On Friday, educators around the Northwest got together in Terrace for a Network of Performance Based Schools Meeting. Linda Kaser and Judy Halbert were there as guest speakers and shared their view on what is going on in the world of education, with of course a focus on B.C. Being surrounded by people who embody the mindsets we've been talking and learning about is truly awe inspiring. I was struck by the intense moral purpose shared by so many educators - the goal we all share of making sure each and every one of our learners cross the stage with dignity, pride and options by 2020. As a classroom teacher, that goal is indeed daunting, and at times seemingly impossible, but when I think about how I feel after each Network meeting, I realize that learning communities make even the most difficult tasks possible. I see true power in learning communities, and that they just don't happen magically on their own. They require intense thought and design to make sure they are working properly. I connect deeply to Mitchell and Sackney who in their book "Sustainable Improvement: Building Learning Communities that Endure" talk about the PRINCIPLES of ENGAGEMENT when referring to high capacity learning communities. These principles are:
1. deep respect
2. collective responsibility
3. experiment orientation
4. appreciation of diversity
5. positive role modeling
The Network of Performance Based Schools has endured for over 10 years with little to no funding, serving no agenda other than improving the learning and success of B.C. students using formative assessment, networking and inquiry. It has made a huge impact in my work as an educator. I now see why. They embody the principles of engagement. My next challenge is putting what I know into action. How can I create a meaningful learning community in my own school that is deep and influential so that we can meet the needs of all our diverse learners?
I was excited to hear news of the Network event in Terrace. I was also fascinated with the way you've woven your reading of Mitchell and Sackney together with Network ideas. Engagement is certainly a key word in our dreams of change for schools today. But to keep it from becoming a meaningless buzz word or bandwagon, we have to develop the kind of deep understanding that comes from synthesizing ideas in our own way and applying them to our own setting. I think you are wise to approach the building of a local learning community with an attitude of inquiry - not whether it is possible but "how". You have been attentive and now you will need to be persistent and committed! Although most of us are not resonating with the last of the mindsets, LEARNING ORIENTED DESIGN, that may become a mantra for you in this work. How do we modify everything we do so that the staff, or willing members of it, have opportunities to learn together?
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