Answering the Call

My students struggled through our first Design Thinking challenge in the best way possible.  They complained thought deeply, were invigorated when they made headway with their research, and felt really proud of themselves when they achieved success.

It's not that there weren't any setbacks.  It's just that I found my students were able to persist when they were confronted with obstacles.  They persisted because they were tasked with solving a problem of their own choosing.  In the past two weeks, my 9th grade students have had appointments with our headmaster and the head of our Guidance Department.  They've interviewed and surveyed other students.  They did research about other schools and programs that could assist them with solving their problems.  They emailed people at other schools.  They even wrote a letter to our Mayor.  My students were focused on solving the problems they selected, and as a result, they were able to come up with some very interesting solutions.

Teaching them to ideate was not difficult, but getting them to move away from right and wrong answers and into gray areas of ambiguity was a new challenge for them. However, once they waded into this area, they were able to navigate their way through. Eventually, I think they found it freeing.

My students are trailblazing new paths at Boston Latin Academy.  They are trying to make adjustments to our schedule and our passing time.  Apps are being created to help students meet new kids, make friends, reduce anxiety, manage their time, and navigate our hallways (a Waze-type app for getting to class on time).  Other students have worked to build community by helping establish a rapport with the cafeteria staff, get an air conditioning system for our school, and even start a power napping club after school in order to confront the issue of student sleep deprivation.

They are leading the way toward a better community and culture here at BLA, and I'm really proud of them.