Gardening and Teaching as Acts of Optimism

Gardening and Teaching as Acts of Optimism*  

  Today at the checkout counter at a local grocery store the clerk commented, “Despite today’s dreary weather, it will be warm on Saturday.”  I said, “Well, it certainly will be warm for me because I’m going to the Boston Flower Show!” Much to my amazement he said, “Wait, are you a teacher?  You’re the third teacher this morning to say that!”   So what gives with teachers and gardening?? The catalogs have arrived, promising a summer full of delightful flower beds and robust

vegetable gardens. Many of us ordered seeds and have begun planting them indoors with grow lights to give them a head start in the spring. The funny thing is many of us have done this repeatedly, year after year, even though the results never, ever are what our mind’s eye envisioned in February.  We plan for a future we can not see.      

Still we toil away prepping the soil as soon as we can, adding compost and manure, then edging and cleaning up the messes from last year.  How can I possibly meet the needs of each of my plants? We don’t have the time to create a separate plan for each plant, though we plan to do what’s best for group of perennials, pruning or fertilizing or supporting with stakes.  We create straight rows for our lettuces and carrots, build mounds for sprawling squash and cukes, and dig deep trenches for the potatoes. We create pots full of potential color whether hanging from a gazebo or upright on a patio. We coddle with mulch. We’re sure that this year we’ll get it right.

  There are so many variables out of our control, though.  Despite our best efforts, a late freeze or powerful storm can lay waste to our visions.  In fact, I can predict with accuracy when the next wind storm will arrive, based on the maturation of my Delphiniums which annually get broken by gusts just as they reach their peak.  Drama is induced with infestations of invaders from aphids to slugs which assault us annually. Cute little critters like chipmunks, bunnies, and deer devour our joy and turn us into potential neck-wringers. Yet, we keep a firm eye on the future and carry on. It would be nice to have a tool to help us manage all of the variables for each of our charges.So why do we torment ourselves?  Because we are optimists. Dyed in the wool optimists. We dream of a better future and like to think we can help shape that future. Just like teachers.   I proudly wear a button that quotes Christa McAuliffe, “I touch the future. I teach.” What a challenge that offers. Think of the ways our gardening skills apply to our classrooms. You know the pull in August when you see the Back to School ads at Staples.  Who can resist the colorful folders and pens? You remember the visions you had as an undergraduate about your classroom. You know the potential of each learner and are sure you can connect with them to make that happen. You know the variables and you’re still ready to take them on. The trauma some of our kids face is beyond our imagination;some variables are beyond our control.  But you do your best to create an environment where the learners can thrive. You read books, blogs and Twitter chats to enlighten us, just as the gardener pores over the catalogs. You explore classroom spatial structures with classroom setups so all kids can find a comfortable environment. You observe, monitor progress, adjust conditions as necessary, and keep a firm eye on the future. WE plan for a future we can not see. Yet, just as the garden designer never gets the perfect garden, you realize the learners in front of you are too varied to have a one size fits all solution to learning. No matter your best attempts, some students will have needs unmet. Universal Design for Learning is the teacher’s answer to the gardener’s dilemma: how do I meet the needs for each of my charges without creating a separate plan for each one of my hundred? As a technology integration coach,  I offer a workshop each week for teachers in my school called Lunch and Learn.  Anyone who signs up gets a free lunch voucher, good for any day of the week the coupon is issued. My principal is a strong supporter, realizing that a $4 lunch ticket for thirty minutes of professional development is a pretty cheap price tag. I start each session by reminding people that it isn’t about the tech tool; it is about the learning.  So each session identifies a Transferable Skill from the VT AOE and  a UDL component. In my opinion, there is little reason to use technology in most classrooms unless we are using the power of tech for UDL. I think one of the biggest travesties in education is that many educators associate UDL as a set of tools for only some students.

Well-intentioned presenters often start UDL discussions by pointing out, for example, how curb cuts created for people with physical needs have ended up helping all of us.  They then go on to say how components of UDL, while helpful for some subset of students, can then be used for all students. The stage is therefore set all wrong! We need to lead with pointing out that UDL provides a map for all learners to access our content from whatever their starting point AND it provides options for all learners to show what they know. We can plan proactively for all students from the outset, not react as we go.  It scaffolds our attempts at providing more choice for all students so there are many more opportunities for learning. It focuses on feedback for learning, not a roadblock of assessment as an end to itself.   UDL reminds teachers to move each student closer to their goals, no matter where they are starting by giving us impressive options for multiple means of engagement, representation, and action & expression, also known as the what, why, and how of learning. It gives us the tools for each of our charges to succeed. No wonder we are optimistic! Gardeners should be so lucky. May all of your gardens bloom.

*”Teaching is the greatest act of optimism” has been credited to Colleen Wilcox, a Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools for 14 years. It’s not known when Wilcox said the remark, but she has been credited for it since at least 1997.

 

Lauren Parren is a Technology Integration Specialist at South Burlington High School, and has taught at Colchester High School and Mt. Abraham Union High School.  She is a 2012 Rowland Fellow and is the Associate for Social Media.  Follow us on Twitter @RowFn