The first core strategies of Progressive Pedagogy is:
Attention to community members emotions, contexts and lived-experiences as well as their ideas and agency
When schools and organizations are able to engage with the genuine contextualized being of their community, they are able to engage with a deeper dedication to progress, achievement and growth.
When we allow our students and/or our colleagues the permission to be vulnerable and open in their learning and work, we enable them to connect their passion and their desire to the success of the organization.
This connection to emotions, lived-experience, ideas and agency support community members in being fully engaged in the work of learning and growing.
This sounds great, but what does it actually look like?
Well, part of the reality of holistic educational support, is that there are no simple solutions. This is true of the acute needs of a specific student and the global long term needs of the community. If there were a magic proclamation or system that produced universal results, it would already be used everywhere.
The nature of attention is inherently personal. Different people need different approaches and different opportunities in order to engage themselves in work or in a community. Therefore Attentive Organizations, schools and classrooms:
- Expect and celebrate different ideas, approaches and outcomes
- Have cultures of open communication and respectful dialogue
- Encourage community members to pursue their interests and passions
- Devote time to relationships at all levels
- Acknowledge contributions of all community members
These might sound like ephemeral qualities and that it is impossible to ascertain their presence in an organization or a classroom, but in fact all of these qualities can be identified through a variety of methods.
Here are a couple of examples:
Quality number 1: Where do ideas come from in your school or organization, are students generating ideas and asking questions or do they all come from the teacher? Are new initiatives generated from across the organization or do they come from a smaller leadership group? Idea and Initiative genealogies can help you to determine the histories of ideas in your organization.
Quality number 2: What types of language are used in your classroom or organization. Are the terms used inclusive and empowering or do they focus on control and compliance? Are there systems for feedback in your organization? Language and systems audits can help you to explore the degree of open dialogue in your classroom or organization.
Quality number 3: How is work determined? Are students learning about teacher determined topics using teacher determined pedagogy or are their spaces for them to explore their interests in ways that best help them to learn? Do staff in your organization have opportunities to attempt novel solutions or innovative ideas? Classroom observations and task assignment maps can support your understanding of work in your school and organization.
Quality number 4: Is there time in the classroom or office to build relationships? Are you encouraged to talk about non-work and non-classroom topics or should school and work time be focused only on relevant conversations and topics? Honest and anonymous time audits can help you figure out how people spend them time.
Quality number 5: Are the contributions of all members of the school or organization celebrated or does a smaller group receive credit for all growth and progress? Student and Staff surveys can help you to better understand the level of value that people feel in your school or organization.
All of these qualities of Attentive Organizations can be examined and supported, but in order for that to happen an organization or a school needs to first determine if they are going to be genuinely attentive and honest about the feedback they receive from examining these qualities.
Be Well-Randy