In that moment, I was reminded that there are no short cuts to student buy-in. In fact, I'm 100% confident that one sure way to cultivate success comes from the power of stories -- stories we tell ourselves can and do critically shape who we are. If Misa is going to see that teacher as a great leader, that teacher needs to cultivate a GREAT story, especially before helping others cultivate their own. Which is why the last two weeks have been all about Beyonce -- particularly, "Formation," -- man, she tells a great story in that song. My students were schooled in media influences through critical analysis and interpretation of Formation. Over time, they got it - not all of it, but they are different now than they were two weeks ago. Ask anyone of them if, prior to our analysis of Beyonce as a storyteller, if they knew the meaning of "slay" and the line "okay ladies now let's get in formation" and they would admit that they loved those lines because of its catchy tune and beat, only. The point of all this is that kids need to see beyond their star struck cultural icons. They have a need for context, and according to Misa and John-Pio, they really do respect teachers who not only tell their stories, but who embody stories.
Sooooo, write down your stories and tell 'em too.
Hope y'all had a great weekend! Here's how ours went down -- Brittingham boats is open which means lots of paddleboardiing, kayaking and canoeing - that place is like our summer home. I did as much running in the wee hours as I did climbing, and Misa and I got out for a sweet bike ride today. John-Pio broke his toe but man, that hasn't stopped that boy -- I hope if I ever break anything, I'm as calm and cashz about it as he's been. The weekend vibe was mostly active with a ton of unplanned hours throughout the day. Enjoy the pictures and the week!
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