Would you buy a new car from a salesperson who is driving the competitor’s vehicle? Could you eat from a chef who refuses to taste his own food? Might you trust your life with a lifeguard who questions their own ability to swim? Would you follow a leader who delivers the message of do as I say and not as I do? In the same ways we would like those who are selling us a particular product or idea to be consumers of their own assurance, teachers can promote the joy of learning by the ways they model their commitment to lifelong learning to their students. Learning out loud as an educator has the ability to ignite a fire for learning in the students we teach.
Learning out loud is a teacher’s permission to practice what they preach. As teachers our vital role is to be a provoker of learning: inviting students to deep levels of thought by problematizing the ordinary and investigating the mundane. With information accessible to the masses, teachers need to model the essential skills that students need essential skills students need to navigate a world of information overload. Students are watching; so by being critical consumers of information, perseverant problem solvers, collaborative colleagues and future-ready risk takers, we are modelling for them the importance of learning and growing every day.
What might learning out loud look like? Opportunities for teachers to learn are never limited to taking a course, or attending workshops, but rather, teachers can learn out loud by being transparent in the risks they take in their own practice, the open reflection they model and the invitation for feedback they present to their students. In short, teachers can model their willingness to learn simply by openly trying something new.
One of my fondest memories of intentionally learning out loud was in 2010 during my first experience teaching grade 6 math. The previous summer I had taken my first Math AQ and I was conscious about staying accountable to the new learning I had encountered in an effort to continue to grow in my practice. At the start of the year I made my learning process transparent before my students by letting them know that I was learning how to be a more effective math teacher. I labeled a wall space above my desk as Ms. Nelson’s Learning Wall where I place prompts for the teaching/learning strategies that I wanted to be mindful of including in my practice. I told my students that I would be referencing my learning wall for help in the same ways they reference anchor charts when they are learning. When trying something new, I would start by telling my students that this was a risk I was taking then I would invite them to reflect on the process with me by giving me feedback from a participant’s perspective. When mistakes happened, I acknowledged them and would redo lessons. I would let my students know that my mistakes were evidence that I was trying and that mistakes were always welcomed in my class. When I experienced struggle in my practice, I highlighted it, and would celebrate the aha moments when a breakthrough came. My transparency as a learner leveraged the playing field in my class where my students saw me learning alongside them and I engaged them as resources.
Learning out loud continues to fuel my teaching practice. When I am confused, I confess it. When I am unsure, I model resourcefulness. When I am excited about a new Idea, I take risks. When I learn something new, especially when that learning comes from my students, I celebrate it. The more enthusiastic I am about my own learning,the more enthusiastic students are about their own. I once encountered a quote about teaching that read, “Teaching is my passion, getting better at it is my job.” This philosophy speaks to a teacher’s commitment to lifelong learning. Essentially, we need to ensure that we buy the product that we are in effect selling – an education.
