A Beautiful Oops: Inquiry as Learning at Our Christian School

Being a teacher means you don’t stop learning! Staff were at school last Monday taking in a unique PD day.

In the morning, the focus was on becoming more familiar with the role of inquiry in guiding student learning and encouraging a mindset toward life-long learning. Much of the framework of newest curriculum development in Ontario leans heavily on it. As an example, here are three highlights:

• We serve our student well when we enable them to ask excellent questions that move from easily known, factual type answers toward questions that encourage comparison, ranking, valuing inferring, and more.
•  Encouraging students to see each other as part of a knowledge group that can answer a driving question. An example of this might be a group working to answer Why is construction paper not recyclable in the city of London?
• With inquiry, and “oops” of getting something wrong can lead to a whole new world of possibility. Think of the discovery of penicillin! Students who can see mistakes as opportunity, hard as that may be, are able to continue to learn – perhaps the most meaningfully learning they will ever do.

Staff stopped for lunch and enjoyed a meal provided by the board of directors. It was a wonderful time to connect and be blessed by connection and community over a delicious hot lunch on a frigid day.

In the afternoon two of our own learning leaders, Alison Lise and Chelsea Appendino, led us through a team building art activity using unique paints, paper, and tiles. You will be able to see the combined efforts in a collaborative piece of art that we’ll display somewhere in the building. There were both moments of focused concentration and joyous laughter. It was good for teachers to reverse roles and becomes students. I caught myself thinking “I’ve never done this before. Will it work? My neighbour is doing this better than I am. Should I start over?”

Clearly, learning how to learn is a life long journey. I’m grateful for a wonderful group of educational leaders at LCES that continue to shape our children’s love for God and his world.

SJ

Spontaneous Grace At Our Christian School

Working with students after things go wrong is part of the important work we do here at LCES. Like anywhere else in a world affected by sin, our students have moments where harsh words, frustration, or impulsive moments or words create friction and moments of tension. Things go off the rails.  

Often I need to help students name and understand choices in the past, what they represented, and how to go about making things right. This can be challenging depending on the circumstances and the students’ willingness to take responsibility for their previous words or actions.  Sometimes it is hard to even get a clenched-teeth apology from two or more that don’t see eye-to-eye.

Other times, as was the case this morning, its more about providing the space and letting it happen.  Two students had a scuffle before school outside and both walked away affected by the event. Thirty minutes later when I brought the second student into my office, the first immediately stood up, named what they had done and offered an apology and reached out to hug the other (older) student all in one fluid gesture. No prompting. A warm, gracious acceptance was immediately offered, and they shook hands and walked out together.

These two didn’t need my involvement other than arranging the meeting. This was moment in the making for a long time I’m sure. Many influences had patterned their lives with a working model of reconciliation and graciousness. What conversations had they witnessed where tensions were sorted, and justice was restored? Where did they see grace extended after pain inflicted? Who did they see the humility of taking responsibility?

Practising accountability and reconciliation among our students is just one of the reasons that I’m thankful for Christian education at LCES.

SJ