Cultivate a commitment to learning: Ideas to embrace

The most important ingredient to learning is the learner.

How professionals think about and approach learning matters. Professional learning refers to all opportunities to gain and reinforce necessary knowledge and competencies for quality professional practice. (IOM and NRC 2015, 357)

Why commit to learning? Consider the following:

1. Quality professional learning supports quality teacher practice. When educators' knowledge, skills, and dispositions change, they have a broader repertoire of effective strategies to use to adapt their practices to meet performance expectations and student learning needs. (IOM and NRC 2015, 397)
   
2. Learning is tied directly to improved health and longevity. When people are intensely engaged in doing and learning new things, their well-being and happiness can blossom. (Moeller 2012)
   

Professional learning requires professionals to be responsible for self-improvement and to be committed to progress. Strong self-motivation and "agency" contribute to professional growth.

"Teacher agency is the capacity of teachers to act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and contribute to the growth of their colleagues." (Calvert 2016)

Agency empowers peopled to play a part in self-development and commitment to learning. It takes self-reflection and intentional planning to build practices and behaviors that may enhance a commitment to learning. Think about how YOU will cultivate and support a commitment to learning. Try the following ideas to embrace and make into habits.

Cultivate a commitment to learning

Boost curiosity

Curiosity and deep reflection help lead professionals to continuous inquiry and learning. Learning is life-long and life-wide. This means that learning happens at all life stages of development and happens not just in educational or professional settings. Learning also happens in homes, libraries, community centers, and other settings. Learning truly does happen everywhere!

The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning identified curiosity as an indicator of the culture of CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement). The CQI is a process and culture that ensures that programs and individuals are intentional and systemic about improving services and practices, and increasing positive outcomes for children and families. Indicators of CQI include:

• Curiosity
  
• Reflection
  
• Tolerance of failure and vulnerability
  
• Use of feedback
  
• Systems thinking

These same CQI indicators--curiosity, reflection, tolerance of failure and vulnerability, feedback, and systems thinking--are important to the culture of learning.

Curiosity tip: Reflect on the ideas that energize and make you wonder. What are you curious about? What do you want (or need) to know more about? Additionally, reflect on failures and vulnerabilities. Reach out to other professionals and programs to inquire about interests and request and exchange feedback.

Curiosity quick start: Without hesitating, answer the following:

I'm curious about __________________________________________________
The first person I will tell is _________________________________________

Determine a goal

1. Spark a commitment to learning by setting a goal. For example, what is one learning-related goal that you would like to achieve in the next six months or this year? You may want to complete a series or course on a particular domain or subject that you are curious about, such as inclusion or nature-based exploration.
   
2. Break your goal into smaller steps or short-term goals. What smaller steps or actions might help you achieve that goal? For example, maybe you will complete two hours of training each week.
   
3. Next, break the short-term goals into even smaller steps. For example, what might you do today to achieve your goal? You may choose something simple, such as to read related learning resources daily for 20 minutes. Small achievements help you feel confident and help you measure progress toward the larger goal.

Foster a growth mindset

A key aspect to learning is to understand that abilities can be developed through effort and practice, even when it's hard. This can lead to increased achievement and motivation. Stanford professor and researcher Carol Dweck calls this "growth mindset."

"It is the belief that qualities can change and that we can develop our intelligence and abilities. The opposite of having a growth mindset is having a fixed mindset, which is the belief that intelligence and abilities cannot be developed." (Briceño 2015)

Growth mindset encourages learners to take on challenges they can learn from--to find effective ways to improve, to find ways to be resilient and to make progress (Yeager and Dweck 2012). "It's not just about effort. You also need to learn skills that let you use your brain in a smarter way … to get better at something" (Yeager 2012). Growth mindset is applicable to all learners.

A commitment to and belief in learning is important to all individuals and programs. Along with the strategies mentioned above, what practices and habits will YOU commit to? Enhance your commitment to learning by slowly adding the elements and practices that work for YOU.

"People can often do more, change more, and learn more--often far more--than they've ever dreamed possible. Our potential is hidden in plain sight all around us." - Barbara Oakley (Newman 2017)

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References

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Calvert, Laurie. 2016. Moving from Compliance to Agency: What Teachers Need to Make Professional Learning Work. Oxford, OH: Learning Forward and National Commission on Teaching & America's Future.

Carter, Christine. 2017. "How to Get Better at Achieving Your Goals." Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_get_better_at_achieving_your_goals

Dirksen, Julie. 2016. Design for How People Learn, 2nd edition. New Riders.

Ferguson, Ronald F., Sarah F. Phillips, Jacob F.S. Rowley, and Jocelyn W. Friedlander. 2015. The Influence of Teaching: Beyond Standardized Test Scores: Engagement, Mindsets, and Agency. Harvard University and Raikes Foundation.

http://www.agi.harvard.edu/projects/TeachingandAgency.pdf

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Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC). 2015. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

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