I’m
working on my weekly no-contact grocery pick-up order – taking stock of what we’ve
been using a lot of, sorting the fridge to see what’s there and what to get rid
of, and making a list of needed ingredients as I plan for upcoming meals. This
weekly task gives me a sense of what we’ve been consuming and what I should get
more and less of.
Taking
stock is a good idea, and now that we’ve been at this remote-learning business
for a month, it’s probably a good time to take stock of the situation.
For
both teaching and coaching, we can ask questions like:
· What’s the
proportion of synchronous to asynchronous experiences? Does that proportion seem about right, or are
shifts needed?
· What’s the
proportion of sit-and-get vs. active participation?
· Who is
participating and how? If a change is
needed, how might that happen?
· Have do you
feel about the phone calls you’ve made? What about texting? How do these less tech-intensive options
compare with what you’re getting out of video conferences?
· How are
relationships with parents supporting students’ learning? What is working to build these relationships?
More
generally, we can ask:
· What have I
learned from this experience?
· What learning
experiences were the most valuable? Why?
· What learning
experiences were less valuable? Why?
· What more do I
need to learn about this approach/concept/topic?
“Taking
stock” questions like these can be used to examine different platforms you’re
trying: Google docs, Zoom, Teams, Hangouts, etc. Do you need more of some and less of
others?
“Life
is a series of commas, not periods.”*
Reviewing our current situation is a prelude to making decisions as we
move forward. Because educators are carrying
out their responsibilities in isolation from colleagues, there’s a special need
for self-reflection and personal responsibility. No one else is privy to how things are going,
so we have to take stock for ourselves.
Reflecting
gives the brain an opportunity to pause, untangle, and sort through experiences,
consider interpretations, and create meaning.
It gives us the chance to consider recent experiences in relation to the
past, opening opportunities to thinking deeply. As we take stock of our unusual
experiences these past few weeks, it will help us plan future menus for teaching
and coaching.
*Quote
attributed to Matthew McConaughey, actor and producer.
-----------------------
This
week, you might want to take a look at:
Supporting
teachers during remote learning (recorded webinar):
This
sentence got my attention: “’Dear Students: You all get an A.’ I wonder what
would happen if we gave those “A’s” now to our schools as well.” More thoughts to ponder here:
Ways
to make sure students get feedback:
Student
voices about improving online learning:
This
podcast about self-care for teachers during school closure:
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