Our STEMS^2 experiences thus far have taken us on some truly transformational paths. I can feel the weight of our experiences and interactions through polar-opposite forces.
First, I feel support through our STEMS^2 community foundations. I know we are all in this together and all bring our own perspectives, places, strengths, and needs. We are a strong collective unit of A'o; sharing a multitude of voices in many safe and supportive spaces. We have encountered challenging ideas and situations which intentionally placed us in places of discomfort. We have overcome and worked through these obstacles together... We have each other's backs!
On the other hand, I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed with the constant bombardment of important and influential information, learning reflections, and revolutionary teaching and learning ideals. It's a constantly HEAVY feeling in my chest. I'm being smashed by these Huge concepts and systemically-altering ideas! Not to mention the work we are doing in our class... It's very meaningful and influential to our work as teachers; I guess that's why it feels so immense when I try and wrap my brain around all of it...
But here's the thing.. I think, this is completely my rationalization, this is supposed to not be all good or all bad... It's like life! If life was all good with no challenges or life-altering experiences, it would be pretty boring! If life felt all bad with it's constant barrage of crap then we can't see the beauty and potential in these kinds of situations...
To connect this to our learning so far, I think we're dealing with Gruenewald's 5 components of place through all of our experiences. It's been political through what I'm reading, ecological through my space I choose to work, sociological through the content of the information, perceptual based on what I 'get' out of what is presented through the readings, and ideological through my interpretations and understandings of the work.
I've just spent the past 4 hours doing some 'light' research for my Lit Review... I've learned and read some Amazing stuff; I've also gone cross-eyed about 17 times reading through so much information. My intention is to use the Lit Review assignment as a rough draft of my Lit Review section for my Plan B. Which leads me to another issue... What will my Plan B be? I'm constantly trying to wrestle the ideas from my brain to articulate how I can connect all the dots in my teaching and learning experiences to develop my curriculum and Plan B.
Here's my attempt as narrowing down my ideas so far. I want to incorporate my work with my Garden Club students and our school's garden. I want to also connect to the Hawaiian cultural elements I've been trying to actively engage in (and have my students engage in) through my new classroom rituals, routines, and vocabulary. I also want to incorporate elements of how I continue to try (this is constantly being re-worked, revised, and re-thought) engaging our school staff in this culture and sense of place through our school garden. I realize I can not force my sense of place on anyone, nor should this be my intent.
There are certain keys to my madness so far: ideas like spaces and places to learn (meaning all areas of our life), collaboration (with our community), learning from the past to influence the future (connection to Hawaiian culture and values), and evolving our potential for learning and teaching through place-based activities.
Some possible ideas for my Plan B are: The Importance of a Multi-Layered approach to evolving a Sense of Place through student-engaged, culturally-relevant, and place-based curriculum.... OR
Sense, Scents, and Cents of Place: How to connect a multi-layered, evolving, student-engaged, culturally-relevant, place-based education in an elementary school setting....
Both seem like a rambling, nonsensical, jumble of words right now... But I am trying to make sense of it all....
Well, It's back to the 33 articles I've found.. Time to categorize, narrow my focus, and put this all together somehow....
Thanks for listening to my musings. As always, it's a joy and a pain to do this work; a perfect blend of what it means to learn and grow.
Aloha All!
Dude I totally feel you on the feeling of support but overwhelmed at the same time. I feel everyday a part of what I learned has already been forgotten. How do we keep all the knowledge in? How do we not go crazy with school and work? How do YOU do it with a family and new born!?!?! Whatever is your secret I want in.
ReplyDeleteI once told Tara during a break out session that I am more confused now then when I started. And she told me something along the lines of that's good means your learning. Huh? I must be learning all the time then when it comes to school and life.
Thank for sharing your feelings because I feel the same way. I feel inspired and extremely overwhelmed at the same time. Trying to wrap my head around the information we are receiving while trying to figure out my perspective on it is a bit challenging. Great ideas for your plan B. I too am trying to figure out what I want to focus on for that and it's hard to narrow it all down into one unit. Thank you for your optimism about how with struggle comes ease. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI vote for Sense, Scents, and Cents of Place. Very catchy title. Just so you know, you are not alone. We are all learning how to tie everything together or just pick out the pieces that are meaningful for your purpose. Whatever your Plan B is, its going to make a difference whether its successful or not because it will have caused you to think, reflect, revise, and move forward.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your garden!
Thank you all for your support and comments... I know we're all in this together, we ALL feel overwhelmed, and we will ALL get through this and become better for the experiences...
ReplyDeleteJerrik, yes keeping all the Amazing things we've learned and experienced in our brains is CRAZY hard... Our journals have helped, all the assignments and written work has helped, but there are definitely things I'm 'loosing' as my brain tackles the realities of life with a baby, work, and the rest of my existence...ha.. Thanks for your comments brother... hang in there... PS - my secret is coffee and believing this experience is making me a better person (father, husband, teacher, learner). If I didn't believe these things, this would not be an experience worth having...
Alyssa, thanks for your comments as well! I know, it all sometimes seems impossible and too much... we will all find our way and do the work worth doing... Thanks for your support and for sharing your feelings too!
Lisa, thanks for the help with the title! ha... I want it to be something catchy and meaningful, just like the work behind the title (hopefully). I appreciate your support and your perspective on how this work will provide an impact on my profession... you are right, as long as I reflect, revise, and keep moving forward... It will work out!
Good luck to you all as we continue this journey!
Joe, man that was a remarkable post. Looks like you were thinking the same thing as me (and apparently others). I love this group. But I feel you when you say we have a lot of stuff to do along our way. I mean with this reading load and our plan B. I mean, at least for you guys you have a classroom to do this in, you have an idea who and what you'll be teaching to make a unit. Me i have no clue, and it's been weighing on my mind lately. But that's a me problem. Like Jerrik said, you have school, work, a family and a newborn. How do you do it?!
ReplyDeleteBtw, that dog is totally me when you try to hit your ball out of the water hazard. Wait, what am I saying...out of the two of us, I'm more likely to hit the ball in the water. Sooo...you're gonna have to be the dog. But what I was getting at was I'd be there for you, bro!
Joe,
ReplyDeleteI love how popular your blog is. It just speaks so much truth in all of our hearts and souls. This post has a great balance of academic focus and what we feel as humans. I can not wait to see how you figure this out and where it will take you. I have a feeling, with all of your ability in the different grade levels you teach and working with other teachers, that you are in one of the most difficult situations to do all this. Yet, you do it so smoothly. Now I know it's not as smooth as I perceive, but I just want to say that it is inspiring to see what you are doing with your kids and with yourself as a professional in the field.
Thank you,
Stacy Prellberg
"We have encountered challenging ideas and situations which intentionally placed us in places of discomfort."- Yes! With all these things we are learning, I feel like even more of crazy rebel soilder in my school than ever! Yet it is all in silence. For now, but only now, I suck it up and sit in my silent discomfort, so as not to get in trouble..because I just cant have any more trouble just yet. However, I am preparing.. gettin on my stance. Its taken me ALL this time since we got back to find a balance. Ive got it now, finally! Last night was the first time I turned in everything on time.. although my blog responses are late..
ReplyDeleteAnyway,
Joe you rock! Aloha, Nicole
Joe -
ReplyDeleteI am very thankful for our STEMS2 cohort where we have a safe place to come together to share , cry, vent, and of course support each other through the good and bad times. So many times, I have questioned myself and thought what exactly am I doing this and why? Thanks for the gentle reminder that we are all in this together and yes we have each others backs. As for feeling overwhelmed...yes I am there! Yes this is the reality of life and we are in it for the long haul. all of our effort as a cohort WILL payoff and our students will gain the benefits. As we are going through this program, I have felt the stress and the doubt of being able to this creep in, but when I complete STEMS activities with my students and I see the joy and watch the engagement and hear them say they understand why I think Mathematics is fun it makes it all worth it. As for your Plan B...I love Sense, Scents, and Cents of place!
Rock it like you always do - Charisse :)
Aloha e Joe,
ReplyDeleteI totally miss hanging out with you because you always have great mana’o to share. I love your memes because they really say it all and I'm glad many others feel the same way.
Thank YOU for mentioning that you will be using this literature review assignment as a draft for your Plan B. I never thought of using the assignment in that way and I was having a difficult time completing it because I was like, what's the point? Definitely a joy and pain to do this work... I'm still trying to find a balance between work, school and sailing (which literally feels like another full-time job). Thanks for being so positive, I needed it.
Malama,
Kaai