TOADTalk: Creating the Community We Envision

Henry Wadsworth talked about encouraging what we really value as our community continues to evolve…and then closed with an original EDT song.
Monday’s All-School Assembly launched with the Teacher On Active Duty (TOAD) sharing something of interest—a reflection and a song. In this way, the community gots to know one of our own a little better. Henry Wadsworth, whose TOADTalk is featured below, is chair of the math department, an advisor in the Los Padres dorm, and coach to the rock climbing team. This is his first year at Thacher. He lives on campus with his wife and toddler daughter.

Hi there, I think most of you know me at this point but there are still some of you I have never talked to, unfortunately. So, I am Henry Wadsworth. I am new here this year… but pretty soon I won’t be, I will be a rising sophomore.

Anyway, I had so many ideas for this TOADTalk: Mother’s Day, exams/test anxiety, time going by quickly, EDT’s, and others. So I decided rather than having a single themed talk, I would just give all of my talks at once.

So one of the strongest women in my life is my AP exams. It is very important to make sure you get enough sleep the night before and prepare for the worst but hope for the best. And don’t forget the cookware.

Ok for real, So, I am pretty passionate about teaching and learning...though some who are in my classes may be surprised to find that out.

Last month, I attended a conference, NCTM, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, attended by the coolest, hippest individuals in the country. One of my biggest takeaways was that in the classroom we should be assessing what we value. Now at first this sounds obvious, but when you dig in, it is not so simple. Because, in order to do this you need to answer the question, “What do I value in the classroom as a teacher?”

For me, in answering this question I can quickly rattle off a few things. I want students to be good communicators, responsible participants in the learning process, ask good questions, explore with math and have fun with it, be able to make an argument and back it up with logic/reasoning or solid evidence.

Now those sound like great things, but if you compare that to what many math teachers (me included) put the most emphasis on…. Was your answer correct? So there seems to be a little disconnect. Now I am not downplaying the importance of being accurate or attending to precision, because that is very important, but there are other things I value in what I think a model student should be able to do. So I should somehow be assessing those as well.

As students, the most effective learning environments often involve continual and frequent feedback. The easiest analogy for me to think about is video games and music… you play something wrong and you immediately hear it, and you repeat that phrase over and over until you get it. Maybe you slow it down, maybe you simplify it… It is tough to replicate that in academics. In the math classroom we rarely get the opportunity to sit and say nope, do it again. Nope, try it again, again, again, until success. There tends to be quite a delay between performance and feedback. And even with that delay we often move forward before ever fully reaching complete understanding.

This is something I hope to ponder more over the summer. How can I work in a way to assess what I value in the classroom?

So, why am I telling you about the rambling thoughts of an educator; these things that drift around in my head randomly throughout the day? Well I started to think bigger. What if we were to truly assess what we value, not just in the classroom, but as a school, and from person to person? If we truly value honor, fairness, kindness, and truth; and if we really think they are more than just words. We should assess each other on it; continually and frequently. And I do not just mean teachers to students…I mean teacher to teacher, student to teacher, student to student, administrator to student, student to administrator...human to human.

I am bringing this up because you have an opportunity here. Despite how often this word gets thrown around, we are a community. We are what makes this campus a living breathing entity. We get to continue traditions, change traditions, create new ones. We shape this place, we create the culture, the vibe. So, if you don’t like some of the things you see… give feedback; respectfully I might add, nobody wants to be yelled at or humiliated, but honest, respectful, constructive feedback can be powerful. It doesn’t have to be all negative either. Let’s celebrate the positive too, it feels good.

We have real power. Let’s hold ourselves and each other accountable… accountable to higher standards.

In our breakouts, (which I have really enjoyed by the way. The group I am a part of is stellar. And I hope everyone is having similar experiences…) but in our breakouts we are learning about each other. We are learning to talk with one another, and we are learning what people believe in and care about. These skills and experiences are not just limited to Fridays from 11:45 - 12:55. We should use these strategies to listen and give feedback to each other throughout the day/week/year. It can feel awkward to be mature and sincere (Mr. Hattori knows all about that) but after having a good conversation it’s okay to say “hey you know I really enjoyed our conversation the other day. Thanks for talking about ____ with me.” Give that feedback.

The only way I know that I need to be better, is if someone tells me. Conversely, if someone is doing something well, some praise might assure that it continues.

We can create the community we want to live in.

So earlier when I was joking about having too many ideas to write a coherent TOADTalk, it wasn’t really a joke. I did have a version that was about common group experiences and bringing people together and how our horse and outdoor program really do a great job at that. Because of that version of the TOADTalk I also wrote an EDT song. Which I feel is totally wasted if I don’t share it with you, even though it does not fit into the theme anymore.

EDT Song

(Chorus)
EDT, come on now and EDT with me
Get outside and EDT with me

Whether hiking or biking
We’re walking and we’re talking
Kayaking or horsepacking
Backpacking while bushwacking

(Chorus)

Whether it’s raining or snowing
Windy and blowing
Sunny, Hot, Dry , Wet…
Sometimes all in one trip

(Chorus)

Through the valleys and the streams
Those high peaks, so serene
In the mountains and the desert
Got a blister and my foot hurts

(Chorus)

(Bridge)
Just want to shower it’s been so long
Oh my gosh I smell so strong
Just want to go to the bathroom on a toilet that has a seat
That feeling can’t be beat

(Chorus)
EDT, come on now and EDT with me
Get outside and EDT with me
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