WILL #3

What I Learned Lately (WILL 13/14 #3) by Dr. Josh Garcia (@Garciaj9Josh)

Every 24 hours there is a moment where night turns into day.  The specific time of this moment continuously changes based on the time of year, rotation of the earth, weather and location.  In order to enjoy this moment, each week there are few days where I find the strength to get out of bed and run outside.  For me, it has become one of my favorite times.  It is a moment where I can see the brightness of the thousands of stars fade and the light of one sun take over.  I often wonder if I should call this moment night or day.  In a world that relentlessly strives to make meaning through words, Mother Nature continues to resist a simple answer to describe the beauty of the unknown.

With all the best intentions, the adults of our society use labels to separate our students.  We use these labels to provide extra support and or recognize the individuality of the gifts our students possess.  In the rare case, some use these labels for evil.  Our students need a variety of assets to be successful in life and many are not measured by grades or academics.  We must recognize and operationalize ways to make our students asset rich, even if they are economically poor.  Collectively, we must become increasingly more comfortable with the unknown of students potential.  I believe we should be honest with our students about their strengths and areas of growth.  Not every student is gifted in every area.  However, it is the responsibility of the adults to recognize the diversity of “gifted” in every student.

Recently, I was told that I need to stop using the term “highly capable” to describe “ALL” students, because it didn’t recognize the definition of “highly capable”.  This was not the first time I have been asked to follow this request.  Usually, this request is followed by increased pressure to follow the research or the logic of science.  For over a decade, this endless back and forth reminds of the never ending battle between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.  Where Wile E. continuous to use logic and complex devices to capture that simple bird.  How can that one bird defy logic and sophisticated ACME technology?  Is it simply because he doesn’t know that he isn’t supposed to win?  Or is hit so gifted that logic can’t recognize the gift?

I have chosen to continue to use the terms Highly Capable and Gifted to describe the students who I serve.  Not in an attempt to say all students are the same, but rather to recognize the brightness of the individual gifts each one possess.   All students are highly capable and all students learn different contents/concepts at different speeds.    We owe it to each child to know them well enough to recognize and foster their talents beyond a battery of paper and pencil or computer based exams.  Although this information (data) is valuable to challenge students at new heights, it should not be used to create a destination.  We need to begin to recognize that the labels we use to describe our students, are not destinations but rather moments in time that are continuously changing and are often indescribable.  Labels are powerful and should not be applied without careful consideration.  I hope that we will remain open to be awakened by our students’ gifts, even when we are not sure if it is night or day.

On behalf of all students, I continue to say “Meep Meep”.
Finally by Raymond A. Foss - "An Awakening "

I have been born anew.
Like Venus from the shell
I awoke full and whole.
Ready to face the world as I am.

Facets of my soul
Long dormant have found voice.
You have released me from my slumber.
With you I am made whole.
Through you I am free.

Steps on the path
Now before me.
Confident I am making
The right choices.
Knowing you are with me,
Loving, caring, trusting.

Brave new world
Here I am.
A soul found.

Cross posted: http://edge.ascd.org/_WILL-1314-3/blog/6549584/127586.html?b=