A last conference reflection . . .

This will be the last post from the conference shared by our board member representative, Mary Jane Glaser. Mary Jane is a long standing member of our board. She is very committed to the young people and adults that work in our system and is also an important part of our community; the vision behind the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council and an early supporter of the Farmer's Market. We are truly blessed to have her on our Board and in our community.

Mary Jane Glaser

On the final day of the SOL Conference, Peter Senge asked each of us to identify our current reality of sustainability and our vision for the future. The differences between the two states gave us creative tension. He, then, asked us to identify our visions for sustainability. We weren’t asked to share them with the group. They were meant to be personal reflections. My vision for Tahoma was a district where all students and staff naturally engage in systems thinking and sustainability practices and education. Our schools will be busy, exciting hubs of activities and learning with sustainability embedded in all aspects of the curriculum. The students will act as conduits of sustainability practices to parents and the community. At the beginning of the conference, I would not have been able to articulate my thoughts around sustainability so easily.

A quote from the World Conservation Union helped me understand the primary focus of sustainability. “…Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems.” A thought provoking session regarding climate change (or as Peter coined, “global weirding”) punctuated the current practices that put the quality of human life in jeopardy. Go to www.ClimateInteractive.org for an intriguing interactive exercise on CO2 emissions.

Tracy Waters’s session on systems thinking combined discussion and activities to help people recognize the way we see things. The three habits of systems thinking that resonated with me and my work were: Considers an issue fully; Considers short and long-term consequences, and Seeks to understand the big picture.

One of the highlights of the conference, for me, was the opportunity to work with our Tahoma team in the small breakout sessions. Our team, including our four student representatives, shared key insights and visions to map out our future sustainability model. “Commit to a learning community beyond the four walls of the school district.” “Increase the system’s capacity to take advantage of systems thinking and systems dynamics to influence the decisions we make and to begin the inclusion of students in systems thinking.” “Increase opportunities for student leadership in schools and the community.” “Complete sustainability science units and embed sustainability in social studies curriculum.”

Upon reflection, the conference helped me connect the pieces of the puzzle. I suspended some ladders of inference and recognized models of behavior. Social justice was infused in the collective narrative. Feedback loops are balancing and reinforcing.
One last favorite quote from Mother Ann Lee, Shaker, “Do all your work as if you had a thousand years to live, and as you would if you knew you must die tomorrow.”