Amplifying Energy...
My wife's grandfather is an amazing man born in the early 1900s who lived through the depression, the space age and the computer age. He's literally been around for events that I would love to have experienced---the first television, the first cars, the first commercial airline flights. He's seen both women and African Americans earn the right to vote. He's heard Martin Luther King speak and listened to "The King" live.
But no one event is more important to him than World War II----and regardless of the topic of conversation, he'll find a way to connect it back to his war experiences. "T.E.," I'll ask, "What do you think of the Braves chances of making it to the World Series?"
"Oh, they've got a good chance," he'll say. "Their manager knows how to train men. Training men is a unique challenge. During World War II, we did a good bunch of training...."
Hoping to change the subject back to something the ladies might be interested in, I'll try to change the topic: "Hey T.E., have you tried any of that new Tabasco sauce yet? It's green but it's good!"
"Not yet," he'll answer, "but during the war, we all used to carry our own bottles of seasoning because Army meals are no good. You know, this one time...."
I guess T.E. is really no different from the rest of us, though---we talk about our passions. The things that are important to us are what we're driven to share and to tie into any conversation that we are a part of. It's what we know and what we care about, so climbing up on "the soapbox" just plain feels right.
Which is what makes our NSDC gathering out here in Denver so exciting for me---almost 2,000 people have dusted off the biggest teacher leadership soapbox of all time! Passionate conversations about the role that teachers should play in driving school change are happening in every corner of the city.
Walking along the streets, you overhear teachers discussing new instructional or collaborative practices that they plan to bring back to their schools. The lobby is full of small groups of educators reliving the sessions that they've attended. Meals---always spent together at NSDC conferences---are full of quick introductions followed by rich dialogue shared between like minds.
That's cool...
What it's got me wondering, though, is whether the energy that's generated by a conference like this can carry over when our time together comes to an end. Will the synergy that we feel spread to our peers in our own schools and districts? Will the changes that we envision ever become a reality?
If not, why? What is it about teaching that forces us to feel that professional excitement can only happen at destination presentations where we spend days immersed in our work? Is time the ultimate barrier---denying teachers the opportunity to experience the kinds of meaningful interactions that happen over three intense days each summer?
Is it proximity-----is imagining change from thousands of miles away easier than actually trying to "make it happen?"
I guess what I'm asking is what are the best ways to amplify the energy that surrounds professional conferences?
My wife's grandfather is an amazing man born in the early 1900s who lived through the depression, the space age and the computer age. He's literally been around for events that I would love to have experienced---the first television, the first cars, the first commercial airline flights. He's seen both women and African Americans earn the right to vote. He's heard Martin Luther King speak and listened to "The King" live.
But no one event is more important to him than World War II----and regardless of the topic of conversation, he'll find a way to connect it back to his war experiences. "T.E.," I'll ask, "What do you think of the Braves chances of making it to the World Series?"
"Oh, they've got a good chance," he'll say. "Their manager knows how to train men. Training men is a unique challenge. During World War II, we did a good bunch of training...."
Hoping to change the subject back to something the ladies might be interested in, I'll try to change the topic: "Hey T.E., have you tried any of that new Tabasco sauce yet? It's green but it's good!"
"Not yet," he'll answer, "but during the war, we all used to carry our own bottles of seasoning because Army meals are no good. You know, this one time...."
I guess T.E. is really no different from the rest of us, though---we talk about our passions. The things that are important to us are what we're driven to share and to tie into any conversation that we are a part of. It's what we know and what we care about, so climbing up on "the soapbox" just plain feels right.
Which is what makes our NSDC gathering out here in Denver so exciting for me---almost 2,000 people have dusted off the biggest teacher leadership soapbox of all time! Passionate conversations about the role that teachers should play in driving school change are happening in every corner of the city.
Walking along the streets, you overhear teachers discussing new instructional or collaborative practices that they plan to bring back to their schools. The lobby is full of small groups of educators reliving the sessions that they've attended. Meals---always spent together at NSDC conferences---are full of quick introductions followed by rich dialogue shared between like minds.
That's cool...
What it's got me wondering, though, is whether the energy that's generated by a conference like this can carry over when our time together comes to an end. Will the synergy that we feel spread to our peers in our own schools and districts? Will the changes that we envision ever become a reality?
If not, why? What is it about teaching that forces us to feel that professional excitement can only happen at destination presentations where we spend days immersed in our work? Is time the ultimate barrier---denying teachers the opportunity to experience the kinds of meaningful interactions that happen over three intense days each summer?
Is it proximity-----is imagining change from thousands of miles away easier than actually trying to "make it happen?"
I guess what I'm asking is what are the best ways to amplify the energy that surrounds professional conferences?
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