'Tending to Our Next Generation'

I'm absolutely loving the Track Talk by Dr. LaMesha Craft: Cultivating the Whole of Student Growth Through Inquiry. And you thought your first teaching gig was rough! 

My favorite part of this video is the 'gardener' analogy, not least because I love gardening. It's such a powerful (and practical!) way of considering the role of a teacher. What are we really trying to grow in our classrooms? I think many of use would ultimately end up agreeing on the points that Dr. Craft offers in her Track Talk.

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  • I just finished watching this one and ended up rewatching it again! I try to incorporate a lot of reflective moments throughout the year so that students can track their growth and articulate their progress…

  • I just finished watching this one and ended up rewatching it again! I try to incorporate a lot of reflective moments throughout the year so that students can track their growth and articulate their progress. I like her ideas about the different questions to ask at the end and being consistent with them. I also like the idea of having them 'contained' somewhere like a notebook so students can look back at them before a student-led conference to use as evidence for strengths and areas of growth. Really fantastic insights in this video, and the gardener analogy is spot-on!

  • Exactly, Meaghan! I was thinking about how I might revamp our unit self-assessments, so the kids can help me see what they feel their areas of growth are in their minds. This is going to allow me to share out materials with them that are tailored to those areas of growth. Wheels are turning.