Camp itslearning: Day One Reflection
Welcome to my blog! I was going to write a getting to know me post for the first one, but ain't nobody got time for sunshine and roses - we have learning to do!
I've been working for a couple of months now on summer professional development - my boss came up with the idea of two day intensive workshops, and I liked it and ran with it. We have been working to get our LMS off of the ground, and our current model of PD hasn't been working, so we thought summer was a great chance to change things up and try a different model.
The basic outline is a half day of framing the LMS work through blended learning. Then a half day overview of our LMS, and then a full day to work on building resources with a coach on hand. We are calling them curriculum camp outs, or Camp itslearning. I'll share more on the building process and a deeper look at the agenda later. This post is really about reflecting on the first day.
This weekend I was working through a train the trainer type of course, and read about how important building relationships is, and how important reflection is, and how those two things aren't mutually exclusive. I was intrigued. I can use a Google Form to start to build a relationship by learning about the people I will be training, and get relevant information that will inform my presentation? Check and done!
I sent a quick pre-camp survey to get a pulse on my campers' level of comfort with the tools I would be showing and to hear their goals. I took those goals and entered them into the slide deck to help ground the session in what they needed, and checked to make sure that my goals aligned to theirs. I was READY for those campers to come today.
Disaster struck a little as I quickly realized that some of the campers weren't ready to come today - or ever really. And as is human nature, I was quick to be upset about the attitudes. I could hear what they were saying to me, but I couldn't HEAR what they were saying to me. I was blinded by what I took as rude and disrespectful behavior. What they were saying with that attitude was - I'm fearful. I'm fearful about this really overwhelming tool that you are asking me to learn. I'm fearful about changing the way I run my classroom. I'm fearful of giving up control of the flow of information in my classroom.
I thought I had a foot in the door to build a relationship, but we weren't there yet, and these folks were not interested in doing a trust fall with me. Their wall against fear was snark, and texting to make each other laugh, and asking impossible questions that there are no answers to (I don't know how to achieve world peace!).
My response, one of fear that I was doing something wrong or that they didn't like me (I know - but there is a 12 year old nerd living inside of me that just won't quit!), did not help alleviate their fears.
I started the camp talking about campfires, watering holes, and caves. I should have taken that group to a cave and listened to them tell me about their fears. We all have those fears, right? This is hard work, and scary work. Change is scary. It's worse without someone to hold your hand. I didn't do that though - I largely tried to ignore them because my feelings were hurt. That's what reflection is for though, right, to learn and make adjustments.
I hope they come back tomorrow. They were given the option not to, and they might not. In some ways that would be easier for me, but easy doesn't mean right, and I need this lesson in coaching and relationship building. I'd like to pull them aside, ask them what they want for their students, and help them see how blended learning with the help of an LMS could help them. They might not be able to hear right now, or see the value, but they would see someone seeking to understand them and help them. At the end of the day, that's who I'd like to be.
Luckily, I'll get that chance tomorrow - maybe not with this group, but there will be others. "Learn, adjust, and conquer!" Apparently the Getting Weisser motto. :)
I've been working for a couple of months now on summer professional development - my boss came up with the idea of two day intensive workshops, and I liked it and ran with it. We have been working to get our LMS off of the ground, and our current model of PD hasn't been working, so we thought summer was a great chance to change things up and try a different model.
The basic outline is a half day of framing the LMS work through blended learning. Then a half day overview of our LMS, and then a full day to work on building resources with a coach on hand. We are calling them curriculum camp outs, or Camp itslearning. I'll share more on the building process and a deeper look at the agenda later. This post is really about reflecting on the first day.
This weekend I was working through a train the trainer type of course, and read about how important building relationships is, and how important reflection is, and how those two things aren't mutually exclusive. I was intrigued. I can use a Google Form to start to build a relationship by learning about the people I will be training, and get relevant information that will inform my presentation? Check and done!
I sent a quick pre-camp survey to get a pulse on my campers' level of comfort with the tools I would be showing and to hear their goals. I took those goals and entered them into the slide deck to help ground the session in what they needed, and checked to make sure that my goals aligned to theirs. I was READY for those campers to come today.
Disaster struck a little as I quickly realized that some of the campers weren't ready to come today - or ever really. And as is human nature, I was quick to be upset about the attitudes. I could hear what they were saying to me, but I couldn't HEAR what they were saying to me. I was blinded by what I took as rude and disrespectful behavior. What they were saying with that attitude was - I'm fearful. I'm fearful about this really overwhelming tool that you are asking me to learn. I'm fearful about changing the way I run my classroom. I'm fearful of giving up control of the flow of information in my classroom.
I thought I had a foot in the door to build a relationship, but we weren't there yet, and these folks were not interested in doing a trust fall with me. Their wall against fear was snark, and texting to make each other laugh, and asking impossible questions that there are no answers to (I don't know how to achieve world peace!).
My response, one of fear that I was doing something wrong or that they didn't like me (I know - but there is a 12 year old nerd living inside of me that just won't quit!), did not help alleviate their fears.
I started the camp talking about campfires, watering holes, and caves. I should have taken that group to a cave and listened to them tell me about their fears. We all have those fears, right? This is hard work, and scary work. Change is scary. It's worse without someone to hold your hand. I didn't do that though - I largely tried to ignore them because my feelings were hurt. That's what reflection is for though, right, to learn and make adjustments.
I hope they come back tomorrow. They were given the option not to, and they might not. In some ways that would be easier for me, but easy doesn't mean right, and I need this lesson in coaching and relationship building. I'd like to pull them aside, ask them what they want for their students, and help them see how blended learning with the help of an LMS could help them. They might not be able to hear right now, or see the value, but they would see someone seeking to understand them and help them. At the end of the day, that's who I'd like to be.
Luckily, I'll get that chance tomorrow - maybe not with this group, but there will be others. "Learn, adjust, and conquer!" Apparently the Getting Weisser motto. :)
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