situation with Heritage Hall’s administration and they’ve addressed it with their students. In addition, they’ve seen the damage, they’ve agreed to make it right and they’ve offered an apology.

Today, two Heritage Hall students came forward and accepted responsibility for the vandalism. They will be going through a disciplinary process at their school.  They will not be at the game this evening.

There are certain to be consequences for them, in school and perhaps outside of school.

Of course, under no circumstances will we to respond in kind with any retaliation. 

This of course, doesn’t include beating them for the second year in a row on our very own Hoot Gibson Field.

I want to thank our incredible maintenance staff. Our grounds crew does amazing work all year to keep our campus looking great – our school is one of the most beautiful places in the city and the fields are second to none. They’ve responded to this with incredible creativity, energy, and have shown a deep dedication to the School.

While some of the damage has been covered over, you’ll still be able to see it, and that’s just fine with me. When compared to the awesome power of our team, our school, and our community, those marks pale into insignificance. Shining strong and proud in the center of our field you’ll see our crest, emblazoned with the words: Fideliter et Fortiter (with faith and with courage).

Focus on that.
Focus on what makes our school great.
Focus on victory.

Let’s ring that bell tonight!

A New Year

What did you do this summer?

I took time to get into better shape and to think deeply about our school and how we can become the best school we can be. Throughout the blistering days of July and August, I sweated and struggled with weights, I did sit-ups and leg curls, I became familiar with medicine balls and purple stretchy oval things, and I paid attention to what and how much I eat.

The results weren’t immediate and I have a ways to go, but I can tell you that being able to fit comfortably into my pants and belts sure feels good. In hopes that I don’t lose the momentum, I have asked Mr. Pena to ask me relentlessly if I’ve done what I said I would do. If I haven’t, I’ve given him the permission to ridicule me. Having another person to whom you’re accountable is helpful, and I believe that Mr. Pena has just the right kind of personality to get the job done.

As the summer progressed and the workouts became routine, I decided to invest in new shoes. Being a bit unaware and clueless about things from time to time, however, I thought that my lack of proper athletic shorts would go unnoticed. I didn’t think that sock color and khakis mattered since the critical work was about health and wellness.  

I cared more about how they fit, not what they looked like. I did, from time to time, however, think that a pair of athletic shorts might complement my shiny new Nikes and athletic socks (brown socks are apparently a no-no) so I made one lame attempt to secure appropriate shortwear at the Half of Half store, but emerged unsuccessful.

Only recently did I become aware that my choice in attire had, in fact, been noticed by others. My wife, after the faculty dinner on Friday night, told me that Mr. Pena had some fairly strong opinions about my lack of appropriate athletic gear. She shared his concerns about my appearance, but out of respect for my feelings she hadn’t said anything.

Now I’m faced with a choice – do I cave in to peer pressure and put on the uniform others expect me to wear or do I stride confidently with my own clothes toward my own unique destiny?

What would you do?

Despite the way I look and how I dress, my body strengthened and my mind cleared. I even started a blog to document my thinking and hopes for my health. Through that I have found that the journey I’m on parallels the journey I’d like our school to be on. Obviously, physical health and wellness is important for each of us, but it’s also important that our curriculum and our programs strive to achieve similar aims.

Although it can be difficult to look at ourselves when we’re not doing what we need to do, it’s of critical importance that we confront the brutal facts and find a way to deal with them. Institutions are like individuals – they have identities, hopes, and dreams. They also have warts, scars, and scratches. Until we know ourselves, good and bad, the work we will commit to will only take us part way toward our goals.

It’s our job, together, to decide what to do. Your teachers are here for you and it’s their job to help you build the tools you’ll need to follow your passions and to become the best you you can be.

No matter what you’re wearing, make sure you wear it with confidence and the knowledge that your choices are yours and they make you who you will become.

Here’s to an excellent start to the school year – May your minds be enlightened, your bodies strengthened, and your spirits in harmony with one another.