“Her passion and emotion had me in tears, and I realized that this was the true purpose of USQ – getting kids out of the classroom to “do life” with the teachers in their world.”
Megan Hacholski @megan_hacholski
In June of 2019, I had the honor of being a Social Media Ambassador for the first ever Unhinging the Status Quo Experience, spearheaded by the incredible trio of Sara Wilkie, Nancy Wagner and Dale Truding. Note the word “experience” in the title – these women were clear in their vision of this not being like any other education conference. The initial information outlined on their website drove me to apply for the ambassador position – another “something new” that intrigued me. I knew, right from the start, that this would be something special – but I truly had no idea how life-changing of an experience it would be.
I was well aware that my role in this day would be all about tweeting, sharing on Instagram and making sure that the messages being shared at USQ would get out to the rest of the world. I was unsure how much I would gain as an educator, only because I knew that documenting this event through social media was a “full-time job.” However, through the lens of my iPhone camera and the furiously typed Tweets, I realized how important it is to call educational leaders to action when it comes to student voice.
We spend a lot of time talking about how wonderful it would (and can) be if student voice actually informed instruction. Educators have grand ideations about a world in which each classroom is fully student-centered and student-led. But at the end of the day, little is usually done to take steps in order to make that world a reality. USQ is doing exactly that. By inviting students to the table (literally!), the conversation was opened up for some hard truths. Hearing straight from a student that all they care about at the end of the day is relationships with their teachers, or that teachers really have no idea what life is like for young students, was an impossibly hard and amazing thing to hear first hand.
The most impactful part of USQ, for me, was hearing Jack McConnell speak and listening to the conversations that took place afterwards. Please take some time to read Jack’s story through the links on the USQ website – it will inspire you beyond belief. When Jack was finished speaking, Dale took the mic to express her anger at the fact that some of Jack’s teachers were more focused on him “doing school” rather than “doing life.” Her passion and emotion had me in tears, and I realized that this was the true purpose of USQ – getting kids out of the classroom to “do life” with the teachers in their world. To discuss the issues that others had told them they shouldn’t or couldn’t ever be a part of, to use their voices to share what they like, dislike, and need in school. USQ was a place where the students felt comfortable sharing and the teachers, admittedly, felt uncomfortable listening. But at the end of the day, how else can we change without getting uncomfortable? USQ was so much more than a “job” for me – it was a life-changing experience that will forever alter the way I “do life” in my classroom.
photo credit: @jplenio, Dandelion Wish
