Learning Conversations

Our time is so full.  Camps, learning programmes, CAP's, interclass sports, assessment, meetings with parents, meetings with RTLB's.

Now I understand that this is all learning-related.  However, our greatest challenge is that everything we do needs to be related to learning.  Learning-focused.  And the challenge is, to fit the 'learning' into what we do so that it is the central focus.  So that everything we do is learning-focused, not just some things.

We had an awesome learning conversation today.  In team meeting, we discussed the decisions we make in relation to our math data.  We talked about IKAN, Pearson, PAT, snapshots and group learning versus whole-class learning.  We talked group structures - composition.

What really struck me is the fragile nature of learning itself.  As teachers we are hugely aware of the impact of what we do.  That our discussions affect learning, that our groupings affect learning, that our relationships with their students, their parents and their friends affect learning.  That how we act affects learning.

Mindful teaching involves having these conversations.  The most amazing part of it is that we so rarely have time to actually talk about the learning.  And when we do.... we all exclaim how valuable it was.  That we viewed something a different way.  That the opportunity to reflect meant that we changed our practice... or reinforced it.