New Mission you are ALWAYS on my Mind!

Even though I am half around the world, I have always had New Mission at the forefront of my mind when I have been observing classrooms and schools in India. There is so much that I want to bring back to my school. There are two that stand out the most. They are:

1. Design Thinking Process—I have watched the Indus International School implement the design thinking process in the 2^nd grade and 8^th grade and I piloted with my mentor some mini-DTPs at the 8^th and 11^th grade. It was truly incredible to see the students lite up when the mini-DTP was introduced and how they discussed their projects. This got me thinking about New Mission.

For years we have struggled to really build a portfolio process that is meaningful for the presenter, the parents, and the advisor. We started using Habits of Mind (Perspective - Considering multiple perspectives/viewpoints, Evidence - Weighing evidence, Relevance - Finding value both personally and socially, Reflection - Rethinking, self-assessing, & self-adjusting for improvement, Connection - Seeing and making connections and relationships, Supposition - Imagining possibilities),  Essential Skills (Collaboration and Community Building Skills, Discussion Skills, Organizational and Study Skills, Presentation Skills Quantitative Skills, Questioning and Exploration Skills, Reading Comprehension Skills

Research Skills Writing and Revision Skills), and Commitment to Learning (Student is consistently prepared for class, Student participates regularly, Student thoughtfully completes homework, Student honors deadlines, Student seeks extra help in a timely manner OR seeks additional challenge, Student revises work, Student makes sincere effort to improve.) Students would need to use all 3 of these elements to talk about how they contributed to their learning and what they needed to work on. This all sounds very good, but the presentations were lacking authenticity and were more rote. They were using the words but not really knowing what they meant and how to really reflect on their learning in their core content.

Now, through the Design Thinking Process our portfolio reviews can be revived and have more meaning to their presentations. The process seems doable for all classes and creates a student centered project based atmosphere. The following will be evident with students using the Design Thinking Process:

Design Thinking Process (DTP)-21^st Century Skills Acquired

Leadership	Meeting Facilitation
Critical Thinking	Conflict Resolution
Writing	Teamwork/Collaboration
Public Speaking	Research Methods
Decision Making	Communication
Advocacy	Time Management
Problem Solving	Empathy/Human-Centered
Creative Thinking	Listening

Design Thinking Process (DTP)-Outcomes for Students-Practical Skills

Increased Social Networks	Community Awareness
Improved Self Respect	Trusted and Respectful Relationships with adults
Enhanced Self Efficacy	Empowered to Affect Change in Community
Increased Self Confidence	Awareness of Social Factors Shaping their Lives
Instilled Sense of Civic Responsibility	Increased Self-esteem

As a parent and as a teacher, I would want to see these kinds of presentations. It really brings the learning to life. When I saw my 8 year old son leading a discussion on design thinking, I was sold hook, line, and sinker. Now, my goal is to try to help my colleagues and administrators gain the same enthusiasm for the Design Thinking Process.

1.     Mindfulness- As New Mission has taken on a middle school (7^th and 8^th grade) there has been a greater need to think about the social and emotional needs of students. Here in India, I have learned the true meaning of mindfulness and one way to teach it to kids. The school my kids attend teach students about this phrase Tikkun Olam. Tikkum Olam is a concept in Judaism that is an aspiration to behave and act constructively and beneficially. Each child learns about the world and the 17 sustainable development goals put out by the United Nations. (Of course it is taught differently at each grade level). Then each child creates their own Tikkun Olam and it is talked about in school and how they will act on their own Tikkun Olam. For example, Ashram’s Tikkun Olam is to re-use plastic or other materials. He has learned how bad plastic is for the environment and comes home every day to see if we have any plastic that he can re-use and make into a toy. He has made boats out of plastic water bottles and little flowering pots. Additionally, one day I was reading the newspaper and he saw an elephant playing with a tire and he asked about the picture. I told him that it was artists in Boston re-using tires and made them into toys for the elephants at the zoo. Ashram said so matter of factly “Oh that is my Tikkun Olam.” If a 6 year old can be that mindful, then we can do it for our students at New Mission. It truly is a wonderful thing to see my very own kids talk about what they have learned in school in a very practical way rather than me asking them what they learned in school. It just becomes a natural discussion. Now that is truly being MINDFUL!  To me, to be mindful is to consciously think about yourself in the present moment and the impact you have on others and the world around you.