November Reflection: "Getting Better All the Time"

In what ways does WtS serve as a model that helps others think more creatively about how to design learning?

For me, the greatest asset of WtS is the sheer amount of one-on-one time we get with our learners. We've all known for a long time that a huge key to educational success is that students need to feel valued and connected; however, fostering these relationships in the traditional classroom is not always easy.

With WtS, its quite literally easy to form great relationships with students because we, as mentors, are working along side our learners (as opposed to monitoring them from afar), and we therefore the moments we spend together go a very long way.

So how does this encourage me to think creatively as I design learning experiences for my students in my "traditional" classroom? Unfortunately, changing the number of students in my classes and the amount of time I get to spend with them isn't under my control. That said, WtS has encouraged me to think differently about how I interact with my students in all the other moments of the day -- in the hallways, in study hall, and in other precious times when I find the opportunity for good, unhurried conversation.  

As always, I continue to think about ways that I can balance both the standards and the values I hold dear with the cutting-edge and ever-changing ideas reflected through educational frameworks such as Universal Design or courses such as WtS. For example, I am currently working with my grade-level teaching partner at Middlebury Union Middle School to brainstorm ways in which students can respond in non-print formats to traditional print texts. (We're recruiting Tim's help in this endeavor).

Perhaps the most powerful message for teachers that WtS has to offer is the reminder that students are very motivated by choice. When provided with just the right -- and personalized -- mixture of structure, support, freedom and delicious food (and yes, it's a magical formula that requires time, space, expertise and adequate funding), students, as evidenced by WtS, flourish in ways that they never have before. 

How can our WtS team bring an even more creative approach to how we design, orchestrate, and report our students learning?

In my mind, reporting out is the trickiest aspect of WtS? My experience with teaching is that speedy and frequent feedback is crucial. With the weekly blogging phase of our course, students are getting timely and thorough responses to their thinking.

It would be tough to match the real-world skills -- especially around technology, digital storytelling and collaboration -- that students glean from WtS. However, last year, once we broke off into our separate groups, honest, effective, individualized and documented feedback seemed to wane. While I absolutely love that this course is about the learning and not the grade, we want to make sure that the rigor, quality and quantity of work matches that of the traditional classrooms from which some of these students are now absent. I don't have an immediate answer to this question, but I would like to continue to think about ways that we can separately report out on both students' progress with work habits (timelines, responsibility, active engagement, commitment, etc.) and their products. Ideally, we would do this in one comprehensive, effective document that is transparent, honest and collaborative. 

Much in the way that our new blog space streamlined students' work and brought all the personalized thinking into one dynamic yet cozy platform, it would be great if students could track their progress in one spot and if mentors had a way of contributing to this feedback.

Erik Remsen's Opening Volley

Hi all. My name is Erik Remsen. From 2008 to 2016, I taught social studies and helped to oversee the Global Studies concentration at Rutland High School. I am now a stay-at-home dad, but I have not completely left the field of education. I am part of the ACSU Community Partnership Council and, because I strongly believe in student voice and choice in learning, I was eager to sign on as a mentor with What's the Story VT. I am excited to watch how students shape their own learning as they design and carry out their projects this year.

The highlights of my summer include hiking and camping with my 3 1/2 and 2 year old daughters, Kaisa and Maëlle.

  

Brad Blanchette's Opening Volley

Several years ago, I retired from teaching English at Colchester High School. I taught for over thirty years, most of which were in the same room. You can imagine that leaving students was difficult, especially when I could barely remember who I was before I became a teacher.

How do I spend my time now? Well, for six months I live with my partner, Tim, on the Lake in North Hero, and the other six, in Hinesburg. I travel hardly at all. I read somewhat obsessively. I love my dog, Tadpole, more than I should. (So would you; just look at him!)

I will admit that I have never quite shaken the feeling that something is a little missing in my life since I stopped working with young people. To that end, I look forward to my role on the WtS team and to meeting students who have something to say about the world and how to make it better.

Why would my best summer memory be the time I fell asleep in my zero gravity chair while fifteen or so of my neighbors in North Hero were next to me practicing yoga? Instead of feeling ashamed of myself as I awoke around the same time they were emerging from their bliss state, I felt proud of myself. This can't reveal anything good about me, but there you have it.

Courtney Krahn's Opening Volley

• My name is Courtney Krahn, and I teach English at Middlebury Union Middle School.  I'm a mentor on our WtS? team.  I am most excited about working with students to develop meaningful relationships and pursue important issues. 
• Highlights from my summer included taking a yoga class, eating all the delicious Vermont summer foods, accomplishing projects such as pressure washing our decks, lots of reading, and spending lazy stretches of time with friends and family.  One of the best moments of summer was jumping off a colleague's sailboat into Lake Champlain on a hot July afternoon.   
  
  
  
  
  

       

Tim O'Leary's Opening Volley

My role on this team is as Lead-Teacher, which means that I collaborate closely with Bill and develop the scope and sequence of the course, keeping an eye on the finest of details and staying focused on where we are sailing and when to readjust our course and/or our technique in getting there. It is also so rewarding to work with such wonderfully intelligent and passionate mentors who give critical feedback on what we are doing and plans for gatherings as a way to tune that trajectory. Mostly, I love the young people with all of their the struggles, energy, and intensity to see parts of their worlds for the first time and see themselves as meaningful parts of those worlds

Like Emily, I am stepping out of the classroom this year, which has been soul shaking. I have loved teaching more and more every year for 15 years, so it still confuses me, sometimes to a gut-wrenching degree, why I chose to do this. The situation presented itself, and I'm always one to try something, if nothing else... that's the most concise way I can explain why this transition is upon me. I step into a new role with our school district (Addison Central Supervisory Union, soon to be Addison Central School District) as the only Technology Innovation Specialist as I work to strengthen the capacity of educators across 9 schools to employ technology in meaningful ways and deepen their students' learning (no small task). It's all new to me and the district. It's a monumental work-in-progress.

Best summer moment: spending time with friends and family. Feet up on the beach in Cape Cod or Fenway or on our back patio: all good times to energize. For those of you who know Michael Armstrong, attending a celebration of his life at Bread Loaf was one of the more moving moments of the summer.

What excites me the most about the coming year: I really think that WTS transitioned a whole lot from year one to year two, which has set the platform for not just refined and nuanced movements in our work together and with students this year but will allow us to also compose and package ways to tell Our story for others to borrow and imitate and make their own. Already, Paul Barnwell is replicating a WTS experience in Louisville, KY during this coming academic year. I look forward to creating open-source material not just for Paul but for anyone willing to invest so deeply in the ideas of young people and give them the unyielding syntax and resources to let those ideas take shape and take off.

Emily's Opening Volley

Hi! I'm Emily, and I work at CVU in Hinesburg, and throughout the CSSU district. This will be my first year in 19 years not teaching students. I am 50% instructional coach at the high school, and 50% instructional coach at the four K-8 schools that feed into CVU. My focus is on helping the district transition to standards-based learning, a transition that is now complete (though still a work in progress) at the high school! I have been involved in WtS for 2 years, and I'm excited to be involved as a mentor again this year.

I had a great summer, and one of the highlights has been spending quality time with our dogs. Stella is getting old, so we have been enjoying every moment with her.

I'm excited to meet the new group of students and see what they are passionate about changing in the world!

Bob's Opening Volley

Happy new school year, all. I'm Bob Uhl. I teach seventh and eighth grade English at Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School in South Burlington. This will be my second year on the What's the Story? team, and, as I did last year, I'll be serving as a co-instructor this time around. Bread Loaf Santa Fe was easily the highlight of my summer, but aside from that I'd rank the hike I took to a place called Trampas Lakes. What most excites me about being a part of WTS? is the chance to work with a variety of young people from around Vermont who are interested in making real social change. Looking forward to our kickoff event at Middlebury next month!