This past week I had the opportunity to facilitate a training on English Language Arts and the three major shifts as schools and communities implement the Common Core Standards. I also had the opportunity to set an intention for the thirty plus teachers and educators in attendance. Rather than just participate in the traditional reviewing of norms and expectations, I believe that its often equally important for people to connect with the values of their lives, those beliefs and character traits that both guide our decisions and those that we strive to be. We began by choosing five (5) values that best guide either our professional or personal life (i.e., love, hope, integrity, responsibility, flexibility, etc.) Afterwards, we were to choose one (1) value (from the original five) in which we demonstrated sometime in our lifetime. I modeled what I asked for by sharing my value (love) in which I demonstrated to my daughter from the moment I learned that I was going to be a father at a very young age. We then took a minute to think about that one value that was demonstrated in their lives. A few people shared and then one other just shouted out their value (i.e, "flexibility). We then were challenged to create a Recipe, a good "value recipe" that each participant would need to receive the very best training over the next two days. People were provided time and each table worked to create and share out their recipe. I concluded the experience by sharing the work that I had done with sixth graders in the Bronx (see above) and students were charged with creating a recipe for World Peace. I shared that this experience can be adapted to set classroom values, (and should have pointed out) that it can also be used as a way to gently remind each other when we are out of violation of those values that we established as a community throughout the year.
So now, tell me what are your values? What recipe do you need to create in your personal and/or professional life that can lead to liberation education?
So now, tell me what are your values? What recipe do you need to create in your personal and/or professional life that can lead to liberation education?
