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I wrote this post in 2013. I could have written it yesterday. Sometimes I feel like change is so slow, that it is painful. And yet, even though I know I need to relinquish control, have I really done that...YET? Sometimes I think it is a lot easier to theorize about change than to follow through with it. You?

I read this post on Inquire Within a couple of weeks ago and it has been sitting with me ever since. Such good ideas in it! Please go and read it.

The post talks about all the 'c' words that are often used to describe education and learning in the 21st Century:

The author, Bo Adams goes on to suggest that all of these very important C words could all be 'ruled' by one BIG C:
CONTROL "Control in the sense of ownership, investment and engagement, degree of agency and autonomy. Control to exercise choice. Control to pursue curiosity."
And here is where I am really won over:

...in the giving of control, I believe we provide student learners with more opportunities to practice the skills organically and authentically than if we assign them work organized into the seven "Cs." Through the autonomy of control - motivated by the control of choice - we naturally invest ourselves in those seven "Cs." When we feel in control, we learn to take control, and we develop our capacities to maintain good control.

-Bo Adams

This is brilliant - and at the same time, can be really hard for adults to do.

We are in the middle of our PYP Exhibition and it is all about the kids being in control of their own learning. There are guidelines and supports in the form of checklists, workshops, and mentors, but ultimately, the kids are in control. And that can be hard for teachers and parents to deal with but so worth it for everyone if we can learn to back off a little and trust in the process, trust in the child, and be mindful of where they are at and how we can best support their learning.

Giving control of learning to the child doesn't mean sitting in the corner with your feet up and letting them flounder. It means becoming an observer, a guide, a road map of sorts - ready to be referenced. It means being attuned to what is going on in your classroom and being prepared to ask for clarification from the children in your class. It means posing the right questions, sharing the right provocations, providing the appropriate amount of time for them to work their magic.

It also means modeling the characteristics we expect in our children:

We have to take risks even (or especially!) when we don't know what the outcome will be.

We have to believe in our mission and vision and make sure we are not just talking the talk.

We have to be a beacon of change if we are expecting our kids to do school differently.

And we have to be prepared to let go of control ourselves, so that our kids can see what that looks like.

What kind of educator are you?

One that thrives on being in control or one that is prepared to let go, even in the face of possible failure?

One of the people I look to in terms of someone who reimagines education is Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy. In his book, The One World Schoolhouse, he says the following:

To me, this is what CONTROL is all about. Creating a nurturing and supportive classroom environment in which children are actively engaged in their own learning.

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I wrote this post in 2013. I could have written it yesterday. Sometimes I feel like change is so slow, that it is painful. And yet, even though I know I need to relinquish control, have I really done that...YET? Sometimes I think it is a lot easier to theorize about change than to follow...

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The Italian word, Attraversiamo, crossing over, pacts quite a punch when it is applied to the art of teaching.

The time has come for educators to consider crossing the bridge that holds, on one side, the traditional practices of educating and on other the new world of engaging in a learning journey with children.

The walk across may be challenging.

Let us consider that as you cross you will encounter wind, rain and slippery conditions. These forces impede your crossing. Similarly the conventional mindsets of teaching will press on you to keep your traditional roles as the rulers of your classrooms.

Relinquishing what is familiar is difficult.

Most people don't like change especially when everything seems to be working fine.

So why do it?

We do it because children deserve the best of us.

If this is not why you chose to be a teacher then you are in the wrong profession.

A teacher is foremost a learner, even after she earns her degree.

Read the Hundred Languages of Children to nudge you across that bridge.

You won't be sorry.

Cross over to a way of thinking about education that is in line with a new world.

Be the teacher that every child hopes for when they assigned to a new class at the beginning of a school year.

Host the classroom that gives each child a voice.

Showcase bulletin boards that are full of children's experiences, highlighting individual and group thinking and not reproduced copies of ducks.

Think of your students as rich in potential, capable, and worthy of respect.

Give your students a voice instead of shushing them at every turn, allow laughter and joy into your classrooms.

This is your starting point.

Attraverso (cross) and I will meet you on the other side!

I invite you to come for a visit and witness a new way of being with children!

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The Italian word, Attraversiamo, crossing over, pacts quite a punch when it is applied to the art of teaching. The time has come for educators to consider crossing the bridge that holds, on one side, the traditional practices of educating and on other the new world of engaging in a learning journey with children.

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The LEGO Foundation was founded in 1986, and our activities are based on the belief that all children should have access to quality play and learning experiences.

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Characteristics of playful experiences leading to deeper learning

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The five characteristics in this video draw on extensive conversations with experts in the field, as well as reviews of the literature on play and learning. We do not view them as providing any formal definition of play, but they do help unfold how playful experiences lead to deeper learning.

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Examples of Learner Agency in the Early Years

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Examples of Learner Agency in the Early Years

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Please feel free to add more https://padlet.com/cmatthews7/b2nlgn7hehnk

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Learner Agency-what do you know and wonder about the role of the teacher?