Why Not?

Last night I learned about Edzimkulu, a Society for Children of Aids in South Africa.

I got this off their website:Edzimkulu is a Canadian charity, established in 2003 to provide support to children affected by AIDS in the Underberg region of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Our work is concentrated in the village of Ndawana, about 45 km. from the small town of Underberg.

Two words caught my attention toward the end of the news report. Those two words were, "WHY NOT?"

I listen for phrases like "WHY NOT?" because it, like many other words and phrases that have been identified over the last sixteen years at the Hope Foundation of Alberta are known as HOPE LANGUAGE. "WHY NOT?" was identified as a hopeful question at a Principals of Hope session. Administrators from a school district in central Alberta added why not to other words and phrases that make up language of possibility. I remember thinking at the time of the Principals of Hope session how young children learn not to ask why after a time. It would seem to me that WHY NOT? reminds us to activitate our childhood curiosities about what might be possible - to be surprised by outcomes we never dreamed possible - or wasted the time trying to fit themselves into in the first place. This is what is happening with the community of Ndawana in South Africa where Edzimkulu is concentrating its efforts at the moment.

Last week at the City Centre Schools Cluster group of teachers who are intentionally making hope visible and accessible for their students we talked about using language of possiblity in progress reports. I was especially intrigued by the idea of using the statement "I wonder..." in a report card comment.

I cannot wait to hear what teachers notice during the parent conferences as they discuss the report card comments that use hopeful language.