A post by Brad Gustafson, author of Reclaiming Our Calling
Many of us are feeling a tension in education. We’ve been asked to prioritize student achievement above the human beings doing the actual achieving. Fortunately, there is hope. It is possible to prioritize relationships while also helping students achieve lasting learning.
Reclaiming Our Calling tackles this tension head-on. The book contains powerful classroom stories and strategies to support the heart, mind, and hope of education. It is written differently than most professional development-type books I’ve ever read, but I’ll let you decide whether that’s important or not.
Here are three things that are really important (and one promise):
1. Reclaiming Our Calling is based on the belief that great teaching begins with relationships and connectedness. This doesn’t mean we refuse to prioritize content and accountability; it just means we refuse to disregard everything else that’s important.
2. More than a book, we have an opportunity to connect and take things deeper. I’m intentionally focusing on people who want to work together to create more meaning and connection in this work. If this sounds important to you, I’d invite you to join a small and mighty group of mission-driven educators who are in the #UndergroundBookClub. You can sign-up HERE. We collaborate on weekly missions and are creating a child-centered ruckus together. If you’re already a member, please consider sharing this blog post with one colleague you care about on a deeper level.
3. This is not a book for everyone. It is for educators who believe they have been called to teach (which is drastically different than “just teaching”). This doesn’t mean we don’t do jobs as part of our calling; it simply means we understand the gravity of the lives we’re entrusted to teach.
4. My promise to you is that by engaging with the book (and others who are doing the same), we will help you navigate the tension many of us are feeling. We will help you hold on to all that’s right in education, leverage your strengths, and elevate your voice so you can help others who may need your support.
Thank you for trusting me enough to read this post. Please consider purchasing the book on Amazon. I don’t take your time or trust lightly. If you’re interested in reading a few of the blog posts that have been written in connection to the book (and feedback that truly touched me) you can check them out below:
A Post by Katie Martin, Author of Learner-Centered Innovation
I have been fortunate to visit classrooms around the country over the last 5-6 years in a variety of different capacities (check out what I saw last year). Through these visits, and in conversations with many educators, students and parents, I have seen tremendous shifts in our education system. This paradigm shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered is changing how we see learners and their critical role in their own learning now and throughout their lives. Education Reimagined highlights that in this paradigm “Learners are seen and known as wondrous, curious individuals with vast capabilities and limitless potential.”
Here are 4 shifts that I have increasingly seen in many schools as they move to learner-centered.
Shift 1: From Standardization to Personalization
To be clear, when I say personalization it is not about programs and technology, which can often be conflated. Although technology can and does enable personalized pathways, the power of this shift is when the learner has the agency to make choices and learn in ways that meet their needs, not simply clicking through a program. This shift for me comes down to how we see learners and get to know and value them as individuals rather than a cohort of kids moving through school.
Experiences that change how kids learn in schools today rarely come straight from a textbook or program. They come from teachers who know their learners and design experiences to meet their needs based on the desired learning objectives. In spite of our understanding that no two people are the same, many systems have prioritized (and even demanded) overly structured lessons for every student to meet the same objective at the same time in the year, regardless of the individual’s unique strengths, interests, or questions. As we better understand the learning theory and celebrate the diverse talents and passions that individuals bring to the classroom, I am encouraged to see many systems move away from strictly following the textbooks and one size fits all approach to teaching and learning. I continue to see more educators and systems designed to empower learners to understand their unique strengths, ask more questions, and pursue their goals to chart their personal paths.
Shift 2: From Compliance to Learner Agency
Learner agency is about moving students from passively responding to acting with purpose to reach a desired goal or outcome. When students have an authentic purpose and audience beyond their teacher to share what they are learning, they are more motivated to learn and often go above and beyond. I am excited to see more schools moving toward structures that empower learners to share and drive their learning process through portfolios and student-led conferences. Opportunities for learners to share their work beyond the teacher in student-led exhibitions can be powerful to ensure students have an authentic audience and are doing work that has value.
We can teach necessary skills while creating experiences that allow learners to take ownership of the process. Learners have access to an abundance of resources and experts that enable us all to learn in ways that extend beyond the expertise of one teacher or classroom. By tapping into those resources, we can create more experiences that can allow students to apply their newly learned skill in ways that are meaningful and relevant to them and others.
Shift 3: From Product to Learning Process
Grading is a battle for many teachers and students but this process steeped in tradition and often fails to communicate what a learner knows and can do. I love this reflection from A 7th grader who shared his experience in a blog post, Dear Report Cards, You Suck, that exemplifies a major challenge with assessment procedures and reporting of what students know and can do. He says he realized that he is actually a B student, not a D student because of how he got to show what he knew and how his work was assessed.
The only reason you can easily read this is because of my best friend, spell check. My spelling difficulties make my handwriting hard to read. In the past, I’ve done most of my writing in a textbook without revisions. So, of course, I was going to get a D.
Having access to technology has changed my world. Being able to type my work and click on a red line to fix a wrong word has suddenly made my work correct. Feedback is another extremely helpful tool. When I was stuck or when I’m just finished, I used feedback to fix the things that were wrong or to add things that I may not have thought of. Feedback is an awesome tool!
When we only focus on the end result, we fail to communicate to learners the importance of sharing ideas early, getting feedback, and revising things to improve. If we don’t honor the learning process, we communicate that we either get it or we don’t. And as a result, we are negatively impacting learner’s confidence, creativity, and investment in their own learning and growth. Increasingly, there is a focus on failure in the learning process and it is certainly part of it, but the bigger picture to me is acknowledging that success isn’t black and white. Learning is a process and it takes time, effort, and growth to achieve success, even when we don’t see it.
Shift 4: From Delivering Content to Authentic Application
We all have a finite amount of resources and are accountable to meet specific objectives within a given period. Foundational knowledge and skills need to be developed, but we also need to balance these foundational skills we want all students to attain while allowing for authentic application of those skills and content. I recently shared this example of @msnunenkamp ‘s 5th grade class where instead of completing a packet and filling in worksheets, they did research to better understand the impact that humans are having on the environment and created a Public Service Announcement (check it out here) to help others understand and so something to improve the environment.
In a strictly standards-based paradigm, our learning goals are primarily the standards or subsets of standards. While this is a good start, many employers, vision statements, and basic common sense allude to developing productive and empowered citizens instead of mastering isolated content and standards. We need to prioritize learning experiences that not only develop knowledge but also attend to the skills, interactions, and mindsets we know are critical for students to develop to be successful in our evolving world.
These shifts give me hope as I see so many educators focused on what’s best for learners. Creating the conditions that allow educators to be nimble and create learning experiences that reflect the context and the resources to best meet the needs of all learners is the greatest shift of all.
Our schools ought to be places where students explore, inquire, and unleash creative thinking within a supportive, collaborative environment. Too often, however, they feel more like factories that demand compliance and uniformity—a reality that stifles innovation and leaves students ill-equipped for their futures. The good news is that you can help change that when you reimagine learning by sparking curiosity, inspiring creativity, and promoting student agency.
Take the L.E.A.P.: Ignite a Culture of Innovation will inspire and support you as you to take steps to grow beyond traditional and self-imposed boundaries. Award-winning educator Elisabeth Bostwick shares stories and practical strategies to help you challenge conventional thinking and create the conditions that empower meaningful learning.
Luminous Culture—Shine a light on every individual’s creative potential.
Empowered Learning—Encourage students to take ownership of their education.
Authenticity in Learning—Tap into passions to create relevant learning experiences.
Potential Soars—Ignite a movement of inspired, confident learners.
Are you ready to L.E.A.P.?
“Elisabeth Bostwick wraps together a wonderful blend of inspirational stories, applicable research, and her rich educational experiences . . . . This book will be a gem in your collection and one you will refer back to often.”
—Todd Whitaker, professor of educational leadership, University of Missouri
“Take the L.E.A.P. will not only challenge your thinking but also provide direction on how to move toward the innovation economy.”
—Don Wettrick, founder and president of STARTedUP Foundation
“Anyone could easily take this book and transform their classroom to increase student empowerment and creative, divergent thinking.”
—Mandy Froehlich, author of The Fire Within and Divergent EDU
This genre-busting book captures the heart, mind, and hope of education like no other. Through a series of interwoven stories, award-winning educator and principal Brad Gustafson reminds us of what we’ve known all along: Children are more than numbers, and we are called to teach and reach them accordingly.
Reclaiming Our Calling will empower you to . . .
Talk about learning that lasts in tangible terms
Teach on behalf of the whole learner by tapping into their strengths
Take steps toward meaningful change regardless of your role
Understand and lead with the 4 Passions of the Profession and invite others to do the same
—–
“ . . . an inspiring call to action.” —John R. Ryan, president and CEO, Center for Creative Leadership
“ . . . powerful classroom stories, reflective-thinking opportunities, and practical strategies.” —Donalyn Miller, author and literacy advocate
“ . . . a great resource for teachers to get back to the core of great teaching and learning.” —Josh Stumpenhorst, teacher, librarian, author, and speaker
“Reclaiming Our Calling is a gift to all educators.” —Jessica Cabeen, author, speaker, and nationally distinguished principal
“ . . . it’s a message many educators badly need right now.” —Peter DeWitt, EdD, author/consultant, Finding Common Ground blog (Education Week)
“ . . . a physical manifestation of the heart and soul of education.” —Dr. Tony Sinanis, educator, author, and speaker
“ . . . a rallying cry for all educators . . . and policy makers should take notice.” —Gov. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia
Kids begin their learning journey as curious problem solvers who ask questions and create solutions. As they go through school, something happens to many of our students, and they begin to play the game of school, eager to be compliant and follow a path instead of making their own.
As teachers, leaders, and parents, we have the opportunity to be the guide in our kids’ education and unleash the creative potential of each and every student. In a world that is ever changing, our job is not to prepare students for something; instead, our role is to help students prepare themselves for anything.
In Empower, A.J. Juliani and John Spencer provide teachers, coaches, and administrators with a roadmap that will inspire innovation, authentic learning experiences, and practical ways to empower students to pursue their passions while in school.
Compliance is expecting students to pay attention. Engagement is getting students excited about our topics, interests, and curriculum. But when we empower students, they crave learning that is both meaningful and relevant to their life, now and in the future.
Empower is for you if …
You are a teacher eager to get students making, designing, and creating their own learning path in (and out of) the classroom
You are a superintendent, district administrator, or principal who is leading change and working to help your staff thrive in a twenty-first-century learning environment
You are a coach, staff developer, or teacher leader who is crafting professional learning experiences and wants to encourage colleagues to be the guide on the ride
Empower is focused not only on what happens when students own their learning but also on how to reach a place where that is possible in the midst of standards, set curriculum paths, and realities of school that we all have to deal with. Written by real educators who are still working in schools and with teachers, Empower will provide ways to overcome these challenges and turn them into opportunities for our learners to be unabashedly different and remarkable.
Empower is available on Amazon! Join the conversation online using the hashtag #EmpowerBook and learn more at EmpowerBook.co.
