Hope and Possibility in Education Notes from extraordinary conversations with Boston Teacher Residency Program Community on Friday 16 December 2011

Necessity of Hope & imagination as a practice: Some Quotes

(mentioned by Susan Klimczak)

Toni Morrison Beloved “She told them the grace they could have was the grace they could imagine. If they could not see it, they could not have it.”

Bunyan Bryant, Introduction In Context “Rehearsing the Future” “While many of us will become students of history to help interpret and understand world developments,” it said„ “some of us will have to become students of the future.

“Futuring is based upon hope. Hope gives not only direction and meaning to our visions and actions, but also confidence in what we can become.

“We have the capacity to create images and stories of the future that nourish new visions and provide us with unconventional alternatives. We must allow ourselves to think creatively about the future, about the kind of world we want for ourselves and our children.”

Grace Lee Boggs from Boggs Center writings In Detroit we are reimagining everything, not only leadership but the kind of education and eork we now need to enhance our humanity and our communiities. . . this has included thinking about the kind of work needed to enhance our humanity and our communities, what movements look like if we can release the idea of massive large-scale outcome oriented work, and drop into deep, life transforming, community building work.  

[Einstein] said that “Imagination is more important then knowledge.”

As current systems become increasingly dysfunctional In the 21st century, a lot of re-imagining is taking place. Of work, of democracy, of education, of ourselves.

Let’s Re-imagine Everything!!!!

Robin Kelley, Freedom Dreams But now is the time to think like poets, to envision and make visible a new society, a peaceful, cooperative, loving world without poverty and oppression, limited only by our imagination.

Things to remember about Hope & Possibility Hope and possibility are BOTH individual and collective

Hoping with each other matters; who you hope with matters

Hope is dynamic & nimble, not fixed; allow what you hope for to change

Hope and possibility is believing that things can be different & acting on that belief

Hope & possibility are concrete, embedded in action & having an impact

Hope & possibility are most deeply rooted in the rigorous and courageous practice of caring & love

Hope and possibility are embedded in paying deep attention & practicing listening; True listening means you are willing to change (Mel King)

Hope and possibility gives you strength, allows you to chant against chaos

Recognizing and studying success are sources of hope and possibility

How to practice Hope & Possibility every day

• Start with small things

• Recognize and remember that ideas for good teaching strategies can come from outside the classroom, from other parts of your life, reading, work

• Teach students not only how to negotiate reality but how to be the change for reality

• Help students imagine what’s possible not only for themselves, but for others too

• Reinforce important messages everyday: Remember that learning is cool and fun! Treat others with humanity! Cooperate! Believe in your own capacity to learn! Be curious! You are deserving!

• Hope is action in a classroom: Observation: helping students recognize how they learn best Letting students know they matter to you and that you care

Letting students self-organize often instead of always being authority Radical listening as a strategy (true listening is being willing to change)

• Curiosity is KEY! Foster curiosity and practice of asking questions Be seriously curious about your students

• Collaborate with other teachers in other grades --- need to imagine how to support students all the way from kindergarten through high school together

• Cultivate self-confidence in self, colleagues, young people: sense of being deserving!

• Be vigilant so you can recognize and truly celebrate moments of hope

• Think and act independently: Be as fearless as Steve Jobs in his message “Be Bold & Different”

• Have confidence in your own instincts and skills, even if you can’t yet explain or articulate them --- live into being able to explain them!

• Cultivate the practice of recognizing and remembering your own power so you can be a role model: what recharges you? what helps you remember your own power?