A Gathering of Educators in Boston

A week ago, Ashley and I were invited to join a most distinguished gathering of New England educators at the home of a friend in Boston.  The group assembled to host and to hear from Ellen Hall and Deborah Dumont about a new exhibit that they curated entitled, "Cultivate the Scientist in Every Child."  The exhibit is made up of stories of children and adults exploring and discovering the world together, full of wonder and curiosity.  The exhibit opened at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History in January and will soon open at Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, at the University of Wyoming.  The hope is that it will grow and that there will be additions to the stories added by schools and museums along the way. The exhibit celebrates the work of David and Frances Hawkins and all that they brought to the world of inquiry and science education.  All of the educators in the living room last Saturday had somehow been touched by the Hawkins and had stories to tell about why and how.  I realized, as I listened, that I was surrounded by many of the influences of my life, both past and present, and that this was all happening in Boston, our new home.  As we went around the circle to tell our stories, I was able to identify with fellow students and professors from the program where I earned an M.Ed in 1976 at Lesley University.  I hung on every word as Eleanor Duckworth described her work with the Hawkins.  Eleanor Duckworth, who I have so long admired that I can't count the years...and I had never met her.  Her book, The Having of Wonderful Ideas, has been and will continue to be a seminal, classic book for educators.  We heard from Lella Gandini, a dear friend and inspiring colleague, tell of being the interpreter at a conference planned by Loris Malaguzzi in Italy where David Hawkins and Paolo Freire were the featured speakers.  We heard from teachers at the Advent School in Boston, a marvelous Reggio inspired school where Ashley and I just visited, and from the educators at both the  Reggio inspired Lincoln Nursery School and the deCordova Museum.  We heard from our host, Joanne Pressman, former director of the Community Nursery School in Lexington, MA, tell about her work to establish a Hawkins Center for Learning at the school.

David and Frances Hawkins lived in Boulder, Colorado and for many years, so did Ellen Hall.  This is where she founded Boulder Journey School.  That they all lived in Boulder is one of the reasons that Ellen is so captivated by the work of the Hawkins; another compelling motivation is that David is among the educators who influenced the development of the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy.  Ellen wanted to make the Hawkins' contribution to teaching and learning visible and to bring these vital ideas to life through stories in an accessible and lively way.  If you are in Wyoming, you will have a chance to see the exhibit this summer.  If not, you can follow the exhibit schedule or make a plan to host it yourself.  It is free of charge.  To find out more, contact Hawkins Centers for Learning.  Thank you, Ellen and Deborah, and all the educators who are working hard to keep the dream of the wonder of learning alive for children and for all of us.

Commencement

 

I have taught at Butler University for three years with Ena Shelley, Dean of the College of Education.  In 2011, we taught a course based on how the teaching and learning in Reggio Emilia, Italy might inspire and influence all sectors of education.  For two years, we have co-taught a field study course in elementary and early education during an intensive week at Opal School of the Portland Children's Museum.  It has been a thrill for me to teach at the college and graduate level, and especially to co-teach with Ena Shelley who is a close friend and colleague.  It has been a dream of mine for some time to find a home at a university where I could offer what I love and know about to others and still do all the other kinds of professional work that takes me far and wide in the world.

Last weekend, I was privileged to participate in the Butler University commencement ceremony as an adjunct professor.  I ordered my academic regalia for the very first time, my tam and my hood from Union University, so that I could process with the faculty and join them for the celebration of so many masters and undergraduates at Butler.

One of the joys of the day for me was listening to the commencement address by John Green, who is an Indianapolis native, a New York Times best seller list author of young adult fiction and a very good speaker.  He was funny, he was honest, he was eloquent in an accessible way, he was memorable.  I keep thinking back on what he said and remembering the gems.

The very first thing that he asked us to do was to take a full minute to remember and appreciate all the people who had "loved us up" to this celebration, this day, this time in our lives...whether we were students, parents, faculty.  He captured a moment in time for all of us, and asked us to think of the people that had made this possible for us.  A long line up of parents, grandparents, teachers, professors, and others who supported me along the way, made sacrifices for me and believed in me, when I needed it the most, appeared in my mind's eye.  The huge, historic Hinkle gymnasium fell silent and every one of us spent that long moment being grateful and humbled by those who had made success in our lives possible.

John Green made us want to be that kind of person.  If we had any doubt, he helped us realize that to be the kind of person who other people, maybe people we don't even know yet, think of in moments like these...this is what makes a life successful more than anything else...more than fame or money certainly.

The tam and the tassel and the hood that symbolize my accomplishments are a huge honor to wear.  Participating as a faculty member, even a part time one, of such a dedicated and wonderful university as Butler is a privilege.  Remembering, honoring and feeling immense gratitude for the people who made this possible for me... that was the highlight of the day.  Thank you, John Green, for that.

What's Basketball Got to Do with It?... Discipline. Relationships. Fun.

  This is the third in a series of blog posts that we have written connecting sports and education...one on baseball, one on golf and this one on basketball.  There are similar themes running through these posts...discipline, teamwork, understanding learning style differences, perseverance, positive attitude, authentic relationships...all aspects of fulfillment and success in sports, in school and in life.

Last week, we read a fascinating short profile of the National Basketball Association coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich in Sports Illustrated.  He is the longest tenured coach in the NBA.  He took over the Spurs in 1996.  Since then, his team has recorded 16 straight 50+ winning seasons, including 4 NBA championships.  During his tenure, the other NBA teams have made 651 coaching changes.

Toward the end of the profile, written by veteran SI scribe, Jack McCullum, Popovich (or, "Pop"), after much equivocation, as is his want with the media, fairly gushes forth with a wonderful summary of his leadership approach.  Not incidentally, it's helpful to know that graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The only reason the word "military" is used to describe what goes on around here is because I went to the [Air Force] Academy.  But the correct word is "discipline."  And there are disciplined people in Google, in IBM, and the McDonald's down the street.

Yes, we're disciplined in what we do.  But that's not enough.  Relationships with people are what it's all about.  You have to make players realize you care about them.  And they have to care about each other and be interested in each other.  Then they start to feel a sense of responsibility toward each other.  The they want to DO for each other.

And I have always thought that it helps if you make it fun, and one of the ways you do that is let them think you're a little crazy, that you're interested in things outside of basketball... You have to give the message that the world is wider than a basketball court. 

Precisely my feeling about the classroom and education in general.  Discipline.  Relationships.  Fun.

Good educators are disciplined.  They are organized.  They know what they expect of their students, and they communicate those expectations clearly and relentlessly. They are intrepid in their work to create environments where those expectations can be achieved.  Excellence is the norm.

And, good educators know that the essential sauce in a healthy learning environment is a mix of healthy relationships.  Pop says it best...when players (and students) "care about each other and are interested in each other,  the they start to feel a sense of responsibility toward each other.  The they want to DO for each other."

And, good educators create a healthy learning environment in which FUN permeates the modus operandi.   Just google the myriad studies on the learning benefits of "play" to begin to drill down on the profound benefits of embracing this idea.  Read our blog post from last week where Louise writes about playful inquiry at the Opal School of the Portland Children's Museum.

And, You have to give the message that the world is wider than a basketball court. Good educators create learning environments without boundaries.  In such environments inquiry, invention and life long learning permeate the culture of the school.

Pop begins his three paragraph treatise on the essence of his coaching with discipline, then expands into the realm of relationships, and wraps up in the territory of unbounded fun.  I've followed this man and his team for years.  Now I know why I've been drawn to him.  He is a GREAT educator.