Don't Underestimate the Small Steps

A few years ago, I gave in to the begging of my children and my husband's love of dogs. I am now a dog owner. Wylie is a mixed breed from the humane society and something in her background requires two decent walks per day. At times this is a chore -- okay, most times this is a chore -- but once I get myself moving there are certainly benefits. Beyond the obvious physical exercise, there is the chance to let my mind wander, to absorb new thoughts from a podcast, and occasionally a 'hello' to a neighbor turns into something amazing, like this morning.

Near the end of my walk, the mother of two of my students stopped her car and said hello, sharing that her kids are enjoying their physics classes with me. Her son is working on an independent study and we talked about how important it is for him to be able to explore something he has a passion for, without the formal constraints of a typical class.

This year, all of my students will have the opportunity to pursue a passion within our class. My physics classes will start Genius Hour next week, and about every two weeks they'll have a class period to learn about something that 'lights their fire'. Our brainstorming will focus on physics, but their choice of a question to answer can extend to any area, as long as it's complex enough to push them for the time they're given. As the year continues, I am hopeful that students will 'get stuck' on an idea that they truly want to investigate, and that they devise a larger goal and project. But I also want to allow for the minds that cannot settle on a single thought, those people who find themselves curious about whatever is around them.

For my AP physics students, I'm calling it a Passion Project, because I do hope that they'll do a bit more with it. During their brainstorming last week, I challenged them to think of ideas that spark their interest but also to think about an idea that would have an impact on their world, whether it's the class, the school, the community, or bigger. I was hoping to inspire some students to not feel limited.

This line of thinking comes from a project that two former students are currently working on. A student from last year's AP class, where I first played with this idea, is working with a recent graduate of our high school to develop an app that would allow students (and their teacher) to keep track of their Passion Project progress and to share what they're learning with other students. This grew from reflections at the end of last year where my students shared how they liked being given the freedom to follow their interests, but wished they knew more about the paths that others in the class were taking.

But in talking with the parent on my walk this morning, as she shared her son's concerns about how he could expand his work to impact a larger audience, I am wondering about whether a large audience is always necessary. She and I decided that the size and scope of an idea does not define its value. If we can impact one or a few in a positive way, we can feel we've done something useful. And who knows how that small impact might later expand to impact others.

I feel that this is an important point for me to remember, not only as I challenge my students with their projects, but also as I pursue my own questions within my school's PD. Teachers at our district's high schools are identifying a meaningful question for their own growth, with the only formal requirement being that it relates to engagement and equity. I see my students struggle with the freedom to decide a goal and to find paths to follow in reaching it, and now I am feeling that struggle too. Teachers have lofty goals of reaching all students, all the time, and it can weigh on our minds when our plans don't work out as hoped.

Thanks to my Saturday morning walk with the dog I was reluctant to adopt, I am content to know that a small impact on a few students is valuable and worth my efforts. And with time, my small steps this year may grow to impact many more students in the future. I just need to keep moving forward and taking risks.