The Most Powerful Rooms in Any Community

Young students in our schools are studying communities and how neighborhoods, home, and cities are alike and different.  On my morning run through my little city of Grand Rapids today, I thought about how  our Godfrey-Lee district is experiencing much of the same success that our West Michigan region is. 

The similarities?  I think it comes down to a clear vision, a willingness to take risks, and a commitment to support each other through the inevitable challenges.  Teachers in my buildings are doing just that: aligning their work with a 21st-century vision, opening pathways for students to take the lead, and helping each other learn from results. 

Just as Grand Rapids has transformed itself through vision, new ideas, and grass-roots leadership, so too have classrooms in my school community.  Teachers are partnering with each other and with students to become culture-creators, and our classrooms--the most powerful rooms in any community--are transforming what it means to teach and learn.