When is tension good?

Thank you for the honest, thoughtful, and passionate conversation at the end of our session last Wednesday. We were sharing our true thoughts in a very personal way. This 'change place' that we are in, that some of us described as a place of tension, is a powerful place to be. This is where change occurs. And change is hard. Wednesday's group reflection was a conversation that was moving for many of us. It was short, but important. A few things I heard that have stuck with me:
- This is really hard work, but the right work
- I don't know how long I can sustain this, but it's what we want our students to be like
- This approach to teaching is better for our learners, but right now, it's harder on us (teachers)
- Uncertainty about direction and next steps coupled with optimism for the direction we are going

The above thoughts are some of the big ideas I heard. They make me feel optimistic and anxious, as I'm sure many of you are feeling. I also heard lots of ideas and questions about details, from 'how much reflection is too much' to 'what's going on with the PLP' to 'why didn't my post show up?'
The leadership team will be grappling with these questions and our common needs as we progress through this challenging year. Your honesty and ideas are helpful. Whether your thoughts feel negative or positive or helpful or not, we need to keep hearing exactly how you are feeling and what you need. I can not guarantee a solution (that you will like) but we want to hear your thoughts, just like we did yesterday. so that we can try to help and work together to get through these changes.

Upcoming dates:

Monday 10/26  Education Quality Standards review group to visit PA

 Also on 10/26 - ** ODWP calibration at 3pm **This is a change**

Tuesday 10/27 - Community Meeting during TA

Wednesday - Girls Semi-Final soccer match at Stowe 3pm

Friday - ** Mix it Up day during lunch and TA **

- Haunted House at PA - 7-10pm (thanks staff volunteers)

Link (food for thought): “4 Things You’ll Miss by Banning Cell Phones in Your Classroom” by Robert Sterner on The Center for Teaching Quality website, February 24, 2015, http://bit.ly/1JPhkLo

Celebrations: 

- Janice Griggs, Alex Grant, and Tyler Dunham-Metoyer will be representing PA and Johnson State College at this years Sophomore Youth Summit held at UVM on Tuesday, the 27th.