Saturday, April 25, 2015

teal? is that even a pencil crayon colour?

If you know a bit about Integral Theory:

Frederic Laloux wrote a book.
It did something cool that most of us Integral folks have been unable to do.

Take integral theory.
Apply it to something in a way that makes total sense.
.... to anyone who reads it.

If you don't know about Integral Theory:

Please don't leave just yet. All you need to do is read the pdf link here:

Invest 5 - 10 minutes for this game changer

What is a Teal classroom? Why did I name the blog this?

(true reasons: the first 6 blog names I tried had already been taken)

A teal classroom for me (at this moment) is:

- a place where school and "real life" aren't disconnected
- a one size fits all curriculum isn't forced or even differentiated for students to achieve against
- a curriculum emerges from the needs/interests/developmental edges of the class as a collective
- where a teacher's role fluctuates between observer, coach, tribal elder and humility filled adult who may have to reflect on themselves
- where students demonstrate self direction by working with a teacher to plan and create assessments for themselves
- the classroom serves the evolutionary needs of all parties
- not a place for hippy dippy airy fairy stuff. Non-conventional methods need to be useful.
- a place where individual interiors, social climate, purposeful activities and supportive structures are monitored and developed

I started this blog as a way to keep track of my own progress, as my own understanding and relationship to a Teal way of going about things continues to emerge. In an ideal world I would have this already all figured out and ready to hand over to you in a manual, but if I wait for that day I will never share the bits and pieces I already see as useful for others.

I hope my ideas spawn ideas in you and that together we can cocreate a new experience of school together.

THE END

ps. If my improper use of punctuation hasn't already made you question my ability to instruct young children, I say thank you for sticking around.









No comments:

Post a Comment