Imagination - The Third I: Hooray for Monday - Center for Inspired Teaching

April 19, 2021

By Aleta Margolis, Founder and President, Center for Inspired Teaching

Hooray for Monday is a weekly blog filled with questions, ideas, reflections, and actions we can all take to remodel the school experience for students.

This month we’re exploring Inspired Teaching’s 4 I’s.
Read previous posts on Intellect and inquiry.

Imagination is a muscle. It needs exercise in order to stay healthy and strong.

The late great Oran Sandel, my mentor, co-teacher, and dear friend, taught me these words over 20 years ago. They continue to inform Inspired Teaching’s work with teachers every day.

Thank you for the Bag of Rocks! is an improv game we play as part of our teacher training. Participants work in pairs, with Player A pantomiming climbing a steep and dangerous mountain, while Player B hands A “gifts” (written on index cards) which A must incorporate into her climb. The gifts range from a bag of rocks to a broken leg to a violent thunderstorm to a mountain lion on your back. In other words, they are things most of us would consider formidable obstacles. Player A must enthusiastically thank player B for each gift, then use it to enhance her climb.

For example:

Player B – Here’s a bag of rocks.
Player A – Thank you for this bag of rocks! It’s just what I needed to weigh the end of this rope down so it doesn’t keep flapping in the wind.

Player B – Here’s a violent thunderstorm.
Player A – Thank you for this thunderstorm! I ran out of water yesterday and couldn’t find a clean stream. All this rainwater is going to help me get hydrated.

In this activity, participants learn through play. We stretch and strengthen our imaginations as we literally transform obstacles into assets. And this exercise makes it easier for us to utilize our imaginations elsewhere.

The word imagination tends to conjure up images of unicorns or purple giraffes or other fantastical creatures. At Inspired Teaching, our definition of imagination encompasses fantasy and goes deeper. Imagination involves generating possibilities that are below the surface, that extend beyond the usual.

Children’s imaginations are naturally strong and healthy. Without hesitation, they create invisible rivers to swim on their way to the lunchroom; engage in heated arguments with imaginary friends; create indoor rainstorms by tapping their hands on the sides of their chairs; and more. They can also see solutions some of us adults might miss, like how to adapt a game that worked one way in-person into a new form that works online, how to organize an activity so everyone gets a turn, and the like.

If we are wise, we nurture our students’ imaginations and embrace their ideas and contributions. And, we put in the work to keep our own adult imaginations sharp. Renowned improvisational theatre pioneer and founder of Theatresports, Keith Johnstone refers to adults as “atrophied children” because we often neglect our imaginations, or worse, consider them frivolous in the face of the challenges we encounter as grown people. However, the most significant advancements in human history required imaginative thinking; so we allow our imaginations to atrophy at our own peril.

We can give our imaginations a workout every time life hands us a metaphorical bag of rocks, and rather than lament the new burden, use the obstacle to grow.

The bread for your morning toast is moldy. What new breakfast might you come up with?
The copier is broken and you needed it for an assignment. How might students practice their verbal rather than written skills in this lesson?
Your boss gives you some critical feedback. How might you respond with curiosity rather than hurt feelings?
A national news event disrupts the school day. What can you do to make students feel safe and supported?

A strong and healthy imagination allows us to conceive of things not yet created. When our imaginations are active and fully developed, we are better able to think on our feet, be spontaneous, and even come up with solutions to problems that feel intractable. When we include building imagination among our goals for our students, we not only increase the likelihood they will learn and understand the content in the curriculum, we also increase the likelihood they will enjoy their time in school.

Imagination can transform a bag of rocks into an asset. Imagination can also help us do things like transition students from remote learning back to in-person, turn health and safety protocols into community-building opportunities, and teach complicated math concepts in an interesting new way. As we strengthen our imaginations, we allow our true selves to shine through, in our interactions with our students and with others in our lives. Bringing our true selves to our work as teachers is at the core of the 4th I, Integrity. More on this next week.

Micaiah Anderson

Community Outreach Specialist

As a Community Outreach Specialist, Micaiah is responsible for program promotion and outreach support for Inspired Teaching events and workshops. Micaiah has a passion for collaborating with community members to build-power and connect. She is an educator with a heart for youth and has experience supporting students fight injustices within their schools and communities. She has a BA in Political Science from, the real HU, Hampton University & anticipates graduating in May 2024 with a Masters of Arts degree in Educational Policy Transformation from Georgetown University.

AUTONOMY

"I want to have a say in what happens to me."

Autonomy is the need for independence; the ability to make choices, to create, to explore, and to express oneself freely; to have sufficient space, to move around, and to feel unrestricted with opportunities to exercise free will.

Brady Maiden

Outreach Coordinator

As the Outreach Coordinator, Brady helps maintain Inspired Teaching’s social media presence and supports the organization’s mission to connect with DC community leaders, educators, and parents. Brady has her Master’s in Public Policy from George Mason University and her BS in Political Science from Northern Arizona University. She is passionate about community, equity, and coalition building recognizing that learning and growing with the community at large is how we continue to be impactful.

What brings you joy in life?

I find joy in spending time with my friends and family and meeting new people. I like going to concerts and festivals, and finding new books to read.

The Learner’s Cycle, Wonder-Experiment-Learn, and the Teacher’s Cycle, Observe-Plan-Instigate, comprise Inspired Teaching’s approach to engaging students in inquiry-based learning.

When they are engaged in the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, students are immersed in learning. They take the lead in designing authentic learning experiences around their own interests and their school’s standards of learning. Each discovery leads to a new question which in turn leads to more wondering and more learning. In the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, Learn is not a destination or an endpoint; it is a deeper understanding, leading to a deeper wondering and new possibilities that create new entry points to further exploration. The cycle continues because what students have learned generates more wonderings that require more experiments that foster more learning – and on and on.

The Observe-Plan-Instigate Cycle is the work of an Inspired Teacher. While a student is expected to follow the Wonder-Experiment-Learn Cycle, the teacher joins them on the learning journey while following their own cycle of Observe-Plan-Instigate. This cycle ultimately serves to ensure an inquiry-based atmosphere is at play in the classroom.

Jaqueta Abbey

Teaching and Learning Specialist

Jaqueta is the Teaching and Learning Specialist for Inspired Teaching. In addition to her current role with Inspired Teaching, Jaqueta is a first-grade teaching assistant. Her background features a variety of traditional and non-traditional experiences in the field of education, including working as an adjunct professor, teaching summer reading programs to children and adults, and tutoring children in the foster care system. Jaqueta earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.

What brings you joy in life?

Creative self-expression! In addition to my passion for storytelling, I love dancing of all kinds. I've studied belly dance, bachata, and Brazilian Zouk among other styles. I also enjoy glass fusing, crocheting, photography, and cross stitching. These art forms allow me to express myself and build connections with other people at the same time. I think life would be a lot less vibrant without artists and storytellers!

Michelle Welk

Communication & Marketing Specialist

As Communications and Marketing Specialist, Michelle is responsible for finding and creating new ways to highlight Inspired Teaching and promote its programs in order to expand and deepen the organization's impact. Michelle has worked in communications in an array of settings, from creative agencies to state politics to national nonprofits. She has a BA in Journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is passionate about education, access, and equity.

What brings you joy in life?

My son, the beach, making a persuasive argument and good food!

Max Peterson

Real World History Assistant Teacher

Max received his Bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies from Boston University in May 2016. He has worked in museum curation at the Museum of the White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Max has worked with young people of varying ages from young children to young adults transitioning to college.

Feedback and Accountability

We grow through feedback and an understanding that the quality of our work is a reflection of what we are learning, but the shift to remote learning this spring disrupted a lot of the tools teachers were used to using to evaluate student growth. How might we do things differently this fall? Participants in this workshop will explore ways to bring meaningful assessment into the virtual and/or socially-distanced classroom and approaches to student feedback that strengthen motivation, and build relationships and achievement.