100 Posts in 100 Days
My pattern has been to use the “decade posts’ (eg, 10, 20, 30 and so on) as a time for some quick reflections. And so I knew this one was coming. But I’ve put off writing it and I’ve tried to figure out why. Early on, I used different formats, such as the single point rubric in Posts 10 or 20 , two-column notes as in Post 40, narratives as in Posts 51, 60, or categorized around concepts in Post 70.
Why could it be so hard to identify what I’m learning?
One idea that has come to mind is the social nature of learning. Much of this 100 Posts in 100 Days is individual in that I am writing it. But much of this is social. The stories come from interactions I have had with other people. And each time I talk about the stories, whether before or after I’ve written them, new ideas emerge. The more I talk about what I’m writing the easier it is to write. By design, I’ve create a schedule where I have largely been on my own the last several days. I’ve enjoyed time and space alone (I always have!), but I do wonder if it is one of the reasons this reflective edition has felt more challenging?
A second idea comes to mind and it is inspired by the onboarding processes I’ve been involved in this week (see Post 79). The idea is about automaticity and attention. When we get into a pattern and certain things become automatic, it is easy to overlook all of the tiny details. Here is what I mean:
Yesterday I asked my administrative assistant to make name tents for the tables for training next week.
It seems like such a simple request. But it was only her second day, so a lot of background knowledge and every step in the process had to be covered. Here is the list of things she needed to know, learn or arrange:
- We have acrylic name tents that need the papers printed and inserted.
- The acrylic name tents are on the bottom shelf in the tall cabinet in our office.
- There is a shared folder in the Google drive with our school logos to add to the design.
- There is a school “brand book” with the codes for the official school colors to make sure they match our identity.
- We need name tents for new faculty, the Academic Leadership Team, and the Teaching and Learning Team. She needed to know where to find those names.
- Will they have first names or first & last names?
- Will roles and positions be included?
- How to send the name tents to the printer.
As we went through every step in the process, I was struck by this task, which will be simple and quick a month from now, takes attention, research, and time now. It made me think about the experience our new faculty will have next week. And it makes me think about reflecting now. Some of my reflections and goals from the “early decades” were the challenges and things requiring my attention then. But, 80 posts in, there are certain things that are just more automatic now. So, I’m wondering if my reflection is more challenging because as some aspects become more automatic, I may also be taking them for granted?
One last wondering: how do my first 2 wonderings apply (or not) in the classroom? When students find it challenging to reflect or when their reflections seem limited or inaccurate, what could be contributing factors? Have they had enough feedback and interaction to prompt reflection? Is the work they have been doing so automatic that they can’t see the nuances and steps along the way?
I’ve got 2 “decades” of reflections left. I’ll be thinking about how I can create conditions and access resources to help me with quality reflection.