There are people that are recognized as brilliant. There are solutions to problems that can be considered brilliant. There are inventions that are brilliant. Sometimes brilliance just is and it’s non-negotiable.
But I think that brilliance can also be subjective. Like beauty, brilliance can lie in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps brilliance is something you recognize when you see it.
I think most people associate brilliance with something complex and elusive but brilliance can be something extraordinary simple and achievable. I also think that people equate brilliance with big and bold things but I think brilliance can exist across a scale. Sometimes brilliance can be very subtle and nuanced.
Sometimes brilliance just is and it’s non-negotiable.
During the pandemic, I’ve spent my share of time on social media watching how educators have responded to the challenges of online learning. And while there have been setbacks and perhaps some disappointment associated with what has occurred within the current teaching and learning experience, I’ve seen some really cool things too. These are things that teachers have done that are sometimes simple, sometimes really creative, and maybe, just simply brilliant.
I’d like to share some of these. These are things that have caught my eye. They are things that make me proud of educators and how they are responding to an incredibly difficult challenge. They make me smile and make we wish I would have thought of them. And I think they may be brilliant…
Here they are:
Go on a road trip and teach history from historical sites. Ah, I want to be in her class. As authentic as you can get. Brilliant.
Or stay at home and teach from your driveway. Teach marine biology, um, in Iowa, but do it by illustrating marine life in chalk on your driveway. #SidewalkScience is born. Brilliant.
Promote connections between people that have similar interests by using a roll-able whiteboard. Connecting people is a good thing right now - done in the right way, of course. From the Lassonde Studio at the University of Utah. Brilliant.
Create small signs to cue learners online. A card and popsicle stick gets it done. An interesting and simple way to add a human and fun way to communicate with kids. Watching her teach is even better. Brilliant.
Use Zoom’s virtual background to support the study of history by putting kids in the history. Simple and a great way to amplify the capability of the technology for good. I can imagine having discussions about the backgrounds and why students chose what they did. Brilliant.
Create a virtual wellness center for kids. No need to say more. Brilliant.
You can’t really sing in class at this time but you can still honour your country and learn a new language at the same time. Brilliant. #truenorthstrongandfree
Simple. Elegant. Teachers at their best.
Look for brilliance and celebrate it, however you see it and whatever it means to you.
We all need that right now.
Banner image courtesy of Matt Palmer via Unsplash