"Do as I say, not as I do".
Would an educator who is truly engaged in bettering their craft say these words? I have spent time thinking on this and come to realize that yes, educators may or may not consciously be aware they are giving this message. After sitting with a colleague who was having a challenging time with one of her classes, I could not help but wonder how often we expect one thing from students but we do not follow the same expectations. In this case, we were discussing students not learning from previous mistakes. I still remember my mother saying, "go to your room to think about what you did". She assumed I thought about it and I learned from my mistake. I am guilty of expecting the same in my students. I tell them to think about what they have done and what they can do differently next time. But, how effective is this?
Fostering reflective practices in students takes time. Educators understand that deep learning can be further developed through reflective practices. Supporting students in this requires teaching the students how to do this, while providing them the time to reflect. Not only do we need to teach students to reflect, but we need to ask them the right questions. As John Dewey explained over 100 years ago, "teachers have a habit of monopolizing continued discourse" (Dewey, 1910, p. 186). When students are not given the opportunity to move from fragmented discourse, as happens when we ask students questions that involve responding with disconnected sentences, we are taking away the opportunity for deep learning (1910). It is through the process of students being asked strategic questions, provided time to reflect on their answers, and allowing them the safe space to respond to these questions, that students can truly understand what is being learned and how it applies to them personally.
Bringing this back to my conversation with my colleague, what does this look like for educators? If educators understand that students need to be asked the right questions to help stimulate the reflection that we seek of them, then it only makes sense that educators need the right questions to stimulate their own thinking and learning. Building professional capacity within a school requires the skill of a leader-as-provocateur (Adams et al., 2019). School capacity flourishes when staff are able to engage in truly reflective practices.
I am fortunate to have been introduced to the thought-provoking book Leadership in Education: The Power of Generative Dialogue. Mind you, I am slightly biased as two of my professors authored this engaging read. It is treasure trove of information to support educational leaders in guiding their colleagues and staff in meaningful dialogue on personal and professional growth. Words of wisdom found in these pages provide clarity on how "healthy disruption can be planted by a knowledgeable and skilled provocateur can result in pearls rather than protests" (Adams et al., 2019, p. xv). Healthy disruptions? Organizational growth can be furthered by a capable leader who 'disrupts' what is currently being done by stimulating conversations through continuous discourse. They essentially are giving staff permission to be curious about their own learning. This is where we tie back to 'do as I say, not as I do'. Teachers want students to be curious about their own learning, to take risks, to challenge their previous thinking, and be permitted to make mistakes. However, we do not take the time to do the same. It is easy to come up with excuses as to why we are not doing this. Is it because we are afraid of what we may find out about ourselves? Maybe it is because administration is too busy to take time to do this effectively. Perhaps their isn't enough trust and respect between staff and administration. What ever the reason is, it is an excuse. At least that is what I have come to understand about my own process in learning how to be an effective provocateur.
Going back to the conversation with my colleague. It was about 7:30 am on a Tuesday morning and she had being filling me in on the happenings of the day before. I had just finished reviewing some questions in the Adams et al. book, that I was going to use in my next PLC meeting with my grade 8 cohort. I figured this was as good a time as any to practice thoughtful questioning. After asking a few questions to get her thinking, I then asked, "what persistent question do you have that keeps frustrating you and limiting your effectiveness as a teacher?" (Adams et al., 2019, p. 78). Well, that was all it took to get the wheels moving in her mind. It was as if you could see the lightbulb go on and the look of frustration was replaced with contemplation. I was dumbfounded. I suppose if I was British I would say I was gobsmacked. It worked! It really did get her thinking.
So what did I learn from all of this? First, when we are unaware that we are telling students to do one thing, but we are not doing it ourselves, I fear we are negating our practice as educators. Just as I give my students permission to reflect, I need to give my colleagues and myself permission to reflect in a the same safe environment that allows for deep learning. Secondly, it does not take a lot of structured time to practice skills in generative dialogue. It requires taking opportunities when they arise, no matter if it is 'on-the-fly' or built into a schedule. I learned that day that I can provoke thinking by seizing the opportunity to stimulate conversation through questioning. It doesn't require a lot of preparation. However, it does require me to take the risk in asking the questions. As well, I do need to build my own book full of inquiry questions.
The following day my colleague came back in for our daily morning chat and said thank you for helping her to really think about what was bothering her about the particular class. She said, it was exactly what she needed to move past the issue and onto the possible solution. She also said that teachers need more time to spend having conversations such as the one the previous day. She was aware that we are to be reflective, but sometimes we are not given 'permission' or provided constructive opportunities to allow for this reflection. The leads me to believe that no matter who the person is, in the chain of command, anyone can practice the skill of generative dialogue. It comes down to knowing the questions that can stimulate thinking, creating a safe and trusting space for people to share their thinking freely, seizing the opportunity of continuous discourse when it arises, and checking in on progress on a later day.
Adams, P., Mombourquette, C., & Townsend, D. (2019). Leadership in education: The power of generative dialogue. Canadian Scholars Press.
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