I can struggle with focusing in the course in whole group settings due to the time required to go around the room; however, that's something I greatly want and need to work on in order to actively listen to and acknowledge everyone in the room. I think a strength of mine would be overall diversity of teaching areas, though. I have been in suburban environments, rural schools, and special education classrooms and have seen many differences in each setting. I'm also enrolled online in Early Childhood Education courses and am learning about child development which brings a diverse perspective from this course as at times, I feel this course focuses too strongly on higher education. 
– Kat Erickson

 

Something a little scary for me is I do not want to be a “classic” educator. I would love to teach future doctors and patients and families, but I don’t see anyone else in this class having similar goals which scares me a little; in other words, being different scares me. But I think my outlook and differences maybe nice for other people to learn from (hopefully)? I would really like to be a holistic healthcare provider; I am extremely passionate about taking into account culture, lifestyle, identities, religion, disabilities, gender-identity, etc. into creating treatment plans for my future patients. As someone who is bi-racial and grew up observing massive differences in culture, I know how deeply that can affect one’s outlook on healthcare and how that can make healthcare education inaccessible. One doctor I admire has this quote that states “education is the best preventative medicine” and I resonate with that a lot! Teaching patients and families about medicine can help them live a healthy lifestyle and can even help them trust healthcare and doctors (especially minorities and immigrants). 
– Megan Heflinger

 

I feel like I am always working on making those around me feel safe and comfortable to share and be open and honest and that is another reason I am so interested in community work at Common Space and the workshops explained there. 
– Ariana Solecki

 

I have a short attention span sometimes and I think that helps me empathize and work with younger students who also have attention deficits. I bring energy and creativity!

 

I am not a great audible learner, and I thrive with visuals. So far with the first two weeks of class, I have been able to retain information from our discussions because of our visuals with the drawings and the pipe cleaners. 

 

I love hands on learning and will always bring excitement and energy to any project. This semester I am particularly struggling with my depression, which adds a layer of apathy to everything that I do and can make it hard for me to show up and be prepared- be accountable. I am chronically late and still cannot navigate SEPTA busses at all- trains are fine. I am a bit scared to work in a high school because I feel so close in age to the people I would be working with. I'm struggling to find the words for everything I want to say right now but I will try to elaborate in my next journal entry. 
– Moe Shephard

 

Every weekend I go to Boiling Springs, PA to be with my gf and son. I don't try to say a lot, but when I do say something I put a lot of care into it. Sometimes I will skip talking for a class because I don't have an idea that is bold and thoughtful enough for class. 
– Josh Nevarez

 

I believe that I am a very fast learner, and am very adaptable in different situations. I have had to deal with a lot of difficult situations with parents and their children last summer, so I believed I am equipped to handle difficult situations with the best of my ability. I am very patient, and very caring. 

 

I really enjoy working with students one-on-one! I have tutored middle schoolers and high schoolers for the past three years and have loved every second of it. One challenge for me would be working with a large group and possibly maintaining authority in the classroom, just because I haven't had much experience in this environment in the past.

 

I've found that the way that I listen to and process information takes longer than I thought it did. Oftentimes I don't have any immediate responses following a comment or discussion, and after thinking about it overnight or for a couple days I come to a better understanding of what my own opinion is. This can pose a major mental block to classroom participation and also acting under pressure (like what someone mentioned during class about practicing improvisation). I would really like to get better at improvising and contributing whatever I have at the moment, so that is something I am actively working on! I think this can also be a strength in that I listen well and enjoy considering all sides of an argument rather than focusing on my initial reaction/opinion. I also am really excited to learn from and about the educators in our partnerships, and that excitement acts a really great motivation for me to make the most of my partnership.

 

I learn best by talking to people, I often ask a lot of questions, sometimes to the point that I feel I may be asking to many questions. So long as I am engaged in discussion or conversation I am probably learning. My weakest point by far is organization. I am very scatterbrained and when I am not in the moment I can really struggle with keeping myself on track and on top of the things which I need to get done. 
- Zadoc Bond

I would say I am mostly a visual learner. Audio presents itself as a small challenge occasionally (i.e. trying to read silently while music is playing unless it's instrumental/no lyrics, listening to audios for information without any accompanying visuals). One of my strengths is design, particularly graphic design. It is not something I pursue academically but I work two jobs on campus related to it, which allows me to explore the basics of design and tie-ins to accessibility.
- Lorelle Adames 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marika and Nora 

Kat E. and Zora 

Megan and Zoe 

Emma and Sarah 

Josh and Emi 

Van and Abhi 

Delaney and Kira 

Miron and Evelyn 

Meghan and Lorelle 

Brisa and Carol 

Zadoc, Ariana, Kat K. 

Everyone pairs up; laughing over shoes; people start sculpting one another; some more quiet laughing;

Round 1 Noticings: self love; couple of circles; simple—one or two changes, not a lot of variation; flexibility and on point; hug—reframing accountability as more positive than it has been previously; experience of clay: positive but physically difficult

Round 2 Human Sculpting in pairs: “Education System”

More noise; louder laughing; more twisted shapes

Round 2 Noticings: hands away from body this time (versus toward body last time); lots of levels represented; not natural positions (twisted, stained); sharp shapes (versus more rounded the first time): Pause question: What if it had just been “education” and not “education system”? -> less rigid, lots more variation; clay noticed levels, too; different starting points in education

Round 3 Human Sculpting into group of 3-4: “Partnership”

Round 3 Noticings: lots of similarities: some sort of connection between group member (touching, holding hands, arms connected; some facing in and some facing out (connected but different); different to have more clay->can depict something more, more possibilities; can depict relationships (very relevant to partnership as a word); gives option to storytell; not working on your own

Round 4 Human Sculpting into group of 3-4: “Education”

Round 4 Noticings: What would you have called your sculpture: (1) Steps, building blocks; progress; (2) ray, entitled; (3) supporting differences/it takes a village; (4) level headed but also equity—all at same level  or artificial equality

Stepping back to think about activity: 

9:10-9:30: Lesson planning (part 1) 

Rebecca Solnit, Hope in the Dark

Add a few items to modes of learning paper

Connect to partnership work, if relevant, or experiences or in other classrooms or learning spaces (see images under "Sculpting, Human Barometer, and Other Forms of Embodied Learning")

Share with Margo and Alison lesson planning process/experience:

BREAK

8:45-9:15 Readings

9:15-9:30-? Accountability Partners 

Through active partnership with course collaborators, you as students in the CLC will:

Take a few minutes to write to yourself about how you have met these goals

Take a few minutes to write to yourself about how you have met these standards

Draft:

For the final course self-assessment, please discuss your labor and growth in the course according to your standards for your work and the assessment criteria in the syllabus, the grade you believe you have earned, and why.

    

Read around of both text lines and affirmations

I appreciate how much time in class is given to reflection and thought

I appreciate that we created a space that is relaxed and versatile

I am grateful for the trust this classroom environment has instilled in us

I appreciate the diversity of identities and experiences this space holds

I appreciate the feeling of acceptance that this class created

Safe space to express opinions that are not of the majority

I appreciate the intentionally flexible pacing of this class

I appreciate that we not only allow but celebrate joy in our classroom

I appreciate the acceptance and support this learning community has in being open and sharing our thoughts on difficult topics even when we are not fully sure how to articulate them ourselves

Thank you for being dynamic, flexible, present, vulnerable, and comfortable

I appreciate this learning community for its thoughtfulness and care

I appreciate that there is value placed on every thought shared

I appreciate how we all have different focused interests in education and have found ways to share them with one another

I appreciate the space for silence and reflection

I appreciate each individual voice, and the collective silence

I appreciate the deep ways in which the people in this room talk and listen to one another, weaving a learning community through thoughtful words and attentive silence