We have a monthly learning practice at our sister site, Joyful Jubilant Learning, which I strongly recommend you adopt and adapt in some way, weaving it into this gift of a brand new school year: The practice is called Rapid Fire Learning.
The exercise is a simple one: On the 25th of each and every month, we write a short list of 5 things we felt we have learned within the month todate.
If you click over there right now – you are invited to try it, and add your learnings to the conversation! – you will instantly see why RFL frames my favorite week at that site. When I have the time online, I will pop back frequently to see what has been added, and by who.
The intention within the RFL exercise is to value our learning, and isn’t that something you would love to see grow in the intentions of your school year as well?
Can you imagine how gaining learning energy like now being shared there at JJL, would light you up each month and invigorate you when it was shared with you from your students?
There is a complete write up of RFL on this page, however let’s think about how we could adapt it and make it our own:
1. Imagine RFL as a stream-of-consciousness writing exercise you start the classroom morning with on the last day of each month. You could devote just 10 minutes at most: A minute to frame a question, such as “Write 5 things you feel you have learned this month about [our course of study]” with 8 minutes to respond, and the last minute to collect the papers which will help you chart the class progress. Did they learn what you had so fervently hoped they would?
2. Imagine RFL as a stream-of-consciousness writing exercise you do each month with your fellow teachers over coffee in the faculty lounge. Now the prompting could be, “Let’s compare notes: Write down 5 things you feel you have learned from your class this month, for as we all know, our students teach us too.”
3. The questions can change as your learning intention shifts from a month to month basis. “Write down 5 things you have learned from another person here on faculty since the school year started. Write their names down too, and before the day is over let them know, and say thank you.”
How else could RFL help you value your learning in a personal way as a teacher?
From Managing with Aloha:
‘Ike loa is the value of learning.
Seek knowledge, for new knowledge is the food for mind, heart and soul.
Learning inspires us,
and with ‘Ike loa we constantly give birth to new creative possibilities.
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