Update for Mar 30 – Apr 2
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This past week, I flew to Portland, Oregon with my family to visit my sister-in-law. None of us had been to Portland before and we didn’t know what to expect. I actually preferred not knowing what to expect, kind of like not knowing what a movie is about before you see it. It just helps me stay focused and stay present. The only thing we did know was that there is a campaign to “Keep Portland Weird”, which sort of summarizes the eclectic folks who live there.
We ended up loving Portland! It’s a beautiful city with lots and lots of people riding bikes and more street cars than you would ever expect. I definitely recommend visiting!
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The one thing I really wanted to do while in Portland was go for a run. I’ve been trying to run in every city I visit. It’s just one of those things I guess. I actually feel like I see the city differently and experience it in a different way on a run. I was really looking forward to this: I had packed some running gear, researched some places to run, and even plotted out a route on a map. You’d think it would be one of the first things I did when I got to Portland.
But it wasn’t.
I actually didn’t go on a run until the day before we left. Why was that?
Fear.
Fear of the unknown. Fear of getting lost. Fear of silly thoughts like not having enough sleep the night before.
The day before I finally ran we were out walking to a shop when I realized that I had been making up excuses not to run because I didn’t know what to expect. Then it hit me: This is like the fear of change we have experienced at times as we work to re-imagine what the elementary learning experience can and should look like.
I quickly got out my phone and jotted down my thought:
I went on my run the next day and enjoyed every step. Time seemed to fly by and I was finished before I knew it. I saw a different side of Portland (Literally – I went across the river). I noticed just how busy Portland is with folks out running and biking, trains crossing bridges, buses and cars honking — It was all around me. When I was finished, I felt like I had accomplished a lot, even though it wasn’t my longest run or my fastest pace. I had got past my fears and my excuses and I ended up being disappointed that I hadn’t run sooner.
We all know how much the world is changing and we all know that we have an obligation to respond to this change for our students. As we continue our work together, re-imagining the elementary learning experience, we will no doubt come to many crossroads where we will be reluctant to cross and that’s OK. I really believe that fear is apart of the process of changing.
However, we have to remember that we can’t let our fears stop our progress.
Have a great week!
-Herb
Articles Worth Reading
Upcoming Dates
*** Earth Day Dedication of new shed and path in the “Outdoor Education Space at ADE”, 2:30 ***
ACE/DCR Project Dates:
Mar 30–REWIND/Take 2 steering committee meeting. At this meeting we will have an honest conversation regarding the intention of our last meeting and the vision we shared and open it up to conversation regarding: Naming IT (honoring Shannon’s thought) and options/thoughts regarding ways to execute the vision–or modify the vision in order to continue moving forward (i.e. hear from Kim, Karen, and Carolyn and anyone else to collaborate the vision/design).
May 13–last teacher steering committee meeting for 2014-15 –The purpose is the thank those who were on this committee and touch base/listen to their perspective of the buildings from which they represent, what they think is necessary for next year to move forward. We will share with them our “list” of what needs to happen and ask them for their “list” in order to bridge the perspectives to move forward with SOME implementation of SOME ideas for the 2015-16 year.