Pop-Up Studio Edu-Retreat: Day 1

Everyone needs to be nourished, challenged, and to think anew.  My opportunity came in a bespoke training by Misty Paterson at the Bogaerts International School, North Campus in Brussels, Belgium.  This workshop focused on ways to POP UP our teaching practice through inquiry, concepts, materials, and experiences 

Material Mingler:  we entered an inviting room to find a long table with eyedroppers full of different colored liquid and watercolor paper.  We were invited to create using the materials and our personal styles. 

These materials were open-ended, which reinforced a key underlying principle of POP-UP STUDIO: 

YOU CAN'T DO THIS WRONG.

As adults, we often second-guess our talent, our ability to create, and we compare against the capabilities of others.  I won't lie, I felt like an imposter when placed next to a seasoned artist.  Mine looked trivial and hand-made.  Then, I embraced an open mindset that I would not let one piece of artwork define my capacity to share and to learn.  

I went from making blotches to experimenting with drops, water, and gravity to create something new. 

This was a beautiful creation from my new friend Debbie.  She put ink on both pictures and smashed them together.  To be honest, it reminded me of two lungs searching for the breath of life.  

What do you see? 

Misty brought us together to create a shared experience around objects and concepts.  

We created a dynamic web of connections using related concepts to share the connection between objects and ideas. 

Afterwards, we were put into small groups to make a model of our thinking.  Here, we are examining the concept of grounding learners, teachers, and evaluators to the concept of identity.  We created a strong conceptual based that was watered by inquiry and it's roots were evidence of learner agency.  We grounded our identity through the lens of authenticity, purpose, and cultural connections. 

During our learning journey, we discovered a magical supply cupboard to add to our new creations.  I made a connection that there is a difference between a US supply cupboard to a Belgian one. 

​Can you spot the difference? 

To synthesize our thinking, we walked around the learning spaces to find authentic evidence (our rubbings) of learning happening.  I thought of post-it notes and how they help to find our voice within the learning context. 

Even with jet lag, the amount of movement, thinking, dialogue, and doing kept me awake.  I felt rejuvenated by the experience of learning with and from Misty in this workshop.  I can't wait for day 2!