John Hunter at SLJ‘s Public Library Think Tank. Photo credit: Matt Carr/Getty Images.

If (and when) future generations succeed in saving the world, we may all have John Hunter to thank. The veteran teacher, educational consultant, and author has been inspiring creative and critical thinking, compassion, confidence, and pragmatic problem solving in kids for 35 years through his innovative World Peace Game, his unyielding positivity and optimism, and his intuitive understanding of what kids’ need to succeed.

At the start of a national tour to promote his new book about his experiences teaching the game, World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements (Houghton Harcourt, 2013), Hunter addressed the crowd at SLJ’s recent Public Library Leadership Think Tank, then sat down to speak to us about unlocking kids’ infinite potential, his faith in kids to improve our world, and how he daily inspires (and is inspired by) his students.

At our Think Tank, you spoke about the lasting impact of even the smallest gestures. Can you tell us more about this concept?
We are completely interdependent; this is what I’ve come to understand and see. Everything I do is important to someone in that room or someone connected to them. So I’m obligated to do the best that I possibly can every moment. I constantly have to work at that every day so that I can be less of a barrier or an obstacle to their learning. My students have come back over decades now to let me know the range and effect of gestures I’ve made, of words I’ve said, of things we’ve done. And I’m sure every teacher has instances like this. So this circle of influence that you might have can be so broad.

What is it like for you to teach at Agnor-Hurt Elementary, and in the Albemarle County (VA) school district? Can you tell us more about your experiences there?
[It’s] one of the best I’ve ever taught in. Pam Moran is the superintendent, and my immediate principal is Michele Del Gallo Castner. They are visionaries, and this is what makes [it] a cutting-edge district. It’s 650 children from all different socioeconomic levels. We’ve got 23 different ethnic groups and languages in that school. And it’s like walking into a river of love every day. You plug into this current of energy that’s so positive, and it’s primarily due to visionary, trusting leadership.

At Agnor-Hurt, we start on the relationship when they come into preschool. So there’s a culture of acceptance, of caring, of compassion, and kindness. When you have that kind of culture, you have kids coming in and, wherever they turn, they’re going to have this kind of support. No matter what situation they get into or what teacher they go to, there’s a unity in the response. Michele is a fierce protector of children. That combination of kindness with that huge protective power and fire for taking care of kids is just what makes the situation just fly. There’s nothing you can’t do as a teacher in that school.

Pam Moran herself walks around taking pictures of all kinds of teachers’ projects and she shares them with all the other teachers in the district…for a superintendent to be doing that [is] rare and unusual. Pam always talks about what she calls ‘caves, watering holes, and campfires’—the places we gather to exchange ideas, and she’s a living example of that herself. She is a great supporter and inspiration.

The center of our school is [the library and librarian] Jamie Chapman and, like you would imagine, everybody passes through [the library], everybody uses it, everybody’s connected to it. That’s a beautiful understanding about schools and the central position libraries hold in them still.

How did your relationship with libraries begin?
Right at the time of integration in our regional area of Chesterfield County (VA), I discovered the public library. The summer before I was to attend my first integrated school—at the age of 12—I had a real hunger for things beyond the norm, I guess in some ways, for a kid from my situation. And I devoured the library; I tried to read every book about Native Americans and science fiction and Eastern philosophy. The library became kind of a refuge, a resourcing place for this great unknown…. It made me feel more a part of what I was going to go into. [It was] a public library and that meant white and black signs were not in the way. I could simply go in and use [it].

Did you always want to be a teacher?
Really, in some ways I’m an introvert who just happens to appear to be an extrovert. There was a moment in Japan—I’m sitting in this 500-year-old cypress wood meditation hall on a bamboo-covered mountainside near the Sea of Japan—and I thought, ‘You know, this is where I should be. I really don’t need to go anywhere else.’ But I had obligations; I had things to do in the world. Had I not been a teacher, I was very inclined to find a place like that and simply go into meditation.

So how do you summon your inner extrovert? Or embrace it?
The foundation was of course, I had a very happy life. My parents were both very sweet and loving, so it was a very quiet family life. And that calm safety that we had in the home made a comfort in the world. And so going out into it, I didn’t feel defensive or afraid.

How that transformed to be more of a performance art, like teaching? Well, it was called for. In a classroom…[you] really bring every tool that you have to the situation. You adapt and become whatever creature you must. You’re an academic and social amphibian; you grow gills when you have to and you drop fins when you have to, to help children be what they need to be.  And playing in a band doesn’t hurt either! I had a studio practice for about 20 years, sound design, ambient music, Waveform Records. It’s still something I do in what little spare time I have.

Do you bring music into the classroom as well?
Absolutely! Some children like it to be quiet, so we’re quiet sometimes, but there may be some Miles Davis in the background, “Sketches of Spain,” something very open and spacious.

I take the children through different modalities of thinking using Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory, [with] eight different pieces of music, all within the space of an hour. It’s astounding what they do in that time [and] music is the springboard for that. I want them to have an expanded world, so I’m playing Indonesian gamelan or opera arias or glitchcore from Vladislav Delay, this Finnish DJ—something they’re not going to run into on the radio or around the house.

And the library was fundamental in that, too! In the Richmond Public Library when I was a young man, I would go and check out  records. I listened to Turkish music, to music from the bauls of India. That library was instrumental in my becoming who I was musically.

How has your teaching shaped your vision of the future?
I’m completely optimistic. There is no doubt in my mind that high school students can save this planet completely, in every way. No doubt. They’re relentlessly compassionate. The more we empower those young people to be in charge…the better off we’ll be.

Is compassion the most important legacy of your World Peace game?
How else can we be if we’re going to survive? It’s our fundamental as human beings…preemptively going at things with kindness gives a little bit of ease to every difficult situation we face.

What’s your philosophy of teaching, your approach?
I’ve learned from my teachers, my mentors, that example is better than precept. If I want them to do, believe, think, or be anything at all, I’ve got to do that myself first. They hear a lot of words from adults, but who lives that way? Who can they see that walks the walk, and not just talks?

The second step is [from] my mentor, Ethel J. Banks: think about the line of least resistance. Find out what they love, spend some time finding out who they really are, what they really care about, and then respect it, and build curriculum to and around it. Once the children believe that you believe in them and that you respect what they actually like and are interested in, that’s a huge step. And from that point on, you’re friends for life. They’ll go anywhere with you.

In my classroom…before we even touch [a] subject, they’re so heavily involved and invested thinking that it’s their unit, that they’re in power to control it, their learning…that they feel they can do anything and, with your help, they can do even more than that.

In such a rich learning environment, how do you deal with standardized testing?
Our school has strategies to work with that. I’ve heard [my principal] make a speech to an entire room crammed full of teachers, looking at scores on a big PowerPoint: ‘I picked each one of you. I know you. I trust you. You are professionals, you know what to do. Let’s do it.’  And every year, the scores go way up through the roof. It’s amazing. It’s not a direct correlation; you can’t quantify love and affection and caring. But [the] power of that, for me, is what the transformative effect is at our school.

What inspires you in your life, and in your teaching?
I read ancient texts, all kinds of esoteric stuff that helps me think of things more deeply. And of course, music has always been helpful in doing that. And there’s my teenage daughter, who is better than I will ever be at everything; she’s a huge inspiration.

[Teaching is] a profession and a calling, really. But I think, walking into the building…there’s a shift in consciousness, there is a breaking of state with the outside world. We are in this place of infinite possibility and potential, and infinite possibility for happiness. And so that’s inspirational.

School Library Journal

In the fourth entry of the series, de la Peña focuses on the Mayan culture and ties Sera’s past and future to ancient Mexico. The author of several young adult novels including Ball Don’t Lie and Mexican Whiteboy (both Delacorte), and the award-winning picture book, A Nation’s Hope (Dial), de la Peña was the closing keynote speaker at SLJ’s Public Library Leadership Think Tank, held April 5 at the New York Public Library. Listen to him discuss Curse of the Ancients, libraries, and his path to reading in this audio recording of his speech.

To receive a signed ARC of Curse of the Ancients by Matt de la Peña, leave a comment below. The first 25 people to do so will be contacted by SLJ for mailing information. The book is set to publish on June 4, 2013.

Keynote speaker Pam Sandlian Smith at SLJ‘s first Public Library Think Tank. Photo credit: Matt Carr/Getty Images.

“The power of books is profound, but power does start in the children’s room. When we connect children with books…we are introducing them to the world,” says Pam Sandlian Smith, director of Colorado’s Anythink Libraries and opening keynote speaker at SLJ’s first Public Library Leadership Think Tank, hosted Friday at the New York Public Library’s Celeste Bartos Forum. Among the day’s emerging themes:  dreaming big, collaboration, innovation, creating community, and believing in the power of kids (and kids’ librarians) to change the world.

Recognize Your Power
After a brief introduction by Rebecca Miller, School Library Journal editor-in-chief, that set the tone for the day, Smith addressed the crowd—more than 100 public children’s librarians and library directors from around the country—with a story. “If libraries are tree houses,” Smith began, “then librarians might be architects of dreams…and if librarians are architects of dreams, then children might find their special space to dream of who they are to become and of lives fulfilled.”

Smith urged those present to recognize their power and influence in the communities they serve, noting, “Everyone here is a leader…you have the power to open doors. You have the power to change the shape of the world. You are the architects of dreams.”

She stressed the need to hone one’s skills of persuasion. “You are one of the most powerful people in your organization,” she said. “Figure out a way to convince people that the library is one of the most important organizations in the city. You can’t do it all by yourself, but you can do it.”

Smith also spoke about her experiences at the Anythink Libraries branches in Colorado, which aim to channel John Cotton Dana motto: “The public library is the center of public happiness first, of public education next.” In the past few years, Smith’s team has eliminated fines, dumped Dewey, and created interactive exploration spaces at its branches—utilizing sight, sound, and touch—along with innovative maker spaces, designed to draw in all ages of the community. “I think people should experience a metaphorical hug when they enter the library,” she said.

Notably, Anythink offers a team-building Tech Day for its staff, where experts within the library system as well as in the surrounding community volunteer to teach new technology skills, such as video and sound production and editing. Attendees break into groups to learn the skills and then put them into practice by collaborating on a project together—such a short film—in a single afternoon.

The process of moving from an experience library to a “participatory library” begins with hiring creative, optimistic problem solvers, Smith noted. “Create that culture of optimism,” she urged. “Focus on your top creatives, optimists, early adopters. Listen to the naysayers…but they don’t get to drive the bus.”

Smith told the group in closing, “I urge everyone here who is a children’s librarian to become a director someday, because then you can allocate the resources.”

Innovative Collaborations
Creative problem-solving and leadership continued as a theme with the midday panel, which included Rachel Payne, coordinator of early childhood services at the Brooklyn Public Library; Susan Modak, librarian at the Montgomery County Public Libraries (MD); Nicholas Higgins, associate director of community outreach at the NYPL; and Kathy Bennett, library lead teacher at Metro Nashville Public Schools. Each of the panelists is known for innovative collaborations, said moderator Daryl Graberek, editor of SLJ’s Curriculum Connections, who noted, “These are people doing really good work quietly.”

Rachel Payne started things off by sharing some insights gleaned from Brooklyn’s Ready, Set, Kindergarten!, a weekend program that includes storytime, early literacy tips, and a playful activity for both kids and parents at more than a dozen locations. The program relies on funds from the Altman Foundation, a partnership with the Department of Education’s early childhood programming division, and a pool of volunteer interns largely comprised of library and educational grad students and young professionals in the children’s publishing field.  Adding just a few simple math and science activities to plus a name change from its original “Weekend Stories” was key to the program’s current success, increasing participation 30 percent in some locations, Payne said.

Susan Modak then shared her experience creating a program for teen moms (and dads) and their kids focusing on early learning, early literacy, and library use, made possible by collaboration with local social services organizations. Programming included field trips, book-making, circle time, skill-building for parents on the best ways to share stories and music with their kids, and the importance of having books in the home. Parents were also able to take home free books to build their home libraries.

Higgins presented an intriguing take on his outreach programs to youth and parents in detention on Riker’s Island, defending what he calls “all people’s right to information and library services.” His early literacy workshop program for fathers—which covered print motivation, chronological awareness, and narrative skills—culminated in an extended visit day with kids and family and an audio project in which dads were able to read stories to their children. “What separates the program is the continuing relationship with the library,” Higgins said. “They know they are welcome when they get out.”

Higgins stressed the importance of adjusting one’s definition of success. “It’s frustrating to work with a bureaucracy,” he said. “But the success is just having access to this population.”

Bennett’s Limitless Libraries also caught the attention of the crowd. In her Nashville program, which began as a pilot in just four schools, the public library opened its collections to provide materials to all students. Students can use their school ID cards (with parents’ permission) to borrow books, which are delivered directly to the schools. This helps the community overcome a poor public transportation system and limited library hours, Bennett said, noting that extended borrowing for teachers helps them build nonfiction collections for Common Core faster than they could on their own.

And through all of these efforts in serving the traditionally under-served, each of these librarians also found new patrons, both kids and parents, in their communities, noted moderator Grabarek.

Some best practices that emerged from the panel? According to Payne, “It’s not the organization, it’s the people. Work with the people that are responsive,” while Modak noted the importance of being open to casual collaboration, too, “just handing out my card and offering my services anywhere.” She added, “You pass it on and pass it on and pass it on and hopefully it results in more children being read to, and more parents feeling that the job of a parent includes that.”

Author and educator John Hunter talks about The World Peace Game. Photo credit: Matt Carr/Getty Images.

The World Peace Game
After lunch, attendees were offered a special treat as John Hunter, author of World Peace and Other 4th-Grade Achievements (Houghton Mifflin), screened an extended preview of a new documentary on his game, which he has staged with his elementary school students for the past 35 years.

“Everything we do, even inadvertent gestures and words, are so meaningful,” he said. “Everything you do can be important to someone, so that’s why we never give up.”

The game, which consists of 50 interlocking problems for the kids to solve on a four-layer game board of Hunter’s creation, is “designed to fail…unless they collaborate. But we don’t teach them collaboration, they learn it themselves,” Hunter explained. Students are tasked to solve the world’s problems and raise the asset value of every country in order for the class to win against the game.

He noted, “I wanted it to be so thrilling they can’t do without it, but so challenging that they almost can’t do it… I hope that they never need me again…that they take away every creative thinking tool, every critical thinking tool (that they need), and they have the confidence to solve any problem.”

One of the best parts about the game is watching his students become a room of 30 co-teachers as they try to solve it, Hunter said. “It takes a classroom of the collective wisdom of 9-year-olds to do it.”

He added, “Good policies come and go like weather…but what remains is the relationship between a teacher and a student, a librarian and a student. That’s the fundamental of learning and growing. We’re fighting the impossible and I know you are too.”

Inspiration and the “Unconference”
Next up was a brief address from Lynn Lobash, strategic projects manager at NYPL, sponsor of the
MyLibraryNYC project. Like the Limitless Libraries program in Nashville, MyLibraryNYC (a partnership with the Department of Education) aims to provide access to more materials to more students, beginning in 83 schools and at 51 sites. Both teachers and students can borrow materials from the public libraries through a shared catalog, with materials delivered to the schools.

“It’s a real eye-opening experience for students who don’t use the public library,” Lobash said.

Lobash urged any librarians around the country seeking to try a similar project in their cities or states to contact her at the NYPL if they needed any assistance or guidance gleaned from her experiences. “We’d be so happy to help anyone think about this—any scale, any approach,” she said.

The day concluded with the official think tank moderated by Kiera Parrrott, head of children’s services at Darien Library (CT). Utilizing an “unconference” model, the attendees were asked to brainstorm the issues they most wanted to explore in breakout roundtable discussions.

The trending topics included: serving kids with special needs; igniting the school/public library relationship; Common Core in the public library; the first five years (early learning initiatives); apps (incorporating technology); rethinking the physical space (maker spaces, play spaces); readers, thinkers, makers (innovative programming ideas); and librarians in the wild (inspiring outreach).

Each group outlined the goals they would like to achieve in their districts and some of the individual roadblocks they are facing, and then brainstormed ways that they might overcome those obstacles.

Surveying all the discussions in action, Parrott noted some catch phrases that encapsulated the flow of ideas, including: “less rules, more fun,” “dream big,” “uncomfortable is okay,” and “go outside!”

Though each group had a unique topic of discussion, emerging themes across the board included the need to reach under-served populations, the best ways to create community space in one’s library, the best ways to market one’s library to a community and build relationships with patrons, strategies for partnering with school librarians in one’s community, the importance of forging strong teams among committed staff, the importance of changing one’s idea of success, and concrete examples of out-of-the-box funding partnerships that attendees could seek out in their own districts.

Closing keynote speaker Matt de la Peña, young adult author of Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican Whiteboy (both Delacorte) and the upcoming Infinity Ring Book 4: Curse of the Ancients (Scholastic), reaffirmed the power of librarians to change lives with his candid account of the ways that librarians helped paved his path to books. “It started with a library and a librarian…and I started as a non-reader as a kid,” de la Peña said, noting, “The most difficult definition to break away from is self-definition.”

In middle school, his haven was the school library, he said, “not because of the books but because of the librarian who was twenty times smarter than me,” he said, who provided a place for him to go where he felt he belonged. “She understood. It was my spot.”

The first in his family to go to college, de la Peña also recounted how the reading of The Color Purple during his sophomore year opened a new world to him. “I was on the verge of tears at the end of the book,” he said. “It was a shocking thing that a book could do that for me. It changed me into a reader.”

Photograph by Matt Carr/Getty Images.

As a self-described nonreader, Matt de la Peña could never have imagined as a kid that books would play an important role in his life. But key encounters with libraries and, more importantly, librarians, who actively sought to engage him, helped open a new world to de la Peña. The author of novels for young adults, including Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican Whiteboy (both Delacorte) and the upcoming Infinity Ring Book 4: Curse of the Ancients (Scholastic), de la Peña recounted his “path to books” in the closing keynote of SLJ‘s Public Library Leadership Think Tank, held April 5 at the New York Public Library.

In a presentation (audio below) that was alternately funny and moving, de la Peña clued in the audience of mostly public librarians and library administrators on, among other things, how to suck back a tear. But to no avail for some:

Well, an actual tear just exited my eye after that amazing story, so, well-played, Matt de la Pena! #sljtt

April 5, 2013 4:33 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

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