Introduction: Reflection on the state of education
I’m here to talk to you this morning because somewhere along the way, education has gone astray in our country, and I believe that side-by-side learning has the potential to get us back on track. So education is everywhere, right? We’re always learning, right? Learning happens everywhere. So you won’t be surprised when I tell you that when we asked people who consider themselves lifelong learners where they were.
Deep Learning Experiences: Finding Learning Everywhere
Waist-up view of elementary-age boys and girls in uniforms sitting at a round table and reading their books.
when they had their most profound educational experience, the vast majority, the vast majority of people said they were not in a school environment. It’s kind of like a head scratcher, right? For me, one of my most profound educational experiences happened in the bathroom. And don’t worry, this is a clean story. I wasn’t very far into my teaching career and had to make ends meet. And so I got a job at night, helping a person who sold cosmetics, through a house party system.
My job that night was to help women. Who am I kidding by washing their faces? So my job was to tell them one of the products and then be there waiting when they finished to wipe their faces with a towel. So I was pretty convinced it was going to be absolutely rampant to be honest. But boy was I wrong. It wasn’t just the variety of intensity or speed or intent, though that was shockingly amazing. There was art in this simple project.
But I knew there was something I had learned there that had changed me forever. Not only would I never wash my face the same way again, but I knew there was something in what I had seen that could be applied to teach kids I didn’t even know what it was yet, and it took a long time. It haunted me and I worked on it, and I thought about it, and I talked to colleagues and, you know, different professional communities helped me develop it.
Side by side learning: A paradigm shift in education
And, now we have what we call side-by-side learning, which we practice at Slate School in North Haven Connecticut. So I will tell you the current definition. And I’m a student. So it evolves just like me it kind of goes side by side, learning is active observation or participation in work alongside a mentor followed by reflection and questioning.
The essence of side-by-side learning: Reflection and wonder
MAN AT HOME LIGHTING INCENSE
Now the latter part is not necessary for the first part, but I promise you that reflection and questioning increases understanding exponentially. It’s a beautiful practice and at Slate School it works like this. A person comes to our campus and joins us in the courtyard, or in the classroom, or in an outside building on campus, and they just do their job. It requires absolutely no preparation.
Empowering children through side-by-side learning
No slideshows, no handouts, no games designed to be interesting for children. Just do your job. It is very interesting for us. I’m going to show you a video now instead of explaining what it looks like, I’m going to show you. And I just have a disclaimer, because the person you’re going to see in the video is Laura Gardner, and she’s great. It can do so many things.
Well, this day he visits with us. In the video for the second time. She came to us once and we were able to watch her watercolor work, which was incredibly beautiful. this trip is a bit more specific. She has just returned here from a safari in Tanzania, where she has collected, her observations and drawings into a nature journal, which we do a lot at our school.
And so it is particularly, it is particularly interesting for our students. So let’s see what you notice here. Okay. Well, it’s not a race, but I draw very quickly, which helps when you’re on safari. So start from his eyes. Now, should we make the monkey smile? Yes Yes. Okay. Just as it is. Yes it is. He seems a bit naughty.
Challenges of applying Side by Side Learning
School counselor and pupil
And that’s just the beginning of what’s important about side-by-side learning. In education we always talk about differentiation. We want to make sure every child gets exactly what they need. They are challenged, but not overworked and certainly not bored.
Well, we work on that all the time as teachers, you know, what can we do for little Tommy? What can we do for little Susie? But guess what? When kids do it for themselves, it’s perfect every time. So children learning side by side get exactly what they need. You can see how important this is. It also empowers them in ways you might not imagine.
Taking their questions side-by-side with a mentor gives them the ability to ask more questions, and not just about the topic they’re learning about that day, but about everything. It increases their curiosity and increases their wonder about the whole world. This learning lasts far, far beyond the session with the mentor. So side by side learning is so important.
Championing Side-by-Side Learning in Schools
So if we want schools to do this kind of work, we have to demand it because they’re not going to do it if we don’t. So how can we help each other do this important work? Well, we could practice it ourselves. The next time you go to the shoe store to get your boots resealed, ask to be noticed. How do you do that; What does this look like? I’ve never seen anyone put a heel on a boot.
I would like to watch it. Ask if you can watch a rehearsal of the symphony instead of just seeing the concert, and let the kids see you do that. Let them know that you are a lifelong learner this way and that everyone’s work is important. When the mail is delivered, ask the postman, how long have you been working today? So, how is your ride? How far do you go and what do you like about your job? It will make a difference and finally demand it in your schools. The teachers will really thank you.
conclusion
And I’ll tell you, if you’re brave enough to go to a school and offer to show yourself off as a worker to show off your work, you’ll be so richly rewarded because you’ll actually remember the joy it brought you to the career you’re pursuing. Maybe for a while. You will change. They will teach you. Finally, we don’t want you to do it alone, Slate School wants to walk this journey with you. We’d love to hear about your successes. We would love to work with you on the challenges. Get a partner. Working in pairs is much easier than working alone. We know that this work is important and we strongly believe that together, side by side, we can change the landscape of education for the better.Post navigation