Tag Archives: reflection

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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Matthew Piercy

The Quest for Authentic School Identity

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This year our school marks 75 years, and at our first meeting, we began with something simple but powerful. After ample opportunity to swap summer stories, we slowed ourselves enough to come to a complete pause. In the silence, the true identity of our community came into focus. The activity, one of strategic planning, struck me as we considered not so much the importance of where we’ve been or even where we are presently. The emphasis instead was on WHO we are! Gaining such clarity was not just for us; but for the students.

As a high school teacher, I consider myself fortunate to have taught in seven schools, on five continents, each with its own identity. Knowing a school’s identity matters and surprisingly, or not,  the story being told by marketing and web pages sometimes is not what exactly plays out “on the ground.” Years ago I simplified the international school scene into what is often referred to as a tiered system. I have since traded this in for the concept of “fittingness.” Certain regions may be considered as having the “best” packages. Others may have reputations and even tout premiership because they funnel more students into Ivy schools. Whatever the case, it all is rather superfluous. Instead, I prefer to consider a school’s identity, whether or not they really are doing what they say they are, and what ultimately is the best fit for me. The school with me and me with the school.

The activity we were doing this opening day was a reflection upon the type of school we were: price, product, or process? For decades, Independent School Management (ISM) has called it a basic marketing truth and advises, “private-independent schools can compete on the basis of price, product or process, but not on the basis of all three at the same time”. We silently looked upon the following, asking ourselves, “Who are we?”

Unified Purpose in Value-Based Schools

Price or Value-Based Schools are often faith-based. They focus on shared values and community. Tuition is lower, making them accessible. In the value-based school where I taught, the community was close-knit. Education was far more than the math, science, and social studies students learned. It was about morals and ethics too. Though we had the benefit of being a small school, I could say with confidence that everyone—staff, students, parents—shared the same purpose. Staying true to this identity means keeping that sense of belonging strong and making sure the school’s values show in everything it does.

Pressure and Performance in Product Schools

Product Schools are predominately centered on academics. They take in top students and push for the best results. It’s tough, and the stakes are high. In the product school I experienced, the ethos was one of “learn, learn, learn.” The pressure was constant—on both students and teachers. But the results were there: top colleges and high test scores, however sometimes at the cost of joy. However, this need not be the case. Staying true to this identity means keeping up the academic rigor but also remembering that there’s more to education than just grades. Balance matters.

Understanding Our Process School Identity

Process Schools focus on how students learn, not just what they learn. They help students find their strengths and give them the support they need. It’s about opportunities and students being encouraged to dabble in a little bit of everything. Personalization and belonging are both cornerstones, as is the importance of keeping class sizes smaller.  

As we looked at the chart and reflected, it appeared so clear to me that we are a process school. However, I was keenly interested to hear from colleagues as we turned and talked. A few shared comments that leaned towards us maybe being more of a product school. “Preparatory” after all was in our school’s name. These conversations were quite beneficial as the space created was not filled with efforts to convince one another.  Rather, to more fully examine perspectives and better define who we are as a school.

The Lesson of Pole Pole

I’ve learned this: a school must stay true to who it is. Whether it’s built on community values, driven by academic success, or focused on each student’s journey, the mission has to be lived every day. As teachers, our job is anything but simple, however, it is essential that what we believe matches what we do. That’s how you build a strong school, where everyone can thrive. Schools living up to their mission and vision is akin to climbing a mountain, it’s not about rushing. This summer as I climbed with students to nearly 20,000 feet, I learned an essential phrase in Swahili, “Pole pole,” which means go slowly. Might there be value in reminding ourselves of Peter Senge’s famous law from the Fifth Discipline, “Slower is faster”?  Regardless of your type of school, taking time with students is fundamental. 

Pole Pole. Afterall, it is how relationships are formed.

Wherever you might be in the world, as summer wanes and another school year gets underway, I hope you might similarly reflect on your school’s identity. Furthermore, may your year with students be enjoyable as you climb up the “mountain.” With care and purpose, keeping eyes and hearts fixed on what truly matters. Not the summit but students and the learning journey before you!

Pole Pole.

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Matthew Piercy

Approaching the “Finish Line”: Lessons from Reflectors, Savings, and Hawaii

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What might I share that will be worth your time to read? For many teachers (and students!) energies and attention right now are being funneled into the finish of yet another academic year. Though there is so much still to be wrapped up, the end will likely come quickly. In an effort to finish the year strong, let us look more closely with wisdom at what appear to be three completely unrelated items: reflectors, savings, and Hawaii.  Hopefully not only a connection becomes clear but also an understanding of the necessity to prioritize a vision of the future tempered with an intention to live in the here and now.

What If I told You a Reflector Could Save Your Life?

While I was in university, one outdoor outing particularly stood out. As I traipsed across a snowy mountainside, not a care in the world, in an instant I found myself facing nature’s wrath in a battle for survival. Underfoot, an unstable mass of snow broke free, followed by a deafening roar. The cloud of snow and ice hurtled to catch me, faster than 320 kilometers (200 miles) per hour. Scientists calculate a fully developed avalanche can potentially weigh as much as a million tons. This feeling of despair or race against time might be parallel to a teacher’s experience. We would hope not, but what did Orwell say about reality? That it exists in the human mind, and nowhere else! In the mountains of the western United States alone, there are approximately 100,000 avalanches each year. I would argue, that across our myriad of classrooms, we witness many more “avalanches.” Where time is lost to all meaning, consumed by the suffocating weight of “snow” or “to-dos”.

But, what if…

“What if” is a powerful phrase. Emboldened by infinite possibility, it invites us to explore alternative realities. Those Orwellian possibilities maybe existing in our minds and nowhere else. But, what if, by design, our schools, classrooms, and all that we experience in education were backed in trust? This ultimately comes down to the essentials of establishing strong and meaningful relationships. For outdoors people this may be a “relationship” with their gear, a testament to the saying that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. More than 150 brands of outdoor gear utilize a patented reflector (RECCO®) as a rescue technology to help find people lost in the outdoors or buried by avalanches. If something so tiny as a reflector has the potential to save someone’s life, or moreover build trust, what might this say about the potential inherent in our schools and amongst us as educators? The “avalanches” we perceive are far from being unstoppable juggernauts. We have this!

16x is a Lot

Bestselling author James Clear asserts, “Most people need consistency more than they need intensity.” He reflects on how consistency is what ultimately leads to progress. A difference in intensity and consistency is compared to going out to run a marathon versus not missing a workout for two years. Or, jumping cold turkey into a silent meditation retreat as opposed to finding silence daily. Such consistency has a level of patience and also requires discipline. Virtues in a sense and both are also steeped in vision. Recently I was dismayed to read how according to Northwestern Mutual, Americans think they will need $1.46 million to retire. Yet, they have on average only saved $88,000. That is 16x under what they think they need. Sixteen times!  Imagine having sixteen times more students. A few years back I felt overwhelmed teaching 104 students. That number would now be 1,664 students! Or, what if we lived 16x longer? 73.4 years would mean 1174.4. 

So, ultimately besides consistency, patience, and discipline, a bit of vision is necessary. As educators hopefully, we can see the “finish line.” Some maybe are even preflecting on how they may begin the next academic year. Yet, what we do with today is critical. We cannot afford to miss the here and now.  The fact is, the future depends on it! 

Determine Your Truth

Though I feel fortunate to call Hawai’i my home, I am not proud to share how the beauty and fragility of resources are largely unprotected.  According to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, “As of 2023, Hawai‘i only invests $9 per tourist back in the environment, and less than 1% of the state budget goes towards conservation. We currently face an estimated conservation funding gap of $360 million per year.” Though this example has elements of both reflectors and savings, we consider it  for another reason. Ultimately, it is about protection. A friend recently waxed poetically on what he  terms the “underbelly” of conservation. Though the word “conservation” has its roots in the Latin “conservationem,” meaning “a keeping, preserving, conserving,” might the word have taken on a different meaning in reality? One with emphasis on “con.”  Where charisma, deception, or opportunism are what ultimately courses through the veins. A truth painted by lies. 

And how might this relate to us as educators?

As we continue to drown in information, artificial or not, we are being summoned to think. To read and watch widely and to listen to learn. One mandatory course within The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) to support this is the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Students take TOK to develop critical thinking skills by analyzing knowledge claims and to gain interdisciplinary understanding by exploring connections between different subjects. Within the context of the College Board, the Advanced Placement (AP) Seminar is similar to TOK, seeking for students to develop critical thinking, research, and communication through interdisciplinary exploration of complex topics. Regardless of the curriculum, a school subscribes to, the intention is for students to be able to determine truth. Their truth. This is only possible if we take time to reflect critically on not only what we might know or think we know. It also requires us to pay close attention to the diverse ways of knowing and a multitude of perceptions. 

So, slow down. Listen a little harder and look. Though the “finish line” is in full sight, go slow to go fast. And enjoy the “ride.”

Our Mindset and Actions are Omnipotent

As we navigate the tumultuous currents and possibly perceived “avalanches” of education, let us not overlook the significance of reflection but also a deep understanding of the necessity to prioritize a vision of the future tempered with an intention to live in the here and now. Building trust, fostering consistency, and embracing patience are all necessary ingredients to this recipe we call “education.” Just as a tiny reflector embedded in our jacket (RECCO®) has the potential to save our lives, our mindsets and actions are omnipotent. Instead of counting down the days, might we delve into the depths of critical thinking with students, and embrace the moments we have left with absolute intentionality and purpose?  “Your mission (insert your name), should you choose to accept it, is to serve as a beacon of guidance, inspiring those you teach to navigate the complexities of the world with purpose, integrity, and joy.” 

I accept.

Matthew Piercy

Forward Reflections: The Essence of Belonging in the Journey Ahead

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Sometimes I am guilty of stating the obvious. To steer clear of this, I instead wish to provoke the reader with a few questions. As summer comes to an end and a new academic year looms on the horizon, how might summer’s final quiet moments of deep reflection result in action? Further, are you taking time to consider ways in which classrooms and entire school communities can be impregnated by a critical and omnipotent sense of belonging?  

Education: A Crucible for Molding Minds and Shaping the Future

For many, August is the new September as school will start well before Labor Day. Regardless of timing, the next month surely will witness a coming back to life for schools. Regardless of the preparation on the part of teachers and administration, it will be students who ultimately breathe life back into the shells we call school. Bustling hallways, the clamor of youthful footsteps, and hopefully an echoing of far more questions than answers. Discovery. Pervasive in schools and society, but also paradoxical, is an elusive treasure: belonging. More than a feeling, belonging need not be like a hidden oasis in an arid desert, for it holds the power to quench the parched spirit and genius to soon step into our schools. Torrents of uncertainty and the biting winds of isolation can be quelled. Yet, it won’t just happen. We, as educators, must deliberately set the stage. Taylor Mali’s slam poetry performance, “What Difference Does a Teach Make,” remains gospel as there is no space for the self-deprecating claim, “I’m just a teacher.” 

Education has, does, and will always serve as a crucible for molding minds and shaping the future. Definitely not a role to be underestimated. In this molding and shaping, a sense of belonging must be the lifeblood of all we do. Belonging naturally courses through the veins of learning but also the fragile tendrils of what it means to live. Though there are countless studies of belonging across multiple disciplines, including education, sociology, and psychology, we know, no proof is necessary to support the idea that belonging is an innate and essential human need. Before the “gates” open and students pour into school, it serves us well to not only consider but make a plan for how we might create a greater sense of belonging in our school communities.  

Three Strategies to Develop Belonging

  1. Know Your Students: Create opportunities for students to share their unique stories. President Theodore Roosevelt said it best, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” Take an honest interest in students and foster inclusivity and diversity, modeling care so students similarly take a genuine interest in not only knowing but appreciating each other. Considering Betsy Butler’s, “11 Tried and True Strategies for Getting to Know Your Students” as a sort of a la carte menu may help foster connections.
  1. Deliberately Design Learning Which Integrates Community: Encourage collaboration not just between students but also across the entire community. Communicate with parents and invite others in, but also consider how students’ learning might be able to make a positive impact on the larger community. One such school that navigated this paradigmatic shift is Iowa BIG. One example is their half-day option for juniors and seniors from three districts to conduct community-connected projects for core credit. For more on this, see feature and podcast. 
  1. Provide Support and Resources: Aside from dedicated student support services, integrate peer-to-peer tutoring and encourage participation in a range of extracurricular and club activities. Don’t leave it to counseling centers alone to support students with self-esteem, stress management, and building healthy relationships. By providing the support students need, there will be a strengthening of being valued and truly feeling like one belongs. Veteran teacher Tim Smyth shares in, “The Truth About SEL. It Works,” the importance of connecting with students on a human-to-human level. “We’re all going through something, every one of us, especially teenagers. They have a right to be mad, have a right to be sad, a right to be joyful.”

Ultimately, schools must foster a profound sense of belonging among students, faculty, and families. This does not just happen but requires intentional practices that nurture inclusivity, connection, and support. Deliberate actions are necessary for the seeds of belonging to be sown. Seeds to be watered, sunned, and shaded; allowing students to flourish and thrive within the nurturing embrace of their educational community.

WELL Certification: Building for Health and Wellness

So, who already is setting the stage for creating spaces that lend themselves to greater belonging? Jeff Platenberg, Assistant Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) shared, “Safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. Ensuring that our buildings are optimized to provide a healthy learning and work environment is a critical part of that effort.” FCPS in turn earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating. LEED, standing for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is well known the world over and is a certification focusing on environmental impact and sustainability. One requirement to become certified involves the integration of healthy, sustainable construction practices. Green Business Certification Incorporation (GBCI) administers the LEED certification program and in July 2020, developed WELL Certification. WELL takes it one step further, and focuses on people’s health and wellness. It is “a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and wellbeing, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort, and mind.” Hundreds of experts across academia, public health, medicine, government, and real estate provided input, and now schools, startups, and Fortune 500s are utilizing the certification as a seal of prioritization. When we recognize a student will spend more than 15,000 hours at school in their lifetime, it behooves us to create more healthy environments.  

“Forward Ho! Lovers of Truth and Good!”

In the tapestry of education, tolerance and welcoming are no longer enough. Appreciation and belonging are what will weave the threads of connection, understanding, inclusion, and empathy. Threads that will create a foundation where students can grow, flourish, and find their place in this vast world. Poet and playwright Charles Harpur said it best in “Forward Ho!” 

And doubt not, the earth that has grown old in sorrow

Shall grow young again in the light of that morrow.

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Matthew Piercy

Bake a Difference

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Cosmic Cookie Class Recipe:

2 ½ cups community creation

3 teaspoons all purpose empathy into action

2 sticks of “story” 

12 ounces choice

Directions: Preheat classroom with reflection and intentionality. In a large mixing bowl, add community creation.  Combine empathy and action into community creation.  Beat sticks of “story” in medium mixer bowl until creamy.  Gradually combine creamy mixture with community creation and empathy into action mixture. Stir in choice.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto untreated learning pan. Bake for 9 months or until golden brown. 

“Have you tried Mimmie’s Bakery? They have the most incredible Cosmic cookie!”  My octogenarian neighbor recently reminded me of a child, as she hailed my attention while I rushed out the door the other morning. There was something heartwarming about an older person getting so animated about something many would consider so simple, a cookie.  Her excitement was contagious and stirred in me a bit of curiosity. 

What made Mimmie’s cookie recipe so different? 

As the day went on, I seemingly couldn’t get the Cosmic cookie off or out of my mind.  Instead of heading down to the bakery, I considered how I might transfer this idea of a perfect cookie recipe to what I care most about, teaching and learning.  Could I “bake” something similar in my classroom?

Teaching very well can be just a generic chocolate chip cookie but in reality, it is so much more.  And it has the potential to get people excited. In the case of children, “keep” them excited.  I often remind myself, a big part of keeping students love for learning ignited, is simply not getting in their way.  I think about how knowledge is cheap and with the web we are saturated in information 24/7.  It is what we do with learning that matters most.  After two dozen years “baking”in the classroom, I definitely have learned many lessons.  However, an end-of-year student survey allowed for a sort of distillation or surfacing of a “recipe” for my own Cosmic cookie.  

When eating healthy, nutritionists often say to choose those foods with the least amount of ingredients.  I’ve boiled my recipe down to but four “ingredients.”  It would be foolhardy to think I have perfected the recipe, though there are definitely ingredients and/or steps which I feel much more confident about.  Yet, perfection?  Even those cookies at Mimmie’s surely are a work in progress. 

Summer is a time of much needed rest for educators, but I trust is also a chance for reflection. So much news in education this past year was about the abandonment of  the noble profession. With a little distance this summer, I remain hopeful that many educators might remember back to why they chose (or were chosen!) to be an educator. And I hope there is a sense of rejuvenation and excitement.  Moreover, if the “Cosmic Cookie Class” recipe is helpful to even a single educator, I will feel a sense of satisfaction.  

Cosmic Cookie Class Breakdown

  1. Community creation: Community does not just happen.  Intentionality is of extreme importance. The critical skill of learning how to listen but also how to give and receive feedback are at the heart of functioning communities.  A “we do this together” sort of ethos exists. Routines definitely help.  Ideas for implementation include: 

*Philosophical chairs

*Class discussion and occasional  fish bowl strategy

*Feedback loops changed up and in a variety of formats: 

~Teacher to student

~Student to student

~Student to teacher (such a gift!)

~Parents (digital notebooks) and segments of conversations recorded with Mote

~Administration invited in at the start and during the process, not just in culmination

~Community (something I especially wish to improve)

  1. Empathy but also action:  This begins with awareness.  Several students commented how social studies class “was about becoming  more aware of what is happening around our world.”  Others suggested, “It is about joy, curiousity, and being inspired to create a positive impact that would affect people’s lives for the better.” And, one of my favorite pieces of feedback was how “the class is more a study of life, all subjects combined. Where we find solutions to problems in the world.”  Three ideas for beginning to transition from empathy into action include:  

~Start small and add a Virtual Reality experience or simulation

~Read aloud (a book well read and discussed is appealing to learners of all ages)

~Newsela articles citing students as examples of how youth  are making a difference

*Bonus: Partner with experts in the field and they may even broaden your audience for students (eg: Inspired Citizens)

  1. Integrate the power of story:  “Story, as it turns out, was crucial to our evolution — more so than opposable thumbs. Opposable thumbs let us hang on; story told us what to hang on to” (Lisa Cron). Be okay with being vulnerable as you become “known” to students.  Someone who students can connect with.  Sharing anecdotes can add not only “reality” to the classroom but also comfort. The intentional integration of stories, like the time I tacked a horse for a teen my age who had cerebral palsy.  How I was gifted an opportunity to learn gratitude and grace from such an experience. A story like this not only connects with the equestrian lover in the classroom but anyone who might have a beating heart, if the story is one students can re-live with you as you tell it.  Skills learned this past year from a migration project based on story-telling included:

~Slowing down and really practicing what it means to attentively listen.  This can be difficult as habits need to be broken for students and adults alike.  The digital age has sped us up in numerable ways

~As learners listen, challenge them to discern where a deeper “story” might yearn to surface.  Imagine it breaching as a 150- ton whale!

~Developing questions and being prepared to interview but also to design questions on the fly

~Creatively “tell” stories through a variety of mediums (eg. video, stop animation, and podcast)

  1. Provide student choice:  Choice boards can be helpful so there isn’t paralysis amidst a paradox of choices. Further, in an effort to help with scaffolding, suggested tech platforms, as well as process steps are offered as options to follow. The emphasis is always on process yet with sufficient time built in (a calendar proposed), along with feedback, a quality final product is ensured.  Building in a sort of celebration and/or “real” audience helps up the ante and leads to more student ownership and pride of their learning. On my final survey, several students commented with regards to choice.  One student shared, “I love how we get to express our creativity in our learning.”

Power to Make a Difference

It was Maya Angelou who said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  What matters most in our classroom is this.  How students feel. The four “ingredients” above contain tremendous power. Power to be rememembered? Yes.  But more importantly, the power to make a difference.  

Thank you for reading and for continuing to reflect and learn.

Enjoy the summer and happy “baking”!

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Matthew Piercy

What Was That All About?

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~The Valuable Role of Reflection

As the world attempts to reinstate “normalcy,” there are clearly different baselines or targets amongst countries.  For the United States, Costco in the news provides but one example. Just before the start of summer, their plans included “beginning a phased return to full sampling,” after 14 long months without offering shoppers microwaved mini tacos for nourishment? Society definitely needs nourishment, though I’m not sure mini-tacos will do.  Or, what about Lollapalooza, a three-day music event that drew 300,000 people in 2015, returning to Chicago from July 29 to August 1? Regardless of what is happening or is planned to happen, I have felt maybe more than ever before, a near mandate to reflect on where we have been.  

As an educator, a sort of responsibility has enshrouded me.  To do due diligence and attempt to make sense, as best I can, of the past school year. To draw out as much learning as possible from the many lessons the pandemic offered, or “forced” depending on how you might see things.  Three immediate if not glaring points stood out:  Change, flexibility, and rebirth.  In this, humanity is in the midst of a quasi-phoenix moment; a rising from the “ashes.” As exciting as the past year was tiring, for some reason, reflecting as thoroughly as I may have liked, continued to be put off.  Not one to procrastinate, this baffled me.

Then the other dayI happened upon a tweet. A teacher tiraded how educators should be left alone, nothing more expected, this is OUR summer and we have done enough to get through the past year.  I understand this sentiment as for many, the past 18+ months maybe have felt like being held underwater and summer finally is a time to come to the surface.  To breathe.  The myriad of unforeseen and often uncompromising situations the force that held us under.  Still, I harken back to an article I wrote a few years ago titled, “You Make a Difference~The Value of Summer Reflection.” Here I outlined the pivotal role of reflection and realigning ourselves to our purpose.  Summer, the essential pause. Yet, also a time to reflect.

Summer’s Kick-off

The day summer school teaching finished and summer “officially” began, I received an e-mail from a former student from another school.  The message began, “Hey! Jennifer got stabbed in the leg by Wendell at the end of March which complicated the year..” Immediately, I was issued two parts opportunity to lend a consulatory response and one part the ability to gain greater perspective. The timing seemingly perfect, as I still had not done an “honest” job of reflecting on the 2020-21 academic year.  I desperately wanted get to the bottom of the question, “What was that all about? Another year of jostling between on-line and in-person learning.”

And so here I am. There is a ripeness to the moment where the catalyst is space more than time.  

Caught Up In The COVID Storm

Before the academic year came to a close, I did not entirely skip reflecting.  Oddly enough, it was something I asked students to do and also something I did with a colleague. Just not alone and to a depth that would appease.  In a final meeting over Zoom, a teaching partner and I met.  We attempted to simultaneously add our thoughts to a straightforward end-of-year reflection template that looked like this:

Biggest success this year:Biggest challenge this year:
Strengths data shows:

Areas of growth to focus on:
One thing I learned this year:

One thing I want to learn next year:
One change for next year:

One goal for next year:

Surprisingly, at least for me, was how off the cuff nothing immediately emerged as a goal for next year.  This was the dawning moment of how I was both exhausted but also how I had been caught up in the COVID storm.  My vision not quite 20/20.  Ultimately I had not fully come to grips with the reality of the pandemic and one of the greatest lessons I learned.  “The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.”  To remain flexible, adapt, and be forgiving.

Meta-Reflection

Over the years, I felt feedback received from students is a gift.  A window into their reality. A term I am coining here is “meta-reflection,” building off metacognition and thinking about thinking. Might we reflect on student reflections? It may even connect  well with a strategy many educators may employ with students.  Harvard Zero Thinking Strategy, “I used to think but now I think.” One question asked on the student reflection that led to more in-depth analysis was, “What are a few things in social studies class that I did to help you to learn?” A prevailing theme was evident, allowing for my own “I used to think but now I think.”  I used to think I was limited in doing meaningful project-based learning because of an overabundance of standards, but now I know that more wisely designed curriculum implementation is possible.  This I was able to deduce, as patterns emerged in student comments attesting to how they were reinvigorated in learning as a result of agency, authenticity, and purpose. 

The student reflections led also to a more philosophical goal. To continually remind myself to be the teacher one student envisions me to be, “You taught us in a way where you knew we would understand. You put yourself in our shoes and every day it felt like it was a brand new day for every student to do better and have fun.”  Comments are not all so glowing and when we model honesty in the feedback we provide students and invite students to do the same when  giving us feedback, there is a necessity to embrace vulnerability.   One student maturely commented in a way which resulted in pushing me to think more about a check-in routine I was using.  Her points not only honest but absolutely valid, leading to my immediate plan to discontinue the routine.. 

As a learning community, giving and receiving feedback is a skill we routinely practice throughout the year. In reading student end-of-year reflections I can say with confidence how students in 2020-21 stands out  for their high degree of insightfulness and graciousness. One individual’s honest yet humorous response is sure to not to be forgotten. The fill-in-the-bank question asked,  “If I were a middle school social studies teacher I would _________________.”  A common response for example attested to the role of collaboration. For example, “make more projects where students get to work together.” The particular student’s memorable response was but one word.  “Quit!”  Ironically he is also the son of two teachers.

A few years ago Rhonda Scharf was credited with posting on Facebook the following thought, “Teachers are not ‘off for the summer,’ they are ‘in recovery.’”  And if I can add, “in reflection mode.”

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Matthew Piercy

ACCREDITATION IS ALL ABOUT BEING BETTER

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Being fully immersed in another school for five days is like no other professional development.  And it is available to us all.

“Creditum” in Latin means, “a thing entrusted to another.”  Fast forward from Roman days and to the United States at the end of the 19th century, where there was a push for  “accreditation.” The nature of the process being one where secondary schools were poked and prodded in effort to determine whether they could be entrusted with adequately preparing students for university.  

Roughly a hundred and fifty years later, accreditation lives on.  The tenor centered more on reflection and support, and less on judgement.  Today, the United States Department of State has granted authorization to six regional non-profit accreditation agencies.  Recently I was invited to participate in my first virtual visit by one of these agencies, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

One word continually surfaced throughout the accreditation deep dive.  

Impact.   

After examining everything the school said it did, we would do our best to tease it out in conversation.  We would also look for it in hallways, classrooms, and in conversations with students.  An effort to confirm to what degree programs and policies ultimately have a positive impact on student learning.

Accreditation days and nights are long. Initially, closely reading all the documentation is critical.  Looking for and triangulating evidence then ensues.  A vanguard of this “paper trail,” is to learn more about the extent reflection and collaboration played throughout the self-study process. Is the report a true reflection of the entire school community? Folders within Google doc folders are pored over. Questions likely surface and streams of notes are taken.  Accreditation members met with various smaller groups in effort to better understand the school. In these meetings, committee members moderate the discussion, often launching the conversation with “Can you please share with us how your team worked together to gather evidence on x, y, or z?”  

Accreditation requires a 360-degree approach, one that truly is multi-dimensional. Learning from all stakeholders is essential.  This means: 

~Leadership team (head of school and principals)~Teachers  
~Parents  ~Support Staff
~Business Staff  ~Building and Grounds
~Nursing Department  ~Public Relations and Marketing  
~Admissions  ~Governance or board of directors (or governing company which was the case of the visit I partook in)

Beyond conversations with adults, some of the most telling evidence is out of the mouths of students, as they share more about their learning.  Impressively, many even talk about why and how they can apply this learning.  Busy daily schedules include time for the committee to debrief but also plan forward.  “After hours” are dedicated to contributing to the writing of the final report.  

SO WHAT?  

Accreditation is a lot of work but the results are very gratifying. Moreover, I can think of no other venue to develop or improve skills.  People whom I have met with accreditation experience agree that there is no better professional development.  Here is a short but not comprehensive list of some of the skills incorporated in a school visit:

~Question development         ~Interview strategies              ~Formal writing

~Collaboration                         ~Presentation creation           ~Oral presentation

The visit I did was unique in several ways.  The nature of a virtual visit, itself is different. However, on our committee we were four members in three different time zones. This visit also happened to be the second ever dual commission visit (WASC and MSA~Middle States Association). Further, the school’s governing board which happens to be in Dubai, welcomed the participation of three evaluation specialists from the education ministry of Qatar. The amount of experience and expertise, combined with a high degree of mutual respect, ultimately led to a very thorough process.  One where collaboration, honest communication and consensus building were benchmarks.

NOW WHAT?  

At the end of the process, a school is provided with commendations. Celebration of these strengths is encouraged.  Additionally, critical areas of follow-up are included.  The final report with its action steps is often greatly appreciated, as it very well may be the needed wind in a school’s sails.  A sort of distilled and formalized plan for improvement moving forward.    

The whole accreditation process is value added for all.  Professional development for committee members but of even greater importance is the role it provides in helping a school hold a mirror up to itself.  To reflect.  To be vulnerable.  To speak but also listen.  Then, to take a moment to celebrate before setting out on the path of betterment.  Because what it all comes down to, is self-improvement.  Schools ultimately focusing on improvement, to the benefit of all students and their learning.

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Note: Accreditation commissions welcome teachers to participate and I highly recommend it. Two commissions I have experience with are below. If interested, click on the following links:

www.acswasc.org/

www.msa-ces.orga/

Matthew Piercy

Meeting Learners Wherever They May Be

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“Aim for the middle of the square,” I encourage an 8-year old boy on my basketball team.

The power of geometry on full display. Meanwhile, another player kicks the ball against the gymnasium wall, seemingly confusing basketball for soccer.  Two others chase each other in a game of tag. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot another dancing the Macarena.  The Macarena?  Is Tik Tok responsible for the one-hit wonder Spanish song of 1993 being brought back? Reaching for my whistle, I notice another player launching shots from beyond the three-point line.  In wonder I look on, taking a few seconds to just take in the full scene.  

Weren’t the directions and demonstration clear?  To take shots from 3 feet away, stepping from side to side and aiming at the middle of the box. A timeless backboard drill.  

Before I am able to blow the whistle, it happens.

“Coach, can you tie my shoe?” one 4-foot tall player earnestly requests.  His large blue eyes match his dyed fringe.  The shrill tone of his voice resembling my 5-year old nephew’s.  

I look down at his knotted lace and caught up in the chaos, regretfully do not seize the opportunity to teach this “life skill.”  On the ride home, the moment continued to be replayed. Impossible to get out of my head, it stewed the next 48 hours.  

For a veteran teacher, this was a serious self-check.  An invaluable lesson to meet the learner, wherever they might be. A cornerstone of any education certification program, I would have guessed I perfected this lesson.  However, in the midst of “herding cats,” did I forget?  Mere negligence? Simply distracted?  Whatever the reason, I was embarrassed for myself.  A “wrong” to made right!  

Grateful to learn from the error, I was reminded how we may have a particular aim for a class or practice, yet of even greater importance than our plan, is that we remain flexible and respond to the learners right before our eyes. Differentiation sometimes a reflex, while at other times requires utmost intention.  

The next practice I approached the boy with the knotted laces and on bended knee showed him how to tie his shoe. Singing in a hushed tone, “Over, under, around and through, meet Mr. Bunny Rabbit, pull and through.”  Smiling, he gave it a try, his motor skills a clear challenge. The third attempt a success!

During my childhood a poster hung in our home’s laundry room.  It shared advice from best-selling author, Robert Fulgum and was titled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Fulgum conveyed the simplicity and power of such adages as, share everything, and to play fair. 

Years later, a third grade teacher, I turned to look over my shoulder each time a student called, “Mister…”  I looked for my father, a bit bewildered because from one day to the next I had become a “Mister” myself.  Though the exuberance, joy, and energy of 8 and 9-year olds was a pleasure, middle school became my wheelhouse.  More than twenty years would pass before I would be in the company of third-graders again. 

This time, wearing the hat of coach. A chance to improve my well-conditioned skills in patience but also explicitness, assuming nothing.   

Not even that all the children can yet tie their own shoes.

Matthew and Niamh

An Economist’s Take: Budgeting and Adventure

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Follow our bicycle journey around the world at www.pedalgogy.net or on Facebook.

This post is not just for any would-be bike tourer. It considers an issue we could all think about.

We have seen all sorts on this trip so far, literally from feast to famine. The extreme wealth of the flashy supercar-driving Chinese high-fliers, to the maimed and forgotten street beggars in some parts of south-east Asia.

This trip is a real lesson about economic development for an Economics teacher.

For years I have taught middle school Humanities through to first year degree level Economics courses. I try to deliver the topics of Inequality and the Distribution of Wealth in a thoughtful and pragmatic way inside the classroom, but rarely is it ever effectively applied to real life. How can it be, when many of the young minds in the room belong to people from privileged backgrounds? I can share my experiences and things I’ve seen, and maybe even offer some thoughts about how it can be and whether a positive change will ever happen, but it is often the case that students listen but cannot yet hear. We do however excitedly apply lovely abstract formula devised by Lorenz and Kuznets to the reality of human tragedy and ecstasy.

So, I have come to appreciate that the position we are in of having some savings to spend whilst cycling around the world is not a common one, and there certainly is only one way our cash flows these days, and that’s out. We had to be prepared for that. Our reality is that we are in a small minority; to put things into context I always like some cold, hard, sober, emotionless numbers:

71% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 a day (Few Research Center, 2015)

39% of the world’s population does not a bank account (World Bank, 2015).

22% of Brits & Americans have no savings (Telegraph, 2012, MarketWatch, 2015)

64% of Brits & Americans have less than £1000/$1300 in savings accounts (TIM, 2014).

62 people have the same wealth as 50% of humanity (Washington Post, 2016)

It would be easy to say then, that being able to tour the world for two years means we are lucky and blessed. Well, I’m not so sure it’s either of these. We have worked hard to establish our careers, providing reassurance that when we need to earn again, we should be able to find work.

We didn’t do anything personally to affect it, but maybe we were ‘lucky’ to be born in UK and Ireland into caring middle class families. From then on, I think we make our own luck. Are we blessed? Well, this suggests some kind of divine intervention, which doesn’t compute with me. Who is the one that decides if we can or can’t do something that we dream of? Personally, I believe it is us – only us.  Sure it takes some forward planning and self-belief. I prefer brave (maybe a little bit crazy), self-assured and assertive as ways to describe ourselves.

Also, people make excuses far too easily and frequently about why they can’t do things they’ve “Always wanted to do”. Sometime it seems people say it just to exonerate themselves. I don’t understand that. That “could’ve”, “would’ve”, “should’ve” tense. I believe that where there is a will, there’s a way. If ultimately it doesn’t live up to your expectations, well I’ve always thought that it’s better to regret something that you have done, rather than always wonder about how it might have been.

There is never a bad time to go and explore. We have met retired couples touring, single 70 year olds, read of friends who ride the world with their two kids in tow, or their dogs. Those who are battling with sickness, those who just don’t know what they want to do in life, so go out for a ride. I don’t think that you particularly have to have a reason or a cause either. I found out how much I love touring by just giving it a go a few times and have discovered that there is a beguiling beauty to the rhythm and excitement it brings.

Six months into our two year ride now, we have become acutely aware of, and are grateful for:

Freedom of movement – Having EU passports (although for me not much longer) enables us to roam. Sure, visa applications are a hassle, but there are many people in the world we know and love who cannot whimsically cross borders.

Western Privilege – Not really sure what this means, but we certainly have a life of relative comfort back in our home countries. Services that are provided to us as a matter of course are to some, always out of reach.

Health – We should never take this one for granted. Staying fit, eating well, not taking too many risks. Enjoy every day you feel good, and battle when you don’t.

Age – Am I middle-aged? I guess I am, but they are just numbers. Are we always too young for things until we are too old? Rubbish. Don’t be held back thinking about your age. If you can’t help it, then get a younger partner, they’ll keep you young!

So what does all this suggest? ‘Carpe Diem’, would be the obvious thing to conclude, but that’s one hell of a cliché. Perhaps we should all live frivolously? No, that would be irresponsible.

Budget? Yes, but don’t let it suffocate you.

 

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Videos of our adventures can be found on our YouTube channel.