Over the last year I have learned a lot about self-esteem, confidence and relationships. I have never posted a poem, or written one since I was in school, but here's two. Let me know what you think.

​@rondorland

Here in British Columbia we are familiarizing ourselves with the revised curriculum that was rolled out this year. Teachers are finding that there is a whole lot new. An area that I recommend teachers become acquainted with is role play. Role play is performing or acting out as a different character. In my Masters of Education course last week we did a whole class role play, where a citizen of a small town passed away and donated her home and lot to the city. We as a city needed to come to a consensus on what to do with this property. Each member in the class was given a role, for example entrepreneur, architect or media. I was given the role, along with two others, as a residential developer. When the role play was over I was amazed with my learning and engagement levels. Below is a list of reasons why, after taking part in a role play, I think teachers need to adopt this learning technique in their 21st century classroom. My list has been condensed to three main points for a quick read.
 
Delving Into Ones Strength- I am about as least artsy as one can be. I actually came into this class, knowing it was going to be a role play, nervous and expecting the worse. But what I quickly learned is that as the role play went on the more confident I became. What I also realized is that I was not the only one feeling this way. I believe that the reason for this increase in confidence is that we don’t place ourselves into roles of vulnerability but rather we place ourselves in roles of strength to overcome discomfort. Besides this being hugely beneficial for the student, it is also an amazing tool for a teacher to authentically witness individual student strengths.
 
Real World Experience and Perspectives- In a role play, characters place themselves in real world situations and react to problems that are life relevant. With different roles comes different perspectives. Students will learn to think, write etc. from a different perspective than they ever have. For example, I wrote a letter to the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and carbon copied it to the town Mayor. I wrote it on behalf of a residential development company trying to persuade them to call my company with the intent of signing a contract. It is a challenge for many students to write to a specific audience, but this felt very natural. The role play placed all class members in a meeting at town hall, where we all were learning, being reactive and working together to come to a democratic decision on best policies to successfully move the city in a positive economic position. Using role play, acting and hearing others speak from different perspectives, was a fresh and exciting way to learn.
 
Deep Cross-Curricular Learning – Forget organizing your day into subject silos. Math, Language Arts, Science, Socials, etc are all covered in one fun activity. Role playing naturally incorporates skills that are not defined by a subject. In the lesson I partook in I needed to take into consideration profit, land size, population, geography, climate, public health and more. I had to work alongside other students who had other livelihoods within the town. Discussions were fluid and since questions and answers were made up on the spot, no two role plays are the same.  What I did notice is that even though you cannot repeat the exact occurrences of a role play, you still can predict themes. This will allow you to repeat the same content and concepts, needed to align with the curriculum with more than one class.  
 
 
If you role play and want to share a school role play story for others to learn about, please add it to the comments. Please also feel free to add any great role playing resources.
 
@rondorland

I have not blogged in a while. February 15th of last year actually. I’ve wanted too, but for some reason haven’t. However there were just way too many “tug-on the sleeve” (Lyn Fels) moments this week to not put my reflection in a blog. Thank you Chris Wejr, Karen Copeland and the members of my Masters of Education program for an amazing week of learning.
 
When you arrive at your work and walk down the empty hallways what do you see? Are you wide-awake, noticing your surroundings? Do you see all the positive memories that line the walls? Do you feel a charge of excitement, as if the hallways are already alive with children?  
Do you see student faces on bulletin boards and have some pre-conceived notions? And which students are you noticing? Do they make you smile or do they make you look away? Do you feel a part of your school identity or trapped amongst the school walls?
 
Have you ever considered why you have these thoughts? Furthermore, have you ever considered what these thoughts might say about you as an educator?  
 
Your lived experiences shape your present. These moments shape the moment in-between and your future. If you are not careful these thoughts can be detrimental. They can paralyze you and make you feel trapped. Each moment with each person in your school has built you to be in the moment you are currently in when walking down the hallway. However, you can’t really be trapped if you have never experimented with seeing things differently.
 
Now reread the last paragraph from the eyes of a child in your school. Think of a student who appears trapped. Have you ever altered your lens towards him/her?
 
Each moment for each child should be free where amazing possibilities can ensue. It should be a space free of assumed negative attributes, because it is only in this space that he or she can build and repair self-esteem and worth. As educators, we need to ask ourselves “Who are you here for?” We need to examine the lenses we see our surroundings with and adjust the lens that only attributes negative connotations. Those students whose pictures may have made you look away, have qualities you’ve yet to discover.
 
We are so fast to change the magnification of a microscope to better understand what is happening at a cellular level, yet we seem so fixed on keeping the lens that only superficially sees our students. We too often are not wide-awake, and we see only what is obvious. This along with children showing what they think we want to see, makes it where we don’t really get to see all of what our students have to offer. We are only seeing the visible top of an iceberg, as Chris Wejr and Karen Copeland referred to in their Start With Strengths event. Hidden are talents and characteristics that need to be brought to the surface. Under the water is where the true self resides. It is where our self-worth hides, protected from shame, vulnerability and the unknown. Although many students are privileged enough to magnificently show off their iceberg, too many of our students for the most part are truly never seen. With every negative event their self-worth keeps going farther and farther under the surface.  More protected and farther away from ever surfacing.
 
Tony Humphreys in his book, Self-Esteem: The Key to Your Child’s Future claims that teachers, after parents, are the most influential tribe members in a child’s life. That is why we as educators need to suspend time to allow a space where every child can flourish. A space where past and future don’t exist. A space free of your judgement and space free for the child to explore his/her own strength and better his/her self-esteem. We need to take a close look at our own self. We need to ask ourselves, have we altered our lenses accordingly? We spend hours differentiating our instruction but rarely differentiate our lenses on how we see each child? Our lens is often a black and white lens with a small area of grey, or in other woods, very vaguely, a good kid, bad kid or meh. We need to alter our lenses to see the good in all kids.
 
Going back to a question from Chris and Karen’s event, “who are you here for?” If your answer is “students” then read the following paragraph for every child in your class. And then change the lens.
 
When __________ walks down the school hallways what does he/she see? Is he/she wide-awake, noticing the surroundings? Does he/she see all the positive past moments that line the walls?  Does __________ see teacher and peer faces on bulletin boards and have some pre-conceived notions? And which people is he/she noticing? Do they make him/her smile or do they make him/her look away? Does he/she feel a part of your school identity or trapped amongst the school walls?
 
@rondorland

​I won’t lie. I got caught up with all the failure buzz quotes and acronyms in regards to education. You know the whole you must first fail to learn thing. If you go through my tweets over the last year, you quite definitely will read many posts about how failing is the first step in learning. And yes you will see I posted my fair share of pictures related to the 2015 buzz phrase of the year, “FAIL is the First Attempt In Learning.”  But I’m over it. And you should be too.
 
I hate it when I hear on the golf course the phrase, “A bad putt is better than a bad chip.” When you analyze that famous golf phrase it tells us an undesirable outcome is sitting right there, like a giant bulls-eye, in front of us. It reminds us to play safe, be timid and ultimately choose an option that avoids failure. Why even bring the thought of not succeeding up? Why play scared? And why choose the safe option when you can instead learn to chip better than you can putt?
 
So why do I bring this golfing quote up? Simple, that is what we are doing in our education systems, and with this whole failing to learn craze. Why even think of failure when we are just learning? To me it’s an oxymoron. The most successful people in whatever field they are in don’t walk around thinking they are failing at what they do. They are comfortable being a chameleon, adapting and learning. They know they make mistakes, but they don’t think they are failing. They are just simply LEARNING! And isn’t that a positive thing.
 
Why are we trying so hard to redefine a word that our children and we associate negatively? Let the word failure go and focus on what we are really doing and that is learning. Failure has a negative connotation but learning does not. Let’s delete F.A.I.L. and insert LEARN!
 
@rondorland

​Another calendar year has come and gone. Another year of learning and growth has transpired. And another year of clarity of what drives growth, and sorry it's not letter grades, or rewards. It is joy of learning. It is the feeling you get when you’ve overcome, and the pride you feel when you have achieved.
 
That is why my class theme is perseverance. To me vulnerability is neither good nor bad, but it is needed to progress.  For most of us being vulnerable is enough to scare us and stops us cold in our tracks. Not for me, and not for my students. For me vulnerability is the origin of greatness.  I agree fully with Brene Brown when she states, “ Vulnerability is the birthplace of creativity, innovation, and change. It’s also the birthplace of joy, faith and connection.”
 
The reason I believe her is because I live it. I am one who tries to always walk the talk and model the values and morals I believe are needed to better kids and learning. I constantly improve my pedagogy, never standing still, which we know is a lot easier. I am willing to stand in front of crowds sharing, collaborating and hopefully helping. I am willing to stick my neck out. I am willing to be vulnerable. Why? Easy, for my students. I want them to follow suit and take chances, and I believe my modelling will help them take that step.
 
So my one word is vulnerability. Now let’s put this blog out for the world to see.
 
@rondorland

Last year I created a list of five books all teachers are hoping for under the tree. You can click here to view last years post. Here is my second edition, and arguably it's even better! Here are my five must have books for all educators. 

In The Innovator's Mindset, George Couros encourages teachers and administrators to empower their learners to wonder, to explore—and to become forward-thinking leaders. If we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. In other words, innovation begins with you. Ultimately, innovation is not about a skill set but about mindset. The book is for all members in education, and is an absolute must have. (Amazon)

In Flat Army, Dan Pontefract addresses the disengaged and gives leadership strategies that will reignite the workplace. Get ready to learn leadership strategies that will build a culture that drives engagement, empowerment and encouragement amongst continued execution. In any of the corporate leadership roles he has held, he demonstrates a steadfast belief that a collaborative, connected and participative leadership framework is the only way in which to operate. (Amazon)

In Pure Genius, Don Wettrick encourages teachers and administrators to collaborate--with experts, students, and one another--to create interesting, and even life-changing opportunities for learning. You'll discover, innovation brings a fresh approach to solving real problems, creative ways to work within the constraints your current budget and system, and ways to inspire students to learn beyond the classroom. (Amazon)

In The Genius Hour Guidebook, Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi gives strategies to promote your students’ creativity and get them excited about learning! Learn how to implement Genius Hour, a time when students can develop their own inquiry-based projects around their passions and take ownership of their work. Buy this book and watch your children come to life while they take their learning in their own hands. (Amazon)

In Learn Like A Pirate, Paul Solarz gives meaning to collaboration, empowerment and student leadership. These buzz words get a lot of press, but what do they really mean for today's students? Can students really handle the responsibility of leading the class? Can they actually learn what they need to if they are working together so often? Won't all this freedom cause chaos in the classroom? Not if you're teaching them to learn like PIRATES! Paul's book will innovate your practice and better all involved! (Amazon)

I hope your Christmas is wonderful and Santa brings you all these great books. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

@rondorland

Last year I finally had enough of telling my students what the holiday season looks like in different countries and cultures around the world. I wanted to give them an authentic experience of learning about Christmas and other holidays. So last year my grade 7 classroom was the beneficiary of the amazing Twitter platform and teachers who, just like me, wanted to enrich their classroom. And, in the world we live in, we as educators can and should do much better than handing out worksheets about Christmas in Uganda.
 
So last year, I placed a tweet asking teachers from around the world to join a project where kids shared their Christmas stories, using a new hashtag #christmaswhereweare.  And WOW what a difference it has made. My students connected with Australia, Finland, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Netherlands and Sweden. They learned traditions, similarities and differences. They also learned that regardless of where you live, family is at the centre. My students didn’t just love learning all about celebrations globally but they also loved and felt proud to share their own traditions and talk about their own values. The project brought kids together and families together. The engagement and authentic learning could not be matched.
 
This project is starting up again. The guidelines are simple. If the time zones match-up then organize a videoconference. Add as many classes to your chat as possible. If times zones don’t match-up then create a video or play, expressing your cultures and traditions. (Examples are up on the Twitter hashtag)Lastly, if those modes don’t work simply blog about it or open up a Twitter chat. Really the only rule is you post it on #christmaswhereweare so the world can learn from and with you.
 
So please join this project and enrich the experience for your kiddos. They will thank you for it!
 
If you wish to participate in this project add yourself here to connect with other teachers.
 
The official project site is http://christmaswhereweare.weebly.com/
 
If you require any additional information please contact me on Twitter @rondorland  

Leadership has changed. The concept of the heroic general giving soldiers orders and then watching them as they fall in line is a thing of the past. The hierarchical idea of one person barking orders and the rest happily obeying simply does not work. In my opinion, collaboration is the key to success, particularly in an educational environment.


Currently I am reading a great book titled Flat Army in a teacher leadership book club.  The author, Dan Pontefract, brings to light key leadership strategies for success in the twenty-first century. And I must tell you it’s refreshing! His philosophy puts the focus on leader attributes, participative frameworks and collaborative action models. So far, my take from the book is for effective leadership to take place, in schools or any other environment, the focus needs to be on relationships; analyzing and making decisions with input from others and being on the same level as stakeholders.

Before Pontefract transformed the management structure at Telus, he was involved with the Vancouver school district. He observed teachers’ behaviours and emotional states. He also examined research of teacher engagement. He brought to light that in his findings, only thirty percent of teachers were engaged in their work. I find this to be deeply disappointing as in my opinion teachers choose this profession because they are deeply passionate. Passionate about enriching the lives of children and shaping future generations. To me, passion and engagement go hand and hand. I believe the key concepts discussed in Pontefract’s book are vital in promoting a healthy and successful environment for students, teachers and administration alike.


The author uses Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York City, as an example of what modern leadership must look like. Where plausible he leaned on his co-workers. He trusted them. He involved them in decision-making, and developed decisions through clear and honest communication. And all along he never made decisions based on what looked good on paper as he new “If it looks good on paper, it might not look good on skin.” [1] The focus was on keeping a healthy workplace. One where people understood viewpoints, trusted each other to move the company forward and most importantly were engaged. But what would this look like in a school?

It looks like teamwork, committees, collaboration, smiles, compliments and an overwhelming feeling of trust and importance. I feel very lucky to have been a part of so many schools with amazing administrators. My engagement has never been higher, and I believe a huge part of this needs to be credited to school leaders who have exhibited Mr. Pontefract’s philosophies. Constantly I am feeling like I am valued and trusted. I feel that my voice and ideas matter. I at no point feel inferior, but rather I feel like I belong.

Conversely, Daniel Pink in his book Drive, explains why some individuals begin losing motivation. According to his findings intrinsic motivation is the engine that drives one's engagement. A hierarchy system, where one is to take orders and have little say gives little opportunity to become intrinsically motivated. The result are employees who feel isolated and undervalued, thus leading to disengagement.

But creating a FLAT hierarchy-free ARMY who work together to achieve greatness is bound to have a positive influence on all who are involved. Pontefract is telling us to lean on the strengths of all involved in a school. He mentions to place a focus on taking time to talk with one another. And furthermore, to not only focus on work discussions but also to remember we have home lives we love to talk about too. Lastly, he reminds us that the focus can’t be on productivity, but rather it needs to be focussed on making a harmonious, hard-working workplace. In other words, keep all engaged and towing the rope together.



@rondorland


[1] Dan Pontefract, Flat Army: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization (Jossey-Bass, 2013), 94

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​Like many, I enjoy starting my day with a freshly brewed dark roast from my favourite coffee shop.  This got me thinking… What if we ran a classroom in the same way, like a Starbucks? A day would start with no pre-set lessons (or pre-made beverages if you will) but rather we would await an influx of inquisitive minds, eager to make their orders a reality. Not to worry though, you are prepared for them to sprint into your room, wide-eyed, excited and ready to go. That is because of instead of espresso machines and specialty syrups your Starbucks has Maker spaces, iPads and every other learning agent galore. In other words, you provide the essentials from which any number of specialty orders can be made. The children will enter their classroom as eagerly as…well… you entering Starbucks.
 
Everybody love Starbucks! They are a staple on every corner and are as hip as can be for all ages. Don’t believe me? Just ask a grade 2 student if they could have any hot chocolate cup on their desk what it would be. But we also love Starbucks because of the array of choices it provides. They have a beverage, or even a snack, for any craving one may have. According to Google, Starbucks offers north of 87,000 possible drinks. Thank goodness they organize their menu or it would be like a movie night back in the day when you went to a video store – perusing for what seemed like for hours through endless rows. Thankfully Starbucks menus guide you to make decisions easier and you almost always know what type of a drink you are going in there for. Maybe you don’t know the exact drink but you have an idea growing in your mind of what you want to satisfy your current need.
 
Why can’t our classrooms do that? Why can’t we have a menu, and then an order form for the kids that give choice and autonomy? A menu, which is full of the big ideas, that matches the grade curriculums and then an order form, which will personalize the learning. These order forms are the first things the students will fill out upon arriving to class. We can. It’s a mindset. If we take that scary step away from normality to create a classroom of choice, then the students will follow suit and take a chance in learning outside the traditional box.
 
I read an article that highlighted fifty famous people who never graduated high school. You can read the article here. After seeing names on the list which includes some of the greatest American Presidents and some of the most current inspirational trend setters, it got me thinking about our current school systems. My conclusion was two-fold. Firstly, we are stuck running a system that doesn’t necessarily match the world we live in. And secondly, these individuals were driven by much more than what school offered them. George Corous, in his book “The Innovators Mindset” makes an amazing point that may be the fault at hand,  “If students leave schools less curious than when they started, we failed them.” These individuals had that inner drive, which Daniel Pink talks about, to overcome the education system, but not everybody has that fortitude. We need to change. In other words, we need to address our own static, archaic practice so kids can fully learn AT SCHOOL.
 
I can give a guarantee that a Starbucks style classroom feeds the inquisitive mind while setting up a culture of future world changers. Students will be passionate, explore things of relevance and intrigue, examine and attempt to rectify real-world issues, gain hands-on experience and walk around the community exposing the brilliance of their classroom like a Starbucks red holiday cup! Your classroom will be the trendy place to be and the kids will flourish in both todays class and tomorrows marketplace. Why can’t we give the classroom and the learning back to the kids? We can, for as our Prime Minister reminded us, it is 2015. Run a Starbucks classroom and our children will thank us a latte!
 
Please click on the attachment below to see the CLASSROOM ORDER FORM that I will use in my room. I would love to hear thoughts and possible changes you may add.
 
Thank you!
 
@rondorland


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