In this article, Paul Magnuson and Jennifer Carlson explore the meaning and power of 'uplift' for professional development.
Trends & Themes
- How international educators define and view uplift
- The shared experiences of uplift provide recognition, inspiration and gratitude.
Practical Applications
- A model to develop your communities for shared uplift, inspiration and gratitude.
- Exchanges created energy and that energy influenced creativity and momentum.
What does the research tell us?
We invited a half dozen educators, from Malaysia to Minnesota, to be involved in a self organizing professional development experience on the theme of education and Uplift. We had been researching and employing Uplift, loosely defined as positive experiences (Neils, et al, 2018), and “real-world” uplifting experiences (e.g., enjoying a hobby, receiving positive feedback, or having a pleasant social interaction)” (Starr & Hershenberg, 2017, p. 1443). We began to wonder “How do other educators from around the world define and view Uplift?”
We self-organized and agreed to contribute to an education focused discussion that included three Zoom meetings, each two weeks apart, and the use of WhatsApp for ongoing discussion and sharing. This free app provided a text messaging format where we could exchange ideas topic from anywhere in the world. The participants were educators from around the world, including current and former teachers, student teachers, educational consultants, and university professors.
What is self organized PD?
This professional development allowed us the freedom to choose a topic of common interest and invest as much or as little time in the discussions as we chose. This investment offered the opportunity to learn from educators with a broad range of experiences with a single topic at its center. We participated when we wanted and had choice in what we wanted to share, thus individualizing and personally interpreting the PD. WhatsApp provided the platform for uploading photos, links, and ongoing discussions. The goal was for the professional development to be an authentic experience that was self-directed and self-organized.
Definitions of Uplift
'It was the noticing, the experience, and the wisdom of each individual member...'
The focus of the first Zoom meeting was to understand more of what we thought Uplift is. Participants shared stories of Uplift, as well as thoughts on education and professional learning. Then, over six week’s time, photos were uploaded, events described, resources shared, and stories told. We shared moments where we witnessed, experienced, or created Uplift.
Some sharings of Uplift were in-the-moment. For example, one member posted a photo of the sunrise over the Alps and another shared a photo of a blooming plum tree. Other sharings were defining moments (Heath & Heath, 2019) in teaching, for example, a high school engineering class where students collaborated on problem-solving and creative thinking while constructing boat. Another shared his process for responding to students in a graduate course. He described the process as purposefully slow which lead to increased enjoyment, thinking, and exploration. He described the experience as “really enjoyable ...The theme is ‘slow[ing] down today…I may be further behind on student work, but happier.”
We discovered that self-organized professional development can influence education by engaging in free-flowing discussions about impactful moments in teaching and living through storytelling and connections where “the small group produces power when diversity of thinking and dissent are given space…and the gifts of each person and our community are acknowledged and valued” (Block, 2009, p. 180).
The freedom to share when, where, why, and what was inspiring. It was the noticing, the experience, and the wisdom of each individual member in the group that benefited the group, opening minds to new ideas. This exchange created energy and that energy influenced creativity and momentum.
What did participants have to say about Uplift and self organization?
"I become more aware of the uplifting…positive moments …the messages on the group kept me going”
Participants had much to say about their experience. One participant reflected on creating an environment that encourages independent learning and how it leads to Uplift. He shared, “you really have to remember that people have to feel happy and safe from their perspective. If you don’t have that then nothing else much matters. It is the foundation. It is the good air to breathe” (Group meeting, April 2, 2022). In the group meeting a few weeks later, another shared “...even a speck of uplift is important” and “I look forward to the [WhatsApp] messages. I become more aware of the uplifting…positive moments …the messages on the group kept me going” (Group meeting, April 16, 2022).
Professional development is perhaps most commonly thought of and approached as professional learning to continually develop professional skills. Imagine if there were a shift in the belief and approach to professional development where its acronym “PD” changed to mean “personally defining”. How Uplifting!
References
Block, P. (2009). Community: The structure of belonging. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2019). The power of moments: Why certain experiences have
extraordinary impact. Corgi.
Nelis S, Bastin M, Raes F, Bijttebier P. (2018). When do good things lift you up? Dampening,
enhancing, and uplifts in relation to depressive and anhedonic symptoms in early adolescence. Journal of Youth Adolescents. Aug 47(8):1712-1730. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0880-z. Epub 2018 Jun 20. PMID: 29926335.
Starr, L. R., & Hershenberg, R. (2017). Depressive symptoms and the anticipation and
experience of uplifting events in everyday life. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(10), 1442–1461. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22447
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