The Inspired Learning Project Returns: Thinking about "What School Could Be"

By John Clements, Principal of Nipmuc Regional High School 

Across the nation this month, students and teachers have made their way back to classrooms with a mix of excitement about the new year, anxiety about the work and expectations in the year ahead, and - let’s be honest - a sense of sadness about saying goodbye to vacation. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of vacation-mourning. Who doesn’t love the relaxed pace of the summer, the adventures of day trips or travel, and the chance to set our own agenda? Think of your own vacation. Did you read a book that’s been on your bedside table for months? Did you have summer days when you woke up excited about visiting a new location? Did you tackle a project at home that you’ve been putting off? The joy of summer isn’t about not working… it’s about doing the work you want to do.

The challenge for educators is to take these aspects of vacation and build them into the experiences we create for students. It’s about finding a way to make learning more than the curriculum, standards, and assessment prep. More and more, we are connecting with educators who share the excitement to move beyond traditional practice. They’re willing to recognize that the job of a teacher isn’t to cover material but to create lasting moments of learning… to inspire their students.

The Inspired Learning Project provides a resource and community that support educators in the challenge of reimagining school. We are believers that everyone is a learner. We are believers that cultures of learning are more powerful than cultures of teaching. We are believers in the talent, heart, and importance of teachers. We are believers that a community of like-minded professionals can support small changes that make a dramatic impact. Welcome back to the Inspired Learning Project!

Resource Sharing 
The idea that small steps lead to big change is one of the key ideas shared by Ted Dintersmith in his recent book What School Could Be: Insights and Inspiration from Teachers across America. In the book, Dintersmith - a former venture capitalist turned education disrupter - shares the work of inspiring educators that he collected during a year of visiting schools across the nation. The book is an exciting call to action for parents, students, and educators to pursue an aspirational vision of school. 

We’ll be sharing more from Ted Dintersmith (including some thoughts about his film Most Likely to Succeed) throughout the year. In this post, we encourage you to listen to his conversation with Will Richardson and Bruce Dixon from the Modern Learners podcast. (Always a reliable source of thought-provoking ideas!) 

Click HERE to access Modern Learners podcast #40: An Interview with Ted Dintersmith

Check out the podcast to learn about the following:

• At the 11-minute mark find out how Ted Dintersmith’s philosophy coincides with our mission at The Inspired Learning Project.
• At 15 minutes, find out what Dintersmith says successful education looks like and the role of a leader in supporting that work.
• At 25 minutes, learn about his PEAK framework and how it provides a compass for evolving our professional work.
• At 31 minutes, find out what Dintersmith means when he says, “Curriculum is a boulder. Pedagogy is a pebble.”  
• At 35 minutes listen to Dintersmith discuss the difference between the creative economy and the legacy economy.
• At 39 minutes find out where in the world they are taking action to make school all that it could be.

Additional Resources Worth Checking Out

Click here to access the Modern Learners blog, podcasts, resources, and more. 

Learn about Modern Learners' Change.School here. A powerful community dedicated to reimagining school. Each of the ILP team members is a graduate of Change.School. Cohort #6 is starting soon. Let us know if you're interested!

Check out What School Could Be by clicking here. ​