Dear Teachers,
I’ve been blessed with many ‘aha’ moments while in your classrooms. For sixteen years, my only job was to be a student. My experiences in your classrooms were limited to learning in class, doing my homework, and studying for exams. I was always on the receiving end and never thought about my education from your perspective.
A few weeks ago, right before starting my new role as special projects coordinator with Envision Learning Partners, I spent two days in Los Angeles at a Linked Learning conference with Justin Wells, a talented deeper learning coach and ELP’s Vice President of Program. My goal was to acquaint myself with Envision and how ELP shares the Envision model with districts like Los Angeles USD. And while I did learn new terms such as “linked learning,” “pathways,” and “portfolio defense,”, it wasn’t completely clear to me how they fit together or why the deeper learning pedagogy was more effective than traditional teaching practices. But as I attended more workshops and got a better understanding of the jargon, I realized I wasn’t so far removed from these concepts, and began to recognize the similarities between linked learning and my own high school experience.
I always knew that my school, High Tech, wasn’t a traditional high school, but it took three thousand and some miles for me to realize that it was so much more than just a STEM-focused high school. From conducting individual research projects to experimenting with codes and programs – we were deeply engaged in experiential learning. We presented our work to professionals and operated industry standard machinery. All of this was topped off with an opportunity to further develop our skills and interests through internships our senior year. Each of these separate experiences informed the next, and together, you created a wonderfully connected, cohesive learning journey. From learning by doing, I was even more focused and able to see the direct application of concepts learned in your classes to real world careers. The experiences you provided me helped me understand the effectiveness and value of a linked learning education.
However, in my opinion, the more valuable takeaway for me was realizing how much deliberate thought and care you, and other teachers across the country, put into designing and assembling a great curriculum. I realized this on a hot summer day in LA, surrounded by teachers, counselors, and administrators who gathered for those few days to help their students excel before they even entered the classroom – they could have easily been at the beach! I know your job isn’t easy, but I have a new sense of appreciation after seeing teachers intricately planning their school years, mapping backwards and giving all the necessary intermediary steps and details careful thought.
On that note, I’d like to give a very belated thank you to you, my dedicated teachers from the past sixteen plus years. I have a unique opportunity now to witness the work teachers do each day to ensure student success. I am incredibly excited to support all of the awesome teachers and schools working with ELP that are making an impact in the lives of students they serve. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I, or Envision Learning Partners, can support you in any way. It’s going to be a great year!
With gratitude,
Sunny
This post is from Sunny Zhang. Sunny joined Envision Learning Partners this summer as a Special Projects Coordinator and will be supporting ELP’s work and seeking new ways to share ELP’s services with others.