The Big Picture...

Today our Superintendent, Greg Bass, came to speak with us about the "big picture" for our school division. I am very glad he did for a couple of reasons.

It was good to hear the rationale behind some of the directional decisions that are made at the School Board level.  Having previously played a part in rolling out some of these decisions, it was good for me to 're-hear' the why behind the what.  I recognize in myself the need to know the big picture ideas before I get caught up in the details and I am beginning to realize that sometimes I can lose sight of the forest when the trees threaten to overwhelm me. I need to be more mindful of the big picture as I grapple with the details. 

As Mr. Bass was speaking, I pondered the need to continually revisit our long-term educational goals, as outlined in the School Education Plan (SEP).  While I know that I should be able to speak to this document, I realize I have not spent enough quality time with it or discussed it enough so that it makes sense to me and plays a part in the instructional decisions I make on a daily basis. The onus is, of course, on me as a professional to ensure that I have read and understand the direction and goals of my school.  However, I also need the opportunity to discuss these ideas in both formal and informal ways. We learn best when we think about and discuss big ideas with others. Some of the best professional learning takes place in the hallway when we stand together and talk about what we are doing in our classrooms.

It was also affirming to hear that my thinking and work with creativity is worth the struggle.  As educational thinking attempts to move away for knowing the facts to remixing information and experiences so I can DO something with these facts, it is important for me to continue discussing these ideas with my colleagues.  (The idea that we construct our own knowledge of the world is not new and had the political will of the day followed Progressive Education's rationale instead of rejecting it, we might be in a very different place in education.) 

Hearing the big picture vision for our school division also made me reflect on some of the habits I have fallen back into because my trees are interfering with the forest!  It was humbling to realize that I have, in some ways, let myself back-slide into what was easy and worked in the past when things get busy.  However, what worked with my last group of students (which was 5 years ago!) is perhaps not what is best for the children who are in my classroom today.  My teaching needs to adjust to them and not the other way round.