100 Posts in 100 Days
In Post 52: Making the Most of My Summer Conference, I shared that I was preparing for a professional learning session. I’ve just blinked and it’s over already!
During our closing session, we sat in a circle and each participant shared takeaways and commitments as a result of our time together. A strong theme that emerged was the concept of “holding space”.
Stemming from the idea of Open Space Technology (which is how I first learned of this concept years ago), holding space is being physically, mentally, and emotionally present while also suspending judgment of others.
The event I was at, the Excelle Collective, was attended by approximately 40 women who hold senior leadership positions in their schools. It goes without saying that we are all coming off one of the most unique years in our educational careers. The opportunity to reflect and decompress with others in similar roles was just what this group needed to feel reaffirmed, confident, inspired, and grounded.
Many small details contributed to the collective sense of being seen and heard these past few days. Here are a few examples of how “holding space” played out in this group this weekend. The ideas I’m sharing are fairly simple to implement and definitely replicable. You only need some conversation starters and the willingness to allocate sufficient time.
- Conversation was at the center of all activities. Conversations were prompted by the facilitators, but ultimately they were participant led and driven.
- Every time there was a new conversation, there was a new group and a new space. Sometimes we were one large group seated in a circle or gathered around tables. For some conversations, we were in medium sized groups and met in three different rooms. And for some conversations, we were in triads for outdoor “walk and talk.” Our workshop/meeting time was a day and a half. In that time, we individually were able to interact with the majority of our colleagues. It’s rare to leave a professional learning session like this and feel as if you’ve talked with almost everyone.
- Ample time was given the first morning for introductions. We didn’t “jump in” to the content. We did “jump in” building strong connections and relationships. Even those of us who attended previously. The value of knowing each other and our stories was elevated.
- Everyone was fully present. We didn’t discuss a “no cell phone” or “no device” norm. We didn’t need to. Each woman showed up, 100%. One participant shared that her out of office email reads, “I will be out of the office attending a professional conference this weekend. In order to optimize my learning, I will be responding to emails when I am back in the office on Tuesday. If you need immediate assistance, please contact…..”
The impact of having this space held for us resonated strongly through the group. Our multiple conversations helped us to make new friends, to normalize our experiences, to gain new insights, and to learn about our own strengths and goals as school leaders. For many of us, it helped to wrap our school year and sends us off into a break before next year. I know I am heading into my break feeling inspired and grounded.
And, I’m thinking about how we can hold space for our school community when we return in July and August. Whether it’s holding space for faculty staff, for classrooms & students, or for parents and community members, I’m thinking about how we can help them engage in conversation, interact with a diverse group of people, get to really know one another, and to fully engage. These are transferable ideas that will be just as beneficial to start the new school year as they were to end this one.