I have combined 2 responses into one thought; asking teachers to behave like learners, stepping down from their figurative platforms, would be an enormous risk for many. The idea of not having every answer goes against the ingrained idea of teacher as fountain of wisdom. That said, I think that is self-imposed, and not the way we view our colleagues. (it only matters if we are the all-knowing)If I were a student, it would be comforting to watch my teacher learn along with me; it might even be a great opportunity for me to teach him/her, upping my self-esteem, and letting me consolidate my own learning.
Here are more what ifs:
What if we could all practise the Law of Two Feet every day in our schools?
What if I could spend time learning from colleagues and other students at my own pace?
What if students could pick and choose simply based on inspiration and curiosity?
What would the general public think looking in from the outside?
How might that change if they could also experience this model?
Alison:
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful post,and for adding to the Innovators Mindset conversation. Ever since I attended my first #BIT/ECOO conference, I have wondered about the "law of 2 feet" in a school context. I know,sadly,that a great many students would wander out of my classroom. However, I really like the criteria for walking, and I wonder if those are what we really need to dig into with students. What does that look like?