As I watched the crowds gather and then listen and cheer as President Elect Obama spoke last night, I could help but think about how things not possible at one time sometimes become a reality. Wendy Edey, my mentor extraordinaire, taught me how things that are not possible at one time, do sometimes become possible. Wendy learned this in her conversations with clients in her hope-focused counselling practice at the Hope Foundation of Alberta. You can read about Wendy's work on her blog at www.thehopelady.blogspot.com.
Having read a good number of books on Obama, both his autobiographies and a biography done on him, I think about how he built his vision on a dream. He did so through tenacity and conversing with others, face to face, in a crowd or through his writing. He mobilized a country to say WE CAN make a difference.
But he did something more than that. Obama demonstrated through his thinking, relating, feeling, and acting that hope is about belief and expectation. He lives hope, audacious, imagined and real. Because his imaginations are "as if behaviours" (Sarbin, 1998), we are drawn toward his vision, believing and expecting that WE CAN work together to be the world a more equitable, peaceful and sustaining place for a greater number of people.
Barack Obama has taught us that if we embrace the multi-dimensional nature of hope great things are possible.
(for more information on "living hope" see Keen, J.A., 1995)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Giving Hope a Second Thought
For forty some years I did not give hope a second thought. I was fortunate in that others helped me to cope with difficulties or setbacks. I learned that these setbacks made me stronger and even resilient. However, when I bumped up against a system that was not about to change in my lifetime, I realized that coping was not enough.
When I noticed that hope was a recurring theme in my journal of twelve years, one of my mentors, Dr. Jean Clandinin, encouraged to take the "Hope & Helping Relationship" course as part of my graduate work.
For a very long time, I kept my study of hope at arms length. Hope was for those much less fortunate. It was not until I connected to what was causing me to run the 'treadmill of life' to anesthetize myself to things and events that were in effect cutting me off to what was important to me and who I was, that I realized the importance of paying attention to hope in its many forms. That is as a way of thinking, relating, feeling and behaving.
I am continually amazed at what I see when others uncover and access their hoping selves so they can cope with the uncertainties of life. I see what happens when teachers look on the inside of masks to see their students' hidden hopes. Hidden and protected in some cases because others did not see them as important hopes. I see what happens when a ten year old emphatically states that she has to help her mom see that hope is much more than having money. I see what happens when a student takes off his hood for the first time in class to create and share his hopes on his hope poster.
Someday, perhaps, we will understand why these things happen so that individuals can envision and work toward a future in which they can participate with interest and enthusiasm. For the time being, I am content with asking how we can build on what happens when we make hope visible and accessible.
When I noticed that hope was a recurring theme in my journal of twelve years, one of my mentors, Dr. Jean Clandinin, encouraged to take the "Hope & Helping Relationship" course as part of my graduate work.
For a very long time, I kept my study of hope at arms length. Hope was for those much less fortunate. It was not until I connected to what was causing me to run the 'treadmill of life' to anesthetize myself to things and events that were in effect cutting me off to what was important to me and who I was, that I realized the importance of paying attention to hope in its many forms. That is as a way of thinking, relating, feeling and behaving.
I am continually amazed at what I see when others uncover and access their hoping selves so they can cope with the uncertainties of life. I see what happens when teachers look on the inside of masks to see their students' hidden hopes. Hidden and protected in some cases because others did not see them as important hopes. I see what happens when a ten year old emphatically states that she has to help her mom see that hope is much more than having money. I see what happens when a student takes off his hood for the first time in class to create and share his hopes on his hope poster.
Someday, perhaps, we will understand why these things happen so that individuals can envision and work toward a future in which they can participate with interest and enthusiasm. For the time being, I am content with asking how we can build on what happens when we make hope visible and accessible.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Hope for the Future: The Role of Self-Assessment
For those of you who do not know it - I am an educator who believes in the power of intentionally using hope to enhance quality of life. As such, I am interested in how hope guides us to move toward a future that we can participate with enthusiasm and interest.
Even though the title 'Learning to Hope' transcends the boundaries of classrooms I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I did an what we do inside classrooms to both inspire hope and to use hope to inspire a desirable future. School, in North America, at least, has been back in for the last six weeks or so. That means our Hope-Focused Service-Learning program is back up and running in elementary and junior high schools. It also means that I am back to thinking about the role of assessment in the program and in our lives in general. And since I believe self-assessment is an important component of our hoping selves, I would like to share with you what Steven Wolk writes about self-assessment in the Sept, 2008 article titled 'Joy in School' of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's Educational Leadership journal.
"The idea of assessment in school is not inherently bad; children assess themselves all the time. When they're busy doing something they love outside school, such as tae kwon do, baking, or playing the saxophone - when they're playing the saxophone - whey they're experiencing flow - they don't mind assessment at all. In fact they see it as an important part of the process. But for most students, assessment in school is the enemy . . . Imagine if we graded toddlers on their walking skills." (p.14).
I believe, like Steven Wolk does, that self-assessment helps us to work toward a desired and positive future. I believe that self-assessment builds internal locus of control and, in turn, a sense of responsibility for our individual and collective actions.
That is why I am determined to continue to find ways to make room for reflection through story telling and conversations with students, teachers and community mentors and members about their hope-focused service-learning experiences.
Even though the title 'Learning to Hope' transcends the boundaries of classrooms I do spend a lot of time thinking about what I did an what we do inside classrooms to both inspire hope and to use hope to inspire a desirable future. School, in North America, at least, has been back in for the last six weeks or so. That means our Hope-Focused Service-Learning program is back up and running in elementary and junior high schools. It also means that I am back to thinking about the role of assessment in the program and in our lives in general. And since I believe self-assessment is an important component of our hoping selves, I would like to share with you what Steven Wolk writes about self-assessment in the Sept, 2008 article titled 'Joy in School' of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's Educational Leadership journal.
"The idea of assessment in school is not inherently bad; children assess themselves all the time. When they're busy doing something they love outside school, such as tae kwon do, baking, or playing the saxophone - when they're playing the saxophone - whey they're experiencing flow - they don't mind assessment at all. In fact they see it as an important part of the process. But for most students, assessment in school is the enemy . . . Imagine if we graded toddlers on their walking skills." (p.14).
I believe, like Steven Wolk does, that self-assessment helps us to work toward a desired and positive future. I believe that self-assessment builds internal locus of control and, in turn, a sense of responsibility for our individual and collective actions.
That is why I am determined to continue to find ways to make room for reflection through story telling and conversations with students, teachers and community mentors and members about their hope-focused service-learning experiences.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Imagintion Guiding Our Hope(s)
With school back in and well underway, I am meeting Hope Kids ~ some of whom have been in the program and some new Hope Kids. Yesterday I met with a group of junior high students who are in our Hope-Focused Community Service HOPE KIDS program. These students meet during lunch hour once a week. During this time, we uncover and access our hopes so that we can bring hope to others in the community. The Hope-Focused Community Service HOPE KIDS program is different from our in school program in that we are not so concerned with making connections to school curriculum, but to the curriculum of life. By that I mean, we are learning about hope and our hoping selves as we interact with others in the community outside the school.
Here's an example of what happens during the lunch hour. Since some of these youth participated in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program in grade five and then in a similar lunch hour program in grade six, some of us created new hope kits and some of us added to our existing hope kit. We shared the contents of our kits and how each item informs our hoping self. Then one of the Hope Kids shared her proposal for where she believes we should do our next 'hope project' in the community.
In order to help us 'imagine' what it would look like, she wrote, "Imagine us ..." We were in stitches listening to her imaginings of what our project would look, feel and sound like ~ I could not quite see myself in a top hat, but who knows?
At the end of her proposal, we decided that she had an idea worth exploring, which means that we need to find out more about which hope activities we might embrace, but more importantly why those activities. At our next meeting we will outline what exactly we do need to inquire about to ensure we are meeting the 'hope needs' of children who are hospitalized. This might mean interviewing individuals who have different experiences.
In the meantime, we are starting to collect images to represent our conversations together to help us to remember our stories of uncovering and making our hopes visible.
Imagination helped us to see ourselves bringing hope to sick children in the hospital. I believe it will be a tool that we use often as we work to convince each other of what is possible when we use hope to guide our service.
Here's an example of what happens during the lunch hour. Since some of these youth participated in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program in grade five and then in a similar lunch hour program in grade six, some of us created new hope kits and some of us added to our existing hope kit. We shared the contents of our kits and how each item informs our hoping self. Then one of the Hope Kids shared her proposal for where she believes we should do our next 'hope project' in the community.
In order to help us 'imagine' what it would look like, she wrote, "Imagine us ..." We were in stitches listening to her imaginings of what our project would look, feel and sound like ~ I could not quite see myself in a top hat, but who knows?
At the end of her proposal, we decided that she had an idea worth exploring, which means that we need to find out more about which hope activities we might embrace, but more importantly why those activities. At our next meeting we will outline what exactly we do need to inquire about to ensure we are meeting the 'hope needs' of children who are hospitalized. This might mean interviewing individuals who have different experiences.
In the meantime, we are starting to collect images to represent our conversations together to help us to remember our stories of uncovering and making our hopes visible.
Imagination helped us to see ourselves bringing hope to sick children in the hospital. I believe it will be a tool that we use often as we work to convince each other of what is possible when we use hope to guide our service.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Creativity, Imagination, & Hope
Yesterday I had the honour of meeting grade seven students who were creating scarecrows of hope. They were doing this to kick off their study to understand how intentionally using hope enhances quality of life. They were also making the 'hope' scarecrows for the Hope Foundation's annual Harvest of Hope Affair on September 26. The students were working in groups to create thematic scarecrows of hope that represent their hopes for the future. For example, one of the scarecrows was a graduation scarecrow.
As I reflect back on my visit and the conversations that I had with the students and their teacher, Ms. Holt, I could not help but think about the relationship between hope, creativity and imagination. "Creativity is most often defined as a process of construction of the new, while imagineation is a form of thought in whihc the new is brought to awareness"(Gallas, 2001, p. 460).
As these students create their scarecrows and then imagine (in the reflections they will be doing) how "their scarecrow" represents what they hope for in the future and what they will have to do to get to the images that surface as they imagine what is possible.
I believe this tells us that creativity and imagination have a special role to play in learning to hope. Furthermore, for those who feel that hope is about goal achievement, it would appear that it is equally important to pay attention to the role of creativity and imagination.
Reference:
Gallas, K. (2001). "Look, Karen, I'm running like jell-o": Imagination as a question, a topic, a tool for literacy research and learning. Research in the Teaching of English. 35, 457 - 492.
As I reflect back on my visit and the conversations that I had with the students and their teacher, Ms. Holt, I could not help but think about the relationship between hope, creativity and imagination. "Creativity is most often defined as a process of construction of the new, while imagineation is a form of thought in whihc the new is brought to awareness"(Gallas, 2001, p. 460).
As these students create their scarecrows and then imagine (in the reflections they will be doing) how "their scarecrow" represents what they hope for in the future and what they will have to do to get to the images that surface as they imagine what is possible.
I believe this tells us that creativity and imagination have a special role to play in learning to hope. Furthermore, for those who feel that hope is about goal achievement, it would appear that it is equally important to pay attention to the role of creativity and imagination.
Reference:
Gallas, K. (2001). "Look, Karen, I'm running like jell-o": Imagination as a question, a topic, a tool for literacy research and learning. Research in the Teaching of English. 35, 457 - 492.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Nurturing Hopeful Souls Workshop
Nurturing Hopeful Souls:
Hopeful Practices and Activities
for
Children and Youth
Workshop
For individuals who would like to know more about specific hope-focused practices and strategies and how to implement them with children and youth so they are able to:
- visualize and work toward a positive and meaningful future
- work toward goals
- build resilience
- become more engaged in their school studies
Friday, November 28, 2008
at
The Hope Foundation of Alberta
11032-89 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
$250.00
In addition to learning more about making hope visible and accessible, you will receive a copy of Nurturing Hopeful Souls resource with easy ten easy to implement strategies to help get you started!!
Register by calling (780) 492-1222 before November 21, 2008
Hopeful Practices and Activities
for
Children and Youth
Workshop
For individuals who would like to know more about specific hope-focused practices and strategies and how to implement them with children and youth so they are able to:
- visualize and work toward a positive and meaningful future
- work toward goals
- build resilience
- become more engaged in their school studies
Friday, November 28, 2008
at
The Hope Foundation of Alberta
11032-89 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
$250.00
In addition to learning more about making hope visible and accessible, you will receive a copy of Nurturing Hopeful Souls resource with easy ten easy to implement strategies to help get you started!!
Register by calling (780) 492-1222 before November 21, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Hope Wonders
I thought you might be interested in seeing the 128 questions grade five students generated about hope when they participated in the Hope-Focused Service-Learning program last year. They each chose three questions from this list to write their hope essays. I will share some of their findings in future postings.
Does hope matter?
What does hope mean?
Where does hope come from?
Where is hope all the time?
What is hope?
Why is it called hope?
How can you make hope?
Does everyone have hope?
Where can you find hope?
How does hope work?
Where do we keep hope?
Whey do we need hope?
What does hope sound like?
Why do we have hope?
When does hope come into action?
What is the history of hope?
Can you give hope to one another?
How old is hope?
Is hope contagious?
Where does hope live in people?
Can someone take your hope away?
How many times has hope been said in the world?
Can hope make a difference in your life?
Who is hope?
Can hope give you help?
Where can you find hope?
What does hope mean to other people?
Who has hope?
What does hope look like?
Where can you get hope?
Are there different types of hope?
Why do we have hope?
Who made hope?
Is hope useful?
Can people see hope in different ways?
When do you need hope?
When can hope come to you?
Is hope useful?
Does hope communicate?
Why do we need hope?
Can you touch hope?
What s the point of hope?
Does hope affect people?
Do aliens have hope?
Does hope bring peace?
Does everyone in the world have hope?
What can see hope?
Do animals have hope?
Can hope take the form of a person?
How big can hope get?
How is hope connected to love?
Are people hope?
Does hope have hope?
Does hope connect the world?
Can hope morph?
Is hope connected to people?
What makes hope special?
How small can hope get?
What does hope bring?
Do all living things have hope?
Does hope hide?
Is hope alive?
Does hope have a voice?
Is hope endangered sometimes?
Is hope here?
Does hope involve science?
Does hope connect with the universe?
What does hope eat?
Why is hope everywhere?
Does hope bring you luck?
Does hope make our lives better?
Do you need hope?
Does hope involve someone?
Where is hope in our life?
Can people destroy hope?
Should there be a “hope day”?
Has there been a “hope day”?
How smart is hope?
How can you feed your hope?
How does hope help us?
Does hope bring us humour?
Is there a relationship between hope and humour?
Is hope love?
Are people hope?
Does hope die?
How does hope move?
What does hope help us with?
What does hope feel like?
Does hope involve countries?
What is hope made of?
Can people make hope?
How much hope is there in the world?
Are there places that give us hope?
Is hope a dream?
Is hope loud?
Is hope soundless?
How strong is hope?
How does hope survive?
Does hope have feelings?
Is there hope in heaven?
Is there hope in our classroom?
Who gave us hope?
Can God give us hope?
Is hope above us?
Do hope and peace connect?
Is hope in the mountains?
Is hope in friends?
Do trees have hope?
Is hope connected to kindness, friendship, and peace?
Where does hope come from?
Does hope communicate?
What does hope mean?
Where does hope come from?
Where is hope all the time?
What is hope?
Why is it called hope?
How can you make hope?
Does everyone have hope?
Where can you find hope?
How does hope work?
Where do we keep hope?
Whey do we need hope?
What does hope sound like?
Why do we have hope?
When does hope come into action?
What is the history of hope?
Can you give hope to one another?
How old is hope?
Is hope contagious?
Where does hope live in people?
Can someone take your hope away?
How many times has hope been said in the world?
Can hope make a difference in your life?
Who is hope?
Can hope give you help?
Where can you find hope?
What does hope mean to other people?
Who has hope?
What does hope look like?
Where can you get hope?
Are there different types of hope?
Why do we have hope?
Who made hope?
Is hope useful?
Can people see hope in different ways?
When do you need hope?
When can hope come to you?
Is hope useful?
Does hope communicate?
Why do we need hope?
Can you touch hope?
What s the point of hope?
Does hope affect people?
Do aliens have hope?
Does hope bring peace?
Does everyone in the world have hope?
What can see hope?
Do animals have hope?
Can hope take the form of a person?
How big can hope get?
How is hope connected to love?
Are people hope?
Does hope have hope?
Does hope connect the world?
Can hope morph?
Is hope connected to people?
What makes hope special?
How small can hope get?
What does hope bring?
Do all living things have hope?
Does hope hide?
Is hope alive?
Does hope have a voice?
Is hope endangered sometimes?
Is hope here?
Does hope involve science?
Does hope connect with the universe?
What does hope eat?
Why is hope everywhere?
Does hope bring you luck?
Does hope make our lives better?
Do you need hope?
Does hope involve someone?
Where is hope in our life?
Can people destroy hope?
Should there be a “hope day”?
Has there been a “hope day”?
How smart is hope?
How can you feed your hope?
How does hope help us?
Does hope bring us humour?
Is there a relationship between hope and humour?
Is hope love?
Are people hope?
Does hope die?
How does hope move?
What does hope help us with?
What does hope feel like?
Does hope involve countries?
What is hope made of?
Can people make hope?
How much hope is there in the world?
Are there places that give us hope?
Is hope a dream?
Is hope loud?
Is hope soundless?
How strong is hope?
How does hope survive?
Does hope have feelings?
Is there hope in heaven?
Is there hope in our classroom?
Who gave us hope?
Can God give us hope?
Is hope above us?
Do hope and peace connect?
Is hope in the mountains?
Is hope in friends?
Do trees have hope?
Is hope connected to kindness, friendship, and peace?
Where does hope come from?
Does hope communicate?
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