Keep. On. Writing.

I’ve been trying to make it more of a habit to make it to the blog lately to write.  Not so much for you, but for me – there’s lots going on and I fear losing the important bits in the maelstrom of daily tasks.  I figure that a few minutes spent writing any of it out will at least help me to maintain some sense of the good stuff.  And, it seems, my friend Chris is feeling the same way of late.  He says it so beautifully that it’s worth repeating:

And I realize the way you do it is to do it.

You write the blog entry.

You speak truth to power when you have the opportunity.

And you serve the children who have put their faith in you.

You let their voices rise.

And you let their voices inform and embolden your voice.

Because that’s what’s needed.

And that’s how we win.

Of course, his win is in the larger context of educational reform conversations. My win, this week, comes from knowing that I’ve been working with some really smart and hungry DLC team leaders who are starting a two-year journey of exploration and inquiry ((I know I’m pointing to the DLC work lots lately.  That’s because, well, it amazes me that I get to do it.  And it’s important.))  And there’ll be plenty of writing in there.  We’re carving out some time for thoughtfulness and exploration and play one teacher at a time.  And that’s a win, too.

Twice today, I was reminded of the exploration work that we did in CyberCamp the previous two summers, and how that was such a transformative experience for teachers here, as well as for me.   That was time carved out of the craziness and spent in reflection and exploration, with the requirement that, yes, we would write each day, if only to bang our hands against the keys to drum out the frustration of lack of progress. ((But there was never a lack of progress because the rhythm of the work kept us moving.  And when the rhythm of the work wasn’t enough of a push, the support of trusted colleagues was.))   One true win of the Digital Learning Collaborative work so far is that we’re working that space for thinking about teaching and learning ((With technology, but it’s not so much about the technology.  Don’t tell.)) into the regular school year, instead of keeping it waiting in the summertime.

My other win for the week is that I’ve managed to slip over here a few times and to bang out some words, even if they’re these wistful ones.  I hope to return to a semi-regular rhythm here over the next few weeks.  We’ll see if that works out – and if it does, if it happens to be useful to you. ((I still subscribe to the notion that if it’s useful for me, it may well be for you.   But I might be wrong.))