Take Risks, be the Change with Your Example

         How can we talk authentically with students about the importance of taking risks or seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn, when as a teacher we do not try?  It is difficult for some educators to internalize that the center of the learning process is the students and we have to work for their future and not for our reality.

 

a)-We have to take risks in the process of learning, listening to the students more, and being more curious.

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b)-We have to be more intellectual and read more to find new learning artifacts to implement in our classroom.

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c)-We need to create an authentic learning environment where everybody learns from each other.

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         Some teachers that resist or avoid the implementation of technology, also deny students the use of technology and that is a huge mistake.  Our district gave a chrome computer and a hot spot to each student that needed the devices.  Some teachers argued (especially in disadvantage communities) that it was not a wise decision because they could destroy de computer or use them for something else, different than the academic setting. The same mentality from decades ago, when reading of writing were not allow to some communities. We should not be afraid to put technology in the hand of our disadvantaged families. We need to help them in order to have a better nation with less gaps between social classes.

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         As teachers we need to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable in the learning process, it is okay to take risks.  Learning from students in a collaborative setting is powerful. When I started teaching 5th grade self-contained. Some teachers criticized behind the door, how could I teach Language Arts with my accent and my pronunciation, and they just laughed. I was honest about this reality with my students and we created a strong collaborative environment. We helped each other and we learned together. At the end of the year the data in the STAAR test in reading/math/science and TELPAS of my class was 20% higher than the other groups.  We need to know what the students need and where the students are coming from.  How are we going to be effective teachers if we do not know the cultural background of the community in which we work?

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         The best way to change the learning environment is with our example, modeling, not just talking.  Resistant teachers start to take risks and change when they see our work and our data. It is normal and comprehensible.  As leaders we need to continuously increase our growth mindset, try new ideas, be open to change, and collaborate on anything with other teachers and administrators to benefit our students.  I hope you find the Alternative PL outline useful for your growth mindset.

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