#30DaysofLearning Day 16 - Easy to Forget

When I started this 30 day writing journey, it was meant to focus in on 2 specific areas:

1. Give fewer answers.  Ask more and better questions.
2. Practice American Sign Language and find new ways to share that learning.

I have been trying, and will continue to try my ASL Name That Tune Game.  Next round this weekend!

I seemed to have lost touch a bit with asking questions.  That became apparent yesterday during a meeting with a school leaders.  We were discussing how to build capacity in teachers to begin managing their own inquiry team.  It was mentioned by one leader that she did not want to add more paperwork to the already heavy load of work teachers do on a daily basis.

I launched into problem solving mode.  I knew that school had used Google Forms for other meetings.  I thought, with a little time and a personal refresher in Google Drive Apps, I could design a Form that took meeting minutes, which would upload to a Sheet, then specific parts of the Sheet data - Next Steps - Pluses/Deltas - could then be dropped into a Doc Template to serve as the next meeting agenda which would then be auto emailed to all participants.

Yeah, Son!  

"But, Bryan, then we're doing the work we are asking the team to take control of and manage for themselves."

Right.  This is what I have been fighting in myself for so long.  I don't need to have the answer to a question or task that wasn't asked of me.  Instead, I need to learn how the teachers will best manage the meeting.  I may even disagree with their ideas, but it is their meeting, and as long I there is accountability for minutes and managing their time, who am I to say my idea is the best?  Maybe theirs will work better?  Maybe mine would have?  We won't know until they have a chance to own their processes and make their own sense and solutions.

How quickly I forgot to ask questions.  One break for Winter Recess, and I'm back into the habit of answer quickly and efficiently.  This has been a part of my modus operandi for so long.  It is going to be a real challenge for me to overcome this aspect within my mental processes.  I am up for the challenge.  Dare I say at this time of year, I am resolved to change this?

Reflection is helping me to grow, and writing here is becoming a useful tool as a part of my reflections.  Now it's time to review the previous 15 days, read all about how I was learning to ask more questions, and then try harder tomorrow.

Best wishes to all who are putting in that work to better themselves.  Keep pushing, even if you slip.  Reflect, learn, move forward.