I was trying to find some inspiration by viewing some previous Ignite talks. I came across this one by David Elliott entitled Unpacking Beliefs at this year's NCSM in Philadelpha, PA back in April. David talks about how our thoughts lead to beliefs, beliefs lead to actions, and actions ultimately lead to improvement.
In light of all the things in education we are suppose to focus on these days (Common Core, curriculum, strategies, testing, teacher evaluations, etc.), what really matters is what we believe. If we don't believe teachers can improve, then they won't. If we don't believe technology can enhance learning, then it won't. If we don't believe students can learn, then they won't. Not believing means we are never going to take the right actions that will lead to change and improvement. An interesting thought....might explain why so many things 'fail' in education.
David ends by talking about belief in our students, the ultimate goal of education - believing in our students and their abilities to learn, achieve, and succeed. Perhaps those of us in education need to sit back and reflect on what we believe about our students and education in general - perhaps this will give us a clearer path on what we should be acting on and improving.
Watch David's video - it's only five minutes!
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