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"Change stimulates the storying process."
-Jerome Bruner (1990)

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Total Records : 38	Showing 1 - 5 Of 38

Name

Your Story

First Name	: Betsy
Last Name	: Nordell

April 30, 2010 8:28 AM

Hi Kirsten, Many thanks for such a thought provoking talk. Your passion, dedication and perseverance are palpable and infectious! I appreciate you sending along your article and your sharing of possible future funders for my work in the field. Every spare moment I have, I study and consider different possibilities for bringing this information to educators. At the moment, my main focus is fostering Teacher Flourishing. The core of my work is Parker Palmer's, "you teach who you are". I am really curious about helping teachers thrive regardless of circumstance. I have noticed such a decline in teachers' verve over my 17 years working with educators. A few weeks ago, a discouraged teacher said to me, "I really ought to smile more... I am a Kindergarten teacher". This experienced and skillful educator felt overwhelmed by the expectations placed on her, along with the overlay of intense testing and its impact on school culture. I want to help this teacher and others like her. A question nags at me... how can teachers thrive even when things are far from ideal? The old -- how can they "grow where they are planted?" We owe it to the children to find ways to help teachers because as the saying goes... "if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy". Part of the challenge may relate to what this teacher is "seeing"... How might exploring what it is that she “sees” when she is in the classroom impact this teacher’s life? What does she notice? What does she tend to? Why? What part of her day is focused on the things that aren't going well? What might also exist within that same time and space that she doesn't notice? Among other things, mindfulness work and Teacher as Researcher comes to mind. What might be the impact on her and her students if she were to increase, even slightly, the amount of time she spent thinking about things that are going well. What might happen if she sought out the things that were working and appreciated them explicitly and intentionally? Part of the challenge may relate to what this teacher thinks and says about what she is "seeing"... What is this teacher noticing about her students? What does she know to be true about them? How does she describe them? On what is this knowledge and description based? What is her perception of their aptitude and potential? What might happen if she reconsiders these beliefs about her students through a self- fulfilling prophecy lens? What interpretations/judgments is she making about what is happening in her classroom? What might be some other ways to interpret the situations? What words does she usually use? What other words could also be used? What might happen if different words were explored to describe the situation? What might happen if she examined her own self-esteem and that of her students, through considering the work of Nathaniel Brandon… her mindset and foundational beliefs about teaching & learning through an exploration of Carol Dweck's work. How does this teacher interpret her own "mistakes" - failure? learning? What language does she use - both internal and external - to define her world? Her students? Very simply, how can we help support teachers so they are better able to bring the best of who they are + the best of what they know to their teaching practice? Thanks for doing such courageous and important work. I feel such gratitude to have met you. wishing you well ~ Betsy

Name

Your Story

First Name	: Norma
Last Name	: Sarmiento
Email	: Live Laugh Learn Foundation

April 30, 2010 8:12 AM

I was thinking about what you asked me last night…if I had seen SEL working at high school level…well, I did teach high school many years ago, Spanish, I also home tutored kids who were expelled or suspended or ill, and although I did not have a name for it back then I did… I would always start my classes saying…nobody has to do homework, take tests or even come to class, all of you are going to pass automatically…but I have to give them cause its required of me and I will be teaching it because I really think what I know has helped me out tremendously and I would love to teach it to all of you..Those who come to class and are interested in learning will get a great reward at the end and those who don’t want to learn don’t have to ….I am not here to judge you on your learning, I am here for you to judge me on my teaching, and for that I need you to come and see if I am able to teach you what I have to offer…. The kids were very confused at first, some didn’t show up and so I would ask those that did if they knew them to please tell them to come cause I needed to talk to them…and one by one they did, they came, they learned, they passed, they graded me (which was the most rewarding thing of all) AND I NEVER HAD A STUDENT FAIL A REGENTS or act up in my class !! But when they messed up I would show them I was upset and would say “this is the day of the second chance…, do you want to stay??” True, it was many years ago, but believe me It worked…even with the suspended “bad kids” , It still works when I am dealing with kids in courts or wards or private home tutoring classes, and it helped with the sleuth of teenagers I had working for me at my business “lets bounce and party” – they were all on the honor system , they picked their own schedules, covered each other when they couldn’t make it, decided who did what had to be done, were self- correcting things they messed up with or apologetic…they went out and tried to get me business as if the place was their own and defended me like the place was theirs!!!,,,not to say they didn’t make me crazy and I didn’t get upset with them because they did mess up, (but don’t we all??)…they are teenagers and need a lot of tlc to get them through that …but they were so good overall and so grateful of their second chances… I do believe people respond to feeling liked, even when I reprimanded them they were ok because they felt that it was a critique of that action which was independent of my feelings or judgements of them… Well. I just thought I would answer that which I couldn’t answer last night and I THANK YOU AGAIN Norma

Name

Your Story

First Name	: amy
Last Name	: d
Email	: wellesley

April 14, 2010 9:03 AM

Message: Hi Kirsten, I attended your event at Wellesley College today (April 13). I just wanted to thank you and let you know how much I enjoyed it, as well as your book. I am a third grade teacher, and your book addressed issues that I think about often as a teacher, and also brought up new ideas and insights. I read it quickly and with a level of engagement that isn't always easy to find when reading professional literature. Just a few weeks later, I am tempted to read it again and I know I'll get even more out of it. I think it is an incredibly important book that needs to be discussed, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from you.

Name

Your Story

First Name	: Herb
Last Name	: Rotchford
Email	: Shadle Park HIgh School

February 04, 2010 9:10 AM

Good afternoon Kirsten, > > My name is Herb Rotchford, principal of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, > Washington. I have engaged my staff in a book study of Wounded by School > this year. It has been a very provocative read for staff - which is a good > thing - and I think very productive. I am aware that one of my staff recently > e-mailed you with an inquiry about whether or not you've had actual teaching > experience, implying you are "making excuse for kids" and asking if your > believe there should be actual standards for kids in writing and math. The > fact that your book has caused my staff to examine their beliefs and question > how our policies and practices might do damage to kids has been a definite > benefit. I have encouraged my staff to question your premise, but do so with > intellectual integrity......and I have reminded them that they have the > absolute right to disagree with all or part of your message. The purpose of > the book study is to use it as a basis to collectively think and reflect about > who we are as educators, what our fundamental purpose is, and how we respond > to the emerging needs of today's students. I can assure you that we are > committed to becoming a school that is socially just and trauma sensitive! > > I believe that our institution is broken! The data is clear.....we are losing > more kids every year - particularly kids of color, kids in poverty, and kids > in trauma (our school district consistently graduates about 64% of the kids > that start with us as 9th graders!) I believe the institution of public > school in American is designed to support and sustain the privilege and value > system of the white middle and upper class. I believe that our large > comprehensive high school model is archaic and not working for more and more > kids. I believe large numbers of kids get discouraged, lose hope, and don't > see the purpose or "buy into" their own learning. > > As a result of our book study, my intent is to create the capacity for our > school to examine its own policies and practices and begin taking steps to > lessen the damage caused by the larger institution of public school. > I am fully aware that as a result of our book study I am challenging our > school district to examine its own systemic approach. I don't have much faith > that there will be any fundamental change in behavior, practices, or policies > that currently exist within our system. I am a veteran principal with over 20 > years of experience, 36 years total in our system. I can take the risk. > > In closing, I want to thank you for contributing to my thinking, and the > thinking of our staff. I am worried about my staff getting discouraged and > losing their locus of control because they realize they are part of a much > larger system that is antithetical to what we know is best for kids. The > emotional tension created by this moral dilemma is definitely stressful for > them. Sadly, some would rather not think about it at all! But as a whole, > our staff works hard, are very dedicated, yet see more and more kids being > harmed. Having said that, our staff is also very resilient and I firmly > believe we will be better at our jobs because of the interaction with your > book Wounded by School. > > Best regards, > > Herb Rotchford > Principal > Shadle Park High School >

Name

Your Story

First Name	: Ben
Last Name	: Welsh
Email	: bhwelsh@aol.com

January 08, 2010 9:23 PM

Where to begin? First let me say that I had the idea to start such a page on Facebook. Perhaps you could start one there, too. I also thought that these stories could be made into a play, much like The Vagina Monologues, that could evolve over time and from location to location. Do you think that Eve Ensler (sp) would be willing to write it? Would you? I'll save my stories for a separate post. Thanks for your amazing book. One day, I hope to be able to read through it without crying. best, ben welsh