Searching for a Community of Learners

Gail Boushey

January 5, 2018

Issue:

#495

If you could change one thing in education, what would it be? Less emphasis on high-stakes testing? Smaller class sizes? Skills for all students to be able to discuss and disagree respectfully?

Lucy Calkins recently answered that question by saying, “I would create more time for teachers to study together, to be in a community of learning, reading, writing, and talking. We can no longer be a lone teacher who teaches in isolation. We need each other as we are making enormous differences for students.”*

Sound, research-based beliefs and the confidence to put them into practice have always been important to me. Throughout my career, I’ve sometimes felt like a “lone teacher” and other times found someone right down the hall to have collegial conversations with. Defining my beliefs, bouncing them off others, and hearing their thoughts pushes my thinking deeper and helps me shift my practice for the better. I wonder if this is what Lucy was talking about. We need to take our ideas and listen, discuss, share, invite, question, and refine our thinking and practice with each other for the betterment of our students.

It is easier now than it has ever been before. With social media, online courses, Google Hangouts, discussion boards, and websites, we have the ability to interact with someone near or far away immediately.

My most profound learnings have come from discourse with others. So, let’s do it. Let’s be in community together. We are starting a weekly Twitter chat and we hope you’ll join us as we deepen our thinking and refine our practice together. The first one will be January 10, 5:30 PST. Follow and participate with #DailyCAFE.

Let’s make Lucy’s dream a reality.

*2017 NCTE Conference in St. Louis