Tag Archives: new school year

Matthew Piercy

This is Learning

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To learn is not to watch. To learn is to do. To fail and try again. To feel the cold water and the burning sun. To fish and not catch. To pitch a tent, use the fly as a ground tarp and to be “swimming” in your sleeping bag. This is learning.

I wrote this in the last article I posted back in May. Little did I recognize that two months later I would co-lead 17 teens on a three-week trip across Croatia and Slovenia. We hiked, biked, kayaked, white water rafted, zip lined, and camped. This WAS learning. Yet, as the days dwindled I found myself in contemplation about students perceived levels of comfort/discomfort, as well as perceived levels of effort. Seeing that many readers likely are beginning another academic year, I am hopeful this topic might push some buttons. Ones that lead to more green lights than red. Furthermore, I remind myself the role of resilience and how it doesn’t come from lessons or lectures. It’s forged in unfamiliar, uncomfortable situations where students learn to stretch themselves. Where we adults step back with intention, just enough to let growth happen. 

The Stones Taught What the Pages Couldn’t

I was eager to learn more about Croatia, so I ordered a book about its rich history. Though I would spend more than 20 hours in flight, I could not wait to crack the book and I began reading. However, instead of turning the page or pages, I began to jump from the front to the back and then to the parts in between. Never really reading and definitely not comprehending. The 300+ pages read more like an academic text than a travelogue. The myriad of places, dates, and civilizations of antiquity, too complex to follow. And my skipping all around certainly did not help either.

Yet this all would change. Being in the places, hearing tour guides share stories, and rubbing my hand across the 15th century Venetian stones would allow me to connect the dots. An example of learning by doing. In Hawaii, where I live, it is not uncommon to hear this in the proverb, “Ma ka hana ka ʻike.” A great reminder that from day one this year, I want my students to be doing. 

The Suitcase Won’t Fit — and That’s Okay

“There’s bugs!”

“My legs hurt.”

“There’s nowhere to put my suitcase in this tent.”

Two of three complaints uttered by the same student. Each met with compassion and the third with a bit of laughter. Yet, I remained poised enough to step back, but not out. Carefully determining when to intervene and when just to listen or observe. Avoiding the “rescue reflex,” and temptation to fix things quickly, what I found worked best was an honest, “I’m so sorry, can I help?”  

“No, I’m fine.”

To be heard was often what simply appeared to matter most. 

As the days turned to weeks, the complaints seemed to grow. There was especially a discomfort about not being able to control the little things in life. Like, when to wake up or what was for breakfast. And heaven forbid should we “three amigos” be split up in transport or at lunch! Some students even were comfortable to declare, “I may not be diagnosed (yet!) but I know I suffer from anxiety.” From experience I have seen an uptick in students (and adults) that have increased levels of anxiety. And research indicates how younger generations are more likely to report experiencing anxiety and other mental health conditions compared to previous generations. Yet, the word “anxiety” was being used three times as much as “please” and “thank you” and sometimes it felt as though the word ‘anxiety’ was being used more as a reflex than a reflection. Possibly as a shorthand for discomfort or loss of control.Such overuse diluting its clinical significance.

Effort and Reflection in the Classroom

So, coming back to the classroom. A little discomfort maybe is not a bad thing. It may just be  where growth begins. In Steven Kotler’s “The Rise of Superman” I recently read how “prodigies”, it seemed were made, not born. As Bloom (Benjamin Bloom, creator of Bloom’s Taxonomy), later told reporters, ‘We were looking for exceptional kids, but what we found were exceptional conditions.” I ask myself, what are those conditions? I hope to create them in my classroom this year.  

Routine reflection will certainly take hold. One that allows for close scrutiny of perceived levels of effort. Often attributed to baseball great, Derek Jeter, there is truth to the quote, “There may be people who have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” Getting students to honestly reflect on how hard they are working is something I certainly endeavor. 

There is a definitive art to differentiation. Not everyone’s best efforts yield the same results. Taking the Delphic maxim of “To know thyself” one step further, teachers…Know thy students. 

Belief and Flow

Something else I want to consider is the important role of truly and fully believing in each student,  Kotler imparts, “When someone believes you can do the impossible, it opens the door to believing it yourself.” “I want to be the kind of teacher who believes so fully in each student that they begin to believe in themselves and not just because I understand the psychological principle and power of how external beliefs often precede internal beliefs, especially in young or developing minds.

Third, besides reflection and empowerment, is to consider what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi termed “flow”. Flow being that state of deep focus and enjoyment where you are fully absorbed in what you are doing, and time seems to disappear.  I want to be intentional about encouraging deep focus, understanding how flow requires concentration and uninterrupted time on task. As well, I want to continue to balance challenge and skill. For flow is said to arise when the task is hard enough to be engaging, but not so hard that it may cause what some students possibly were feeling in Croatia, anxiety. Furthermore, project-based learning will be a cornerstone in my classroom, inviting student autonomy.  

With just a week before students arrive, I intentionally prepare, returning  to that simple truth: learning is not passive. It is often messy and at times, uncomfortable. But within that discomfort lies the space where growth happens. Kind of like the music being in the silence in between the notes. My role, then, is not to remove every obstacle, but to carefully create conditions where effort is expected, confidence in each student is unwavering, and where students can experience the deep satisfaction of flow. Whether in a classroom or on a trail in Croatia, the lesson holds: real learning happens not when we watch, but when we do. And this year, I’m ready to help my students do — and become — more than they thought possible.

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Margriet Ruurs

GLOBAL BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

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The beginning of a new school year is a good time to share books about school, making new friends and adapting to new circumstances. These (brand new) titles are great to read aloud and help students to settle into a new school year, a new class or even a new country.

See You Later, Alligator by Lana Button, illustrated by Noémie Gionet Landry is the perfect picture book to share with young students at the beginning of a new school year. Flora knows that she can do it. Just one hug before she leaves her moms at the door to school. One hug and one more kiss. But it’s reassuring to go back and make sure, just for one more kiss. It takes Flora several tries but eventually her teacher and classmates welcome her to their classroom and Flora is relieved that she had the courage to say goodbye. Just one more wave through the window and one more fun ‘See you later, alligator’ variety.

ISBN978-1-4431-9885-1, Scholastic Canada

Out of The Blue by Wallace Edwards is illustrated in a very different styles from most of Edwards’ other books but created with the same rich imagination. Ernest is flying his kite when it gets stuck in a tree. He will need help getting it out. Then a loud sound and a crash make him wonder what happened. He climbs a steep mountain and discovers… a terrible monster! Ernest and the monster are equally scared and hide from each. Until they realize that maybe there’s no need to be afraid. Even though they each speak a different language, they laugh and make friends. Ernest helps his new, alien friend to fix his spaceship. And his new friend helps Ernest to retrieve his kite. A story that shows you can make friends even if you don’t know each other’s language.

ISBN 978-1-4431-4872-6, North Winds Press

You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What) by Taraji P. Henson is the story of Lil TJ as she goes to school for the first time. Lil TJ has a magnificent dog and a loving Grandma who lives far away but whom she talks to every day. And Lil TJ can’t wait to start school, learn new things and make a million new friends. But when school starts, all she seems to do is annoy people. Beau, a boy in her class, does not like her art or her music. He says she talks too loud and that her lunch is weird. Poor Lil TJ becomes sad about school and having a bully instead of a friend. But Grandma explain just what she needs to do to be a good friend no matter what. And soon she and her classmates make music together, as friends. A good story to share at the beginning of a new school year.

ISBN 978-0-310-16059-5, Zonderkidz

The New Girl by Cassandra Calin is a graphic novel based on the artist’s own life. Lia does not want to move from her home country, Romenia, to live in Canada where she won’t have any friends nor speak the language. But her family is relocating and she has to say goodbye to friends and grandparents. Lia is not happy at her new school and having to learn French. On top of it all she gets her first period and struggles with all her problems. But slowly, Lia makes new friends who also came from other countries. Sometimes she has no idea what the teachers are saying but her new friends help her and she gradually finds her way in school and in life. She also pursues her passion of drawing when she is allowed to work on the school newspaper. This is a well executed books where both text and art tell the story of a teenager coping with a big move and the challenge of making new friends and learning a new language. Perfect for international students! 

ISBN 978-1-338-76245-7, Scholastic Graphix

Please note that I will be working as a volunteer for The Book Bus in Zambia during August and may not be able to share new book recommendations until I return home to Canada.

www.margrietruurs.com

Matthew Piercy

Embracing Wonder and Grace

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“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”    ~Epicurus

It was the first day of a new school year.  At lunchtime a message appeared in my inbox with the subject line, “Where will you be teaching in 2022?”  It would be errant to claim this to be the first wind I caught of peering into and “preparing” for the future.  Days prior, colleagues shared how they already registered with international recruitment agencies. A part of me was left reeling, falling perfectly into the “trap” of the subject line.  Wondering where might I be in a year’s time.  Try as I might, I wrestled with reality, asking, “Was it really already time to begin thinking about recruitment?”  

Regardless of the answer, any answer, I instead firmly plant myself in the present.  Teachers and administrators who have had “skin in the international game” for years may have the a priori belief that it never is too early to begin thinking about next year.  However, my experience in observing and listening to international educators for more than two decades, showcased how sometimes there was a sort of psychology of transition.  One that confirmed the necessity to be in the moment.

Like it was yesterday, I can remember how my first two years played out teaching overseas. The initial few months seamlessly fit with what is often called the honeymoon stage. The newness exciting to the cohort of teachers I entered alongside.  Differences such as conceptions of time, piqued our curiosity and were seen positively as stimulants. Later it would be these very items that would be irritants. We would settling in by winter break, still intrigued by cultural nuances and dedicated time to learn the language of the host nation. Friendships would continue to deepen. The first year was equal parts whirlwind and respite.  Life being lived in the present moment.  

Recruitment those days seemingly kicked into gear much later and so the start of year two was a continuation of positivity.  But, by March the second year some teachers in the cohort made the decision to move on. Seemingly overnight, there was a shift in mindset.  Certain friends became mere colleagues, ones I found myself no longer really wanting to even share conversation. Lightheartedness, laughter, and appreciation for any differences in culture were substituted for mockery and scorn. 

I wanted no part. 

It wasn’t until my second international post that I would be permitted a clearer window into what possibly was happening.  Again, a similar trajectory of experience played out.  From awe to contentment and then to frustration and even disdain.   Were there forces at play?  I was not sure.  But what I did recognize as truth was how there appeared to be a sort of uncanny coping mechanism, where individuals unconsciously deceived themselves.  As if darkness needed to exist to know light. Yet, it went beyond the paradoxical.  Little was in flux but the individual themselves.  The country was by and large the same.  The inhabitants, students, and school too.  Yet, ostensibly all that was celebrated the first year and a half, now was spoiled.

The aspirations of the “next place,” and far greener grass left some colleagues living in what might best be called purgatory.  Arguably they were living in two places.  Or possibly in no place at all.  What was certain was they no longer were fully present and appeared stuck. Of course this was and is not the case for all people in transition.  However, with each move I have witnessed a similar occurrence for some.  

And here we are.  Living in times where recruitment is no longer pegged to the seasons.  This is fitting as a result of the ubiquitous nature of so much in life, as we grow increasingly connected. Teachers for hire anytime, anywhere. A truly globalized world. Kind of like feasting on asparagus in Iceland in December.  Time and place no longer barriers. In the case of education; LinkedIn, Zoom and all the other platforms serve to displace the traditional recruitment fairs. Regardless, the subject line, “Where will you be in 2022” brought into focus for me, how there is a layering of beginnings.  Beginning a new school year, while already considering a beginning somewhere else. Simply becoming more aware of this, brought more contentment. Yet, this “layering” does come with some risk.  

The risk of living for today. 

What if instead of getting caught up in where we might be in 2022, we dedicated ourselves to doing as Will Richardson suggests?  “What if we committed to radical love, of one another and of the planet? It’s clear, I think, that anything less will prevent us from solving the problems we face. That and, of course, going out and jogging or walking or biking a few miles each week, turning off the narratives of strife and gloom, taking in the beauty that’s right in front of us, and honoring this current moment for all of its wonder and grace.”

Where will I be in 2022?

Hopefully still feeling grateful for my life, just like today. 

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