What's next?

That was the question I recently posed to the Port Byron graduating class of 2007 during our commencement ceremony last month. For our recent graduates, the range of possibilities is endless #- college, work and military services.

For those that remain at our school, what's next means gearing up for a brand new school year full of new challenges and exciting opportunities. Continuing to focus on opportunity is the most important job we have in the world of public education, and that means taking advantage of the opportunity that the summer provides us to reflect on the year that was and lay the foundation for what could be in the coming year.

For me, summer has always been the perfect time to focus on the big picture. After all, much of the September through June routine in schools is centered around tackling issues of a very specific, individualized nature #- working with staff on a particular initiative, mediating issues between students, discussing a particular child's academic performance with a concerned parent.

The summer months on the other hand is a time when many of the “big picture ideas” have come into a clearer focus #- a time when the general direction and course of our work for the school as a whole is determined through thoughtful reflection and eager anticipation of a new year.

After all, reflecting on where we've been and where we need to eventually be is the most important component in responsibly determining “what's next?”

Another important question has to do with the determination of what is an acceptable level of learning and achievement for ourselves and our students. Certainly New York state plays a role in this determination through the establishment of state standards and assessments. However, as regulated as state standards and assessments appear to be, the day to day methods by which we choose to interact with students is left largely to us in our capacity as professional educators. Unfortunately, instructional methodologies and strategies to motivate students often take a back seat in the world of education. In other words, the “what is taught” often overshadows the “how” and “why” a particular concept or skill is taught.

A recent edition of Newsweek ran a series of articles with the theme of “Things You Need to Know Now.” An article written by Sharon Begley, titled “When Does Your Brain Stop Making New Neurons,” centered around the latest in research on human brain function and development with much of the emphasis and subsequent conclusions based on implications in the educational setting. A nature versus nurture dialogue with the most recent research on the topic serving as a backdrop.

The conclusion #- we are not nearly as bound to a predetermined genetic fate as we'd sometimes like to believe. The human brain is incredibly malleable, adaptable and capable of changing and evolving deep into adulthood.

Interestingly, how we perceive our capabilities and limitations is incredibly important in determining to what extent we tap into our fullest potential. One of the most significant findings concluded that understanding what we are capable of is one of the most important determinants of subsequent achievement. This isn't about the overused, oversimplified “you can be anything you want to be” speech. This notion has lost its significance and meaning over time due to the extreme overuse of this phrase. It is in showing students and helping them to understand what they are capable of in real, meaningful and inspiring ways that we add weight to the commonly used expression. This is no easy task.

The truest form of education is rooted in the notion that the desire, responsibility and appreciation for learning becomes an undertaking grounded in intrinsic motivation. It is not a forced exercise, it is a vehicle for self improvement initiated by the individual learner. The author went on to write that “when people believe their abilities and traits are fixed, interventions meant to improve academic performance or qualities such as resilience and openness to new experiences have little effect.” The article made a reference to the findings of Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck who concluded “if you tell people that their brain can change, it galvanizes them ... you see rapid improvement in things like motivation and grades or resilience in the face of setbacks.”

For us answering what's next involves finding new ways to motivate students to maximize their individual abilities. The research shows that we are capable of so much more, both individually and collectively, than we even are capable of comprehending at this point. At Port Byron, we will choose to set the bar high in determining our “what's next.”

A big part of that will include educating our students on understanding the true potential they hold as individuals and to develop an appreciation for the work required to realize their potential.

In the coming months, we will explore a number of specific initiatives we are employing to make this heightened level of achievement a reality for all our students.

Next time, we'll outline our new innovative method of orienting new ninth-grade students to ways they can maximize their high school experience.

Stay tuned.

Shawn Bissetta is principal of Dana L. West High School in Port Byron.