Experiences…

After the report cards are done comes the best part. Planning. I love to plan for my students; it’s the best gift I can give them. It fills me up unlike almost anything I’ve ever done in my life.

I think it was 6 or 7 years ago that I came upon the following words by Jane Bozarth:

“So how would our creations be different if we literally began framing them as experiences rather than courses, and I don’t just mean metaphorically. What if a university or college began offering “experiences” and instructors came asking for us to develop a new experience for students in their subject area?”

A major mind shift occurred when I read those words and I have been on a journey ever since…a journey that completely re-imagines the way in which I think about learning and school. See, I don’t think most learners yearn for “activities” or “lessons” or “courses”. I think they hunger for information and connections and answers that are as unique to them as they are to the world. You simply can’t box it up and tie a bow around it.

Here’s the challenging part, though; how do you create experiences out of standards and rules and schedules and endless distractions? How do you create experiences that respect the uniqueness of each of your learners…that opens them up to be the best version of themselves. Now that…that is the question I’m most interested in. That is what keeps me passionate about being a teacher, even after 30 years.

Experiences. I love that thought and while I haven’t yet found the answer to the “how”, I know I’m getting closer. It looks, sounds, smells and tastes like what happens when my class moves into Studio Time. More about that later…

One Reply to “Experiences…”

  1. Wow!!! I love this idea. I also love planning and I have been spending a lot of time rethinking many things I am doing in my classroom. I’m excited to hear about your studio time.

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