by Krissy.Venosdale | Nov 30, 2013 | Reflect
There are five conversations I feel like I’m having, over and over again. In my learning space, through Twitter, at conferences. I even read about them on blogs, in educational magazines… the five questions that haunt me because I feel like they are roadblocks. Things to discuss instead of taking action.
1.) Shouldn’t there be an “A” in STEM?
There’s a national trend right now to add the “A” in STEM, so that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math will also include Art. But, the way I see it, STEM is already so much about creativity, innovation, and ingenuity that Art is already in that. Look at a rocket when it effortlessly glides into the atmosphere. If that’s not a work of art, I don’t know what is. Talking about the acronym takes too much focus off the actions we need to happen to get STEM at the forefront in our learning environments.
2.) Isn’t gifted education elitist?
If I had a nickel for everytime I had to explain this, I’d be able to pay back the National Debt. Being gifted is about being wired differently. Saying it’s “elitist” to meet a child’s needs is the same as saying helping a student with dyslexia in their reading is giving them too many privileges. The argument just gets the focus off of doing something. And doing something is what is best for kids.
3.) Won’t changing teacher evaluation systems make teachers work harder?
Oh gosh. Really. Do you know any teachers? Teachers are already working beyond what most can imagine to be hard work. Every single day. Trying to meet kids needs in the face of increasing demands. Believing that you can “force” teachers to work even harder by changing the way they are evaluated is like thinking you can get a Pro Football Player to score more touchdowns by giving him more things to carry when he’s running down the field.
4.) How can I become a connected educator if I don’t have time?
It’s not about having time. It’s about making time. None of us have endless amounts of time, but we all have to determine what our priorities are. The time you take to connect will enrich your teaching in ways you can’t even begin to understand, until you connect.
5.) How will ________[insert name of a device] change the learning environment?
Turns out, devices aren’t magic wands. No device, no matter how big or how small, is going to change the learning environment without a strong, collaborative educator at the helm of the class, leading the way, and guiding learning. If you give a class a brand new box of pencils, will that be a game changer? Nope. Unless what the teacher encourages and embraces students to use those pencils for. It works just the same for devices.
What conversations are YOU hoping to never have again?
by Krissy.Venosdale | Nov 26, 2013 | Reflect
This week is Thanksgiving. When I think about this past year, the good, the bad, and the downright hard times, I know that I have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes I know I don’t take note enough. It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have, what we’re missing out out on. But, to see what we do have? It’s what life is about.
I never realized that this little blog would turn into my little corner of the universe, where I could share, connect, learn, and grow.
I didn’t know when my daughter was born that her journey would be a struggle and that learning through her what the autistic spectrum is and that her view of the world would show me a perspective I had never imagined before. I didn’t realize how much I would learn from her. I never imagined how she would make me a better educator and person.
I had no idea that I’d get to take a ride on the Zero G plane with NASA and spend time with incredible friends in the process. I didn’t think about how the experience would stretch my thinking and push me further than I thought I could go. I also didn’t know that when NASA took my photo, I’d be in the process of taking a selfie. 🙂
I never dreamed that the little school I’ve dreamed of actually existed and that one day I’d be working there. I didn’t realize that I’d find the same connection with kids that I’d had at my other school, and in the process realize just how important that connection is when it comes to learning. I also never thought I’d have the courage to walk out of a place where I felt love, acceptance, and growth on a daily basis. I also never realized what I’d gain by taking that chance.
What gave me that courage? The support of my husband. I’m grateful for for the way he always jumps in to support our daughter, my travels, our adventures, and my never-ending passion for learning. Amazing friends that I sometimes feel like I don’t deserve. Friends who are there to send a text or a DM, or share dinner to remind me of what matters most.
I had never considered that there might be a day when I’d realize that the hard parts of life are there to humble you, redefine you, and create new paths to growth that you can only see because of their difficulties. The days that try you, hurt you, cause your head to spin… those days have a purpose.
I never thought that a simple Instagram might be the last photo I get to take of someone. Until this summer, when this became the last photo of my grandma. A simple moment, captured on my phone, that turned out to mean far more than I realized. A moment I’m grateful to carry in my pocket and my heart.
I simply set out to share. I connect because those I connect with make me want to become a better version of myself every single day. I never realized just how much I have to be thankful for.
This might all sound random. But life is random. We have hard days, we have great days. We have days when our confidence is stripped away and we wonder what to do. We have days when we are so focused, nothing can stop us. We have so much to be thankful for. When we choose to see it.
Today I do.
