I'm fortunate to serve on several school and district committees. There are many advantages to this. I learn a lot from attending the meetings, and I get the opportunity to interact with colleagues I respect. I hear different viewpoints. I get the chance to verbalize my thinking on topics I'm interested in. And I have the opportunity to think on my feet--and practice the learning I want for my very own students. From one conversation, I can pick up something that changes my thinking (for the better) or helps me put a twist on an idea. .
Recently, I've been privileged to serve on our school's instructional design team. We've been sharing ideas on how we can move our school forward and create even better learning for our students. Of course, we've talked about 21st century schools. We've also talked about how this "21st century" term is really overused. I mentioned how I'd even heard the term "22nd century" schools.
I came to this conclusion: I am preparing my students for NOW. Yes, I am thinking about their future and I want the very best lives for them. But my students have to live in today's world and they already function there. They live and play and dream and hope right now. All of those activities require thinking--and skills that I taught just yesterday. So I am not only preparing my students for a time that hasn't arrived. I'm preparing them for today.
When I think of it this way, I'm inspired even more to do my best. Are you?
No comments:
Post a Comment