Each summer break, it’s
important to reflect, revamp, and revise plans for the next school year - and
of course take time to rest and relax! However, I always find time to plan and
prepare for the upcoming group of students. ;)
This summer I had an
amazing opportunity to attend the Camp Snowball in Portland, Oregon.
This conference was about using the Systems Thinking Approach. When I arrived I
was overwhelmed, confused, and had no idea what Systems Thinking even meant!
There were people from all parts of the educational world at this conference,
ranging from teachers to principals to superintendents and even staff from the
finance departments of school districts. It was refreshing to see all these
people excited and interested in learning about Systems Thinking.
The first couple days I
spent time learning and synthesizing the knowledge I had learned. By day three
I was starting to grasp the concepts. I liked the idea and felt it really has a
place in my classroom. Our last day at Camp Snowball we visited the Kids Camp,
called Camp Sunshine. This really helped me visualize the approach even better.
I was amazed by the conversations and depth of understanding all the students
had on the various topics. In one-week’s time, the students had gained so much
knowledge and experience with the Systems Thinking approach. I truly enjoyed
and value this experience. I hope to continue learning more and I can’t wait to
add some of the new tools I learned into my lessons this school year!
My learning and
preparation will continue through the rest of the summer… Some other projects
I’m working on include updating the classroom and furniture designs. I am also
thinking about adding a Maker Space area into my classroom and taking out the “traditional”
classroom kitchen/dramatic play area. I will definitely be adding ‘Genius Hour’
into my schedule! I plan to start with “Wonder Wednesday’s” in the fall, then we
will explore deeper on student driven wonders after Winter Break. Reading
educational books will definitely continue. One book I just started titled, WorldClass Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students by Yong
Zhao is really making me think and rethink. (He was a Keynote speaker at Camp
Snowball. He has a new insight on education that provides alternatives to the
traditional schooling. Check out his website and book list.) And of course I
will make sure I spend more time relaxing and with my family, especially my
very spoiled dog, Howie!
My goal as an educator is
to be a lifelong learner and not be afraid to take chances. I hope the same for
my students. A good quote I try to live by, “Never
stop learning because life never stops teaching.” -Unknown
