Stretching to Learn . . .

Welcome back! 

From Superintendent Russ Adams

It’s that time of year again – a new beginning, a chance to refocus and undertake the important mission of fostering learning, excellence and civic responsibility at MOC-Floyd Valley!

We take this mission very seriously and as we strive to fulfill it this year we will be guided by our thematic goal for the year “Stretching to learn . . .”   As we wrestled with the question, “What is the most important thing we can do to help our students learn at the highest possible levels?” the concept of “stretching to learn . . .” rose to the top.

Over the years, I have written about the importance of a growth mindset and the need for us to cultivate a growth mindset in ourselves and our students.  This concept is not difficult for us to grasp, and most of us intuitively agree with it.  Developing a growth mindset involves more than just the words we speak, however.  We talk about the importance of effort, and we praise students for their thinking and problem-solving, but when we they are struggling, we often come to their aid and short-circuit the learning that could take place.  We interrupt, instead of nurturing productive struggle.

Struggling without hope for success is frustrating and overwhelming.  Struggling with the confidence that you will eventually succeed is productive and leads to deeper learning.  That’s why we are creating opportunities for our students to productively struggle – to wrestle with concepts, try new things, and learn in the process.  We are striving to construct learning tasks that they are meaningful, challenging and require work and thought, while at the same time providing the structure and support that allows for hope.  By doing this, we are confident that our students will be “stretching to learn . . .”

As always, we look forward to a year of serving our students and value the partnership with families and community members.  Best wishes on the new school year!