This morning's #satchat focused on building a culture of learning. There were many great ideas shared.
As a learner, my own words and ideas, and the words and ideas of the learning community, lead me.
It's not a simple path to forge new learning streams. You move ahead with knowledge, then you back step to old ways.
At first, new learning needs to be purposeful. You need to surround yourself with visual and verbal reminders of new learning elements. You also may need the coaching of colleagues and leaders so you don't forget. It takes time for new learning to become second nature or an automatic response.
As humans, I've read, it's our inclination to resist new learning. In a sense, we have to push ourselves forward to do it a new way. Typically if the rationale is strong, our desire to learn will be stronger. When we see meaning and gain, we will persist.
It is the same for our students as so many educators on #satchat chimed today, to teach well, it is essential that educators are learners, and that the schools where we work embrace a culture of learning. A culture of learning is visible when students and educators alike work to coach each other toward new endeavor, knowledge, concept, skill, and capacity. It is also a culture that expects mistakes, and learns from error.
How will I continue to foster and strengthen a learning culture in my classroom, and contribute to a learning culture in the school where I work? In what ways can I strengthen my own learning routines so that vigorous learning is effective, meaningful, and worthwhile to me and my students?
New learning takes time, and that time is well spent when it comes to teaching children well.
School environments focused on learning will model the best of what both students and educators can be as learners, and that will certainly result in teaching children well.
