How much do trusting relationships between and among teachers, students, and administrators influence all aspects of teaching and learning? Discuss the meaning of this statement: Progress moves at the speed of trust. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Self-evaluate: Are the spaces shared with students and loved ones co-created with them so that each member feels valued, seen, and heard? Are these spaces places that invite all stakeholders in? If not, what can you do to ensure living and learning spaces contribute to a more equitable, trusting, and loving environment?
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This is a belief I have developed since learning about Regie's work as a new building administrator. Whenever I encounter resistance while supporting colleagues in professional growth, I always come back to trust. What does this teacher or leader need right now? Compassion? A greater sense of competence? How can I communicate more effectively with them?
A space founded on trust is a learning environment that every student benefits from.
Beautiful and such important questions, Matt! The choices that we make matter so much and that begins with considering the individual and how we can support them from where they are!
Oct 24, 2023·edited Oct 24, 2023Liked by Matt Renwick
Q1 Trusting relationships can be the tipping point in many ways: moving forward, staying stagnant or losing ground. Having been in both kind of schools over the past 5+ decades, I can say that while it didn't stop me from holding tight to my beliefs and keeping then at the center of my choices, it certainly posed a professional and emotional roadblock I had to work through. When we (and I use the collective we from all sides you mention above), don't trust the words and actions of others, or if they are at cross purposes, it makes it more challenging to do what we need to do since emotions are involved. When we don't have the support of others, it's much harder to do our best work - albeit in some ways it made me more determined. I do believe that "progress moves at the speed of trust" CAN be true for all the reasons I state above. At least in my life frustration & distrust can be a great motivator, although it's not a very healthy way to go about it. In my case, I fought back by finding people who wanted to move forward in spite of (or maybe because of).
Q1- Trusting relationships are critical to fostering a community of learners. I often think of the famous quote by Rita Pierson, "Children don't learn from people they don't like." If children don't like their teachers, I find myself wondering why. Is it because the child didn't feel seen? or heard? Was their perception of the teacher negative because the teacher connotated a negative perception of them, or relied on a deficit mindset regarding the child's gaps in learning, their socioeconomic status, culture or gender? Maya Angelou sums it up so brilliantly too, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Both quotes play so nicely into Regie's quote, "Progress moves at the speed of trust." In the book, Regie talks about asset mindsets over deficit mindsets, about how every.single.student brings assets to the classroom. I understand that sometimes teachers are so overwhelmed with student behaviors that they spiral into a negative mindset, but I also believe nothing will change for said students if the teacher can't move beyond their frustration to foster an authentic relationship built on trust, in which the child feels both seen and heard in their entire humanness. Learning isn't going to move forward for children when they don't feel they are valued.
These quotes get to the heart of how a teacher makes a difference in a student's life. Kids are very perceptive with how authentic someone is. I appreciate your nudge for educators to take a step back and appreciate what students bring to the learning vs. what they don't.
I also want to encourage leaders at the systems level of education to really understand what teachers are dealing with in regard to the conditions they are being asked to teach in - are we contributing to these challenges? We have constraints but we can take steps to help teachers be the best they can be for their students.
Yes! Thank you for acknowledging that we can encourage leaders at the systems level to pause and reflect on the conditions teachers are being asked to teach in, and whether they are contributing to the stressors of those conditions or taking steps to help. There are constraints, especially in districts where resources are limited, yet it is critical to ensure teachers be the best they can for their students.
I wanted to also add to the beautiful quote above: "Part of our work as educators is, as best we can, to fill the spaces kids don't have growing up."
She continues: "Just as many of us think of our homes as a sanctuary, think of school as a sanctuary, too, a place and space where all learners – even our most vulnerable ones – can feel protected, hopeful, and able to envision possibilities for their future."
I love Regie's use of the word "sanctuary" but sadly, for too many of our children, our schools add chaos and strife to their lives. Standardized testing. Data-fied labels. Terminology like "low group", lowered expectations. Teaching to the middle. One-size-fits-all. Instead of vs IN ADDITION to interventions with an all hands on deck mindset. For classrooms to become a sanctuary, they must be so for ALL (not some) and that should be the standards we set as professionals.
I appreciate your perspective, Mary. I agree that our schools should do no harm. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Working against systems that create obstacles for doing our best work can be tiring. How can we operate with agency in these challenging times?
Thank you for those words Matt, and yes that is definitely not always the case. I think the most important things that we can do is to find our way to small moves that combine to make big moves. I think that sometimes we figure that small things can be huge over time!
Thank you for acknowledging Matt's reference to the obstacles in education being tiring, and for offering the hope that comes with your sentiment of doing small things that can become huge over time.
"Progress moves at the speed of trust."
This is a belief I have developed since learning about Regie's work as a new building administrator. Whenever I encounter resistance while supporting colleagues in professional growth, I always come back to trust. What does this teacher or leader need right now? Compassion? A greater sense of competence? How can I communicate more effectively with them?
A space founded on trust is a learning environment that every student benefits from.
Beautiful and such important questions, Matt! The choices that we make matter so much and that begins with considering the individual and how we can support them from where they are!
Q1 Trusting relationships can be the tipping point in many ways: moving forward, staying stagnant or losing ground. Having been in both kind of schools over the past 5+ decades, I can say that while it didn't stop me from holding tight to my beliefs and keeping then at the center of my choices, it certainly posed a professional and emotional roadblock I had to work through. When we (and I use the collective we from all sides you mention above), don't trust the words and actions of others, or if they are at cross purposes, it makes it more challenging to do what we need to do since emotions are involved. When we don't have the support of others, it's much harder to do our best work - albeit in some ways it made me more determined. I do believe that "progress moves at the speed of trust" CAN be true for all the reasons I state above. At least in my life frustration & distrust can be a great motivator, although it's not a very healthy way to go about it. In my case, I fought back by finding people who wanted to move forward in spite of (or maybe because of).
Q1- Trusting relationships are critical to fostering a community of learners. I often think of the famous quote by Rita Pierson, "Children don't learn from people they don't like." If children don't like their teachers, I find myself wondering why. Is it because the child didn't feel seen? or heard? Was their perception of the teacher negative because the teacher connotated a negative perception of them, or relied on a deficit mindset regarding the child's gaps in learning, their socioeconomic status, culture or gender? Maya Angelou sums it up so brilliantly too, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Both quotes play so nicely into Regie's quote, "Progress moves at the speed of trust." In the book, Regie talks about asset mindsets over deficit mindsets, about how every.single.student brings assets to the classroom. I understand that sometimes teachers are so overwhelmed with student behaviors that they spiral into a negative mindset, but I also believe nothing will change for said students if the teacher can't move beyond their frustration to foster an authentic relationship built on trust, in which the child feels both seen and heard in their entire humanness. Learning isn't going to move forward for children when they don't feel they are valued.
These quotes get to the heart of how a teacher makes a difference in a student's life. Kids are very perceptive with how authentic someone is. I appreciate your nudge for educators to take a step back and appreciate what students bring to the learning vs. what they don't.
I also want to encourage leaders at the systems level of education to really understand what teachers are dealing with in regard to the conditions they are being asked to teach in - are we contributing to these challenges? We have constraints but we can take steps to help teachers be the best they can be for their students.
Yes! Thank you for acknowledging that we can encourage leaders at the systems level to pause and reflect on the conditions teachers are being asked to teach in, and whether they are contributing to the stressors of those conditions or taking steps to help. There are constraints, especially in districts where resources are limited, yet it is critical to ensure teachers be the best they can for their students.
This is beautiful Ryanne! I love that both you and Matt used questions that turn our thinking inward both related to teachers and to students.
I wanted to also add to the beautiful quote above: "Part of our work as educators is, as best we can, to fill the spaces kids don't have growing up."
She continues: "Just as many of us think of our homes as a sanctuary, think of school as a sanctuary, too, a place and space where all learners – even our most vulnerable ones – can feel protected, hopeful, and able to envision possibilities for their future."
I love Regie's use of the word "sanctuary" but sadly, for too many of our children, our schools add chaos and strife to their lives. Standardized testing. Data-fied labels. Terminology like "low group", lowered expectations. Teaching to the middle. One-size-fits-all. Instead of vs IN ADDITION to interventions with an all hands on deck mindset. For classrooms to become a sanctuary, they must be so for ALL (not some) and that should be the standards we set as professionals.
I appreciate your perspective, Mary. I agree that our schools should do no harm. Unfortunately that is not always the case. Working against systems that create obstacles for doing our best work can be tiring. How can we operate with agency in these challenging times?
Thank you for those words Matt, and yes that is definitely not always the case. I think the most important things that we can do is to find our way to small moves that combine to make big moves. I think that sometimes we figure that small things can be huge over time!
"Find our way to small moves to combine to make big moves" - something I want to remember, thank you Mary.
Thank you for acknowledging Matt's reference to the obstacles in education being tiring, and for offering the hope that comes with your sentiment of doing small things that can become huge over time.
ALL of the above!!!