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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.