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Most teachers and edcampers aren’t policy wonks, they are interested in changing classrooms. This can be seen as policy talk, but what we really do at edcamp is talk pedagogy, even if we don’t call it pedagogy. Pedagogy is the basis of quality classroom instruction, it is also the bedrock under which we should write school policy.

What I was most hopeful about (having staffers participating en force throughout the day) didn’t entirely happen;  the fact that this group of teacher leaders from all over were gathered within their building to talk “education” seemed like such an amazing opportunity for staff and policy makers at the Department to just listen in or even participate in our conversations.    However, Emily did a good job of pulling policy people into appropriate conversations at times.

As always, the respect that educators have for one another’s ideas, and their passion to come from all over the country on weekends to meet with one another and learn together is inspiring.  (And I think, according to staffers at DOE, it surprised some of them the idea that people come to learn on their own time, for free).

How can we reframe some of our conversations so that they become more like “problem solver” sessions?