Empowering Agency for Growth→

Tyler Rablin, writing for Edutopia:

“People learn best when they have the autonomy to pursue their interests and focus deeply on topics that are directly relevant to their needs and challenges.”

I’d argue that this principle applies to everyone in our educational community—teachers, administrators, and students. When individuals are empowered to explore their interests and address their specific needs, engagement and motivation soar, leading to deeper understanding and lasting growth. By fostering an environment that values autonomy and relevance, we can enhance learning outcomes and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement across our schools.

The Power of Questions→

Amanda Cullen, writing for Mathematics Teacher Learning and Teaching PK-12:

"The questions that a teacher asks a student and how the teacher follows up on the student’s response can support the student’s development of a positive mathematical identity and sense of agency as a thinker and doer of mathematics"

I love to see quotes like this, especially from math teachers. Teaching is not just about getting the right answer, but about nurturing students’ beliefs in their own capabilities, fostering their agency, and shaping their identity as confident problem solvers.

Empowering Students to Own Their Education→

Alyson Klein, for Education Week, describes Synergy at Mineola High School:

So the Mineola team turned the district’s credit-recovery program, which had generally served kids in danger of not graduating, into a school that strives to give students far more say over when and how they learn, combined with career exploration, hands-on experiences, and mental health supports.

The Synergy program at Mineola High School is a school-within-a-school that allows students to have greater control over their learning experience. It is open to all students who want to learn in a different way. The unique aspect of the program is that it was originally designed to meet the needs of students who were at risk of not graduating, but it has also proven to be a great fit for any student who desires more autonomy and control over their education.

I’ve written about the benefits of districts investing in historically underserved schools and communities. Providing resources and attention to support students with the highest level of needs serves to create a more equitable education system while also creating a model for the rest of the district to learn from and copy.

Mineola is doing that at Synergy and students are responding. We all should do the same.

The Power of Project-Based Learning: A Showcase of Handy Middle School's Success

Sixth-grade teachers at Handy Middle School have spent the year transitioning their instructional approach to project-based learning (PBL), and the results have been impressive.

The video is great because it amplifies teacher and student voices to describe what project-based learning is and how it benefits students. The level of engagement and ownership of learning is evident in the projects showcased, and it's exciting to see the impact on student success.

PBL has transformed the way Handy teachers and administrators think about teaching and learning, and it aligns with the district's vision of empowering students to be lifelong learners. It allows students to build on prior knowledge, develop new skills, and connect learning to the real world. Students become problem-solvers, collaborators, and creative thinkers.

I'm insanely proud of the work that students, teachers, and principals have accomplished throughout the Handy redesign. It's inspiring to see students taking ownership of their learning and seeing the impact it has on their academic success.

I can't wait to see what's next for these kids.

Empowering Educators: Handy Middle School Teachers Share Their Vision for a New Approach to Learning

I love this video of teachers sharing their excitement for the new learning approach they had been preparing to implement. Over the summer, they worked closely with a team of instructional support staff, school leaders, and each other to bring the innovative New Tech Network model to life in their classrooms.

What I appreciate most about this video is the opportunity to hear directly from the teachers, as they shared their experiences and perspectives. The personal touch they bring to the story was invaluable in fostering a deeper understanding of the hard work and dedication that goes into shaping the future of education.

Teachers play an incredibly important role in telling the story of the work happening in schools, and their voices are critical in creating a human connection with the community. The teachers and leaders at Handy Middle School are to be commended for their unwavering commitment to education and their efforts to positively impact the lives of their students and the future of education.

‘Student Agency’ Is Not Something You Give or Take→

Andrew Rikard, Junior at Davidson College in North Carolina:

When educators say that I am an equal, even when I clearly am not intellectually, everything changes ... I feel both a sharp fear and an intense freedom. Suddenly, my voice is valuable ... my thoughts can change the mind of the other collaborators. This is empowering. It is the exclamation that we all are learning together.

Owning It

I’ve long been obsessed with the idea of personal ownership. For me, the degree to which I achieve my goals is closely tied to the degree to which I own every step of the path toward achieving them. The more ownership I take, the more likely I am to see my desired outcomes.

I find this to be true for collaborative work I am involved in as well. The success of my team is dependent upon each individual’s capacity to own both the steps they have been delegated, and the steps that have been delegated to others. Without such collective ownership, the goals of the group are less likely to be acheived.

Owning the work of others is to support them in the completion of their tasks. Sometimes this looks like staying out of their way. Other times, this looks like providing a helping hand.

Owning it requires doing whatever it takes until the goal is achieved.