We began the morning discussing the need to move from best practices to next practices. We're not advocating abandoning best practices, but do want us all to realize that best practices are, by definition, practices that have been tried over and over again--so they are about what has worked. Next practices, by contrast, are practices that haven't yet been tried; haven't been tested; and in all likelihood the first time we use them, won't work--or at least won't work well.
"Next" practices open us up to a different kind of learning - one that happens alongside our students. And, they seem to require an openness to failing publicly. School isn't always an environment in which that can happen - what does the classroom look like in which it can (and does)?
ReplyDeleteSara--Hi!! "Learning alongside our students"--that is so well said! It will be hard for schools to try some next practices if the public (policy makers?) see those attempts as failures. I think it's our--teachers--role and responsibility to balance next practices with best practices (make new friends but keep the old) and to help parents, administrators, and policy makers understand why the next practices are so critical. From Kylene!
ReplyDeleteHi Boothbay friends,
ReplyDeleteWish I was able to join you this year!
I appreciate Sara's comment about failure. Just as we use think alouds to help kids understand how they might process a variety of texts, we should use fail alouds to point out the vital role failure plays in the learning process. Whether next practice or best practice, we know one thing for sure--there is no magic bullet. What works well for one student may not work for another.
Enjoy your week!