Learning from one another.

I swim on a masters team several mornings a week. In all of the six lanes at 5:30am there are a wide variety of swimmers. On any given day the adults that show up are a range that spans from new swimmers, to people who grew up swimming in age-group leagues, to several former US National Team members and a couple of former Olympians (one as recent as and alternate Pentathlete 2016 in Rio!). Cool. Yes, and not unlike our classrooms wherein students come to us each day with their levels of experienced to novice. The thing that I learn each time I swim is really there is more to learn about swimming and always WOW! The talent and practice is inspiring. But this really isn't about swimming what I want to talk about is the importance of modeling. How we model and what model to our students is then modeled in the work. It matters when are students gathered around to be shown the 'next step' or the 'how to apply' demonstration that I am intentional in my words and and actions. What is important about modeling is that everything is modelling. I believe that it doesn't matter the modality you are choosing to implement in your classroom that is to say TAB, Restorative, Gradual Release or any of them; what is important about what I do is how I am demonstrating through my actions that is not so much about talent but more about practice. Demonstrating practice in planning, in thinking through choices of images or color and all of the implicit pieces of art making should happen through in modelling. I look for evidence in student work after a demonstration that helps me see if the demonstration met the goal for the designated portion of learning. Not that the students are doing what I did; rather I know a demonstration has been successful when I see and hear an interpretation of what I showed. I rarely hang up the the demonstration piece ; instead leave it out on a table so students can 'check'. I do this because students who have executive functioning or processing challenges need the opportunity to listen, watch then 'check back'; leaving the demonstration piece out gives everyone the opportunity to 'check back'. So, back to swim practice. The opportunity to observe and apply the modelling in practice that I get each time I swim in a lane next to some amazing swimmer is not unlike our classroom experience wherein there is modelling by the coach or another swimmer and we are learn as well as move with these observations to another level of engagement and understanding.