Graded American School in São Paulo, Brazil, brought ten distinguished educational experts to meet with twenty leadership, faculty, Board members, and students for a two-day "Think Tank" to search for the desirable future of teaching and learning.
I was fortunate enough to facilitate the process on behalf of AISH. The group heard stories from students and teachers of personal, deep and enduring learning and charted the characteristics of their experiences.
The group next decided what they wanted to Keep, Drop, and Create in the school to achieve great teaching and learning.
Then we dialogued about how they could best lead, support and create an environment where students thrived and teachers transformed their learning; first, in individual reflection time which included "reading the walls" and considering personal notes, and then at tables, groups identified a list of concrete point describing the future. Five themes emerged that will transform the classrooms at Graded in the next few years.
Included were points related to re-casting curriculum priorities, restructuring time, re-imaging the role of the educator and the learner experience, embedding meta-cognition and continuous improvement into the school culture, and cultivating social and emotional learning.
In the end, all groups were honored for their contributions. The students were told how incredible they were!
~Deb Welch, AISH CEO
April 28, 2019