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Hey Designers,

I was sitting on my back porch listening to a podcast, not this one but the one from Heinemann. I get to talk to Stephanie Affinito in a few days, the author of Leading Literate Lives, and part of my preparation for conversations on the podcast is listening to what others have to say and she recently shared about her book on that podcast. Her episode on Design Lessons is coming up later this month.

This week, I’m preparing for Uncover the Leader in You Coaching Week, which really is technically a long weekend. We will start on Friday night, meet on Sat and Sun midmorning and finish up on Monday and Tuesday nights. If you haven’t already signed up...do so. It’s going to be a time of designing and creating and living in the land of possibility. It’s an opportunity for you to design your ideal life--and your life’s work. It’s a time to tap into what you are passionate about. It’s a way to start the summer in a good space.

Anyway, as you know when you are listening to a podcast, you start with one episode and you find yourself listening to another. And one episode that I was listening to made reference to Nancy Atwell, who when I was starting teaching I wanted to have a reading and writing workshop just like hers. Maybe you did too. When I was offered my first job in teaching, I got to choose whether I wanted to work at the high school or at the middle school, and it was an easy choice because I envisioned myself “In the Middle”

That first year of teaching, believe it or not, was idyllic and at the same time I had the normal challenges of classroom management. I remember my students creating a literary magazine. They were the editors, and graphic designers, and of course the authors of that magazine. I can still picture Danielle and her group sitting in front of our MAC computers giving feedback to other writers about their entries into the magazine, which another group set about working on the artwork that would accompany different pieces. They talk about pagination and fonts and what they wanted the magazine to be. I also remember that year They did live demonstrations--with steps for procedural writing. I learned how to draw a cat, how to bake chocolate chip cookies, and how to ride a skateboard that year.

Each year I dream about an ideal year...the one in which my classroom is a writing studio. I have this sign that says welcome to the writing studio. At the beginning of the year, the first project my students work on is creating what we want our studio to feel like. We think about what we have to do in order to create this space in which we all feel comfortable and welcome. They then set about creating videos that show each of our agreements in action and ways to resolve conflict when things go as we planned. We come back to those videos throughout the year when we need to regroup and remind ourselves about the idyllic community we brainstormed in the beginning of the year.

I got to talk to Angela Stockman last week. Her latest book is entitled Creating K-12 Inclusive Writing Environments. Her episode will be coming up later in the month as well. But what struck me most about her approach to teaching writing...is her approach to the process of writing. Giving students other mediums beyond print to develop their thinking and creativity and how that can greatly expand a writer’s process. Her work makes me think of an artist’s studio. And makes me ask myself the questions of how can we encourage creativity and creative thinking for students? I ask myself how I can make coming to English class as exciting as going to art or band or music class. I ask myself to put my design thinking skills to work. The first step in design thinking is to listen. So that’s what I’m going to do...really listen to my students as the end of this year to help create the community that I envision for next year. I’m asking them to tell me what they want whatever form they want--It could be a video, a voice message, a list, a poem...it’s their choice.

At this point in time, I don’t know whether I will be teaching virtually or in person next school year. I’m still waiting to hear. But I have started to envision the community that I want to build in either space.

I encourage you to do the same...start living in the land of possibility. What do you want your community to feel like next year? How are you going to make it inclusive? What structures do you want to have in place to make that a reality?

I’ve been dreaming about our community as a maker space. A space where we are making things. We are making podcasts and documentaries, and Tiktoks, and IG Stories, where we are writing stories and essays while still making sure that my students are covering the standards. I want my students invested in what they are creating and learning. But also I want them invested in each other. I want to create smaller learning pods especially if I’m teaching virtually. It’s so important when students are learning virtually that they have their people to connect to.

What’s in your land of possibility? What are you dreaming of for your students? For next year? What are you dreaming of for yourself? What are you dreaming of for your life’s work?

I hope you will join me this weekend as we live in the land of possibilities. It’s such a great way to start the summer. Design and dreaming about what could be. We are going to be using the design thinking process to develop our ideal lives and life’s work? A process that easily transfers to the work you can do with you students.

Sign up at Uncovertheleaderinyou.com. Let’s live in the land of possibility together.

Until Next Time Designers.