Hi Colleagues,
I hope this week’s edition finds you well.
QUOTE
“One of the things they are learning [from us] is what thinking looks like. In thoughtful classrooms, a disposition toward thinking is always on display. Teachers show their curiosity and interest. They display open-mindedness and the willingness to consider alternate perspectives. Teachers model their own process of seeking truth and understanding. They show a healthy scepticism and demonstrate what it looks like to be strategic in one’s thinking. They frequently put their own thinking on display and model what it means to be reflective. This demonstration of thinking sets the tone for the classroom, establishing both the expectations for thought and fostering students’ inclination toward thinking.”
(Ritchhart, 2002, 161)
FUNNY OF THE WEEK
TWEET OF THE WEEK
I’ve recently joined the world of Instagram to share resources, thinking and what’s going on in education. I would love for you to follow me @education_enclave.
WHAT’S THE BEST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Last week was the final episode of our Study Group around Debbie Miller’s, What’s The Best That Could Happen? New Possibilities for Teachers and Readers.
What a fantastic text! While I would recommend this book to all primary educators, those educators who employ the workshop model in their classroom/school will get the most out of the text. Reading is the lens that Debbie Miller employs throughout, but it is easy to make connections to other areas of the curriculum.
A big thank you to my colleagues who joined me across the five episodes. It started out as a bit of an experiment, and I really enjoyed the deep thinking and ideas that you all generously shared.
There has been a suggestion that we might find another text to study next year. First off, we will make it to the end of term, have a relaxing holiday break, and then start thinking about running another book club!
The first four episodes of the Study Group are now available as podcasts to download. While you can listen to each episode as a stand alone, the best experience will be if you’ve read the book, as well as listened to each episode in sequence.
I’ve included the links to the podcast for each chapter below. Chapter 5 will soon be available too.
LEADING LITERACY
Applications for Leading Literacy for 2023 have recently been opened.
It might sound dramatic, but Leading Literacy literally changed my life.
I was a participant in the first ever intake way back in 2010, before becoming a principal the following year, and now heading into my seventh year as a facilitator of the very same course.
The key elements to the course are the content being research based, but importantly practical.
The activities we engage in help us learn as adults but are also very relevant to the types of learning our students should be experiencing.
We make no apologies that this is an ambitious course. Many schools that have sent team after team to the course have been acknowledged for the growth they have achieved, as well as award nominations. Many educators enrol in the course more than once.
Thankfully next year we have the option of the course running face to face for the first time since COVID hit.
I’ve included links below to the intakes that I’m facilitating, as well as the online options.
FINISH STRONG
I don’t think the image above is practical for those of us who work in schools.
The end of the school year is a crazy time. This can lead us to saying or doing things that we regret. It’s important to try and finish strong with the end of the year in sight.
See my article below on my experiences relating to finishing strong.
HOW MUCH WORLD?
This site allows you to create a map of all the places you've visited in the world. It doesn’t discern where you’ve been in each country, but it’s still a cool way to highlight where you’ve been, as well as how big the world is.
Gets me thinking/planning about future travel plans. Holidays are just around the corner after all!
INBOX
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Thanks!
Thanks for reading and see you next week, Danny. P.S Feel free to provide me with any feedback regarding the newsletter, or anything for that matter via email.
If you would like to check out previous editions, you can access them here.
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