Dodge Ball and School-Not so different

So here is the metaphor story, I hope you enjoy it even without the schema of the stories I have told all year. I usually share most of what I share here about the boys at school so I hope it makes sense. We are on the journey of big change-I hope so anyway so here is my story to get us inspired-after playing a very energetic and competitive round of dodge ball as a staff. Wow some of those ladies can throw. It came down to the wire with me and another teacher-I lost. Oh well...I then read this to the staff-here it is:

Thinking Deeply About Dodge Ball
I believe I started off the year with a story about the "Frequent Flyer" as a kick off for the year and to provide some vision of how and why we needed to "dig deeper" into student thinking. It is only fitting we end with a story. This story came to me as most do when I have had wonderful conversation with peers like all of you. All of you who keep me challenged, excited, and striving to always do better. Above all that that you are willing to take risks and to trust.

I asked you to take a risk and trust with the "dodge ball" game this morning. I am under no illusion that this activity could have been fun for a few, and for others the worst thing ever. I asked you to play a game that involves hitting a target that is constantly moving. I asked you to catch a ball, successfully without getting hurt. If you didn't do either of these well, you got to sit out. Some of us are naturally gifted with the art of throwing, catching, running, and even a little bit of a competitive spirit. Others of us are not. Eventually you may have got back in the game because of the help of someone else or just pure luck. This kind of game may be exactly why our wonderful PE teacher wrinkled his nose when I told him, "We are going to play dodge ball, isn't that exciting!"

I thought about his reaction when I went home. I thought about it deeply. I wondered if learning is sometimes like one big game of dodge ball, and I came up with more questions. Do we ask students to hit targets we set for them that are constantly moving or confusing? Do we set targets that are meaningful and will have impact on their learning? Do we give them the skills to be successful, even if they don't come prepackaged with them? I wondered if unknowingly does our response when students do not learn leave them "sitting out", waiting for someone to come get them back in the game? Or maybe by luck it will just click? When a student doesn't learn do they feel they are just a bystander?

Again I thought of my own son and his learning struggles, who I share numerous stories about. He is the child who can't throw a ball to save his life, and it is even harder to catch one. Sometimes his lack of attention makes all the targets constantly moving. What happens when he doesn't "get" a concept? I also thought of my other son who can catch a ball, and out throw his brother on any given day, and is able to grasp the idea that hitting a small target takes focus. Where does the "extra" he needs come from? I think of their teachers and the overwhelming responsibility their individual teachers have to respond to their learning and 20 some others in the classroom. I don't know how she or he does it.

I share this story-this metaphor- for us to think a little deeper about our wonderful learning community (a kick-butt one actually is what I tell everyone). I want us to look in the future, and think of how learning doesn't resemble a "game", where some get it and some don't. Deep in our teacher hearts we want all students to learn, we know we can do it. I want us to all wrinkle our nose a little bit and think, "Isn't here something better?". That was Rod's reaction, and then he immediately asked me THE question, "Isn't there something else I can help you with, if you just want people to get moving, I can get you some different ideas"

Hmmm get moving and get some different ideas...I like that...