This is a tough question as there is a limitless list of what we can do for children.
Jimmy Casas's (@casas_jimmy) post, Leaders Sit on the Front Porch, brings that question to mind this morning.
The question also brings to mind more questions:
What does it mean to serve children well?
What does serving children well look like?
With limitless possibility, and limited time, what do we prioritize when it comes to serving children well?
I wonder how each leader and teacher related to my school would answer these questions? I think these questions would create wonderful conversation, and result in stronger collective action and service to children.
For now, as I think about these questions, I have the following thoughts, questions, and answers.
First, think about time--how are you spending your professional time, and are you making the best choices when it comes to teaching children well. Auditing our use of time, talk, and effort may help us to cull important minutes for work that matters. Then creating a pattern with time that meets the most essential students' needs will serve to impact the work we do well.
Next, are you making the most of the minutes you have with children? Is your work impactful? How do you judge your impact? This is a complex question as many would like to narrow that work to a discrete standardized test score, yet all educators know the area of impact is much more complex than that. I want to explore this question more in weeks to come.
After that, are children happy, engaged, and present each and every day that you teach? That's easier to assess as looking into a child's eyes, observing their affect, hearing their words, and paying attention to their written, creative, and response work will answer that question and lead you in that regard.
Then, are children learning their foundation skills with strength? Are you presenting learning experiences that engage and develop foundation skills in meaningful ways? We have many ways to measure foundation skills. The challenge here is that foundation skills require personalization as every child develops these skills at different rates with different paths. Hence it takes keen awareness, thoughtful choice, and targeted delivery and response to build these skills.
Finally, and perhaps this should be first, are you nurturing students' love of learning, passions, and learning to learn skills--the important aspects of learning that bring investment, spark, and life-long allegiance to learning. Again this requires thoughtful observation, conversation, and response. At the early years, this also requires a strong relationship with families, and the time to get to know a child deeply.
Related to my current practice, what does this mean for me in real time.
1. Make time for response. That's always a challenge given the attention, care, and time good response takes, but there needs to be systems of regular, enriching student response--response that uplifts, targets, encourages, and propels children forward. Also, educators' thoughtful response informs families and enlists their support as well.
2. Make time to understand students' needs well. Study the data, observe classroom efforts, converse with children/families, and understand the standards and research well to determine what my students need to go forward.
3. Make time to find solutions. Look at the areas of greatest need, and find ways to bring a child forward in those areas. Start with areas that will have a lifelong affect. As I think of this, I am reminded of the reading teacher's continual message to us to make time for meaningful reading activities and development since reading is an essential skill for all areas of growth and development.
4. Design learning well. Design the classroom learning experiences so that those experiences do the following:
- enlist support and enthusiasm,
- prompt creativity, communication, critical thinking skills, and communication,
- teach and strengthen foundation and learning to learn skills, concept, and knowledge.
- inspire passion, interest, and life long learning.
There's lots to think about with regard to these questions and actions. I'm sure I'll write and read more about these topics in the days and weeks to come. Thanks to Jimmy Casas for prompting such rich thought and action.
