An Intentional Language of Learning

If we could completely start over, create school from scratch, and not be bound by policies and politics - what kind of learning environment would you create? What skills would you want to focus on developing in your students? How would you go about having your students explore these skills and demonstrate their growth? What kind of assessment strategies would you use to measure their understanding and learning?

The Keys of Purpose-Driven Learning take ten essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills and make them the language of learning within our classrooms and our schools. This language can be used and these skills can be developed in every subject area to help students of any age reach their fullest potential. More importantly, these skills are needed beyond the classroom to help our students find success as they move to the next grade level and as they graduate and journey out into the world.

Of course, content knowledge is important, and assessment strategies like Standards-Based Grading help teachers evaluate and communicate content growth and development for clearer and more purposeful grading. However, our role as educators extends beyond only teaching for mastery of our content. We don't even know what "content" students will need to know tens years from now. Surely, we cannot predict the advances in technology and changes in the world that will impact what our students will need to know. Therefore, we must help students develop the SEL tools to be successful in a world we cannot imagine.

The Keys to Purpose-Driven Learning offer language with which teachers, students, and even parents can explore holistic learning and growth. Consider what your classroom would look like if students were working to build these skills every day. How would your formative and summative assessments change if you spoke about these SEL skills, instead of what your students needed to do and didn’t do to get an "A"? Can we empower our students to use the language of SEL skills to self-assess - reflecting their own strengths and challenges? At parent-teacher conferences, do conversations with parents improve when we can speak to the whole child, rather than simply to their child’s content understanding or most recent test grades? In my experience, intentionally using Purpose-Driven Learning language transformed my teaching. Even more important, the Keys of PDL can be taught, explored, practiced, developed, demonstrated, and assessed in order to transform our students’ learning.

In our new school, students are confident in their abilities to learn, grow, and achieve. They are individuals, who are proud of what makes them unique, while being affirming and understanding of those who think and act differently than they do. They enthusiastically try their hardest in everything they undertake and boldly overcome obstacles that get in their way. They are willing to explore and discover answers on their own. They collaborate with each other, openly sharing ideas, thoughts, and opinions. They focus on what needs to get done, doing their fair share, and helping out when needed without having to be asked or reminded multiple times. Our students are kind, hard-working, passionate, thoughtful, innovative children and young adults.

The students in our new school are, in fact, the same students we have in our current classrooms. In order to create this amazing vision of what a school can be, our students do not need to change...we, as educators, do!

CONFIDENCE

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss

Small children think they can do anything. It is why they truly believe that they can be astronauts, professional athletes, movie stars, and even superheroes. Confidence is the cornerstone of all of our hopes, goals, and dreams. We need to help students retain this confidence as they get older. A growth mindset allows the students to have confidence, not necessarily in a certain skill, but in their ability to learn and improve. Students need to be confident that they CAN get better at anything they choose, if they commit to improving and work hard every day.

Creativity

“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.” - Friedrich Nietzsche

If we believe the research, the future belongs to the creative! As more content can be looked up online, success will belong to those who can implement the information in innovative ways. Offering students choice, not spelling out every detail in our directions, rewarding students who take risks, and teaching that failure is an opportunity to learn, all help to nurture creativity. Students need the opportunity to express themselves in different ways. They need to be challenged to share their unique opinions, create original work, and be proud of their individuality. What leads to greater success, struggling to be an individual or accomplishing being like everyone else?

Enthusiasm

“Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity.” - Bo Bennett

It’s easy to be enthusiastic about the classes and work that we enjoy. It’s difficult to engage the things we don’t want to do with the same positive attitude. However, we all know that, as our students get older, there will be things that they don’t WANT to do, but still HAVE to do. Our subject may not be their favorite. Students may not want to take our class. Helping students understand the importance of a positive, energetic outlook, and the benefit of finding the “fun” in the most dreaded of tasks, will help them throughout their lives.

Effort

“It is not necessarily the amount of time you spend at practice that counts; it’s what you put into the practice.” - Eric Lindros

How do most people succeed? Plain and simple, nose to the grindstone, hard work! We don’t have to dress it up or make it cool, new, and innovative for our students. The fact is, if they want to accomplish greatness, they need to work hard, push themselves to be better, and put forth their best effort every day. Even then, success isn’t guaranteed. However, one thing is for sure…if they don’t put forth effort, they aren’t going to reach their full potential! It’s an essential question - how hard are you willing to work today?

Focus

“Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” - Seneca

This is the skill that is developed the most in our students over their years in formal education. Whether you call it Mindfulness, Time on Task, Active Listening, or Student Engagement, the ability of the students to be focused on the task at hand needs to be emphasized in every classroom. Inner focus, like blocking out distractions while taking a test is important. Yet, Other focus and Outer focus is equally as essential, as students must be aware of their impact on those around them and of their role in making the world a better place.

Resilience

“Success is to be measured, not so much by the position that one has reached in life...as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” - Booker T. Washington

There was a lot of back and forth between perseverance and resilience when creating the Keys of PDL. It was agreed that resilience takes perseverance one step further. While perseverance suggests working hard and putting forth strong effort, resilience adds the ability to adapt when obstacles are encountered. Instead of working hard, but giving up when difficulties and conflict arise, we want our students to be resilient, overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals. Life is going to have its challenges - let’s help students face life with courageous and resilient spirits!

Initiative

"Do your best when no one is looking. If you can do that, you can be successful in anything you put your mind to." - Bob Cousy

How many questions are you asked in the course of a class period…wouldn’t it be great if the students took the initiative to find the answer themselves, before coming to you? How many times do students use a technology failure as an excuse for incomplete work…can’t we expect them to take the initiative to find a way to fix the problem and get their work done on time? We talk about leadership, and yet, we offer students all the answers and accept all their excuses. Leaders take the initiative, problem-solve, seek solutions, and get results. What opportunities do you give your students to take the initiative in your classroom?

Curiosity

“Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers.” - Voltaire

We need to spark curiosity within our students. We need to ignite their passions. We need to give them a reason to dig deeper into their own learning. It’s definitely one of those, “easier said than done” objectives. We need to find out what our students are interested in and provide opportunities for them to explore, create, and share their learning. Perhaps, we don’t need to define every project and assignment. Maybe, we can let the students decide what they are curious about learning, the project they can complete, and the knowledge and skills on which they want to be assessed. We just need to take a step back and guide them in their own learning process.

Dependability

“Power is actualized only when word and deed have not parted company.” - Hannah Arendt

We do not work alone. Students need to learn skills that will help them find success when they collaborate with others. Being a dependable member of a team is a great place to start. On the sports field, in a music concert, and in our classrooms, we rely on others and others rely on us. As teachers, we depend on our students to complete the work needed outside of class to help make our face-to-face time successful. Students depend on each other to do their share of the group projects. They need to be able to trust that when they take a risk and fail, that they’ll be supported. Group work can be tough, especially for students who strive for individual success, but learning to work together is a skill that is required to be successful out in the real world.

Empathy

“See with the eyes of another, listen with the ears of another, and feel with the heart of another." - Alfred Adler

The world would be such a better place if we all learned how to empathize with those with whom we disagree. Put yourself in their shoes. How do you think they feel? Why do you think they feel that way? When have you felt the same way, what did you do, and how did others respond? Building successful relationships begin with being able to connect. Embrace similarities, listen to understand differences, and build respect for oneself and others.