Progressive Tradition in 2013: Preparing our Children for a Future We Can't Predict

“. . .[I]t is impossible to foretell definitely just what civilization will be twenty years from now. Hence it is impossible to prepare the child for any precise set of conditions. To prepare him for the future life means to give him command of himself; it means so to train him that he will have the full and ready use of all his capacities, that his eye and ear and hand may be tools ready to command, that his judgment may be capable of grasping the conditions under which it has to work, and the executive forces be trained to act economically and efficiently.”  -- John Dewey "My Pedagogic Creed" (1897)

What does the Progressive tradition look like in 2013? In short, it looks like the answer to this question:

The Meaning of Our Mission (click)

How do we prepare children for a future we can’t predict? 

Dewey asked this same question in 1897, and his answer is manifest in the progressive principles we embrace as a community of educators at Summit.  Our answer in 2013 is expressed in our mission, fulfilled through our Six Promises and embodied in our students’ core competencies.

6 Promises (click)

Most importantly, it looks like never underestimating a child.  Ever.  It looks like, as Dewey so aptly put it, cultivating in children “the full and ready use of all [their] capacities.” Concrete evidence of our students developing their capacities is seen in what we call our core competencies: being prepared, honorable, curious, accepting, and socially responsible.

Core Competencies Embodied by Students (click)

Of course, this means cultivating the essentials of reading, writing, mathematics, scientific study, historical analysis, the arts, language and culture study, physical education and research within and across the disciplines--and it means moving far beyond these basics.  Fundamentals gain meaning, depth, nuance and are deeply understood in context—that is, in the service of meaningful work both within and beyond the classroom.  This work prepares our children for a future we can't predict by positioning them to create that future.

Meaningful work that positions children to take a competent, confident, and inspiring hand in creating their future--while being firmly rooted in our six promises and core competencies--takes many forms, including the following:

JrK on the Mayflower

Jr Kindergarteners study history (connecting past, present and future) by experiencing it.  Adopting the identities of Mayflower travelers (complete with names, family histories and personal triumphs and tragedies), our 4 and 5 year olds make the harrowing trip from England to America.

Designing a Wind Generator (click)

Science students work in the robotics lab to design vertical windmills, a potential source of renewable energy for powering computers on campus.

Faculty Launching the CEI

Summit faculty engage in constant professional development and are, themselves, lifelong learners. In keeping with the progressive tradition, our teachers combine the art and science of teaching and learning, leading Summit's Center for Excellence and Innovation, which features faculty-driven professional development programs aimed at translating empirical research and learning theory into best practice in the classroom. Professional Learning Communities include a variety of focus areas, including gifted education, literacy, neuroscience in the classroom, service learning, iPads in the classroom, Responsive Classroom, and outdoor learning. Currently, the neuroscience PLC is collaborating with Dr. Paul Laurienti, Director of the Laboratory for Complex Networks at Wake Forest University, and students on a research project looking at the effects of sleep on students' learning.

Weather and the Water Cycle

Lower schoolers' study of weather and the water cycle includes authentic conversation with local meteorologist Lanie Pope who explores with them the roles of science, technology and experience in forecasting the weather.

Design Work in Math

5th grade math students design their own race cars, moving from paper and pencil, to construction paper, to computer design, to laser cutter to 3D printer.  

STEAM project with MIT (click)

Through our Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math Program (STEAM), Upper schoolers collaborate with design engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab to design a Personal Electric Vehicle (PEV) for use in densely populated urban areas. (Click here for a video clip on the work of our "Fab Lab" design studio.)

Zora Neale Hurston in Living Biographies

As a culmination of their study of famous Americans, Fourth Graders presented their living biographies to family and friends. In this integrated unit, students learn about famous Americans in a historical context through research, reading, writing, art, and public speaking. An important part of the unit is learning to write from the unique perspective of their own historical figure. After presenting their living biographies, students and their families participated in activities including colonial games, quilting to build math skills, historical genres of dance and music, and technology.

Ardmore Park adopted by 7th Grade

The seventh grade class "adopted" Ardmore Park two years ago, and have committed their time, energy and the sweat of their brow to keeping it clean for the benefit of the entire community.

Chinese Dragon Parade (click)

First graders held a dragon parade to celebrate the Chinese new year, the year of the snake. The study of China gives first graders the opportunity to expand map skills, learn more about the geography of our world, compare time zones, and finally explore other cultures as we look for similarities and differences in the lives of children near and far. Students read a number of books describing Chinese culture and traditions and engage in a culminating research project.

Next Week: The journey from our classrooms to a future no one can predict.

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Deepening Our Roots and Extending Our Reach: Our Progressive Tradition

“I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living. I believe that the school must represent present life – life as real and vital to the child as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the playground . . ."   John Dewey,   "My Pedagogic Creed"
 
This post represents the second in our weekly series of responses to questions posed at our State of the School gathering. The evening was framed by this question: As a community, what questions do we need to ask ourselves to better understand and enhance the state of our school?

One crucial theme that emerged is captured by this question: What does it mean to be a Progressive school in 2013 and why is that important in preparing our children for a future we can’t predict?

To answer this question, we must examine it in three parts. This post will address our progressive tradition.

What Are the Roots of Summit’s Progressive Tradition?

Founding head of school Louise Futrell studied with John Dewey. We can trace our philosophical roots to the founding of the school in 1933. While Louise Futrell was not “bound” by Dewey’s teachings, she did embrace key principles which are as true (and useful) today as they were in 1933. 

So, what are these timeless and timely principles?

Whole Child: Our educators are concerned with helping children become not only lifelong learners but good people.

 
Deep Understanding: Facts and skills matter most in a context and for a purpose, with curriculum organized around meaningful problems, projects and questions.

 
Community: Children learn with and from one another and educators in a caring community. We believe that children learn best from those they love and respect and by whom they are loved and respected.

Active Learning: Students formulate questions, seek out and create answers, think through possibilities and evaluate how successful they are.

 
Social Justice: Children have the opportunity to learn about and put into action a commitment to diversity and to improving the lives of others.

Intrinsic Motivation: As educators, we ask: What’s the effect of this experience/project/assignment on students’ interest in their learning, their desire to keep reading, thinking and questioning?

Collaboration: We focus on a “working with” rather than a “doing to” model, with an emphasis on collaborative problem solving, underlying motives, values and reasons.

 
Taking Children Seriously: We take our cue from the children, being particularly attentive to the unique qualities of each. We cultivate voice in our children—which requires 2 elements: an individual must [1] feel s/he has something meaningful and worthwhile to say and [2] believe others care about what s/he has to say.

We are all educators: Each and every adult in our learning community is an educator—from educare: We draw students out and we lift them up.

* * * * *

Part of Dewey’s brilliance, and that of Summit’s learning community during our 80-year history, lay in principles that are both timeless (enduring) and timely (relevant). Our progressive tradition preceded, shows the profound limits of, and extends far beyond the “factory model” (one-size-fits-all) classrooms of 20^th century American schools.

At the turn of the last century, Dewey somehow landed on principles that have endured, that hold true today, and that take into account what we know in 2013 about how children learn: cognitively, socially and neurologically. Dewey wrote extensively about pedagogy (the art and science of teaching and learning); the importance of honoring and embracing each child in the context of a community of learners; the value of finding and pursuing our passions; and the fundamental obligation we have to inspire in our students a sense of civic duty—of making the world a better place by engaging in work that matters.

These 9 principles represent the roots of our progressive tradition—a firm foundation which both grounds and extends the reach of each and every Summit student and educator.

Next week we will look at Summit's progressive tradition at work in 2013.

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Where Brain Science Meets Achieving Our Full Potential

Guest Post from Dr. Paul Laurienti, Director of the Laboratory for Complex Brain Networks

As a follow up to his November 8, 2012 presentation "Welcome to Brain Rules," Dr. Paul Laurienti offers a guest post in answer to a question from the audience.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Let me start this first blog with an answer that I can apply to all the questions that I received. I do not know. In fact, nobody knows for sure. I will go over some of my ideas and what I understand about the issue and then you can make your decision based on your particular situation. 

Reader's Question: In your opinion, do programs like Cogmed help children with ADHD? That is, do new and popular working memory training programs really have a positive effect?

I chose this question to answer first because it is very timely. It turns out that a scientific review came out recently discussing this issue. You probably can’t get to the full article because science is not open to the public – but that is a topic of a different post. Let me know if you want the article, I can send it to you. The review was spawned by a research study published in June of this year questioning the claim that working memory training improves intelligence. (I can’t even get the whole article of this one). By the way, the first author was a student at Wake Forest many years ago.

The Gist of the Issue

Here is the gist of the whole issue. There have been numerous studies showing that working memory training can improve function on a host of different cognitive tasks. Thus, not only does working memory improve after working memory training, but other processes like attention improve as well. This work was the basis for the Cogmed training program. The originator is a cognitive scientist (Torkel Klingberg) who studies working memory. I do not personally know him but I am familiar with some of his work. I feel that he is a good scientist and his work is well respected. I am not familiar with his company other than what is on the internet. I have never used the Cogmed program. The research paper published in June of 2012 calls into question the results from other studies because they feel the studies were not well designed. They have some legitimate points. Nevertheless, the overwhelming evidence is that compared to people that do not do the training, people who do the training improve in various brain functions. The real debate is if improvements are specific to the working memory training or if there are other factors. 

Many Factors Affect Improvement in Working Memory

I can tell you now: there are other factors. But maybe that does not matter in the real world. If you want to improve cognition these programs probably work compared to if you do nothing. The scientific debate really surrounds the mechanism to explain previous findings of cognitive improvement following training. A lot of esoteric details related to study design, particular tests used, and the comparison groups are up for debate. My guess is that as a potential user you really do not care. If it works it works. This is not to say that good science is not important. For example, if a drug cures cancer but we do not know why, then you would still use the drug if you had cancer. As a patient you would not care so much about the mechanism of action of the drug, just that it cured you. A clinical trial (like the one used in the June 2012 study) really does not say anything about how the program will work in a single person. If you try it and it works, you win. It really does not matter what the mechanism was.

On the other hand, just because some studies have shown that working memory training works does not mean that it is a cure-all for any and every brain issue. First, poor study design can result in flawed outcomes suggesting that a training program works even when it does not.  Secondly, people with ADHD have brain wiring different from those that do not have ADHD. It is unlikely that a training program like this will make their wiring change such that it looks like people without ADHD. It may help and it is unlikely to hurt. I think that the best advice is to try it and see if you think it works.

Consider Cost

The one issue that I would caution you on is cost. I did not find information on the cost of this program. This would be my major issue as to whether or not I would try the program. If it is relatively inexpensive (I suspect that it is not given that the cost was not easy to find) then try it out. If it is expensive, then you have to weigh the risk vs. benefit for yourself.

Does Brain Training Work with Kids?  Yes.  It's Called School

Remember, there really is no debate concerning if “brain training” can work in kids. We know it works. It is called school. The debate is “can we find specific programs that will enhance learning in specific ways?” I suspect that such training does exist, but I also feel that as scientists we get caught up in details and forget that the ultimate goal is to help people. 

Remember: Every Brain is Wired Differently

We try to pin everything down to one and only one factor. The reality is that many interacting factors will determine if any particular brain training program works for you. Even if the specific training task cannot be demonstrated to be the single factor, if the training program as a whole works, then it works. This is related to my idea that scientists focus on the bird in a cage and apply the results to the entire flock. Everyone is different and what works for you may not work for your friends or family. The goal we should have is to find the methods and or strategies that help each of us individually achieve our full potential. Different brains respond to the world in different ways. It is this difference in us all that makes specific treatment difficult to design. It is also this difference that makes the world a wonderful place. We all have strengths and weaknesses. If we can capitalize on our strengths and find ways to overcome or adapt our weaknesses, then we can all prosper.

Let me know if you try this program and what you feel about the results.

- Paul Laurienti

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Inspiring Learning: Welcome to Brain Rules!

Thursday, November 8 marked the first presentation in our 2012-2013 Inspiring Learning Series. Dr. Paul Laurienti, Director of the Laboratory for Complex Brain Networks at Wake Forest University, engaged a crowd of over 200 people in an exploration of John Medina's Brain Rules: 12 Rules for Surviving and Thriving at Home, Work and School.  As the title suggests (and as the review below reveals), Brain Rules holds appeal for all of us--in virtually every role we inhabit: parent, educator, employee, friend, citizen, learner.

Most of us have little idea of how our brains work--and what the practical implications might be for daily life. And that's where Dr. Laurienti steps in.  Paul began the evening telling the story of the nearly-fatal injury he sustained to his skull and brain as a teenager that led to his life-long interest in the brain. Then, for the next 45 minutes he playfully yet powerfully examined the science behind and the practical implications of 3 brain rules:

Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.
- Each brain is different.
- Each person's perception of the world is different.

Paul Laurienti

- Perceptions are driven by experience. (Among other things, this means that you can actually perceive something that isn't there--that doesn't really exist.)
- The brain is literally rewired by perceptions and experiences.

Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses. (sensory integration)
When you engage more of the senses, you learn things better, faster,  more deeply and for a longer time.  Involve more senses and improve your learning.

Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.
One of Paul's brain network colleagues notes: The rest of our senses exist to direct us toward vision. That about sums it up.

Other Key Points
1.  Through attention to brain rules, we can actually change our brain networks intentionally to do the things we want them to do (e.g., through exercise, multisensory integration, repeat to remember)--even as enter our 7th, 8th or 9th decades of life!

2.  Experience literally drives the wiring and rewiring of our brains.

3.  We are all scientists, quite capable of understanding the research our country spends billions to support.

4.  If parents would explore and reward failure with their kids, then this world would become a better place. We have become failure averse as a society and this is destroying creativity. If we want people's brains to be creative--and undertake the kind of science that changes the world--we have to embrace failure, and learn from it. You have to fail if  you want to be good, really good, at something

5.  We need to change research in the scientific community to focus on understanding complex networks. It isn't enough--or to the point--to study an individual neuron, for example. We need to study the brain network. Brain rules aren't about a single neuron; rather, they're about our brain network.

Below you will find:
[a] An audio link to Paul Laurienti's presentation "Welcome to Brain Rules."

[b] A slideshare version of Paul's slideshow presentation.  I invite you to click through the slideshow as you listen to the audio link.

Laurienti v11 from MichaelEbeling

[c] A video entitled "A Murmuration of Starlings." Paul used this video to demonstrate a fundamental and profoundly important point that applies to science: We don't come to understand the behavior and workings of the flock by placing the individual starling in a cage and studying it. Rather, we come to understand the flock (read as complex network) by studying the flock.  Similarly, we don't come to understand the brain by studying the individual neuron. Rather, we come to understand the brain by studying the complex brain network. In short, Paul argues that science is focused on "the starling in the cage" yet the important questions have to do with the flock.  Worse still, science is studying the bird in the cage and applying the findings to the flock.

Extending the Conversation
We invite you to continue the dialogue we began on November 8 and both deepen and extend the conversation by posting your thoughts and questions on this blog.  Paul will respond.

Background Information
November 8 Presenter: Dr. Paul Laurienti

Our November 8, 2012 kick-off presentation featured Dr. Paul Laurienti, Summit parent (Hughes, JrK and Jillian, 2nd) and Director of the Laboratory for Complex Brain Networks at Wake Forest University.  Paul is as dynamic and engaging in his presentations as John Medina is in his writing.  Paul's combination of intense passion and deep knowledge about the practical implications and applications of brain networks made him the perfect speaker to introduce this year's theme of Brain Rules. Paul's research combines human brain imaging & network science to evaluate complex processes such as emotion, perception and consciousness. For a window into Paul's interests as a brain networks scientist, check out his TEDx Wake Forest University presentation on "The Scientific Revolution."

What is the Inspiring Learning Series?
Begun in 2010, the series has a simple and important purpose: To engage both our school community and the wider community in meaningful conversations--conversations which move far beyond our campus--around 3 questions:
 
• What do we need to know to be better parents, educators and advocates for our children?

• What can we share and learn from others in our community?

• How can we translate ideas into actions that enhance and even transform our community in ways that further the greater good?

This year's Inspiring Learning Series revolves around our school-wide reading of John Medina's Brain Rules: 12 Rules for Surviving & Thriving at Work, Home and School.  As the title suggests (and as the review below reveals), Brain Rules holds appeal for all of us--in virtually every role we inhabit: parent, educator, employee, friend, citizen, learner. Most of us have little idea of how our brains work--and what the practical implications might be for daily life. Medina, however, explores questions such as: How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? What can brain science  tell us about raising smart, happy children?  Brain Rules is unique in its appeal and application to such a broad audience--which is what made it an ideal selection for our community reading.

Book Review of Brain Rules
Medina offers a rarity: A book that actually lives up to its title--and its jacket blurb. Medina's work fascinates me both for its simplicity and its complexity.

On the one hand, our molecular biologist, author and director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University manages to distill extensive research on the brain into 12 principles that have direct and clear application to three separate worlds: home, work and school.

The principles?
Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power. (exercise)
Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too. (survival)
Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently. (wiring)
Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things. (attention)
Rule #5: Repeat to remember. (short-term memory)
Rule #6: Remember to repeat. (long-term memory)
Rule #7: Sleep well, think well. (sleep)
Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way. (stress)
Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses. (sensory integration)
Rule #10: Vision trumps all other sense. (vision)
Rule #11: Male and female brains are different. (gender)
Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers. (exploration)

On the other hand, over the course of 279 pages (not to mention the audio and video links and tutorials on his site http://www.brainrules.net), Medina explores and probes and questions and summarizes and storytells with richness and complexity--and in ways that, at moments, leave you saying, quite literally, the brain rules!

My favorite chapter--chapter 1 on exercise--reflects the combination of studied research and playful, practical application that is a hallmark of Medina's writing. Yes, the summaries at the end of each chapter are handy--especially as memory hooks for future reference and application. But don't be fooled: Dr. Medina has done his homework, engages in some intellectual heavy lifting, and explores his points with vigor, precision and passion. Early in this first chapter, Medina sets the terms for his exploration:

"Given our relative wimpiness in the animal kingdom (we don't have enough body hair to survive a mildly chilly night), what these data tell us is that we grew up in top physical shape, or we didn't grow up at all. And they also tell us the human brain became the most powerful in the world under conditions where motion was a constant presence.

If our unique cognitive skills were forged in the furnace of physical activity, is it possible that physical activity still influences our cognitive skills? Are the cognitive abilities of someone in good physical condition different from those of someone in poor physical condition? And what if someone in poor physical condition were whipped into shape? Those are scientifically testable questions" (p. 11)

In citing the work of Dr. Antronette Yancey, Medina quotes Yancey as follows:

"Kids pay better attention to their subjects when they've been active. Kids are less likely to be disruptive in terms of their classroom behavior when they're active. Kids feel better about themselves, have higher self-esteem, less depression, less anxiety. All of those things can impair academic performance" (p. 18)

This is also one of those special books that can be read in any order you choose. Pick a chapter that appeals to you and have at it. Check out the related tutorial. Enjoy yourself. And explore how these 12 principles might serve you and every member of your family. It's true: The brain rules.

- MjE 

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Making Our Lists and Checking Them Twice: Knowing Where to Focus and What to Ignore

Stephen Covey's Time Management Quadrants

In his blog post “Two Lists You Should Look at EveryMorning,” Harvard Business Review writer Peter Bregman names what my experience has proven to me: 

“The speed with which information hurtles towards us is unavoidable (and it’s getting worse). But trying to catch it all is counterproductive. The faster the waves come, the more deliberately we have to navigate. Otherwise we’ll get tossed around like so many particles of sand, scattered to oblivion. Never before has it been so important to be grounded and intentional and to know what’s important.”

Yes, of course.  But what to do about it?  The brilliance of Bregman’s post comes in his answer to this question.

Bregmen invites us to:

[1] Pause.

Take a deep breath.  Maybe a few deep breaths.  Perhaps get up, walk around, even go for a jog.  Move a muscle, change a thought. Get some distance from the clutter and cacophony of the moment and reflect.

[2] Prioritize.

Ouch.  That brings me back to reality.  In our school, there is no dearth of ideas.  Engaging, innovative often inspiring ideas.  And lots of them.  The challenge: Prioritize—as Bregman puts it, be grounded and intentional, knowing what’s important.  I have found Stephen Covey’s Time Management Quadrants helpful here. While it’s possible to spend the bulk of my day in Quadrant 1 (Important and Urgent) and Quadrant 3 (Urgent but Not Important), my greatest long-term gains are made by investing time and intellectual capital in Quadrant 2 (Important but Not Urgent): Preparation, planning, relationship and partnership building, personal and professional development, strategic planning—all of which can (and should be) be tied to our strategic plan and our school-wide overarching goals for the year.

[3] Focus.

This requires discipline.  A colleague once referred to our work as school leaders as “a ministry of interruption,” noting that he’d become so accustomed to the intensity that he found himself craving it—even interrupting those rare swaths of unscheduled time to make a phone call, tap a text or check e-mail that could have waited.

So, pause, prioritize and focus toward what end?  Bregman challenges us to make two lists. List #1 he calls your “Focus List,” which he defines through 3 questions: What are you trying to achieve? What makes you happy? What’s important to you? In making a list that is driven by our answers to these questions, he argues, we then must take the step (exercise the discipline, I would say)  to design our time around these priorities.

List #2 he calls your “Ignore List,” which he defines through 4 questions: What are you willing not to achieve? What doesn’t make you happy? What’s not important to you? What gets in the way?  Bregman notes that while many of us at least make an effort to develop the first list, few of us draft this second list—a list that is essential if we hope to increase our time in Quadrant 2 and decrease our time in Quadrants 1 and 3. 

Our administrative leadership team has made a collective commitment to supporting each other in spending more time in Quadrant 2 (by embracing essential elements of Pittampalli’s Modern Meeting and through intentional and strategic use thinking partnerships—bringing not just pressing issues and dilemmas to colleagues but exploring opportunities and possibilities). Our belief is that a happy consequence of spending more time in Quadrant 2 is that we will spend less time in Quadrants 1 and 3.  Over the longer haul (say, the past 18 months), this is proving to be true.

Bregman argues that these lists offer “a map for each day”—charting both the lighthouses and the landmines—and he charges us with actually using them: “…[Y]ou shouldn’t create these lists once and then put them in a drawer. . .Review them each morning along with your calendar. . .Then find the courage to follow through, make choices, and maybe disappoint a few people.”

In the spirit of having the courage to follow through and the discipline to make choices, I share my lists below.

List 1: My Focus List (The Road Ahead)

[1] Inspiring others toward a shared purpose—contributing to what is good, meaningful and larger than ourselves.

[2] Supporting the innovations of others.

[3] Articulating and clarifying Big Ideas that have practical implications. 

List 2: My Ignore List (The Distractions)

[1] Things that emotionally hijack me or others.

[2] A focus on "admiring the problem" without offering a solution.

[3] The cacophony of Urgent but not Important.

Here’s to being grounded in, intentional about and focused on what is truly meaningful in our work.

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The Sense that God Gave a Dog

Remarks to the Summit School Graduating Class of 2012

Congratulations. . . A word you’re likely to hear often today. It means, literally, wishing you joy. And that is what people are doing when they say it to you.  They are wishing you joy. As your ninth grade year enters its final minutes, we are celebrating. Celebrating all that you have attempted, accomplished, created, learned, lived and shared here at Summit.

We call this a Commencement Ceremony—the 79^th Commencement Ceremony, in fact, of Summit School.  Fascinating that while today may feel like an ending—and in some ways it is, or at least a culmination—it also, as the root of commencement suggests, marks a beginning, an entering into, a starting point.  Today offers a loving celebration of--and, at moments, a reflection on--your time at Summit as well as a hopeful anticipation of your journey beyond Summit. Today is one of those rare occasions when we live in 3 moments in time, simultaneously: past, present and future—one of those wonderful occasions when we deepen our roots even as we extend our reach.

It is customary on an occasion such as this to impart some wisdom, encouragement, even inspiration.  You have already done that for one another in many ways—including through the quotes each of you shared in the year book. Quotes such as “What to do with a mistake—recognize it, admit it, learn from it, forget it.” That’s from coach Dean Smith.  “Other things may change us, but we start and end with family.” From author Anthony Brandt. “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”  Humanitarian Mother Teresa. “Most people see in order to believe. Well, I believe in order to see.”  From 9^th grader Lawson Wimmer.

Our sources of wisdom, insight and inspiration are as varied as each of us.  I have three to share with you this morning.  The first is my grandmother, who was famous for telling her well over 50 children, grandchildren and great grandchildren: “If you have the sense that God gave a dog, you’ll do well and you’ll do good in this life.” That is, you’ll succeed in your own life and you’ll make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

That leads me to my second source of wisdom, insight and inspiration: my puppy Tucker. Tucker actually embodies the truth of my grandmother’s saying.  In paying attention to Tucker, in loving him, in watching and listening to him, and in occasionally being exasperated by him, I have learned some important lessons, which I’d like to share with you.

Be curious. Inquisitive, interested. Explore life. Approach people and places as possibilities, opportunities. Approach the world with wonder. 

Nose around, as Tucker does, in every corner, . Unwrap each day as if it were a gift.  It is.

Remain teachable. Pay attention to the world around you. Be apt and willing to learn—to take it all in, make sense of it, and create something new. Remember Eric Hoffer’s line: “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

I think of Tucker’s emerging skill in catching a tennis ball in mid-air.  With each successive leap, the ball bounces off his noise and shoulder less and into the grip of his jaws more.  And, of course, he has found that vertical leap of his very handy as a route to the tasty treats on our kitchen counters.

Test the limits.  Our lives, at moments, present places/experiences/attitudes/beliefs/demands/challenges that seem to have boundaries beyond which we cannot go.

I think of Tucker and our new backyard fence. One afternoon, while Liz was inside the house, Tucker tested that 4-foot vertical boundary.  When Liz came back outside a short while later, she found Tucker on the other side of that boundary. We still don’t know how he did it.  We do believe that a combination of will and resourcefulness (and, perhaps, divine intervention) enabled him to move beyond that limit.

See the good in others. I love that 9^th grade quote: “Most people see in order to believe. Well, I believe in order to see.” When we believe in the goodness of others, we treat them as friends—we approach them in ways that bring out the best in them and the best in ourselves. I saw a bumper sticker once that read: Strive to be the person your dog thinks you are.

Tucker knows no stranger. He is, truly, a hail fellow well met. And, as a consequence, other dogs, random passers by, and neighborhood children adore him—mostly.

Be loyal. Fidelity. Faithfulness. The deep and loving ties—in our hearts, in our minds, in our actions—that bind us—one to another. Holding to our beliefs. Living our principles. Embodying our values.

Tucker sits, stands, lies, and trots with constancy by his two-legged mother’s side. He is fierce, unflagging, unfailing in his commitment to Liz.  He lives and breathes loyalty.

Play. Frolic. Explore with abandon. Experiment with joy. Improvise. Make believe.  Play is where joy, challenge, experimentation, discovery and innovation come together.

The head thrashing with his squeaky toy shaped like a squirrel.  The impromptu tug-of-war with my pants leg. The gnawing on the bone with a hole in the center for spooning in peanut butter. The boxing-like swipes he takes at an empty liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. These are sources of joy, and acts of exuberance--of fun as a way of living and learning.

Be grateful.  Appreciative of benefits received. Affording pleasure or contentment. Pleasing by reason of comfort supplied or discomfort alleviated. From a word meaning grace—a gift received without asking or earning.

Big brown eyes staring up and tongue lolling, I feel Tucker’s gratitude as he licks the chicken treat from my hand, sips from the gulpy water bottle on our walks at Tanglewood, or sighs at the gentle massage behind his ears.

Have courage. True heart in the ancient sense: the place where intellect, emotion and spirit converge.  The coming together of thinking and feeling—answering the heart’s longing to be connected with the largeness of life--a longing that animates love, work and the inspiration that comes from being a part of something larger than ourselves.

Tucker pads out of the house in the morning, stands at the threshold of our gate, and surveys that expansive, unknown world before him: Crossing that threshold is an act of courage.  So much of life’s meaning comes from crossing those thresholds.

Love. Nothing is more fundamental to our lives than our relationships.  And nothing is more important to our relationships than love.

A lick on the face. A brief, baritone, rumbly growl. A circling around my chair at the kitchen table followed by a lying down and placing his head on my bare feet.  Tucker’s expressions of love are so simple, so profound, so wonderful.

Wag your tail.

Our family’s day begins with a pattern of staccato barks. Liz’s footsteps descend the stairs, the lilt of her voice saying, “Good boy, good boy Tucker,” and then an almost unbelievably rapid sound—the sound of Tucker’s propeller-like tail thudding on the wall, the base of the counter, the breakfast table and chairs as he embraces Liz, life and his new day with unbridled joy.

And, now, one final source of wisdom, insight and inspiration: Those of us gathered here.

From the hearts and the souls of the people in this theatre—people who have supported and loved you during your journey through Summit, who admire you and will cheer you on as you travel beyond the loving embrace of this special community—we say congratulations: we wish you joy.  Go forth and wag your tails.

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The Social Lives of Children

Guest blog post by Julie Smith, Head of Early Childhood and Director of Parent Learning

The last installment in the Inspiring Learning Series for 2011-2012 on March 17 featured local pediatrician Dr. Dudley Bell and local educator Karen Wilson. They explored this topic that comes up so often in the minds and hearts of parents and others who support the lives of children. “Social “ is defined as living in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation and seeking or enjoying the companionship of others (Dictionary.com). It may be that adults are so interested in this topic in the lives of children because it is often a theme in their own lives.

QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED BY PARENTS
How much  do I need to intervene in my child’s social life?
How can I achieve the right balance of helping my child and letting them solve their own problems?
What are the best ways to help children and how can I do this?

OPENING THOUGHTS
Often parents have a great deal of anxiety and Dudley and Karen hear it. This anxiety is typically fueled by fear. Parents wonder if an action they take will actually harm their child. This type of fear fuels several very common conversations:

Should I delay the start of school for my child?
How can I  choose the “right “ activities for my child?
How can I monitor technology?

Dr. Bell, with his ever-present sense of humor says, “Parents show up and say I am worried my teen is texting all of the time. The next parent may say, I am worried because my teen never texts anyone!” Each response is fueled by anxiety.

Anxiety aside, here are some helpful resources regarding these common worries:

Redshirting: Holding Kids Back From Kindergarten

Hurried Child Syndrome

Just As You Thought More Teens Are Texting


The answer to questions like these may be found if we pause long enough to ponder: Why am I doing what I am doing? This is best examined in quiet moments of reflection and in safe communities of other parents. When parents are able to form partnerships, anxiety often decreases. Growth in children and adults most often occurs in the hard places, though we don’t always want to admit this. As parents, when we are able to form partnerships these rough or turbulent places can be navigated with less anxiety. The ultimate way to live is with joy and confidence. People who are able to do this enjoy healthy social lives as well!

This blog was posted by Summit Guidance Counselors Bekah Sidden and Devon Davis.
Helping Our Kids Cope With Life’s Obstacles


UNDERSTANDING THE LIFE AND MIND OF THE CHILD FRAMES OUR ACTIONS

How adults view the child influences the relationship we have with them. The goal is Interaction not Reaction.

Do we believe children are competent and capable? If we do, the way we involve ourselves in our children’s lives will look very different than if we think we always have to rescue, fix and help. Karen Wilson spent a month in Italy studying the schools in Reggio Emilia. These schools are known for their view of children as powerful and filled with potential. She witnessed the Italian way of life first-hand and loved the open minds and curiosity adults brought to their work and relationships with children.

Free from anxiety adults can  move into the role of mentor or guide. Observing our children and watching them mindfully can help validate the belief that they are so much more capable than we think, even from a very young age. Keeping these questions in mind is helpful:
Do I really know this child ?
What is driving their behavior?

Living with a curious mindset fueled by questioning can aid us in our role as guide and mentor. Asking questions when children come to us with difficult or complicated scenarios from their social lives can be the most powerful tool of all.

Adults can be leaders in the important work of modeling what to do with feelings that are an inevitable part of living with others. Feelings can be identified, examined and understood. They do not always have lead to action.  Resilient people know the importance of managing their own feelings. The existence of feelings do not always need to be  judged. Karen Wilson reminded of us of the wonderful work of Michael Thompson, who encourages parents to “interview for coping rather than interviewing for pain.”

Here are some resources moving forward:
What  Parents Can Do: Secrets of Social Life


PRACTICAL TIPS TO HELP CHILDREN FLOURISH

Build in regular time and space for your family. Create rituals surrounding routines.
Bedtime
Dinner
Celebrations

Engage in meaningful conversation. Look at the world from multiple perspectives.
Problem solve through wondering
I wonder what it feels like?
I wonder what you can do about....?

Be deliberate in involving children in relationships, across generations and provide opportunities for adults to become mentors.
Sports teams
Service Learning
Religious organizations
Extended family and neighborhood
Schools


Karen Wilson and Dudley bell recommend the following books:

Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children by Michael Thompson
Mom, They’re Teasing Me by Michael Thompson
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child by John Gottman
How to Raise a Child with a High EQ by Lawrence Shapiro
Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman
We Can Work It Out: Conflict Resolution for Children by Barbara Pollard
The Unwritten Rules of Friendship: Simple Strategies to Help Your Child Make Friends by Natalie Madorsky Elman

Follow up: The Social Lives of Summit Children
This session held on April 24 focused on the ways Summit  supports children’s social development. Suggestions for  parents were provided as well. It was led by Julie Smith, Director of Parent Learning, Bekah Sidden, Lower School Guidance Counselor and Kassy Gallup, Upper School Guidance counselor.
Summit  has three guiding beliefs that are reflected throughout our community each day.

Children are resilient and capable.

Children can learn to advocate for themselves.

Connections with others matter.

Listen to this talk here.


HELPFUL LINKS

Building Resilience: Helping Your Child Cope With Frustration at School

This website helps parents understand development and stages children pass through. It is also a resource to help understand Responsive Classroom. Access it here

A link to the article Self-Discipline Outdoes IQ in Predicting Academic Performance of Adolescents

This site has wonderful book recommendations. Access it here

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