Often, we talk about the importance of data as a means for assessing understanding and growth. Data can mean numbers and percentages; however, I have a hard time thinking about students as just equations. There is a value of information in providing a snapshot or aerial view of what is happing both to and for students.
This got me thinking about a candid camera. I guess I mean this literally and figuratively. There used to be a show called Candid Camera where the producers would set up crazy scenarios in public places and unbeknownst to the participants, a camera was catching their reactions to the absurd situation. Rest assured, I was not really thinking about setting up any kind of crazy situation to see how students and teachers react and then capture it on film. We already have enough deal with at school. #EmbraceTheCrazy
I was thinking more about catching data and telling stories through a candid and genuine lens. Social media has made it easy for anyone to create a one-sided narrative. I envision schools, teachers, leaders, and students sharing a snapshot of the ins and outs of education with more candor. Humans are messy so it only makes sense that the daily life of a school would be the same.
There are so many conversations in our curriculum around the social and emotional learning components. If our students see that we only share the clear cut, smooth, good stuff then they will think that when things get ugly or tough, there is something wrong. I don’t have the answer to how to truly do this, but I would love to see the school community share realistic snapshots. For instance, we all have experienced the day we have an amazing lesson for our students which utilizes technology when the inevitable issues ensue, and we can’t use that medium for the day. Why does that ALWAYS seem to happen on the days we are getting observed?
Honestly, the best observation is when something does not go as planned and the teacher and students bounce off the plan and come up with something on the fly. More than likely, it ends up being even better than what was planned.
Thomas Curran, a social psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, provided a TED Talk on the culture of perfectionism and warns of the danger to children who assume or comprehend that failure is not an option. I instantly connected to my candid camera idea because we are not allowing for genuine learning and social interaction in schools. Competition is fierce and teachers are overwhelmed by many variables, so we don’t allow to learn from mistakes, errors, or changes.
Instead of focusing on everything, what if we zoomed out that lens to get a snapshot of the true interactions. How can we do this?
- Leaders doing walk throughs several days a week
- Teachers holding small conferences with students just for feedback and suggestions
- Students writing journals about their experiences and concerns at school
The data and information shared in these informal assessments can be shared with all stakeholders. Don’t just celebrate the great feedback, but you should walk proudly with finding faults and failures. After all, we learn by trying and our students will need us to model that it is ok to fail, as long as we keep learning from it and keep trying.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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