One of the funny things about parenting as an educator is that often, your children teach you a great deal about things you think you already know a few things about. Take, for instance, protocols. “We’re doing these things called modules in my English class,” my daughter Nina explained over dinner one autumn evening at the beginning of her eighth grade year. And I’ll admit, my stomach clenched. I wasn’t well acquainted with the New…
Why do skilled facilitators of adult learning experiences encourage the use of structured protocols? In my experience, protocols enable participants to better understand the purpose of the work that they are engaging in. They also ensure equity, provoke deeper study of identified texts and practices, and provide a safer framework for rigorous and even uncomfortable dialogue. As a literacy coach, I’ve spent the last year researching, selecting, and modifying a variety of new protocols that…