Day Nine. As everything has changed without, nothing has changed within. In the Project 180 classroom, learning is a trust, an agreement that true learning is an act of responsibility, an act of ownership. As much, teaching is a trust, an agreement that true teaching is an act of responsibility, an act of ownership. A mutual trust.

We trust. I trust that they will take responsibility and ownership for their learning. I carry no carrots. I stow no sticks. I have no interest in their compliance. I have a keen interest in their commitment.

And they. They trust that I trust, that I am true to my word that they are driving the car, that I have acknowledged and respected their ownership of the vehicle–their learning–as I sit beside them, an experienced passenger with a map in hand, ready to help them navigate the wonders of their worlds within and without. We trust.

But trust is no simple thing. Trust takes time. Trust lets go. Trust transcends the immediate and looks to the long term. Trust succeeds. Trust fails. Trust dies. Trust grows. Trust does a lot of things, but in the end, trust trusts.

Look, all fancy words aside. I have to trust my kids to learn. Yes, for some that works better than for others. Some want the promise of the carrot and the fear of the stick. That’s been their conditioning. But those wants are not needs. They don’t need promise and fear. They need trust. So, I trust them. And now, with recent events shaking the very foundations of our institution, it seems trust is more appropriate than ever. So, I will trust my kids to take responsibility for and ownership of their learning. That hasn’t changed. The world has, and that, I believe, points us to trust as we navigate this uncharted territory.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.