Reflect, Reconnect, Revitalize

Reﬂect, Reconnect, Revitalize
(Belief v. Practice)

Joan Gallagher-Bolos, December 2010

Artwork by Doug Smithenry
Friday, December 10, 2010 1

“Reﬂect, Reconnect, Revitalize”
Iʼm sure that clears everything up for you...
But just in case there a few lingering questions out there...

?

Such as...
Why is she up there? Why are we listening to her? What is she talking about again?
I’d like to give you a bit of background as to why I’m here speaking to you today.


1. Paul asked me
Chemistry department conversation. Invited administrators. Paul thought there was
something in my talk that the faculty might ﬁnd interesting...


2) Why i said yes
I love this stuff...


3) Another reason why I said yes...
Thought it would be a challenge for me...i give this as an introductory talk...
challenge is in contextualizing what i love to talk about within the walls of my own school


Got to thinking about all the conversations I’ve been a part of here at GBN over the past 16+
years...


Seemingly disjointed conversations...
Like...Schedules (block, mod, period), Hazing, Mission Statement, Technology, SIS,
Construction...
Recall some of the more recent conversations, including...


Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture...


The Did You Know Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY


Vision of Students Today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY


One of my favorite moments was when our very own principal became animated when
sharing our recently delegated “failing” status.


Last year, we were shown a picture of a path through a forest..., and asked to reﬂect on the GBN path.
Do we agree with it? Etc.
As we proceed past fall and through winter, and eagerly await spring, sometimes not only is the path
forgotten, but the idea of a path is lost...


How did I resolve this challenge? Justify being here?
We are all passionate about something. All of the important conversations we have are about children.
I hope to provide tools that allow us all to stay true to ourselves, our craft...to help decide what
conversation to have, when to have it, and with whom.


There’s a level of trust I’ve been given, by the administration, and I thank them for that. So I must
make it clear that the views expressed here are mine, and are ALWAYS changing based on life
experiences. I thoroughly enjoy discussing these things, so I welcome conversation on my views at any
time!

Mirror of Erised

Shows your
heart’s greatest
desire.

~Harry Potter


I was wanting to actually leave this talk untitled...So I have a favor to ask.
Even though I seem to have reconciled a few things, I’m hoping that you will recognize that the whole
point of our discussion today is for you to reﬂect, reconnect and perhaps revitalize your own practice.
Think of the Mirror of Erised...


When giving a talk on education, Iʼm never really sure where to start...


Usually end up by starting with the big picture...


...and move to the details...


RECORD FIRST...Then we can share...

What do you VALUE as an educator?



How will students be TRANSFORMED by their
interaction with you?




Choose your top response...
Sometime today, share your response with a colleague. At lunch. Send an email. To anyone at random. No
elaborate explanation needed. Just your bullet-points.


Follow-up question...even more important...

How are your values communicated
in your teaching?


Follow-up question...even more important...


Choose your top response...
Sometime today, share your response with a colleague. At lunch. Send an email. To anyone at random. No
elaborate explanation needed. Just your bullet-points.

Student Voice


Contacted graduated students through facebook...


Movie showing graduated studentsʼ perspectives


Follow-up to student thoughts...

What would your students say?



If we value their thoughts, do we
spend the appropriate amount of
time ﬁnding out what they’re
thinking?



Are we listening?



Adora Svitak


TedTalks
Look what happens when we recognize talent, provide opportunities and then get out of the way...


Adora Svitak—What Adults Can Learn from Kids
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/adora_svitak.html

Humbling, isn’t it?


Humbling, isn’t it?
What have you learned from your
students lately?



Poem Hurry, Hurry by Clydia Forehand
Found at the bottom of this site http://www.susanohanian.org/show_commentary.php?id=289

What role do I play in this?


Do I help or hurt?


Do I help or hurt?
Do I know?



Remember when kids were excited about school?

Race to Nowhere



Race to Nowhere trailer...
http://www.racetonowhere.com/
(Personally, I believe very strongly we should have a screening here...)


Itʼs the “human being” part that stood out for me...

Happy



Happy
Motivated



Happy
Motivated
Creative



Happy
Motivated
Creative
HUMAN BEING


Sir Ken Robinson



Sir Ken Robinson—Schools Kill Creativity
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Robinson


Sir Ken Robinson—Schools Kill Creativity
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Passion

Talent

Paul McCartney, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman (ﬁne), Gillian Lynne, Julia Child, Matt Groening
(gray), Ms. Hoover


Paul McCartney, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman (ﬁne), Gillian Lynne, Julia Child, Matt Groening
(gray), Ms. Hoover


What do we do? What should we do?

Daniel Pink



Daniel Pink—A video clip discussing his book, Drive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRu7k70Jhc&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1


Hoped to plant the seeds of how to frame self-reﬂection...The following are a series of questions to guide you
through your career...



What do you value as an educator?

How do you
determine
what you value?


How do you determine what you value?

Do your ACTIONS match these VALUES?


Do your actions match these values?

o u r
’s y
W h at
c e?
en t en
s


Whatʼs your sentence?

pl ay in
il ly ou
tr ol ew ers
W ha in go th
h el p te nce?
th eir sen
de ve lop


What role will you play in helping others develop their sentence?

What’s your element?


Whatʼs your element?
When and where does your passion meet your talent?
How will/do you help others introduce their passion to their talent?


When we reﬂect on our practice, we might not see what we expect to see.
But it is in these times when we grow best...


Our position can be used as ignition to helping others ﬁnd their element, awakening their genius, discovering their
creativity, meeting passion with talent...


And we need to remember that we, too, are human. And ﬁnding a balance is important.

book giveaway...


Drive, Daniel Pink
The Element, Ken Robinson
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch
What the Best College Teachers Do, Ken Bain

A Special Thanks To:

Thomas Armstrong, Author
Spiro Bolos, Teacher
Ryan Bretag, Mentor
John Dewey, Author
Clydia Forehand, Author
Ms. Gallagher’s Students
Sally Keith, Teacher
Alﬁe Kohn, Author
Chris Lehmann, Presenter
Maureen McDonaugh, Teacher
Deborah Meier, Author
(continued...)


The following helped me frame todayʼs discussion. I know these people personally or Iʼve been introduced to
them through presentations and/or writing. Thank you all!

A Special Thanks To:

Jim Miks, Teacher
Ron Ritchhart, Author
Randy Pausch, Professor
Daniel Pink, Presenter
Sir Ken Robinson, Author/Presenter
William Schubert, Professor
Dennis Smithenry, Teacher
Dr. Suess, Author
Adora Svitak, Presenter
Alvin Tofﬂer, Author
(Compﬁght, Flickr, Google, You Tube & TedTalks, too!)

The following helped me frame todayʼs discussion. I know these people personally or Iʼve been introduced to them through presentations and/or writing. Thank you all!


I’ve learned so much about teaching from my daughters...


...and from my husband, without whose support I would not be able to pursue these
opportunities.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/popculturegeek/5014150890/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7728841@N05/2826199592/
http://www.faqs.org/photo-dict/phrase/2915/burdock-leaf.html
http://www.officially-dead.com/tag/haunted-houses/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MYeEb3eoE
http://www.flickr.com/photos21649179@N00/2441006195/
http://jeffhurtblog.com/2009/12/16/four-principles-for-planning-brain-friendly-annual-meetings/

http://www.sketchumdesign.com/pages/equipment.html
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=10389
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b3ni/2369802854/


http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/balikye/399431952/
http://www.laacera.com/posts/al-carbon/2010/02/ﬁnding-your-passion-life-element-ken-robinson

http://indrafebrina.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html
http://www.deism.com/einstein.htm
http://www.theapplecollection.com/various/Celebrity/DrRichardFeynman.html
http://www.myspace.com/nmanos
http://www.tvfanatic.com/characters/miss-hoover/
http://www.edutopia.org/big-thinkers
http://www.dow.com/xla/human.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/serendipitypeace/1968919356/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywon/4319873872/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/3140856250/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hcii/95831431/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wil_p/1418853438/in/photostream/
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/the-last-lectur/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wolframburner/4151627333/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qthomasbower/3470650293/in/photostream/
http://www.jkrweb.com/art/guernica.php
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage/499381168/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kasaa/2663038969/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/enriqueburgosgarcia/3364250371/in/photostream/


Thank You!


By the way, the picture in the ﬁrst slide is of my classroom. It is a wonderful image of part of what I value as an
educator. Can you guess what that is?

Reflect, Reconnect, Revitalize

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