Glossary of Key Language Choices In TACL
“Teaching As Collective Leadership” is what we have chosen to call the global patterns emerging from our collective studies of classrooms that seem to be preparing students to thrive in and improve the challenging world they are inheriting.
Sometimes we have struggled to find the perfect word or phrase or metaphor to describe what our thousands of co-creators have seen and felt in these classrooms. At some level, this should not be surprising. Not only are we trying to describe enormously complex human interactions of teaching and learning, but the ways of being, knowing, and doing in these classrooms are quite different from those many of us have previously seen and experienced.
Language choice has been and will continue to be a challenging part of our sharing and learning.
In our attempt to capture the real spirit of these classrooms, we have sometimes intentionally used words and phrases in slightly unusual ways because
- More conventional language just doesn’t do justice to the insights or innovations we are sharing.
- We are hoping to provoke ourselves and others to stop and think about the concepts behind the words.
All of this attention to finding words and phrases that capture the spirit of our learning, by the way, is playing out in multiple languages as we try to ensure these global insights are accessible across our network.
All of this attention to finding words and phrases that capture the spirit of our learning, by the way, is playing out in multiple languages as we try to ensure these global insights are accessible across our network.
Agency
You may have seen a video where one of the amazing teachers we have studied (Gaurav Singh) says, “I wanted my students to know and feel that they could do something about it. Whatever it is. Inside themselves. Around them. Whatever it is, they can do something about it.” That might be the best way to define what we are trying to capture with the word “agency.” By agency, we mean students' (or our own) conviction and ability to make changes in themselves and the world around them.
Contextualized vision of student success
For some of us, the phrase “grow students” sounds a little odd. Usually “grow” would apply to vegetables or flowers, not people. We have chosen to say “grow students as leaders” because (a) we are looking for something more active and meaningful than traditional concepts of “develop” or “support” and (b) we are hoping to inspire a brief pause to think about the opportunity and responsibility we have to help students be prepared for a very different future than the one that shaped conventional classroom models
Grow students
For some of us, the phrase “grow students” sounds a little odd. Usually “grow” would apply to vegetables or flowers, not people. We have chosen to say “grow students as leaders” because (a) we are looking for something more active and meaningful than traditional concepts of “develop” or “support” and (b) we are hoping to inspire a brief pause to think about the opportunity and responsibility we have to help students be prepared for a very different future than the one that shaped conventional classroom models.
Holding space
Popularized in the last decade, this phrase refers to a facilitator’s role and responsibility to create conditions that allow for genuine and authentic learning. This concept becomes especially important in TACL where we are moving away from defining the teacher as the “source of knowledge” at the front of the classroom, and much more as a co-learner with students who are fostering a classroom culture where students learn together.
Leaders of a better future / student leadership
Some years ago, Teach For All hosted a collective, year-long reflection process among students, teachers, teacher developers, CEOs, community leaders, and families about the aims of our network. One clear theme in those conversations was the changing and challenging world today’s students are inheriting, and the need for education to prepare them to face and improve that future for themselves and others. The phrase “leaders of a better future for themselves, their communities, and all of us” emerged from those global conversations.
Learning loop
We did invent this phrase but have applied it to our process of crowd-sourcing studies of classrooms. “Global Learning Loops” is what we have called the mini-courses we host in which people from around the world virtually visit classrooms in different countries and share what they think can be learned from them. The Global Learning Lab has also worked with many partner organizations to host their own “learning loops” where staff come together to learn from their strongest classrooms.
Mastery
We have struggled with and debated what to call the meaningfully rigorous learning that we know our students need to become leaders of a better future. Our students need to not only know mathematical formulas but also when to use them in new contexts. Our students need to not only know how to read and write but also how to communicate clearly to diverse audiences. We settled on “mastery” because it carries more gravitas than “academic achievement” but is also a familiar enough term for most people. When we use the word “mastery” we mean to signal deeper learning than most education models and systems emphasize today.
Transformational classroom
When we have hosted hundreds and then thousands of people to virtually visit classrooms where students seemed to be growing as leaders, we would often hear these classrooms described as “transformational” for students. Students seem to be on a different trajectory because of these classrooms. They seem to be making dramatic progress in their wellbeing, connectedness, awareness, agency, and mastery. That growth is transforming their paths and opportunities going forward. So, sometimes we use “transformational” as shorthand for the kind of impact that develops students as leaders of a better future for themselves, their communities, and all of us.
Unlearning
Unlearning is not opposed to learning, instead it is a challenge to fixed ways of thinking and behaving. As we grow up, all of us internalize certain assumptions and ways of thinking. This can be an obstacle when we are trying to change the status quo. As Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine point out: “Most teachers teach as they were taught, so the system has a built-in mechanism for its own reproduction.” Unlearning is the process of uncovering and shifting our underlying beliefs and mindsets, in ways that open up the possibility for transformation. This might apply to our beliefs about education, about ourselves, or about other people. For example, our beliefs about what students can and cannot do; what our role as a teacher should and should not include; or what qualities a community does or does not have.
“GROW STUDENTS”
For some of us, the phrase “grow students” sounds a little odd. Usually “grow” would apply to vegetables or flowers, not people. We have chosen to say “grow students as leaders” because (a) we are looking for something more active and meaningful than traditional concepts of “develop” or “support” and (b) we are hoping to inspire a brief pause to think about the opportunity and responsibility we have to help students be prepared for a very different future than the one that shaped conventional classroom models.
“LEADERS OF A BETTER FUTURE”/”STUDENT LEADERSHIP”
Some years ago, Teach For All hosted a collective, year-long reflection process among students, teachers, teacher developers, CEOs, community leaders, and families about the aims of our network. One clear theme in those conversations was the changing and challenging world today’s students are inheriting, and the need for education to prepare them to face and improve that future for themselves and others. The phrase “leaders of a better future for themselves, their communities, and all of us” emerged from those global conversations.
“TRANSFORMATIVE CLASSROOM”
When we have hosted hundreds and then thousands of people to virtually visit classrooms where students seemed to be growing as leaders, we would often hear these classrooms described as “transformative” for students. Students seem to be on a different trajectory because of these classrooms. They seem to be making dramatic progress in their wellbeing, connectedness, awareness, agency, and mastery. That growth is transforming their paths and opportunities going forward. So, sometimes we use “transformative” as shorthand for the kind of impact that develops students as leaders of a better future for themselves, their communities, and all of us.
“MASTERY”
We have struggled with and debated what to call the meaningfully rigorous learning that we know our students need to become leaders of a better future. Our students need to not only know mathematical formulas but also when to use them in new contexts. Our students need to not only know how to read and write but also how to communicate clearly to diverse audiences. We settled on “mastery” because it carries more gravitas than “academic achievement” but is also a familiar enough term for most people. When we use the word “mastery” we mean to signal deeper learning than most education models and systems emphasize today.
“CONTEXTUALIZED VISION OF STUDENT SUCCESS”
One of the first “a-ha” realizations from our collective studies was that teachers who grow students as leaders are constantly asking “What is the purpose of education and who decides?” We see them joining and hosting conversations with students, families, and community members about purpose. This is what we mean by “contextualized vision of student success”—a locally informed, collectively evolved picture of what education is aiming for.
“HOLDING SPACE”
Popularized in the last decade, this phrase refers to a facilitator’s role and responsibility to create conditions that allow for genuine and authentic learning. This concept becomes especially important in TACL where we are moving away from defining the teacher as the “source of knowledge” at the front of the classroom, and much more as a co-learner with students who are fostering a classroom culture where students learn together. Explore a case study here.
“LEARNING LOOP”
We did invent this phrase but have applied it to our process of crowd-sourcing studies of classrooms. “Global Learning Loops” is what we have called the mini-courses we host in which people from around the world virtually visit classrooms in different countries and share what they think can be learned from them. The Global Learning Lab has also worked with many partner organizations to host their own “learning loops” where staff come together to learn from their strongest classrooms.
“AGENCY”
You may have seen a video where one of the amazing teachers we have studied (Guarav Singh) says, “I wanted my students to know and feel that they could do something about it. Whatever it is. Inside themselves. Around them. Whatever it is, they can do something about it.” That might be the best way to define what we are trying to capture with the word “agency.” By agency, we mean students' (or our own) conviction and ability to make changes in themselves and the world around them.
“UNLEARNING”
Unlearning is not opposed to learning, instead it is a challenge to fixed ways of thinking and behaving. As we grow up, all of us internalize certain assumptions and ways of thinking. This can be an obstacle when we are trying to change the status quo. As Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine point out: “Most teachers teach as they were taught, so the system has a built-in mechanism for its own reproduction.” Unlearning is the process of uncovering and shifting our underlying beliefs and mindsets, in ways that open up the possibility for transformation. This might apply to our beliefs about education, about ourselves, or about other people. For example, our beliefs about what students can and cannot do; what our role as a teacher should and should not include; or what qualities a community does or does not have.