Emily's Final Reflection

Hi Everyone!

What a great year. There were so many wonderful moments and experiences, but a few of my favorites happened right towards the end of the course. First, watching the Breaking Binary group receive such incredible reaction from teachers, students, and the public was so rewarding. They were able to see how passion and hard work lead to success...and more importantly, perhaps, to change. Just yesterday someone who showed the film in his class told the story of how a student was so moved that he started the conversation he has been afraid to have with his parents for years. Second, watching the students in my group grow as learners was amazing. This is not an easy course because of the independent nature of much of the work, and I truly think the students learned more about themselves as learners than they could have in a traditional course.

Getting to know the team I mentored was the highlight for sure. The first Saturday work session, when we were in the media lab at CVU, was a real turning point for the team. We were all able to have fun, be productive, and get to know each other a little better. It felt relaxed and purposeful. Another moment which was powerful was watching our school's GSTA watch the finished film. The students were so moved by the student voices (their own in a few places) and the way the team had made some of their own struggles come to the surface.

I'm not sure this was a challenge or an irritation, but I think an area where WtS could really grow is in instruction. As a mentor, I didn't see the results of the midyear skill reflections, but I assume there were areas where each of the students could have used some real targeted instruction and practice. It's great for students to be reflective and self-aware, but if we aren't then using that information to help them improve their skills in a really intentional way, then I think we're missing a really important component of a standards-based course.

I would like to continue to be a part of the team for sure, but I need to think about the level of commitment due to family issues that will take up time and energy in the coming year. Being a mentor is a good level for me, I think, but there were certainly times when the responsibilities and time required to do things well became significant, even at this level.

I will be around this summer, for the most part!

I have been so impressed with this course, with Bill and Tim's leadership, with the students, and with my fellow mentors. This is such a cool opportunity for students (and for us), and I hope it continues!

Ben's Final Reflection

1. When you look back over this year’s experience, what are 2 - 3 of your favorite things about being part of the WtS Team?

1) Friday night's "celebration" of the students' products was simply awesome.

2) Watching the growth and development of ALL of the students -- certainly some more than others -- was seriously amazing to witness. 

3) I'm not going to lie: there were moments, here and there, throughout the entire year when my skepticism got the better of me. I lost hope at times, but the kids truly followed through despite any and all barriers blocking them. This was definitely one of my favorite things. 

2. Please describe one or two specific anecdotes that convey your best experiences with this year’s WtS learners.  

During our April Saturday work session, I was at my desk in my classroom, and after an unproductive stretch of time where things were messy and inefficient, I remember one student was working diligently on a website while two others had headphones on while narrating and editing their video. I don't know why, but this was such an awesome moment for me as an educator. It was a Saturday morning and, after some initial frustrations, here were kids doing work that they wanted to do and taking ownership over their own learning.
3. What are 2 - 3 challenges / irritations of being part of the WtS Team this year?

1) I wonder if the overnight retreats could be less structured? I'm not sure if there is any way around this, but they felt longer than they needed to be. Again, I don't know if there is any way to change this, but having had a full week of school only to go and do more "school" work was tough.

2) Working with and talking to some of the students who were not 100% devoted to their topics was definitely an initial struggle. (However, as I pointed out earlier, things turned out great in the end!)

4. As we head into this summer, we’ll be looking to make an even stronger WtS Team, and we’re interested in learning whether, and to what degree, you’d like to continue with the team. In this upcoming round, we’ll have more flexibility this year to create a variety of ways for individuals--Bread Loafers and non Bread Loafers--to join our team and serve our learners. Would you like to remain on our team, and if so, please describe bullet / list the way(s) you’d like to contribute to our team?

The easiest, most obvious answer with regards to next year is "yes!" Honestly, I don't see many more important and better things going on in education than WTS. However, as of this writing, it's May 10th, and, weighing coaching and other options for next year, I'm not 100% ready to commit to next year's calendar of 4 overnight retreats and 4 Saturday work sessions. I certainly want to stay involved in some capacity, so once you've figured out what roles you need fulfilled, I'd love to consider one or more of those.

5. If you’d like to continue with our team, will you be around this summer and/or able to contribute to the refining / re-designing?
Even though I haven't definitively signed on for next year, I'm certainly willing to collaborate this summer if you're looking for input.

6. Finally, please share any lingering ideas / questions about this year’s and/or next year’s experience being a member of the WtS Team.
Awesome experience! Thanks to everyone involved!

Courtney's Final Reflection

Favorite moments from the year:

1. The day Emily and Shoshana left to interview Commissioner Flynn. The note they left on my desk at school said that they were on their way and that they were a "bundle of nerves." This moment speaks to the fun and funny times I had in general with these two students and with the entire Dispatch Cuts group. Having had each of the members of this group as traditional classroom students, it was especially rewarding for me to work with them in this unique environment. Seeing the progress that Brynna and Brennan have made in 2 years was encouraging and informative for me and for my practice.

2. Meeting and working with other WtS?! educators. In my mind, there's no better professional development.

3. Saturday, May 7th, 9:00 PM: I opened my e-mail to find a note from Emily: she wants to do WtS again next year!?!?! The tenacity of WtS students is inspiring! Today at school a teacher at MUMS complimented Emily and Shoshana on the "Honorable Mention" their group received (the teacher had seen this news on Facebook). A bunch of other kids tuned in and wanted to know all about the work. An eavesdropper exclaimed, "I'm going to do that next year!" Pretty cool to watch kids get excited about other kids' work.

4. (Can I sneak in a 4th?) The final products (I've seen three of them) are awesome.

5. (How about a 5th?) The impromptu snow sculpture/symbol activity at January's retreat still lingers with me as a very good moment.

6. ( I have more, but will stop after this) The speakers at the retreats were excellent.

2. Please describe one or two specific anecdotes that convey your best experiences with this year’s WtS learners.  

Maybe I did this a little above -- should have read all the questions before jumping in. 

Seeing how a group of 20-some-odd nervous 7-12th graders on opening day transformed into a (somewhat smaller) cohort of sub-teams, and tracing where these teams went and what they accomplished was powerful. 
3. What are 2 - 3 challenges / irritations of being part of the WtS Team this year?

1. The learning scales were well-designed and touched on standards-based skills that kids need to know. However, the use of the scales felt inconsistent to me, and although I am an adult educator on the "team," I feel in the dark about how and if final proficiency scores are being given.

2. Sharing this experience with Ben was great because we don't usually get to work together with kids (other than our own). However, this presented the challenge of having to switch off for the overnight dates, which left me feeling a bit in the dark afterwards (which speaks to the power of the overnights and how much is accomplished at these gatherings).

3. Lesson planning is a double edged sword: it's time consuming, frazzling and mind-boggling, but it's also rewarding and exciting. While it's nice to sit back and let someone else take the wheel, I wish there were a part of the program over which I had more personal ownership/collaborative freedom.

3. As we head into this summer, we’ll be looking to make an even stronger WtS Team, and we’re interested in learning whether, and to what degree, you’d like to continue with the team. In this upcoming round, we’ll have more flexibility this year to create a variety of ways for individuals--Bread Loafers and non Bread Loafers--to join our team and serve our learners. Would you like to remain on our team, and if so, please describe bullet / list the way(s) you’d like to contribute to our team?

I would like to stay involved with WtS, but I am taking a summer off from courses at Bread Loaf, so I am not sure what this means/looks like for me as a team member. I can see myself staying involved in a multitude of ways, depending on the need, flexibility and direction of the program:

-- community cheerleader (I have been selling WtS? to MUMS' 8th graders all year. This week I am showing them some of the final products and talking up the program. I've had many students say they want to pursue WtS? when they get to high school)

-- middle school point of contact (will middle schoolers be invited to apply next year? If not, is there a way middle school teachers could collaborate in tandem with WtS in future years?)

-- mentor (As I prepare to say goodbye to the students I've worked with at MUMS for two straight years, it's hard to imagine passing up the opportunity to work with them again in the future -- they're so awesome!)



4. If you’d like to continue with our team, will you be around this summer and/or able to contribute to the refining / re-designing? 

Yes.

5. Finally, please share any lingering ideas / questions about this year’s and/or next year’s experience being a member of the WtS Team.

Laurie's Final Reflection

I loved the sense of community that was built during the WtS retreats. A friend asked me yesterday if I was going to camp. Upon reflection these retreats did become that - a place to reconnect with each other and participate in a project that highlights the best ways students can learn.

 

It has been a gift to spend time with students and teachers who care passionately about education. During what has been a difficult year at my school, these periodic meetings reminded me about the possibilities inherent in teaching and learning.
 

I am still amazed by our meeting in October (Halloween!) when students presented their passions to the cohort. I remember thinking how fortunate our world is to have these particular people beginning to use their voices and talents. Later in that evening I was equally impressed when students did the hard work of selecting a unifying theme for their newly developed groups. It took a certain grace to let go of their individual passions and to find commonality for the next phase of this project.

The most challenging part of WtS for me was trying to communicate and motivate members of our DCF group. I struggled knowing how much to encourage or hassle our students; I felt a little at a loss because these were more independent learners than what I am used to as a middle school teacher. 

Additionally, I had the harebrained idea of doing a WtS inspired project with my own students and with a literacy class at my school. I think this split my attention and made me feel somewhat isolated. I wonder how the year would have gone if I had brought some of my own students and simply done the course as is.

Next year promises to be challenging for both professional and personal reasons. Because of this I don't feel I can be part of the team next year. I would like to keep the door open for coming back another year and at that time work specifically on engaging middle school learners and teachers in this work.

A continuing question I have is how to increase the diversity of the cohort. In the very short time remaining this school year I don't know how it could be addressed this year; is there a possibility there could be a recruitment push to Burlington High School and Winooski High School over the summer and first weeks of school? 

Colleen - May 7, 2016

So we are wrapping up our 2015-2016 What's the Story? I cannot believe how far this course has come in just a year.

This  year some highlights have been...
     1. Last night. The viewing of each group's documentary was absolutely amazing. A celebration. 'Nuff said.

   2. Last night when Adrienne said, "as terrifying and intimidating as they were, I loved doing the interviews...it was a novel way for me to conduct research." What a huge transformation for her. So exciting to see and hear.

  3.  Late night conversations with my colleagues. This experience has allowed me to connect with teachers outside my school, and this has been so important to my growth as an educator.

Some challenges...

   1. As I alluded to in my "I am the one who..." writing prompt, it is difficult for me to teach students who I do not see on a regular basis. Human interaction is hugely important to building relationships, and I've struggled to form teacher-student relationships with students I do not see daily.

  2. A lot of chefs in the kitchen. There are a lot of talented and passionate teachers in this program. Often, this is a great thing and makes our work better. Sometimes, it feels like too many chefs in the kitchen. But that's okay. Just like our students have had to learn how to work in a group, so have I.

Next year...I hope some Mt. Abe students will be involved. If so, I hopefully can be an in-building contact person for those students.

Thank you all for a great year. I think we all know where we can grow and change, and we've been lucky enough to experience some huge successes. Cheers!

Bob's Final Reflection

1. As I voiced around the fire last night, probably my favorite thing about being part of the What's the Story team is that it offers a connection to something greater than the typical scenario of one teacher in one classroom. It's refreshing to work with teachers and students from outside my own building, and that collaboration provides a broader perspective on the state of education in Vermont. And of course, there are the students. In many ways, these young people are the cream of the crop: they're independent, intelligent, motivated, and determined. Witnessing their enthusiasm and watching them adapt and grow over the course of the year has been a uniquely rewarding experience.

2. At the same fire I mentioned above, Bill gave students the floor to voice their opinions about how WtS might be improved next year. One of my own middle schoolers, Lydia, contributed her thoughts. Listening to her articulate comments reminded me of how far she's come this year, to the point where she's holding her own with high school juniors and seniors. Lydia herself is aware of the progress she's made, and has, during the course, reflected on how she's developed as a writer and thinker.

3. Probably one of the biggest challenges for me this year came as a result of not realizing at the outset how much of the course would be designed as we went; however, now that we've charted that territory, I suspect next year will be easier to navigate. Also, it was at times difficult to balance the responsibilities of WtS with the demands of my day job. There were periods of stress and mental exhaustion, but as a teacher, that comes with the territory!

4. I'm committed to a second year of participation in WtS. I'd like to:

• recruit more students,
• introduce the program to South Burlington High School,
• continue to work with students as a mentor,
• continue to host students at FHTMS (or any other location deemed suitable) for small group sessions,
• take on more whole-group facilitation responsibilities as needed, and
• remain flexible to help out in whatever ways might benefit the program.

5. Unfortunately, I'll be out of state nearly the entire summer. From mid-June to the start of August I'll be in Santa Fe for my second year of Bread Loaf, and for a week or two after that I'll be in Connecticut visiting family. Still, I'll do my best to keep in touch via email and contribute to WtS in such ways as I can.

Final Reflection of the WTS 2015 - 2016 Team Experience

Hello Team,

Writing this while watching our learners settle into their final breakfast together here in Starksboro at the Common Ground Center. We had a wonderful afternoon / evening yesterday. Today we'll continue to invite our learners to reflect on their learning; we'll also ask them to provide more feedback about their experience and how we can refine WTS to make it even better next year. We'd also like to ask you to post a final reflection for this year that responds to these prompts.

1. When you look back over this year’s experience, what are 2 - 3 of your favorite things about being part of the WtS Team?

2. Please describe one or two specific anecdotes that convey your best experiences with this year’s WtS learners.  

3. What are 2 - 3 challenges / irritations of being part of the WtS Team this year?

3. As we head into this summer, we’ll be looking to make an even stronger WtS Team, and we’re interested in learning whether, and to what degree, you’d like to continue with the team. In this upcoming round, we’ll have more flexibility this year to create a variety of ways for individuals--Bread Loafers and non Bread Loafers--to join our team and serve our learners. Would you like to remain on our team, and if so, please describe bullet / list the way(s) you’d like to contribute to our team?

4. If you’d like to continue with our team, will you be around this summer and/or able to contribute to the refining / re-designing?

5. Finally, please share any lingering ideas / questions about this year’s and/or next year’s experience being a member of the WtS Team.