GETTING STILL AND REAL IN OUR SCHOOLS
BY : LORI BROWN , ED . D
The last time I visited my doctor , he very kindly suggested that if I wanted to get healthier , I needed to drop the extra pounds by moving more and watching my diet . He was very clear that better physical and mental health was directly attributed to movement , diet , and social engagement . I believe the Covid-19 pandemic taught us a similar lesson , as we realized in the spring of 2020 that staying home and away from others wasn ’ t a lot of fun .
Science has proven that we function better when we are engaged with others in meaningful activity and dialogue , largely because we are developing community . There ’ s just something about hugs , words of encouragement , and purposeful interaction that yields greater hope and health .
Another tip I received from my doctor , as I turned to exit the exam room , was the idea of being truthful , both with myself and those around me . Whether verbally or in writing , I needed to be honest about where I was ( or wasn ’ t ) in my health journey and where I needed to be . Without this level of honesty , I would not be able to grasp the magnitude of the plan and progress that lay ahead . In short , my doctor ’ s advice can be summarized by a simple phrase - “ Get still and real ” before taking life-changing actions , or else the actions I take may do more harm than good .
As an educator , I can ’ t help but wonder how often we get still and real in our schools . How would the process and outcomes around school change look different if afforded the luxury of finding the time to get still and real about the “ busyness ” of schooling and the conditions that need changing ?
When we think about school or classroom-level change ( instructional , assessment , or leadership change , for example ), then it helps to start with a clear understanding of the motivation behind our efforts , and a vision of the desired outcomes . Do we understand why we suddenly decided that the instructional strategy we use to teach language is suddenly ineffective , or do we know why we have chosen to avoid peer or partner activities in the classroom ?
10 Term 1 Sep - Dec 2022
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