Learning as we go.

CC licensed photo shared by Flickr user kudaker

As new parents, my husband and I are learning as we go. This isn’t to say we didn’t read, research, and Google the heck out of every possible pregnancy, labor & delivery, and newborn-eat-sleep-and-poop-related topic we could find over the past nine months, but there truly is no replacement for “hands-on learning.” (Especially when your little one surprises you by arriving three weeks before his due date! Talk about the need to be flexible with your thinking.)

I consider the time we spend with our son to be the ultimate authentic assessment. (And I’ve never been assessed by someone as darn cute as our little guy.) If we can meet his needs, he’s happy. If we don’t, he lets us know about it. We use his cues as feedback to adjust our methods and continually strive to get it right, for him. We don’t compare ourselves to other parents. We don’t strive to attain some sort of blue ribbon parenting status, judged by measures that don’t take into account our strengths, needs, and personal circumstances. We work hard to give him a happy life because it’s meaningful work for us. The most meaningful work we’ve ever done, for sure.

Posts here may be infrequent over the next few months as I take some time away from the principal’s office to focus on motherhood. However I will be spending time next semester developing an educational technology integration overlay for our current elementary curriculum, so I’ll no doubt be reaching out to my network for support in that area. If you have any resources you can send my way, please do!

In other exciting news, Powerful Learning Practice has launched its new educational publishing venture, Powerful Learning Press! What’s PLPress?

PLPress will publish concise, inexpensive books that showcase the authentic voices of teachers, principals and other educators who are revamping their classroom and leadership practices to better meet the learning needs of iGeneration students.

PLPress is looking to publish educational voices … from writers like you! Do you have a book idea? If so, check out the Write for Us page and submit your proposal to PLPress!

Also be sure to request your free copy of PLPress’s first interactive eBook, The Connected Teacher: Powering Up! This book is a collection of work from Voices from the Learning Revolution contributing authors. You are sure to be inspired reading the experiences of these dedicated educators who seek to transform learning experiences for students!

In the spirit of the holiday season, I’d like to thank everyone who has read, commented, and shared my posts and work over the past few years. I am truly thankful for my professional network… I appreciate your support, collaborative spirits, and friendships.

12 Replies to “Learning as we go.”

  1. Hey Lyn!
    Thank you for always posting great stuff!! Without question adding Parent & Mother to your resume will change many things about your posts & perspectives! I look forward to watching that grow for you because I know you were awesome before, but now you’ll be even more amazing!
    Congrats on your cutest little guy! He is adorable!

    1. Brent, thanks for commenting and sharing my post. I am looking forward to this new role in my life and the perspective it brings to my work in education!

  2. Lyn wrote:

    I consider the time we spend with our son to be the ultimate authentic assessment.

    – – – – – – –

    Brilliant comment from a woman who probably hasn’t had enough sleep for the past several weeks, Pal!

    So the question becomes,”Why can’t the same principles driving your assessment work with your son play a role in the work that we do in schools?”

    Sure, we’ll NEVER be able to replicate the meaningfulness of the connections that you have with your child — or the class sizes, for that matter — but what COULD we replicate and make a part of our classroom practices.

    Thanks for making me think,
    Bill

    1. Three-hour stretches of sleep at night… I can’t complain 🙂 Thanks for commenting. I agree, we need to strive for stronger connections with students in order to design learning experiences with their valuable input. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “value added.”

  3. Congratulations, Lyn and family! Nothing like becoming a parent to help you appreciate what it means to have a compelling “need to know.” I love your take on being assessed by your little guy. Like all useful feedback, his is likely to be prompt and specific.
    Enjoy the adventure,
    Suzie

  4. Congratulations. As a father of three, I assure you the authentic assessment is continuous no matter the time day and the testing environment will not always be ideal, but you will be fine. Best of luck and Skype if you need anything.

  5. Lyn,

    Thanks for sharing your early moments with your new baby boy. I look forward to hearing how your perspectives on teaching and education in general change as your son grows and you share those experiences. I know I found my approach to working with kids took on a new lens as I began to imagine my own kids in those situations.

    Cheers!

    Stump

    1. Thanks for reading, Josh… I am not sure how being a parent will impact the daily work I do with students. I’m really interested to see where education will be in five years, and what kinds of learning my son will be engaged in. Exciting stuff. For now, I’m happy serving as his first teacher 🙂

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