AP courses are like a Nascar race. You get set up in that first week of school in the "Gentleman (and ladies), start your engines" sort of motivational speaker kind of a way, and then before you know it everyone is flying around the track at 200+ miles an hour. You do your best to keep everyone on the track and avoid any major collisions, but the reality is, eventually someone is going to crash. You just have to hope there is no burning along with the crashing. The thing you don't know before the race begins isn't IF there will be a crash, it is WHEN will there be a crash, HOW BAD will it be, and HOW MANY will get sent back to the garage unable to finish the race? Our goal, of course, is to get everyone across the finish line, but in reality, we all know that some will finish in first and some will finish with their car duct taped together and 20 laps down. Everyone knows there is more to the race than just the endless circles on the track. There are spotters, mechanics, crew chiefs, business deals, sponsors, and a whole heck of a lot of tension between drivers. But only the true fans understand the power behind the caution flag.
While a caution flag is practical thing-it gives the road crew time to make sure racing conditions are safe and racers are protected, when that yellow light shines, every pit crew, driver, and fan goes into full on strategy mode. Do we take four tires or two or none? Do we adjust the tension rods? How much gas do we take? Those moments in the pit can make or break the entire race. You can go in first, and come out last, or go in last, and come out first. You might think you've got 'em all beat just be given a penalty for driving too fast or illegal contact or even for an error on someone else's part. It is a mixture of strategy and skill at its finest!
So, I know at this point, I have lost some of you, but try to stay with me! Reflection is like a caution flag. It is a necessary part of any race. Sure it would be nice if we could throw them all on the track and just expect them all to make a pit stop when necessary, but the reality is that someone will stay on the track until they have blown all four tires or until they've completely run out of gas and require emergency assistance. If we want to avoid these types of scenarios, we, as the experts in the room, have to see the warning signs coming. When we see that a kid is about to blow a tire, or when we see that the room is running a little low on gas, or when we notice that cars are getting a little loose, we have to preemptively throw the caution flag. We have to force them into strategy mode. We have to force them to become just a bit more calculating--what do I know? What don't I know? Where do I need help? How bad is the damage? What adjustments do I need to make?
If we are intentional with our reflection and if we can get our learners on board with strategic reflection, we can prevent the long extended cautions that only happen after a major accident. Instead, each reflection can be like a yellow light pit stop where the Lucky Dog can gain a lap back and join the rest of the crew on the lead lap. This should be our goal for reflection.
**A NOTE: Just a few weeks after writing this blog post, I had the chance to sit in on a Webinar that was about reflection. During the Webinar, we were given a list of tools and resources that can be used for reflection. Check out this awesome list put together by our Coppell ISD Tech Team!
No comments:
Post a Comment