If you had asked what my passion project was at this time last year, I would've said Genius Hour. It's a little recursive - my passion project is student passion projects. At the time, I hadn't seen anything so amazing in fifteen years of teaching, and the potential seemed endless. I'm still floored by what students will do when you help them find what they care about.
Since then, though, I've pulled at the thread, widened my view, and realized that so many of the things that have gripped my attention so tightly all fall into one big category. This school year, I've attended three EdCamps, am planning one at my school (EdCamp St. Augustine, RSVP now!), and have plans to attend EdCamp USA. I've been active in so many Twitter chats, I've worked to share ideas on campus with my coworkers. In my classroom, I outsource many of my jobs and choices to my students. As I look at all of this, it occurs to me that the commonality is that all learners - the students and the teachers - work best when they have a say in what their learning. Not a big surprise, really, when you have choice, when your voice is valued, you buy in and learn more.
There's my passion, then, right? Helping students of all ages to find their passions, to find their voices, to find a stage, and to feel valued and important. Why are we working otherwise? Pain avoidance? Just for the grades? That's not the sort of world I want to shape. I know those things work, for a time, but not for everybody. Knowing that you're on the team, in the tribe, knowing that you're a valued piece of the puzzle, that's the real key.
And here's the thing - I know, I know, that I'm only at the beginning of the rabbit hole. I've stepped in and seen that there's more than I thought. But I know that I'm only at the beginning, this goes so much deeper. Following those rabbit holes, I've got a great journey ahead of me.
Since then, though, I've pulled at the thread, widened my view, and realized that so many of the things that have gripped my attention so tightly all fall into one big category. This school year, I've attended three EdCamps, am planning one at my school (EdCamp St. Augustine, RSVP now!), and have plans to attend EdCamp USA. I've been active in so many Twitter chats, I've worked to share ideas on campus with my coworkers. In my classroom, I outsource many of my jobs and choices to my students. As I look at all of this, it occurs to me that the commonality is that all learners - the students and the teachers - work best when they have a say in what their learning. Not a big surprise, really, when you have choice, when your voice is valued, you buy in and learn more.
There's my passion, then, right? Helping students of all ages to find their passions, to find their voices, to find a stage, and to feel valued and important. Why are we working otherwise? Pain avoidance? Just for the grades? That's not the sort of world I want to shape. I know those things work, for a time, but not for everybody. Knowing that you're on the team, in the tribe, knowing that you're a valued piece of the puzzle, that's the real key.
And here's the thing - I know, I know, that I'm only at the beginning of the rabbit hole. I've stepped in and seen that there's more than I thought. But I know that I'm only at the beginning, this goes so much deeper. Following those rabbit holes, I've got a great journey ahead of me.