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“A Call to See and Serve”Revelations in Education

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Thriving is our Natural State• Education and Learning are as natural to us as breathing! Learning

occursin the soul of every human being. "Thriving" is our natural state of life.We are meant to work and our purpose is to thrive. If the purpose ofeducation is to live outside the walls of school, then how can we teach inways that go beyond Language Arts and Math content, purposefully seeing theunique innate intelligence and the emotional quotients of every student?Flourishing inside our schools, as teachers and students, begins with a call'to see and to serve.'

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What happened to these kids?

• To begin, observe- but on an intuitive level. No checklists, no notes, no histories- just watch him. Watch him watching his world. Go silently behind his eyes to see his world. When you see what he feels, you will have learned all that you need to know…

Then begin ! ( L. Tobin )

Power of Service and Perspective

• Assessment• Common Core Standards• Charter Schools verses

Public Schools• No Child Left Behind• Race to the Top• Teacher Evaluations• Impoverished

Environments• Failing schools /No excuse

cultures

• Hopefulness• Resiliency• Optimism• Doing our best Experiences

changing the brain structurally and functionally

• Engagement• Enthusiasm• Questions: What do you

need? How can I help?

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The Context We Teach In…

There can be no keenerrevelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.

—Nelson MandelaOur privilege and

responsibility is to envision what our students cannot see just “yet.”

- Lori Desautels

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Indiana……2011• Education in Indiana• Annual expenditure per prisoner $19,479• Annual expenditure per public school

pupil $8,929• Percent of public school fourth graders:• unable to read at grade level 66%• unable to do math at grade level 58%• Percent of public school eighth graders:• unable to read at grade level 68%• unable to do math at grade level 64%• Number of high school students who drop

out of school annually 26,772

(For data sources, please visitwww.childrensdefense.org/cits)

Hearts and Brains

• “Daily experiences we provide in our classrooms and homes can structurally and functionally change the brain”

• Emotions and cognition are intimately connected for deepened learning and service

• How do we create “feelings” and strong emotion tying the content to life experiences?

Soil or Dirt

• “Are we cultivating dirt or soil? Most things will grow …even under poor conditions …

and they toocan be beautiful.... but with soil that is tended to... nurtured ifyou will.... these same seeds will flourish.”

Cultivating Generosity Thru…Service!

“ Love cannot remain by itself- it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.”• –Mother Theresa• Service in our

classrooms, 8th grade graduation and second semester senior year

The student is infinitely more importantthan the subject matter. ~ Nel Noddings, Caring