Journal 3

Seminar: “Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education: The Public Futures of Education”
Sitting in on the seminar on special education was awesome! I stayed for the first half which I hear was the better of the two anyway. I took so much away from this man’s lecture! My favorite things he said were:
*It is our job as educators to “create courageous children and youth”.
*the goal of educating is the same for all children and all types of learners.
*inclusive settings allow students with disabilities to thrive
*Equalence!!! Everyone plays and wins.
The most valuable thing I tool away from this seminar that I plan on taking into my classroom was the “Circle of Courage”. Dr. Villa told us that the circle is used by the Lakota Indians and stands for belonging, generosity, mastery and independence. All four of these things are a vital part of creating courageous learners. Once a student has a sense of belonging they are comfortable in the classroom and there for more likely to learn. When a child learns generosity they help others which in turns help them learn. If a person obtains mastery of something they are much more confidant and likely to be independent which is the last piece of the circle. Once a person has a sense of belong, generosity and mastery they can then be independent. This circle should be a part of a child’s learning throughout their years of school. Every teacher should be preparing children for their life of being an independent adult, in order to do so they should follow the circle model.

Question 1: What is the most important thing you took away from the seminar?
The most important thing I took away from the seminar was the circle of courage and the incorporation of “equalence” into my classroom. I love that made-up word!

Question 2: What did you think about the equity vs. excellence discussion?
I loved this portion of the seminar because it further proved the point I make on a regular basis about teachers who are losing focus of the real importance of teaching. Students should always be the main focus. Of course we have responsibilities to meet standards but too many teachers focus only on their standards and not on their students.

Sources:
6:15 – 7:30 "Restructuring for caring and effective education: The possible futures of education" Richard A. Villa (President, Bayridge Consortium Inc., San Diego).