A Conversation with ShapingEDU

What a great conversation tonight with the dreamers, doers, and drivers of the ShapingEDU community. Tonight we talked about what it means to humanize education. If it sounds deep and important, I can assure you, it was.

Jess Knott, one of the super smart panelists, defined humanized learning as a humble conversation, requiring vulnerability on both sides. Ever since I read Parker Palmer’s Courage to Teach, I’ve started to use similar language to articulate my approach in the classroom. He believes that good teaching has less to do with methods and more to do with how we make ourselves vulnerable in the service of learning.

Connection, I’m convinced, is where the most possibility for anything, not just learning, exists.

One attempt to humanize myself to my students is through this Instagram account. Initially I began telling stories here just to document them for myself. Whether I like it or not, my most common answer to the question of “How are you?” is… “Busy!” And, no complaints here! I feel like I spend my days doing meaningful work and the things I post here are my attempt to capture and contextualize that answer.

But something else happened when I started this account, something I didn’t plan for. My students found me… and followed me. Relationships that began in the classroom, now have life beyond those four walls and beyond the roles we play there. In this space they get to know me, and I them, which only strengthens our connection. It’s kinda rad.

I am grateful to be part of the ShapingEDU community and to have learned from so many other educators wrestling with the same things I do. I run in a lot of circles, but this one feels particularly seeded with brilliance. Looking forward to exploring next month’s topic - Bolstering Intergenerational Leadership.

Graphic facilitation by @conversketch