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®The Learning Network
The Aspiring Award
The Aspiring Award is an annual tribute to those who have kept the inspiration
and spirit of The Learning Network central to their work as teachers and school
and district administrators.
2002 was the first year of the presentation of this award.
The Aspiring Award is offered in memory of Jan Duncan, a New Zealand teacher
and teacher educator who worked in the United States for over ten years and had
a surprising and profound influence on the way American teachers see their work.
As the years go by since Jan’s untimely death in 2001, fewer of the people who
attend this conference will have known an personally, yet perhaps more will have
come under the contagious spell of her simple philosophy of teaching and learning;
It is not how effectively you teach that is the
measure of learning success, but
how effectively students learn that is the measure of teaching success
When Jan began developing the beginnings of The Learning Network
in 1992, looking
at a teacher’s work in that way was unfamiliar to many American educators. Her
belief that the quality of student learning is dependent upon the quality of a
teacher’s
understanding and classroom practice, the clarity with which she expressed that
belief,
and her way of making it sound possible and demonstrate that it was, is a reason
why
The Learning Network remains a powerful influence for change in American
schools.
Ironically, her message was also prophetic.
The No Child Left Behind legislation seeks to ensure that every
child, first and foremost,
develop as a reader and writer without excuses for failure. Jan said no less.
Her
enduring contribution is a model of teaching and learning that makes it
possible. The
Learning Network is a tribute to her as an effective way of providing support to
schools
that aspire to provide opportunities for every student to succeed.
The Aspiring Award, named for a rugged pinnacle peak in the
southern alps of New
Zealand where Jan made her home, is for those who have challenged the slippery
slope
toward success. Success is like most high mountains. The closer you are to
beginning
the climb, the less likely you are to see the summit. Even half the way there it
can still
be out of view. And struggling toward success, like climbing a mountain shrouded
in clouds,
is even more difficult when you cannot see how far there is still to climb.
It takes persistence, commitment, leadership, and a willing team
with a common goal to
continue with the determination needed.
This year’s winners have certainly shown that. Congratulations!
Peter Duncan