“For they will get to carry with them the humanizing experience of inhabiting a space that belongs to them, a space they are willing to invest in and improve upon for they see themselves as benefactors of commitment, not merely subjects of compliance.”

New quarter today. Same kids. Two “teacher-paced” classes and one “self-paced” class. Not sure when we will make a transition to a hybrid model with Covid numbers, but for now, it will be much the same as last quarter. And though I have made some adjustments after reflecting on our first-quarter experience, I am hoping for a big change in regard to kids’ having a better understanding of how I approach learning.

A few picked it up right away last quarter, but many seemed uncertain about my approach. And why wouldn’t they? A decade of being conditioned in the system, many found the notion of their having a voice in determining the final judgment of their learning a foreign idea. Oh, I don’t think they didn’t understand it; I just don’t think they trusted it or me. Nothing personal of course, and I did not take their distrust personally. It’s new. It’s a little radical. And such things take awhile to warm up to. For some, that “warmth” never occurred as they have continued–despite my reassurances–to worry about the score in Skyward. So, I sent out another assurance yesterday afternoon, trying again to put their minds at ease.

Trust takes time. And in this distance situation, it takes even more time and messaging. But, for many, as I have learned from their “Learning Letters,” they are starting to warm to the idea that we are partners in this. They are beginning to trust it and me. And I think on some level they are beginning to trust themselves. They are beginning to see themselves as owners of their learning. And as owners, not renters, they get to make decisions. They get to build equity. For they will get to carry with them the humanizing experience of inhabiting a space that belongs to them, a space they are willing to invest in and improve upon for they see themselves as benefactors of commitment, not merely subjects of compliance.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.