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Write a blog they said! It will be easy, they said! Just write about what’s on top for you. Have they seen inside my brain and what’s on top right now?
I really don’t know where to start. What I need is a pep talk from Dr Shelley Moore, a Canadian educator and an expert and advocate for inclusive education. I'll head to Shelley’s Five Moore Minutes video series and watch “We can do hard Things” video.
Stretches: reframing weaknesses
In her “We can do hard Things” video Shelley Moore talks about embracing our challenge. She encourages us to start with the things we can do, to utilise our strengths and use these strengths to work on the things that are hard. When faced with writing a blog I discover my strength is having lots of very random ideas and my weakness is getting these ideas down in some sort of coherent manner! Shelley has a suggestion - to see these not as weaknesses but as a “stretch”. The more you stretch the stronger you get. So now I’m focusing on my stretch… but I’m still in a pit!
It’s still too hard, I don’t know how to start, everyone else is better at this than me. A pit, the learning pit, is a great strategy I use with students who say they can’t do hard things. I need The Learning Pit by James Nottingham.
The Learning Pit: A Metaphor for Growth
Inspired by James Nottingham's work, the Learning Pit is a metaphor for the challenges we face when learning something new. It's a place of confusion, frustration, and uncertainty. However, it's also a place of immense growth. By embracing the Learning Pit, we can develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and a deeper understanding of our subject matter.
There are six components:
Embrace the Challenge: Acknowledge that challenges are a natural part of the learning process. Don't be afraid to dive into the Learning Pit.
Seek Support: Reach out to colleagues, mentors, or online communities for guidance and encouragement.
Break Down the Task: Divide large, intimidating tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
Reflect on Your Progress: Regularly assess your learning and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.
Learn from Mistakes: View mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning.
Celebrate the Journey: The journey through the Learning Pit is as important as the destination. Enjoy the process of discovery and growth.
Overcoming the Pit: A Growth Mindset Approach
I'm clambering out of the Learning Pit, there’s a glimmer of hope, my thoughts aren’t so fixed, there’s growth!
A growth mindset approach suggests that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and dedication. Rather than seeing challenges as obstacles, view them as opportunities to learn and improve. The terms Fixed and Growth Mindset came from research completed over 30 years ago by Carol Dweck to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort, and that leads to higher achievement.
Conclusion
So with a growth mindset, some stretching and moving through the Learning Pit, I have completed my first blog with a smile and sense of achievement. By embracing challenges we can overcome obstacles and become stronger, more resilient educators. Remember, it's not about being perfect; it's about continually learning and improving. If I can do it, you can too!
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