The Next Five Years
Final Reflection
When I first entered the MSUrban STEM and Leadership Fellowship, I had two goals in mind. FIrst, I wanted to expand my technological literacy skills as a way to enhance learning with students. My second goal is still in the works, as I am looking to increase my leadership capacity within the STEM education field, starting with my school and then beyond.
With my first goal, I was absolutely looking to anticipate change with my students’ learning. I wanted to have students expand their thinking, making them more aware of what they understood in my science class. I wanted this awareness to be explored through the appropriate use of available technology with which I had access. I expected to do so through my alternative assessment ImagineIT project blended with learning from my Deep Play Group, and I feel incredibly successful that students were able to show me more of their understanding through the modes with which they felt the most comfortable.
With my second goal, my leadership has expanded both locally at my school and also outside of my school. My science colleagues and I have improved the cohesiveness of the science curriculum and experience at our school. We just had an amazing STEM night where students led the evening’s activities. I’ve gotten another teacher to jump on board with the alternative assessment project, and my leadership with an NGSS storyline project outside of school as challenged me in my role as both a science teacher and leader.
In order for these goals to have happened or continue to be met, Roselinde Torres’ TED Talk really made me think both about the diversity measure of my network and about my willingness and ability to take risks. My professional network has exploded this year--between keeping old colleagues as friends, gaining new colleagues to reflect with, to the new networks with the MSUrban STEM and Leadership Fellowship and the NGSS storylines project at Northwestern. Each of the individuals in these networks has helped me to realize a critical point Torres makes in her talk: that every individual brings a unique perspective to problem-solving. These people have also inspired me to do exactly what she suggests good leaders do--they help shape the future by not just reacting to it, but rather by seeing a panoramic view (including around corners!) with their heads up. She reminds me that individuals are able to reach a shared goal because of the valued trust between everyone in the network. As I grow professionally, I am continuing to trust others and the valuable insight they give to me as a developing leader.
Torres’ endpoint about actually taking risks has been instrumental to me this year, as I have taken many risks both with my learning and with the learning of my students. She is spot on in that true leaders don’t just talk about risks; they actually take them! I know that I have explored this idea this year, and I am really looking forward to taking more risks in the future. The next five years can only get better!
With my first goal, I was absolutely looking to anticipate change with my students’ learning. I wanted to have students expand their thinking, making them more aware of what they understood in my science class. I wanted this awareness to be explored through the appropriate use of available technology with which I had access. I expected to do so through my alternative assessment ImagineIT project blended with learning from my Deep Play Group, and I feel incredibly successful that students were able to show me more of their understanding through the modes with which they felt the most comfortable.
With my second goal, my leadership has expanded both locally at my school and also outside of my school. My science colleagues and I have improved the cohesiveness of the science curriculum and experience at our school. We just had an amazing STEM night where students led the evening’s activities. I’ve gotten another teacher to jump on board with the alternative assessment project, and my leadership with an NGSS storyline project outside of school as challenged me in my role as both a science teacher and leader.
In order for these goals to have happened or continue to be met, Roselinde Torres’ TED Talk really made me think both about the diversity measure of my network and about my willingness and ability to take risks. My professional network has exploded this year--between keeping old colleagues as friends, gaining new colleagues to reflect with, to the new networks with the MSUrban STEM and Leadership Fellowship and the NGSS storylines project at Northwestern. Each of the individuals in these networks has helped me to realize a critical point Torres makes in her talk: that every individual brings a unique perspective to problem-solving. These people have also inspired me to do exactly what she suggests good leaders do--they help shape the future by not just reacting to it, but rather by seeing a panoramic view (including around corners!) with their heads up. She reminds me that individuals are able to reach a shared goal because of the valued trust between everyone in the network. As I grow professionally, I am continuing to trust others and the valuable insight they give to me as a developing leader.
Torres’ endpoint about actually taking risks has been instrumental to me this year, as I have taken many risks both with my learning and with the learning of my students. She is spot on in that true leaders don’t just talk about risks; they actually take them! I know that I have explored this idea this year, and I am really looking forward to taking more risks in the future. The next five years can only get better!
This I Believe
Bio: I’m in my thirteenth year teaching, teaching 5th and 6th grade science at Alcott College Prep. I am also lucky to be able to highly integrate technology into my teaching, which is incredibly rewarding as I am trying new things alongside my students. I’m a professional development leader for the district, too, which is also very fulfilling from a different perspective, bringing new ideas to utilize with my students. Outside of school, I enjoy coffee in the morning and ice cream at night (I wish it could be every night, but it’s not, for good intentions). My family keeps me going and brings me pure joy from the simplest of things.
Your twitter handle: @gretchenmilary
Your website address: http://gretchenbrinza.com
Your favorite quote related to teaching/learning: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
Book Recommendation: What's Your Evidence?: Engaging K-5 Children in Constructing Explanations in Science is a great read for any science teacher. As the shift in science education has moved into a new realm because of the Next Generation Science Standards, this book engages teachers in how to have students explain scientific phenomena. It’s filled with tons of student work samples, a great way to see that what they authors suggest CAN actually happen with students!
1. Taking each in turn. Looking back.
It all started when Mr. Moore chucked a bowling ball down the hallway to show us, his physics students, how projectile motion worked. From there, I was inspired to teach myself. And it wasn’t until I put all the pieces together that I realized I was guided my whole life to be a teacher in the STEM fields. My dad was a communications engineer and my mom, a nurse. My sister was a teacher and my brother an industrial engineer. For the last thirteen years, I’ve spent the majority of my time in a variety of positions spanning K-8th and they’ve always involved some aspect of STEM. While switching roles is incredibly challenging, it’s also pushed me to be a lifelong learner and grow in my practice. It’s made me thirsty for more!
2. Where I am now? This past year has been a game changer for me, and being a part of the MSUrbanSTEM fellowship has served as the spark. My mantra this year has been to try any and all new things, and if they work, great. If they don’t, it’s okay. I’ve thought outside-the-box more than I ever have and I’ve taken more risks with my students. These risks have been better for me and my students. Through my ImagineIT project on alternative assessment, I’ve explored student-thinking in new, creative ways while utilizing technology in ways that I didn’t think were possible. My students have danced, sang, acted, and drawn their understanding of science phenomena in unique ways to uncover and extend their knowledge. I’ve learned more of what gets students “hooked” in their learning, and this has been incredibly exciting to witness.
3. Looking forward. I’m excited where my ImagineIT project will move in years to come. How can getting my hands on more technology to help me strengthen this project with future students? How can I share what I have learned with others in my building? My network? My district? Outside of my district? These questions certainly get me thinking and inspire me to make greater change within the avenues that are both safe, collaborative, and inspiring for both my students and other teachers. As I begin to think about my leadership in these capacities, I am driven to find the paths that allow me to build collaboration in new, innovative ways.
4. Summing up. This I believe… There’s so much uncertainty in taking a risk, but sometimes that risk is infinitely more rewarding than sitting back. Take the risk.
Instrumental and Missional Thinking
Goal setting. Hmmm... To me, goal setting seems to be oxy-moron-like. If that’s even a word. Some goals come to you so easily, like “Duh. That’s a no-brainer goal.” Others speak to you less obviously, and uncover themselves like layers of an onion, slowly but surely until you “smell” them loud and clear. My first goal is quite obvious, and one that I’ve been working on this entire year: using technology as a means of enhancing what I already do with students. It’s also been a short-term goal as I’ve moved into a new role this year. Living in a digital world with my students, I’ve stepped way out of my “typical” teaching zone and not only begun utilizing technology differently, but I’ve also learned to use it along with my students. |
Why mantra has been, “It’s okay to fail, but at least we can say we’ve tried.” With this goal comes reflection, too. Since I’ve tried a lot and succeeded and failed (with various apps/interfaces) I’m seeing how I can tweak what I’ve utilized with students for years to come.
My second goal is not as obvious, and how it will come to fruition is still in the works. I really want to increase my leadership in the district in regards to how I’ve integrated technology into science, and ultimately the impact that this has had on student engagement and understanding of science content. I’m already a part of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) on Talk Science, but I’d love to lead maybe a PLC on technology integration in science and how sharing your classroom with others (even if virtually) can lead to deeper student learning. If it’s not a PLC, maybe it’s actually getting published, or leading sessions at conferences. All I know is that my leadership can and will begin to blossom.
My second goal is not as obvious, and how it will come to fruition is still in the works. I really want to increase my leadership in the district in regards to how I’ve integrated technology into science, and ultimately the impact that this has had on student engagement and understanding of science content. I’m already a part of a Professional Learning Community (PLC) on Talk Science, but I’d love to lead maybe a PLC on technology integration in science and how sharing your classroom with others (even if virtually) can lead to deeper student learning. If it’s not a PLC, maybe it’s actually getting published, or leading sessions at conferences. All I know is that my leadership can and will begin to blossom.
Rocking the Boat!
Task Zero: Reviewing Rocking the Boat
What a great read! Rocking the Boat is a dynamic must-read for anyone who wishes to initiate positive change and growth in an organization. And when I say anyone, it means everyone from the lowest level position to the higher-ups. Following various individuals throughout the book, it not only shows how to make change from various perspectives, but the effects of the ways in which the individuals went about these changes. Having gone through many changes this year both personally and professionally, I could easily connect with many of the individuals who were inspired to make change, and often found myself writing things like, “This was me!” “This is exactly what I did!”, or “I can do this, too!”
Rocking the Boat also tells it like it is. There are plenty of times when change in an organization is tough, and Debra Meyerson presents this case quite eloquently. Her advice to go about change rings loud and clear. Those wanting to make change are renamed tempered radicals. Tempered radicals exude patience and recognize that effective change does not happen overnight. Change happens with skillful negotiation, recognizing give-and-take scenarios where everything isn’t always equal and fair, and that compromise looks different across different situations with different individuals. Meyerson also emphasizes the value of collaboration. Being an agent of change means you need others on your team. How you go about getting people on your team is critical. Change also doesn’t happen without inspiration, and the ways in which a leader stays focused despite challenges allows positive change to happen.
Task One: How Am I Different?
Debra Meyerson identifies three ways that an individual can be different in an organization. Of the three, I resonated most with her third acknowledgement of a difference: “Those who have not cultural, but philosophical differences, which conflict with the prevailing values, beliefs, and agendas operating in their organizations.”
Let me first be clear. I love where I work. It’s such a great place with such great community. I have incredible coworkers who are eager to learn and I have so much to learn from them at the same time. My administration supports my creativity with students. We’re all in a win-win.
But with learning from one another and supporting one another comes challenges. With my MSU/Wipro experience, I am pretty much willing to try everything and anything, especially as I see what other teachers in the program are trying with their students. I am also part of other groups that are extremely progressive in regards to science education since the release of the NGSS. Because of these things, I am learning to balance my growth alongside the growth of others I need on my team with me. It’s not that we are in conflict, but we are all learning to find a sense of compromise with one another in the best interest of our students.
Task Two: Becoming a Tempered Radical
On the How Tempered Radicals Make a Difference spectrum, I definitely see myself as part of the “Leveraging Small Wins” dimension. I really connected with the idea that this dimension was comparable to quiet resistance. Having started at a new school this fall, I found it challenging to be the “new person.” You immediately come in with all these ideas from what used to be familiar while trying to learn the new organizational structure. It’s hard to find a balance between the two, recognizing the benefits of both places and trying to start afresh. I spent much of the first half of the year “doing my own thing in my classroom,” keeping to myself. I had to learn the ropes. And this was just what I needed.
While quiet resistance is not completely me, I felt that “small wins” defined me more as a person, as I am action-oriented. The small wins I’ve made thus far this year are because that which I have accomplished was doable, and most important, the small wins taught me something. I’ve piled up lots of small wins (“Hey!!! That alternative assessment revealed WAY more of what that kid knows than that test did!), and as I approach the second half of the school year, I can honestly say my students and I are on a roll. We’ve learned a lot together and my colleagues and I have had the chance to unite in many ways. Someone just recently approached me about my use of Google Classroom--so cool!
Since small wins have been treated as vehicles of learning, my small wins, whether they have been with myself, my students, or my colleagues, these small wins can be truly seen as experiments, which the book coins as a synonym. These experiments have outwardly enabled me to push the boundaries of what was considered “typical” for my school. It’s with these small wins that I am hopeful to create a more thoughtful science experience for students at my school...to build on the science teaching below me and to bridge the gap towards middle school.
Task Three: Facing Challenges
Dealing with challenges in my work setting? This is a tough question, since I am truly happy where I am at right now. Maybe it’s the honeymoon phase? And the dark cloud is coming up and over the mountain and I can’t see it right now?
Regardless of this, I am certain that like at all places, challenges will arise. I think the some of the levels of challenges resonated with me. First, the loneliness factor rang true. As you’re trying to make change, it is certainly true that you can be seen as both an insider (“Hey, she’s got great ideas!) and an outsider (“What is she trying to do?!?!”), and never being fully accepted by either group. As I work through this, I think that finding the right time to establish relationships and cultivate change are going to be essential to my success. With this also comes the risk of hypocrisy. I wouldn’t want “What side is she on?” to hit me square in the face.
Secondly, when change is needed or wanted, I am going to have to continue with the notion Meyerson presents as “Waiting for a better time.” I’ve already come across situations where I’ve stuck my head in the sand, recognizing that the moment to speak up is too risky, and other times where sticking my neck out was also a risk, but one that I’d like to take because of its benefits for me and my students.
In any situation...change (or the lack thereof) can happen. It’s just up to me and others to work collaboratively and effectively to make it happen, and so that the change can be seen as inspirational to not only those of us working to make change, but to those who are watching from the sidelines.
What a great read! Rocking the Boat is a dynamic must-read for anyone who wishes to initiate positive change and growth in an organization. And when I say anyone, it means everyone from the lowest level position to the higher-ups. Following various individuals throughout the book, it not only shows how to make change from various perspectives, but the effects of the ways in which the individuals went about these changes. Having gone through many changes this year both personally and professionally, I could easily connect with many of the individuals who were inspired to make change, and often found myself writing things like, “This was me!” “This is exactly what I did!”, or “I can do this, too!”
Rocking the Boat also tells it like it is. There are plenty of times when change in an organization is tough, and Debra Meyerson presents this case quite eloquently. Her advice to go about change rings loud and clear. Those wanting to make change are renamed tempered radicals. Tempered radicals exude patience and recognize that effective change does not happen overnight. Change happens with skillful negotiation, recognizing give-and-take scenarios where everything isn’t always equal and fair, and that compromise looks different across different situations with different individuals. Meyerson also emphasizes the value of collaboration. Being an agent of change means you need others on your team. How you go about getting people on your team is critical. Change also doesn’t happen without inspiration, and the ways in which a leader stays focused despite challenges allows positive change to happen.
Task One: How Am I Different?
Debra Meyerson identifies three ways that an individual can be different in an organization. Of the three, I resonated most with her third acknowledgement of a difference: “Those who have not cultural, but philosophical differences, which conflict with the prevailing values, beliefs, and agendas operating in their organizations.”
Let me first be clear. I love where I work. It’s such a great place with such great community. I have incredible coworkers who are eager to learn and I have so much to learn from them at the same time. My administration supports my creativity with students. We’re all in a win-win.
But with learning from one another and supporting one another comes challenges. With my MSU/Wipro experience, I am pretty much willing to try everything and anything, especially as I see what other teachers in the program are trying with their students. I am also part of other groups that are extremely progressive in regards to science education since the release of the NGSS. Because of these things, I am learning to balance my growth alongside the growth of others I need on my team with me. It’s not that we are in conflict, but we are all learning to find a sense of compromise with one another in the best interest of our students.
Task Two: Becoming a Tempered Radical
On the How Tempered Radicals Make a Difference spectrum, I definitely see myself as part of the “Leveraging Small Wins” dimension. I really connected with the idea that this dimension was comparable to quiet resistance. Having started at a new school this fall, I found it challenging to be the “new person.” You immediately come in with all these ideas from what used to be familiar while trying to learn the new organizational structure. It’s hard to find a balance between the two, recognizing the benefits of both places and trying to start afresh. I spent much of the first half of the year “doing my own thing in my classroom,” keeping to myself. I had to learn the ropes. And this was just what I needed.
While quiet resistance is not completely me, I felt that “small wins” defined me more as a person, as I am action-oriented. The small wins I’ve made thus far this year are because that which I have accomplished was doable, and most important, the small wins taught me something. I’ve piled up lots of small wins (“Hey!!! That alternative assessment revealed WAY more of what that kid knows than that test did!), and as I approach the second half of the school year, I can honestly say my students and I are on a roll. We’ve learned a lot together and my colleagues and I have had the chance to unite in many ways. Someone just recently approached me about my use of Google Classroom--so cool!
Since small wins have been treated as vehicles of learning, my small wins, whether they have been with myself, my students, or my colleagues, these small wins can be truly seen as experiments, which the book coins as a synonym. These experiments have outwardly enabled me to push the boundaries of what was considered “typical” for my school. It’s with these small wins that I am hopeful to create a more thoughtful science experience for students at my school...to build on the science teaching below me and to bridge the gap towards middle school.
Task Three: Facing Challenges
Dealing with challenges in my work setting? This is a tough question, since I am truly happy where I am at right now. Maybe it’s the honeymoon phase? And the dark cloud is coming up and over the mountain and I can’t see it right now?
Regardless of this, I am certain that like at all places, challenges will arise. I think the some of the levels of challenges resonated with me. First, the loneliness factor rang true. As you’re trying to make change, it is certainly true that you can be seen as both an insider (“Hey, she’s got great ideas!) and an outsider (“What is she trying to do?!?!”), and never being fully accepted by either group. As I work through this, I think that finding the right time to establish relationships and cultivate change are going to be essential to my success. With this also comes the risk of hypocrisy. I wouldn’t want “What side is she on?” to hit me square in the face.
Secondly, when change is needed or wanted, I am going to have to continue with the notion Meyerson presents as “Waiting for a better time.” I’ve already come across situations where I’ve stuck my head in the sand, recognizing that the moment to speak up is too risky, and other times where sticking my neck out was also a risk, but one that I’d like to take because of its benefits for me and my students.
In any situation...change (or the lack thereof) can happen. It’s just up to me and others to work collaboratively and effectively to make it happen, and so that the change can be seen as inspirational to not only those of us working to make change, but to those who are watching from the sidelines.