Learning for Learning's Sake: A Guest Star's Perspective
Author and Text
Author: Shannon Renkly & Katherine Bertolini
Text: “Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools
REFLECTION
I’ve resonated and connected to this reading the most out of all the articles we’ve seen this semester.The overwhelming majority of my work experience has been as a nonprofit community partner or an experiential educator. My role allowed me to meet and connect with hundreds of students, and I enjoyed bringing a different perspective to the classroom. I would affectionately call what I did as ‘guest starring’ in a class when I’d come share a guest lesson, lead a field trip, or engage with students in an after school program.
So what does it mean to ‘guest star’ with a class? I would say there are 4 main rules/guidelines:
- No grading. Showing up and genuinely participating is what counts!
- No long-term discipline. My job is to come in and share material; if there’s an imminent safety concern I’ll correct it, but students (and teachers) are responsible for class behavior.
- No standardized testing. Guest stars aren’t ‘officially’ part of the curriculum. They enhance elements of curriculum that are being taught. Checking for understanding and measuring growth is encouraged, and we’re not here to give more tests.
- We’re learning for learning’s sake! There’s certain material you’ve been asked to cover, and students may find their learnings to be outside the‘official’ curriculum. Celebrate it!
So how does ‘guest starring’ connect to asset-oriented learning? Renkly and Bertolini argue that by focusing on students’ strengths and creating a positive learning environment (See the Developmental Assets here! ), students will feel more empowered and engaged in their learning. As a guest star, I wasn’t tied down to grading, discipline, or testing pressures. I had the privilege to focus on nurturing curiosity, creativity, confidence, and a joy for learning – some of the key elements in asset-based learning. Having this freedom allowed me to shape my teaching to celebrate students’ existing strengths and build new ones rather than focusing on faults.
These experiences weren't just about following a curriculum--they were about giving students space to explore, discover, and learn in ways that highlighted their strengths. Here are a few moments from my time guest starring in classrooms and community programs, where students engaged with the material through hands-on, curiosity-driven learning:
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| Snapshots from my guest-starring adventures: students exploring, experimenting, and discovering in ways that highlight their strengths and curiosity |
DISCUSSION
Of course, my experience as a guest star was unique—and probably unrealistic for most traditional classrooms. Still, school leaders have the power to shape culture, support community partnerships, and create conditions where this kind of learning can happen. This makes me wonder: are there ways to bring elements of ‘guest starring’ into a typical school setting while still meeting grading, discipline, and testing requirements? Can teachers carve out space for curiosity-driven, asset-based learning within these constraints?
Hi Adriana, I enjoyed your blog and reflections on guest starring! I was wondering some of the same things you describe and struggle with wanting to encourage curiosity-driven, asset base learning, but also having to manage behaviors, grade, follow a curriculum etc. I do think it is possible, but requires more flexibility from admin and districts. At a simple level, I think differentiating lesson can actually help with this. By providing different paths for students, but with the same learning target, I think that classes can meet the individual needs and interests of each student.
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana! I really enjoyed reading your post. Guest starring sounds like so much fun for the children and such a good way to encourage wonder and hands-on learning. I know that as a kid, I would have loved this in my schools. My favorite assignments were when I got to make something for a project, like the classic volcano assignment, for example. Since I don't currently work in a school, I can't say for certain if there is a way to bring this "guest starring" into schools, but I think the closest thing would be educational field trips. I'm not sure how hard it is to get a field trip approved, but I know that they are a great way to immerse students into what they're learning about. Children love engaging environments!
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana, thanks for sharing your post! Your experience as "guest starring" sounds so much fun. I went to a charter school and there were many opportunities where we experimented with learning concepts for the sake of, and there was no grading, just the participation mattered. So, I can definitely see "guest starring" an actuality, as a flexible learning opportunity on top of the normal grading and testing. This may give students a chance to breathe and be curious!
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana, great post, you have a very unique perspective! I definitely think there are strategies for incorporating curiosity-driven asset-based learning into a traditional classroom space. One way of doing this is to incorporate indirect methods of instruction when appropriate, allowing students to participate in inquiry learning, presenting students with a problem that they must investigate using their strengths. This method is supported through scaffolding, helping students to bridge gaps between their current abilities and their goals.
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana! I loved reading about your personal experience and how you tied it back to the reading! I also really enjoyed this reading because it focused on something positive, we can do to make a difference rather than focusing on what is broken. I loved hearing about the "guest star" approach you've done and the positive impacts it has made. I love this approach because it brings a lot less stress to the classroom and students do not feel as much pressure to have to succeed.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question you pose: I think it's possible for teachers to carve out space as you describe. It's difficult, and depending on the teaching context many teachers are forced to "teach to the test" and meet other requirements which add constraints. But, even something as simple as enjoying "guest star" mentors/educators is a tool that we can all implement. I like the idea of having another teacher show up and provide a fun change up to instruction which can anchor the lessons in something experiential and memorable. I imagine that such an approach would foster a great deal more learning for a greater number of students, despite the constraints that make asset driven teacher a challenge.
ReplyDelete