“Education and authentic leadership in the classroom”

 

 “Education and authentic leadership in the classroom”

Name educator:  Mario D’Agostino, Angelica Paci, Giuseppe Rossi.

Name partner organisation: Kamaleonte

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description of the course: Training course on professional development address to teachers “Education and authentic leadership in the classroom” how to deal with the students and create a safe learning context.

Aim of testing project: The idea is to create during a learning session, a space where participants can experience the “not doing”. “the not doing” is a practice that consist in inviting the group to stop doing any kind of activity (writing, speaking, moving,) and being in silence together before engaging as a group in a new activity. When we talk about the group we mean students and educators/facilitators.

The meaning of “not doing” is about creating a moment in which each participant can be in touch with themselves and the context around them and where the group can be aware about the here and now situation.

The objectives we have in mind is to observe if this practice of “not doing”:

  • allow participants to develop a sense of being present at the moment, with themselves and the others (this logic is based on mindfulness ).
  • If trough achieving a presence stage in the here and now context the participant can became more concentrated and ready to activate their potential.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Date(s) of the testing project: 5 days course between October and November 2015.

Target group: 33 secondary school teachers

Nationality of the participants: Italian,

Sex of the participants: 26 women   4 man­­­

Age of the participants: 32-55

Amount of meetings with the learners: 5 days -18 hours

A Number of people reflecting: Solo 30  10 Small group

 

30 Large group

 

B The way(s) of sharing: Silence: Being in Silence

Drawing

Speaking

Cinestetic

 

Verbal: Yes

 

Non-verbal:   Pictures /

v  drawings

v  Text   Em­bodied V sculpture

 

v Other forms of expression

 

Digital:   Padlet

 

  Social media   Digital diary

 

C Place of reflection (where) v  Indoors

 

v  Outdoors   On-line

 

D. Steps taken to implement

How did you organize your testing project (or to put it differently: as this is a testing project for experimenting, what will be different comparing to the same course you run the previous time)?

During this training we have experience the “not doing” several time with this group and we also shared the meaning of this not doing with participants.

Most of them recognised that it’s a powerful way to letting go with the past events and to became more aware about the inner dimension and the outer context.

To create a group environment for a true listening among the participants.

Between the 2nd and the 4th meeting, some of the teacher started to use this “not doing” moments with their classrooms before starting the formal learning session.

They agreed that it help to create energy and concentration among the students and increased their learning outcomes.

 

E. Your assessment of the outcome

We were more than satisfied about the outcome. The teachers decided to practice the “not doing moment” in the classroom before starting their lecture.

The teachers also realized that this moment of not doing was supporting them to be more in contact with their inner dimension and with the group. The consequence of this was for them to be aware about what they are doing and about the energy level of the group of students.

We strongly believe that this practice, related to meditation and mindfulness practices, helps groups to be more present and aware about the context and ready to act in a conscious way.

Being together in silence without doing, is for us a way to reflect in group. This silent reflection is meant to create a connection between the inner dimension of individuals and the inner feeling and stage of the group and enables individuals and the group to act in an effective and harmonious way.

F  Connecting with principles: which principle(s) were you taking into consideration mostly when facilitating reflection with learners? Please add 2 sentences about how you were translating the principle into practice. For more information: see postings on principles.
X Raising awareness within learners to ‘own’ their learning in personally meaningful way
X Developing a relationship between educator and learners based on trust, openness, empathy, honesty, dialogue and feedback

 

Co-creating the reflective process

 

 

Managing the steering paradox of intrinsic learning processes

 

X Creating the right reflective attention of learners

This practice creates a reflective attention of learners and educators and allows the group to co-sense the space and the context and to become more aware about the level of attention and the energies of the group. This stage of the group can be described as presensing stage. Presensing stage is describe by Otto Sharmer Theory U

 

 

Slowing down and value moments of not-knowing,

 

Deepening your questions progressively
X Recalling that reflection can never be imposed, only kindly invited.

 

 

Always considering reflection as a broad and deepening process, that should be holistic.

 

Being careful how to assess reflection (or not at all)