Meeting of the Minds.

Thursday afternoon my mentor and faculty advisor at Azim Premji University and my mentor at Indus International and I met at our place to meet and discuss next steps. I was doubly nervous. I don’t know if nervous is the right word or anxious or just over thinking it but it was the first time we hosted a gathering AND it was the first time both my mentors met. In my head, I knew that it would be fine since we are all on the same page with the Design Thinking Process (DTP) but I didn't know how they would gel. Of course it was great!

The gathering turned out to be more social than work and that was understandable since it was the first time they we were meeting, we had a relaxed environment, and delicious food. When we did talk about work it was quality over quantity. I have built a trust with each of them to the extent that we have tried out different versions of DTP at an 8th grade level, 11th grade level, and at a graduate level. Each of the opportunities have provided invaluable insight on how to implement DTP in core content. We also talked about how to apply it to math and how it might be the most difficult in the sense that it is more conceptual than logical. For history, you can empathize with Holocaust survivors and for math you have to understand that practicing math deepens ones' problem solving skills. One of the most heartfelt moments in the afternoon was when  each of us spoke from our own experiences of our own children. We each share in our experiences of being mothers of children that do not learn the "average" way and just completes things to complete them because they know that they are learning. Our very own children want their imaginations to be sparked and we all agreed that the Design Thinking Process is one way to help diversify learning to tap into every child's learning potential. Future generations and how they are learning is ever changing and dynamic and as educators we MUST change with the times!

After my mentor from Indus left, my mentor from Azim Premji University stayed and we continued the conversation and talked about next steps. We realized that not only do teachers need to start reflecting on their own pedagogy but new people in the field of education (whether they become teachers, administrators, or work in NGSs, etc.) need to hear and understand "dynamic" teaching. To say the very least, my last few weeks will be extremely busy meeting people to put in motion the idea of dynamic teaching, drafting one version of a Design Thinking Guide, creating workshops, traveling with my family, and saying goodbye to those who have become close and dear to me. Let the roller coaster begin!