Being Intentional

LEARNING TO BE INVITING

As I walk this journey of learning, I am bombarded by the word intentional.  When studying innovative assessments, looking into the methodology of professional development, exploring the nuances of school-home connections, delving into New Literacy Studies, and working on backwards design with an instructional coach, intentional action has been the goal of each relationship and task.  With intention as a pivot point for so many aspects of teaching, it is imperative that I have a firm understanding of what it is and what it looks like in all aspects of lesson planning and delivery, assessment for and during learning, and in building the relationships that are the foundation of a classroom.

In order to refine my understanding of intention, I turned to the dictionary.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines intention as "done in a way that is planned or intended."  Dictionary.com defines it as " done with intention or on purpose."  For me the two words that stand out are purpose and plan.  Each of these words refer to the thought process behind an action or decision with a focus on looking forward to a goal or development of a strategic program of action.

So how does this change what I do as a teacher?  I already plan my lessons, strategically map out units of study, and ensure that skills and content are in alignment with the provincial curriculum.  Is this not intentional teaching?  On the surface, the answer is yes.  So why do I no longer feel that my level of intention is sufficient?

The answer lies within the principles of invitational learning, and the skill of being purposeful or intentional in your invitations.  William Purkey, Dorothy Russell, and Betty Siegel (1982) describe the teacher who purposely invites students into learning as "artfully inviting".  "The arfully inviting teacher is one who is optimally successful in guiding and facilitating student development -- social, emotional, physical, and intellectual." (p. 35)  It is important to understand the foundations of Invitational Learning Theory and the Levels of Intentionality.

The Basics of Invitational Education

The International Alliance for Invitational Education lists the foundations as the democratic ethos, self concept theory and the perceptual tradition.  The website lists the basic assumptions as:
1.  People are able, valuable, and responsible and should be treated accordingly.

2.  Helping is a cooperative, collaborative alliance in which process is as important as product.

3.  Human potential can be best realized by places, policies, programs, processes that are intentionally designed to invite development, and by people who consistently seek to realize this potential in themselves and others, personally and professionally.

How Do I Measure Up?

1.  I do believe that people are able and valuable.  But . . . thinking of my young students, do I always consider them responsible?  I have to answer no.  I know that I often put routines in place based on the assumption that my students will not take the initiative to be responsible for specific tools, materials, or tasks.  I am wondering how often my assumption of a deficit actually sets the stage for the deficit to exist.  Does my intention to have a smooth running classroom stop me from truly getting to know the true habits of responsibility my students have?

2.  I have always believed that process was just as important and product.  In many ways, I may have placed more importance on processes than final product and presentation.  So, I believe it, but am I using it?  The answer is a resounding yes and an echoing no.  Using the arts and writing as a platform, I strive to give the process time and to demonstrate the importance of exploration, evaluation, and revision.  However, the constraints of a school time table and the pressures to produce a product often push me off course.  Of late, I have let those pressures take over and control my intentions, rather than working with the intention of developing the process through smaller steps and then allowing time for it to applied to a product.

3.  I believe that potential can be realized, but I am currently in a state of conflict with the policies and programs being implemented within public education in Ontario.  I am reading research and learning about different theories and strategies, but what is being presented to classroom teachers has often been manipulated to fit existing policies and expectations for standardization.  As a result, I am hard on myself and the system.  I am not professionally inviting with my actions, discourse, or internal mantras.  Here lies the greatest challenge ahead of me. 

The Levels of Intentionality

Level One -- Intentionally Disinviting:  This is a toxic level.  This is to be ugly, cruel, demeaning, insulting racist and/or sexist and know that you are doing it.

Level Two -- Unintentionally Disinviting:  This is to be hurtful, cruel, demeaning, racist and/or sexist and not know it.

Level Three -- Unintentionally Inviting:  This person functions through trial and error:  the domain of the natural born teacher, helper, nurse.  Sometimes inviting and sometimes not.

Level Four -- Intentionally Inviting:  This person assumes the invitational stance of Trust, Intentionality, Respect and Optimism and invites dependability.

(Taken from a member resource on The International Alliance for Invitational Education Website. http://www.invitationaleducation.net/members/activities/levelsfunctioning.pdf )

At What Level Do I Operate?

I want to be able to say that I am working at a level four, but in truth, I function around level three. I want to believe that I am not solely trial and error.  I do a lot of reflecting and am fairly consistent with what is working and looking for what is not.  However, that does not mean that I am working with a conscious intentionality.  I think it means that I am intentional in my teaching, but not in my invitation to learning.   

Changes To Be Made

I am still learning about what the changes need to be.  Campbell (2011) states that teachers must first begin by changing themselves.  To me this means that I need to begin by becoming more invitational to myself.  I need to invite the mess and insecurity of new learning and accept the time and practice needed to allow the changes to become a natural part of how I plan for invitations to learning.  Once I have learned more about making these personal changes, then the changes will need to expand to include the my classroom, and the development of my program.

I began this series with the title THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.  I think it needs to change to THE JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN!

References

Russell, D., Purkey, W., and Siegel, B. (1982).  The artfully inviting teacher: a hierarchy of strategies.      Education, 103(1), 35-38.

The International Alliance for Invitational Education Website.  http://www.invitationaleducation.net/ 

Campbell, L. (2011). Holistic art education: A transformative approach to teaching art. Art Education, (2).