One day in ancient Greece, an acquaintance met the great philosopher Socrates (did they know he was great then? Just wondering...) and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple Filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made ABSOLUTELY sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So, you don't REALLY know it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued," you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test, though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness (okay, let's stop here for a second- one can pass a test with a 33%? hmmm.). Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
Great story. Good moral. Cool guy.
But why include it in my blog? Because we have a midyear survey that was just created, for all families at Harriet Bishop - both attendance area families and magnet families (which I put under one big umbrella of "family"). This survey is to help us continue to create the best program that we can, given the fact that this program has been operational for four and a half months. One of the questions included in the survey is about communication our families have had regarding many things, like academic programs, instructional strategies, etc., and it's an important question. Not everything we see or hear or read is true (case in point...news...internet...reality shows...photographs of Twiggy), and we need to think of this Triple Filter test when talking about or discussing something as important as education. We want our families' feedback. It's SO important to us! But more importantly, we want Harriet Bishop's programming to speak for itself in the success that students experience. We want our students to grow, to learn from and with each other, to become informed, successful, vital citizens.
I heard on the news this morning something dreadful: the famous sign over the gate at Auschwitz - the one that said "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("work will set you free") has been stolen. STOLEN! Although the sign itself was a lie, the fact that is is now missing, possibly never to return, could stir up doubt in future years as to the existence of it in the first place! Once someone says something, doubt can creep in - and eventually one can create an entirely new history. I'd rather have - and I fully encourage - people experience Harriet Bishop first hand, and speak of it through that experience. If you have a chance, visit your child(ren)'s classroom. Listen to a band rehearsal. Walk through the halls - I'll walk them with you! Watch the TV crew create "The Buzz". And fill out our survey. Pass the third filter of the Triple Filter Test - make the information you have useful!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Beautiful Music
I experienced something yesterday that I have never experienced before. Ever. I stood in a gym, with 650 students sitting on the floor, and four professional orchestra musicians playing Haydn and Beethoven in a string quartet for all to listen. Seriously, it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I'm pretty sure the students didn't realize the impact of this experience. I'm not even sure some of the adults realized the significance of this experience. Maybe it's because I am a very musical person. I recall begging my parents incessantly to get a piano (I didn't realize what a huge purchase that would be for a one-income, five-person family. I was four.). They got me the quintessential Schroeder piano - it was cream-colored plastic, with two or three octaves of keys on it and a little songbook with color-coded music notes. I learned to read music with my Schroeder piano...and quickly outgrew it. Finally, my parents acquiesced, and I got my piano when I was seven.
I still play.
I fell in love with Mozart and Beethoven; got REALLY frustrated with Bach (seriously, HOW can one person be expected to play so much so quickly?!), and felt Schumann's and Chopin's pain through their music. I identified with Tschaikovsky, and learned the music to Humperdink's "Hansel and Gretel" - the same concert that our strings students are attending this Thursday. So when I stood there in our gym yesterday, watching the children watch the musicians, well, it was one of the best experiences I have ever had as an educator.
The ability to expose children to the arts at a young age is priceless. To give them real-life artists, in person performing, is amazingly priceless. I listened to two of the musicians yesterday tell the students that they started playing violin when they were four years old. Four. (So how wonderful is it for our district and our school that we are able to provide instruments and instruction to second graders?!) That alone shows students that they can do anything they put their minds to, and to follow their dreams and their passions. These are lessons that are not found in a book, or on a worksheet. They are lessons of the heart, of drive and motivation, of example. It is one generation giving to another generation not only the gift of music (which to me is an invaluable gift) but of imagination and the future. The arts provide that for us - the arts not only provide opportunities for critical thinking, analysis and evaluation on life, but provide beauty and calm. To have 650 students in a gym sharing this type of experience...well, even for a wordy girl like me, I can't find the words to describe the experience.
At least for me, it was impactful, and made me profoundly hopeful for the future.
I thank the Minnesota Orchestra for providing those four musicians yesterday. I look forward to another time with them.
I still play.
I fell in love with Mozart and Beethoven; got REALLY frustrated with Bach (seriously, HOW can one person be expected to play so much so quickly?!), and felt Schumann's and Chopin's pain through their music. I identified with Tschaikovsky, and learned the music to Humperdink's "Hansel and Gretel" - the same concert that our strings students are attending this Thursday. So when I stood there in our gym yesterday, watching the children watch the musicians, well, it was one of the best experiences I have ever had as an educator.
The ability to expose children to the arts at a young age is priceless. To give them real-life artists, in person performing, is amazingly priceless. I listened to two of the musicians yesterday tell the students that they started playing violin when they were four years old. Four. (So how wonderful is it for our district and our school that we are able to provide instruments and instruction to second graders?!) That alone shows students that they can do anything they put their minds to, and to follow their dreams and their passions. These are lessons that are not found in a book, or on a worksheet. They are lessons of the heart, of drive and motivation, of example. It is one generation giving to another generation not only the gift of music (which to me is an invaluable gift) but of imagination and the future. The arts provide that for us - the arts not only provide opportunities for critical thinking, analysis and evaluation on life, but provide beauty and calm. To have 650 students in a gym sharing this type of experience...well, even for a wordy girl like me, I can't find the words to describe the experience.
At least for me, it was impactful, and made me profoundly hopeful for the future.
I thank the Minnesota Orchestra for providing those four musicians yesterday. I look forward to another time with them.
Monday, November 9, 2009
What a Week!
What a week at Harriet Bishop!
- Strings lessons started today. It is amazing to see kiddos walking through the hallways with violins and violas in hand, or basses or cellos on their backs!
- Our Artist in Residence, Leo Lara, will start on Wednesday. Check out our newsletter to find out more about this amazing musician!
- Wednesday is also Veterans' Day, when students will learn about the sacrifice and valor of veterans and current servicemen and servicewomen.
- On Thursday, M.A. Rosko, from Fox 9, will be doing live shots at Harriet Bishop as our students will participate in the WSSA Stack Up event.
- Our 5th and 6th graders of the Willow Community are giving their time and making a difference at Ebenezer Care Center through service projects.
- Students buildingwide are participating in a food drive for local food shelves from now through November 18th.
- Mr. Risteau and some very creative students recently finished making their stop motion animated movie shorts.
- Speaking of some creative and capable students, did you know that Harriet Bishop's Spelling Bee was filmed and broadcast throughout our building, complete with graphics and text? No bid deal you say... Mr. Risteau was absent that day. It was done ENTIRELY BY STUDENTS!!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Achilles Heel of Change
Achilles was one of the principal players in the Trojan War, and star of Homer's Illiad. He was handsome, strong, cool, a real legend. I guess one can equate him nowadays with, oh, Derek Jeter (the World Series is on my mind) or a stud football player. However, Achilles had a bit of a problem. He was invulnerable except for his heel (seriously, his heel? Where do people come up with these ideas?!). And, of course, he was killed by an arrow shot...yes... in his heel. Bad luck for po' Achilles.
I was reading today about identification of gifted and talented students. Always a juicy subject. I like the work of Joe Renzulli (well, that would be Dr. Joseph Renzulli to me, since I've never met him... but I did meet his wife, the esteemed Dr. Sally Reis of gifted education fame), and I in particular like the three conceptual rings of giftedness (above-average ability, task commitment, and creativity). That model makes giftedness more personal, less of a numbers game. I was reading an article that was written by Dr. Renzulli, and in it he referred to the Achilles Heel of Change. Being a language arts teacher, I loved the metaphor, and it inspired me to write about change as it pertains to Harriet Bishop. He writes, "Even the modest changes in the status quo inevitably raise concerns and questions on the parts of practitioners who might be affected by the proposed changes." Harriet Bishop is experiencing changes in the status quo, and many are affected by the changes. That has been duly noted, and extensively considered. But what has changed, really?
We have an increased number of identified gifted students in our school. They have not necessarily been identified as "gifted" across the board - meaning that they may be gifted in one area. But they certainly are needing challenge in their daily school lives.
We are working hard to flexibly cluster our students based on many things, and that means a shake-up of how some things were done in the past. Pre-assessments, figuring out grades between teachers, the list goes on and on. What the list provides, however, is a better, fuller way to meet the needs of ALL students.
We have two new programs in our school - strings and Spanish. Scheduling of time and space has been a dance.
We have a mission statement that takes into account the needs of all learners - all of them.
These are all changes to Harriet Bishop - ones that we can't take at face value, and ones that we must serve fully.
Renzulli then writes, "The Achilles Heel of change is not guidelines, but apathy." (Isn't that awesome? I think so!) If we believe in the change that we have instituted, then we must mobilize. We must become the change we want to see (Thanks, Ghandhi!). Apathy isn't part of the equation. It just isn't. We have work to do - all of us...the entire Harriet Bishop community - staff, students, families, the community. We can question the changes, because that makes us reflective of the process. We can voice concern - AND celebrate the successes, because that forces us to take a broad look at exactly what is going on. But we must be committed members of the team. There are wonderful things going on here at Harriet Bishop. There always have been wonderful things going on at Harriet Bishop.
Let's look at Achilles again. The reason he was vulnerable in his heel was because when he was little, his mother Thetis tried to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx ("come sail away, come sail away, come and sail away with me!"). Well, she got most of him - all but his heel. Trying to completely protect didn't work, and that was ultimately Achilles' downfall. Every single thing, every single person, has an Achilles heel. Knowing what it is, is the best way to protect against it. We can celebrate all that Harriet Bishop has been historically, and celebrate the new things that Harriet Bishop has embraced, knowing that they are good for all learners. This is GOOD change.
I was reading today about identification of gifted and talented students. Always a juicy subject. I like the work of Joe Renzulli (well, that would be Dr. Joseph Renzulli to me, since I've never met him... but I did meet his wife, the esteemed Dr. Sally Reis of gifted education fame), and I in particular like the three conceptual rings of giftedness (above-average ability, task commitment, and creativity). That model makes giftedness more personal, less of a numbers game. I was reading an article that was written by Dr. Renzulli, and in it he referred to the Achilles Heel of Change. Being a language arts teacher, I loved the metaphor, and it inspired me to write about change as it pertains to Harriet Bishop. He writes, "Even the modest changes in the status quo inevitably raise concerns and questions on the parts of practitioners who might be affected by the proposed changes." Harriet Bishop is experiencing changes in the status quo, and many are affected by the changes. That has been duly noted, and extensively considered. But what has changed, really?
We have an increased number of identified gifted students in our school. They have not necessarily been identified as "gifted" across the board - meaning that they may be gifted in one area. But they certainly are needing challenge in their daily school lives.
We are working hard to flexibly cluster our students based on many things, and that means a shake-up of how some things were done in the past. Pre-assessments, figuring out grades between teachers, the list goes on and on. What the list provides, however, is a better, fuller way to meet the needs of ALL students.
We have two new programs in our school - strings and Spanish. Scheduling of time and space has been a dance.
We have a mission statement that takes into account the needs of all learners - all of them.
These are all changes to Harriet Bishop - ones that we can't take at face value, and ones that we must serve fully.
Renzulli then writes, "The Achilles Heel of change is not guidelines, but apathy." (Isn't that awesome? I think so!) If we believe in the change that we have instituted, then we must mobilize. We must become the change we want to see (Thanks, Ghandhi!). Apathy isn't part of the equation. It just isn't. We have work to do - all of us...the entire Harriet Bishop community - staff, students, families, the community. We can question the changes, because that makes us reflective of the process. We can voice concern - AND celebrate the successes, because that forces us to take a broad look at exactly what is going on. But we must be committed members of the team. There are wonderful things going on here at Harriet Bishop. There always have been wonderful things going on at Harriet Bishop.
Let's look at Achilles again. The reason he was vulnerable in his heel was because when he was little, his mother Thetis tried to make him immortal by dipping him into the River Styx ("come sail away, come sail away, come and sail away with me!"). Well, she got most of him - all but his heel. Trying to completely protect didn't work, and that was ultimately Achilles' downfall. Every single thing, every single person, has an Achilles heel. Knowing what it is, is the best way to protect against it. We can celebrate all that Harriet Bishop has been historically, and celebrate the new things that Harriet Bishop has embraced, knowing that they are good for all learners. This is GOOD change.
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