What if...?

With any hobby/sport/profession, there is a new language to learn. In education we called the jargon we use "edu-talk" and it can often be a barrier for the lay person, especially families. We become so immersed in it though, that sometimes we hardly realize we are using acronyms and key words that have little meaning to others. 

You might feel that way when you look at the picture below of my crossfit workout from this morning.

I remember the first day last July walking in to my 'box' (what we call the crossfit gym) and looking at the 12ft wide x 8 ft tall white board wall and thinking...... "um..... waaat?"

A fish out of water!

Working with language learners on a daily basis, I'm well aware of their 'fish out of water' feeling - and what signs to look for, that indicate their understanding and lack of understanding.However, this post this morning is not as much about language learners, as it is about learners in general. In actuality aren't we all learning language (and variations of language) every day. Well at least I hope we are!

So let me translate what I had to endure this morning and then relate that to you - out there - working in education. After a warmup and mobility this was the WOD that was posted for us. WOD = workout of the day.

 So for every 6 minutes we had to complete a 400m run (up a hill and down again)

6 thrusters (lifting a weighted barbell to your shoulders~front rack~dropping into a squat~that is at depth~ then pushing the barbell over head as your raise up to a full vertical stand

9 toes through rings (holding on the gymnastics rings and swinging your legs upward to place your feet overhead into the rings~or my modification:laying on the ground, holding on the rig (metal frame) and lifting my straight legs over my head to touch the metal upright' 

12 tuck jumps (knees to touch your palms held out horizontal at waist level).

For as many minutes as you had left over after you complete the 4 activities you can rest. Then after the 6 minutes had counted down - you repeat  - until 36 minutes has past (Yes a total of 6 times).

Our coach said that if you couldn't finish the 4 exercises in 6 minutes you probably should go back to the fundamentals class. (Great! I thought - that's going to be me!) "Why did I think that?" you ask (because Geniene is usually a very positive person - where does this negativity come from?) Let me tell you!~ Last September I suffered bi-lateral quadricep tears in both legs. They were so severe, I contracted rhabdomyolysis, which put me in the hospital for a few days. In layman speak: I tore my quad muscles from over training and my muscles starting breaking down, dumping toxins into my blood stream. The good news, I recovered after a few months of rehab. The bad news - it can happen again - like a sprain. And it did this summer (another few days in the hospital). So, what does this all have to do with anything? It has instilled a healthy fear in my training regime - albeit a fear that sometimes tells me point blank YOU WON'T FINISH!

So as I'm running up the hill on round 2 I started thinking about kids who come in to school with an unhealthy fear. Who walk the halls of the best schools, staffed with the most passionate teachers, supported by amazing community, who don't believe they'll finish. Not finish, as in graduate, but who won't finish assignments- tasks-homework-reading. For a variety of reasons - they come in overwhelmed with the assignments pre-loaded on the board/screen, and who might not even understand the acronyms like H.W. for homework. Somewhere along the lines, that missed that instruction or explanation and just copy it down dutifully with zero understanding.

I finished round two and told myself - "that's it! I'm overheating, I'm not enjoying this one bit! I'm going to take a DNF (did not finish) and call it quits for the day". Round three started 2 minutes later and off  I went.

On the run for round three I played a few possibility scenarios in my head:
What if we knew our students - I mean REALLY knew our students - to the point that we could scaffold our teaching and their learning so well that for a student who gets every math problem wrong for weeks - can show progress?
What if that student could show and celebrate success by first correctly copying down the assignment?
What if that student could show and celebrate learning by understanding and reading the problem correctly?
What if that student could start their work independently completing step one before asking help?

What if that student could complete all parts to the problem and know how to check their answer?
What if that student could explain their answer to a partner and not have to complete an entire worksheet because of the time it takes him/her to process the language of the question (if they know it they know it - don't habituate incorrectness!)

I"m standing outside panting, shirt raised above my head to get some cool air on my skin, and I'm thinking "Ok you're half way - no shame in quitting now!" BUT I'm also thinking (you know if you complete round 4 you'll be more likely to finish the whole thing). The mental battle has begun!

What if we truly teach with an asset perspective - believing in the life changing moments where small successes are celebrated? - especially for students who constantly feel like they are in a constant state of "I might as well quit now" or worse "it's ok if I quit now".

I finished round 6 with time to spare - I guess I can stay in the 'big kids class' :/ I'm still red faced, but I'm so glad I didn't quit!

Charge your day today with "what if?" ~ and explore the possibilities.