BRIGHT SPOTS

Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration

Dear Educator,

By all accounts, we expected this year to be hard, but one district administrator told me recently, “It’s been difficult beyond what I even imagined.” There are tremendous obstacles relentlessly impacting young people, teachers, administrators, and communities. As we deal with so much, it is easy to become isolated in our roles as educators and overwhelmed by the enormous pace of change and complexity in the world.

To navigate the challenges we are facing this year and beyond, fostering connections is crucial to creating a way forward together. A passage in the book Crossing the Unknown Seas elegantly sums up the power of a community that builds up one another so work can be taken on with purpose and joy.

“You know that the antidote to exhaustion is not necessarily rest?

The antidote to exhaustion is wholeheartedness.”

In this week’s issue of Bright Spots, I am excited to share what’s possible when we connect with others to engage, learn, and grow, and create a sense of “wholeheartedness.”

With Gratitude,
Katie

BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK

Igniting Change Through the Power of Community

As we know, there was no set path or playbook to follow for how to navigate this year. I have found that connecting with others to learn, share, and problem-solve as a community of practice is well worth the investment. As the saying goes, “We rise by lifting others.”

With this in mind, we launched the Texas Learning Exchange (TxLx) in the fall of 2020. TxLx is an initiative of Educate Texas, supported by Getting Smart, Learner-Centered Collaborative, and JoCo Launch. We are now celebrating a full year of creating and sharing tools and resources to support districts as they face another year of teaching and learning amidst a pandemic. 

The TxLx team has selected Lytle ISD, Ector County ISD, and Dallas ISD to provide technical assistance and coaching based on each team’s unique problem of practice. Each district has identified a goal and selected a guiding coalition to collaborate with over the next few months.

Recently, we came together to collaborate virtually across districts. Each team shared their current work and obstacles they were facing, and sought feedback and guidance. Although challenges were present, they left energized with new resources, ideas, and connections that will help them create new opportunities for their learning communities.

There is tremendous power in people, not just programs, to make the changes we seek in our education system. The power lies in the collective movement of those who open classroom doors, work within existing constraints and barriers, and build networks to continuously learn, share, and innovate. I truly believe that we can collectively improve our education system by focusing on what’s possible when we work together to make change happen.

Interested in discussing how you might incite change in your learning community? Let's connect!

RESOURCE ROUNDUP

Below are some resources to support you in encouraging collective collaboration in your learning context.

3. Urgency in the classroom. Urgency around learning loss tends to justify shortcuts that ultimately undermine the broader goals we are seeking. This NGLC article explores the notion of urgency, and discusses why schools should shift their focus to reimagining schooling to address deeply rooted challenges.

LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!

How are you inciting change with your learning community?
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