First and Final Frames

 

🤔 Thought Bubble 1 First and Final Frames I stumbled across this side-by-side comparison video of the First and Final Frames of some movies. Some are almost identical to each others. Some are way different. Seeing just the beginning and the end made my mind want to fill in the story myself. How did they get to the end? What happened in the middle? What was the story? How might have they gotten there? How did they end up in the same spot? Was there growth over time? Were the characters stagnant? What happens next? Was love lost? Was love gained? What trials did the character overcome? What did they not overcome? Whom did they meet along the way? What influence did those they meet have on the character? And on and on. As I watched the clips, the above questions really drained me because of the mysterious unknown of the middle. How did the story evolve? Every teacher starts with the same “first frame.” More than likely the standards for whatever area you teach. That’s the beginning. The “Final Frame” gets determined by the success, or lack of success in the middle. We’d all like to see that “Final Frame” be of a student being successful. It’s easy to focus on the “Final Frame,” but you can’t get to the final frame without a successful middle.

So, how do you plan what happens during the middle? With any movie/story/book there is always a plot. The story structure usually follows this framework: A character has a problem, then meets a guide who gives them a plan that calls them to action, that hopefully results in success avoiding failure. (Sorry for ruining all the books/movies.)

You’re the guide. How are you setting up your students for success like habit stacking? How are you designing or creating experiences that are leading to success? How are you helping students overcome their struggles like this man who went from drug dealer to master falconer? How are you teaching with the tools and strategies that will see students successful at the final frame in the “real world?” Or better yet, will this activity/lesson/assessment/content keep kids loving learning? Could you use the What? So What? Now What? reflection? How are you getting rid of hidden clutter to focus on the middle? Are you explaining content in ways that students understand? This is a clip from a WKRP in Cincinnati. Hat tip to Mr. DuBois for showing me this. 1. I now understand atoms (not because I’m in a gang, either). 2. I learned about an old sitcom. What are you noticing? Are you paying attention to these squares that are popping up everywhere? What are you noticing about your class?

🤔 Thought Bubble 2 I know we’re still operating during a pandemic, finding subs is incredibly hard, testing season is upon us, the Q3 Doldrums are sucking the life out of you, your plates are still full, and much, much, much more. It’s better to light a candle, than curse the darkness. (Who knows who said this first?) Make the best of every situation, including decorating. Need a pep talk? Here’s one from a 5 year old that’ll motivate you. And one from Austin Kleon about Groundhog Day from Keep Going, which is one of my favorite books.

Reach out if you need anything or want to collaborate. May your day be great. Stay Curious. Give more than you take. Try something new. Matt

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Boozhoo!! What's Your "Workaround Value?"

Boozhoo is an Ojibwe word that is typically used as a greeting. I listened to a video from Eddy Robinson, Indigenous speaker and educator where he explained how the Anishinaabe way of knowing is to announce themselves to the universe when they meet someone. It identifies who they are and where they are from. Typically that greeting starts with the word Boozhoo. He says that it also means “I’m going to learn from you, and you can learn from me. I’m going to respect you and you can respect me.”

How different would the world be if we approached everyone with “boozhoo,” or “I am going to learn from you, and you are going to learn from me”?

I’ve been writing in my pocket notebook my thoughts, ideas, sketches, brainstorms, and randomness throughout the day and night. So, in honor of Boozhoo, I thought I’d share something I created from an Austin Kleon video about how to pay attention.

I've been trying to capture my thoughts more. 

As I have been jotting my thoughts down more, I heard this quote from Michael Bungay Stanier which came from the Year of Living Brilliantly. (Oh, the Eddy Robinson Boozhoo video and the Austin Kleon pocket notebook video came from there, too).

“It’s not what you know that makes you smart. It’s the connections you make between the things that you know. It’s the connections you make between A + B + C that sets you up for success.” MBS

Which then brought me to the idea of something I’ll coin as “Workaround Value.” How many times does our first idea not work? or our 2nd? or 3rd? How many times are we in a classroom and the internet doesn’t work, the website is now blocked, 3 kids don’t have their Chromebooks, the projector is only showing 1/3 of the screen, In the middle of a test, the class lizard escaped and is now running up the wall which caused you to spill your coffee! etc. etc.

Teachers are so resilient. They’ll find so many ways to find a workaround. But I think those work arounds come from all those connections you make between your processes, your systems, your growth mindset, your life experiences, how many random hours you’ve spent on education related social media pinning/saving/liking all the things, and on and on. A lot of times the solutions are easy. Sometimes, they aren’t.

When you run into a roadblock do you get stuck, or do you start to think about connections that could work to get around it? Have you went down this road before? Is there someone that you know has been there before? Is there something similar that could work? Have you tried to Google it? Or Googled “alternatives to _____,” Did you ask the room or your students for a solution?

The next time something doesn’t go as planned, whether it’s tech-related or life-related, what would your “Workaround Value” be?

May your day be great.

Stay Curious.

Give more than you take.

Boozhoo. What can you learn from me? What can I learn from you? Throw some learning in the comments. 

Matt

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