Follow Your Yellow Brick Road: Alicia Broughton, Laurel Meadow ES

As a small town girl from Upstate New York, there were a many traditions from my childhood that I still cherish today. As a family, we picked apples in the fall, watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade while we cooked Thanksgiving dinner, opened one gift on Christmas Eve, spent our summers in Alexandria Bay, and watched The Wizard Of Oz each time it came on television.  

As we were cleaning out our playroom recently, I came across our VHS copy of the movie and began reminiscing. There was something magical about waiting for it to air. Once a year, I watched Dorothy wonder if there was something new and better waiting for her. As she opened the door to a mysterious new land, she was mesmerized by a colorful world that would eventually challenge her to persevere despite setbacks and distractions. I immediately recognized a parallel between my favorite childhood film and the students in my classroom. Isn’t that exactly what we want for them? To be curious? To wonder? To to see things in different ways while challenging their existing thinking? To have experiences rich with color, depth, and complexity?

About a month ago, my own educational philosophy was challenged in the form of an article from Google. Based on their research (which shook me like a Kansas Twister), they asserted that STEM skills may not necessarily be as relevant to team success as the “soft skills” like cooperation and trust. How could this be? I had spent the past four years focused on transforming my classroom into a STEM space for our school to use. I had shared my experiences, hurdles, and resources across the division and at the state level, asserting we were preparing our kids for the future. Last summer I worked closely with my colleague and friend, Cammie Gemmill, and the STREAM Team at South Anna to help them define STEM and innovative teaching practices for their Innovation Studio. The Google article had me questioning whether or not what I had been doing was best for my students. Had I gotten it all wrong?

I spent some time soul searching and reflecting about my practice, and I came to a resounding and honest answer - no. I believe that the pedagogy behind STEM learning is still relevant because I’m not necessarily teaching my students about design and engineering so they can grow up and become engineers. If a student leaves my classroom wanting to be an engineer, that is a bonus! Like you, I am passionate about giving students relevant learning experiences. I want them solving problems, being flexible enough to adjust their ideas, working cooperatively in teams, and having grit and perseverance when things don’t go as planned. STEM lessons are just one route along the yellow brick road to my Emerald City - a harmonious classroom environment where innovative teaching and learning takes place.

Where does STEM, Technology Integration, Relevance, Soft Skills, the 5C’s, Servant Leadership, Growth Mindset, SCRUM, Mindfulness, etc. fit into our day to day classroom routines and grade level curriculums? The answer is everywhere, because that’s what innovation is truly about. Innovation is not “instead of,” or in “addition to” what we’re already doing each day. George Couros, from The Innovator's Mindset, said it best - “Innovation is not in lieu of best practice. The two should be connected.”  As educators, we should “be comfortable with not-knowing, but also have an urgency and sense of wanting to find out.” Similar to Dorothy leaving the safety, peace, comfort of her home - and like the characters from my childhood, I want to continue to find adventure with my students. By keeping an open mind and a sense of hope, we can focus not on the HOW, but the WHY of every lesson. Are we teaching students soft skills like resilience, self confidence, trustworthiness and social grace to be successful later in life? Are we providing opportunities for creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking? If you're doing this each day, then how they get there is completely up to you.

Do I get it right all the time? Absolutely not. Dorothy trusted her new found friends to get her to the Emerald City, the same way I lean on trust my knowledgeable colleagues, my Gifted Resource Team, and my PLN on Twitter and Instagram almost daily for inspiration, lesson ideas, and encouragement. Like the Cowardly Lion, we can be brave despite our fears about innovative teaching practices, even when we don’t know the exact outcome of a new idea. We are fortunate to work in a school division that values innovation and trusts us to let go of traditional classroom norms in order to provide students with a relevant, equitable experiences. They understand that just like the Scarecrow had a brain all along, the students do as well; they just need the opportunity to problem solve, think at higher levels, and to be creative.

I encourage you to follow the yellow brick road that leads to student success in your classroom. Whether you tackle new strategies, try a STEM lesson, learn a new instructional technology, or focus on building soft skills, take lessons from the Scarecrow, Tin Man, or Cowardly Lion. Successful teaching and learning takes place when we have brains, passionate hearts, and the courage to step outside our comfort zone. Just like Dorothy, we have the “power all along” to make a difference in the lives of our students - even amongst the flying monkeys and fields of poppies. I have a new perspective on teaching and learning because of my journey and remaining true to what I know and believe as an educator. Is there a rainbow for each of us out there? Of course there is - because at the end of the day, we do what’s right for our students.