It began as an innocent Tweet. In advisory, students have been discussing values, the development of those values, and what it means to be the best version of yourself. Upon further reflection, the idea, simple as it may be, was sent into the void of the ‘net.
“Instead of asking students to work on academic growth, maybe we ask them to work at developing the best version themselves?”
My current elective (or iLearn) is about mindfulness, stress, and ways to deal with what I term “squirrely- teen brain.” We are learning to sit, to talk about feeling lost, threatened, worried about the future, the past, and how to ground ourselves in the present. Not an easy endeavor, but introspection is never a simple process. We sit, we stretch, we color, and talk about positive ways to be our best selves. These discussions are frank, can be difficult, and often make the students involved uncomfortable. We often shy from discomfort, but this is where real growth occurs. Self editing of your “life’s work,” if you will.
When my colleague told me that he had reached out the the Flyin’ Ryan Hawks Foundation, I was excited for the opportunity to connect with core value development. Simply, the Foundation strives to:
“Extend the impact and spirit of Ryan Hawks to make the world a better place one person, one day, one event, one core value, one decision at a time.”
As I heard more about Ryan, his life, his goals, his attitude towards himself and those around him, I began to see how vital the discussion of core values could be for for students. School staff encourage students daily, in every class, to achieve, but we often are not explicit about the “hows” and “whys” of decision making. Often, the discussions revolve around processing the decision that was made by the student. Admittedly, I rarely talk about WHY they make certain decisions. Instead, I tend to focus on the ramifications of those decisions, and what happens after. As the presentation went on, my mind began to wander to ways in which early identification of core values can change behaviors and student decision making. Can we balance frontal lobe development? Probably not. Can we begin these discussions? Absolutely.
One of my favorite quotes from the presentation came from Ryan’s Father: “You are the architect of your own life. You determine your core values and these shape your decisions.” So often, I hear talk about all of the things that they are told to do. They feel out of control, which leads to apathy, disenchantment, and disengagement. A central tenet for student- centered learning, has to be the idea of students as architects of their own learning.
The next thought was how returning to personalized core principles can provide a sense of connection, or control over a child’s daily life. I began to imagine how students would look at their own education if they knew that they were following their core values, and not doing “what they are told to do.” How could this manifest in the classroom? As student leaders?
How can programs like this connect with larger education initiatives? From the Foundation site:
“The Flyin’ Ryan Decisions Program fits right in with the Flexible Pathways initiative in Act 77, which provides for Personalized Learning Plans. A Critical Element of the Self Knowledge/Student Profile requirement, calls for an examination of students’ Core Principles.”
So, In keeping with good practice, I am beginning with myself. What are my own core values? How do I model these? I enter into this fully aware that I am a work in progress, and do not model all of my core values on a daily basis through this process, I am hoping to gain an understanding of the power that comes with being explicit about who I am, and strive to be. Through my own experiences, I will be better able to help students as they tackle their own journeys through social and emotional learning.
Just imagine- what would students do if core values replaced classroom “rules?” How might the school culture change? What are the positive ramifications for those children, both inside and outside of the classroom?
Mr. H's Not So Secret Classroom 