Sharing my Knowledge

My last school visit on my most recent trip was to a small independent elementary school in Troy, New York. I chose this school for a few reasons. First, it was close to Tech Valley High School and came recommended to me by them and second because of its mission, which is to foster project-based learning rooted in problem-solving and academic risk-taking. Leading up to my visit, however, I received an email from the school principal letting me know that despite their efforts, PBL wasn’t taking hold. Although they had experienced some success, it was limited and in small pockets. She wanted to let me know in case I felt that a visit wouldn’t be worth my time. I decided, however, that it would be interesting to learn why PBL wasn’t taking hold and what the challenges were. After all, learning from failure is just as valuable (if not more) than learning from success.

As I visited the school and chatted with the principal, I actually saw many amazing things. The classrooms were vibrant and filled with engaged and happy students. The classrooms were also multi-grade and were co-taught. The programs that were offered to students were hands-on and experiential. A few years ago, the school began a Think Tank program grounded in engineering and created Think Tank spaces adjacent to every classroom where students could build, design, tinker and create. The units that teachers were designing were thematic, integrated and many projects were taking place. Teachers at the school, however, were having a hard time connecting these projects to authentic problems and to an audience beyond the classroom walls. They were having trouble creating engaging driving questions that were meaty enough to sustain inquiry. In some ways, the teachers were having trouble going beyond “dessert” projects and creating “main course” projects. The teachers were also overwhelmed with the work and time it took to design and implement good PBL. Although the teachers were given some PBL training, it did not sound like there was enough embedded and ongoing support provided to them. Teachers were getting frustrated and they were becoming fearful of PBL because of their poor experience with it. I knew, however, that there were solutions to help turn these teachers around. All of the teachers I met at this school were doing amazing things and were very willing to create rich learning experiences for their students. To me, it just sounded like they needed a bit more training about PBL and more support. As I chatted with the principal, I was able to offer suggestions based on the things we have tried at my school and based on some of the things I have seen as I have visited other schools.

In the end, I was thrilled with my visit. For me, it was an amazing way to end the most recent trip as it allowed me to reflect on all I have learned thus far on my journey and the journey that my school is on with PBL. What has been working for me in my classroom? What has been working for my school? What I have seen at other schools that is working? I had an amazing professional conversation and realized the wealth of knowledge that I have accumulated to share with others. It was very gratifying for me. Then, a few days later, I had an opportunity to take part in a Google Hangout with a couple of teachers from an independent school in Ontario. They had reached out to get some assistance with trying PBL in their classroom. Once again, I felt that all of the work that I had been doing for the last few years was worth it and was coming together. My goal as a teacher is to provide the richest possible learning experience for my students, but my goal as a colleague is to share my knowledge with others so that they too can create amazing experiences for their students.  The joy I felt after being able to share what I know with others was wonderful, and I am hoping I will get more opportunities to work with others and share what I know with them and create ongoing collaborative partnerships.