What is a Powerful Learner?

The previous two weeks we have focused as a staff on what a 'Powerful Learner' is. Our first session involved Karla and Neil interviewing students asking them specific questions - "What is a Powerful Learner?", "What makes you Powerful Learner?", "What do you do when you get stuck?"

The most revealing and frustrating was the last question - "What do you do when you get stuck?"
Our Ss said they ask others like their friends or ask the teacher. They way they had answered gave the impression that we give them the answers when they ask us which is incorrect. We turn it back on the student by saying "What could you do...?".

The interviews were a real eyeopener, in terms of their perceptions of our role as teachers and of ourselves. I felt like I make no real difference, that you could put a cardboard cutout of me in our learning spaces and the responses would be no different! Food for thought and some real self reflection.

From here, our next meeting looked at what we as staff think makes a Powerful Learner.

And from our group:

• creativity
• resilience
• tenacity
• connected - learner
• communicator - deliver, receive
• empathy
• persevering
• risk taking - brave
• discerning
• curious
• questioning
• self awareness
• willingness/self drive
• emotional intelligence
• collaborative
• evaluative
• reflective

There was a great deal of discussion around grouping of ideas and what Empathy is. We felt that because of our own upbringings and place in society, we would have little real understanding of what some of our students go through in their lives. Neil shared with us this clip Empathy vs Sympathy. This clip is a great way of differentiating between the two and how we can get caught in the 'sympathy' mode.
I realised that 'being there' is enough. Taking the time to listen is something I try to do, not only with students but the people around me - be it parents, staff or anyone.