Mid-South Literacy Conference—Updated
Yesterday I led an all-day session at the Mid-South Literacy Conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Each participant received a copy of The Lesson Planning Handbook—a good summer read if I do say so myself.
I really enjoyed my time there. Maryann Manning and the team that put on the conference were gracious hosts. Toni Shay and William at LexAmi really took care of me. I was also fortunate to have about 125 or so really thoughtful teachers and administrators fill my session. Together we explored the question: What can teachers do to better support students to think more, collaborate better, and take more responsibility for their learning?
I think one of our most powerful conversations centered around our reading of a chapter in Eleanor Duckworth's The Having of Wonderful Ideas. We read the chapter titled "The Virtues of Not Knowing." We all related to the idea that our lessons would be more powerful if we spent most of our instructional time having students think and grapple with ideas they are struggling with. Not by having them regurgitate what they already know. As Dr. Duckworth points out, "The virtues involved in not knowing are the ones that really count in the long run. What you do about what you don’t know is, in the final analysis, what determines what you will ultimately know."
As many of you know, this chapter greatly influenced my writing of The Lesson Planning Handbook. It was a lively day. I loved having the time to dig deep into it.
If you were there and wish to comment on our time together or discuss further any of the ideas we covered, please post in the comments below.
My presentation from the day is attached.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Peter Brunn's Mid South.pdf | 803.37 KB |
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To be honest, I wasn't
To be honest, I wasn't totally looking forward to the session yesterday, because I was not expecting the deep discussion and thinking that happened. I'm not sure what I expected, but I have attended the mid-south conference for the last 8 years and I trusted Dr. Manning that it would be worthwhile. I was pleasantly surprised and to be honest, left the conference feeling in awe of all that had occurred. The teacher I was with and I both remarked that it was without a doubt one of the most thought-provoking and informative lectures we have ever attended. I will be a different teacher and a different parent as a result of participating.
There were so many points made throughout the day that inspired me, including the one you mentioned by Dr. Duckworth. Another thought that left me changed, was the one that struggle is good. I think I "over-explain" and as a result do the thinking for them, because I don't want them to struggle. However, some struggle is good and leads to true construction of meaning and leads to learning. This was an Ah-ha moment for me. Another interesting point was how we sometimes do the hard thinking for our students by the way we respond and guide their thoughts with our praise or dismissal. We guide their thinking to fit our objectives and thoughts instead of letting them explore their own thinking and express and support their own ideas. These were true revelations that will change my teaching and my choices when planning.
You were a wonderful, engaging and thoughtful presenter that I hope to have the opportunity to hear again. I really feel sorry for my colleagues who were unable to attend. I will be sharing these ideas and your book with them. Your book is a great tool! Thanks for coming to Birmingham!
Melanie Henderson
Helena Elementary School
Kindergarten Teacher
Helena, Alabama
I, too, left Saturday full of
I, too, left Saturday full of thoughts and possibilities! Every summer I try to choose one thing to devote some time to improving. Until Saturday, I had not decided on a topic for this summer. When I was a brand new teacher, I arrived at school an hour before anyone else and mentally rehearsed all my lessons. As the years have gone by, I think I've let some of this preparation time escape me. Thank you for reminding me how vital planning my questioning is! Finishing your book prompted me to revisit Debbie Miller's Teaching with Intention today. I believe I got even more out of this text after reading and hearing your thoughts on planning.
Looking forward to seeing you at Birmingham Southern in July...
Debbie's Book Teaching with
Debbie's Book Teaching with Intention is a great accompaniment to my book. She is definitely someone who influenced my writing.
I am so happy you found our session rewarding. I left feeling really energized and excited to come back to Birmingham in July. Thanks so much for your participation.
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