A highlight of my summer was attending the Big Picture Learning international conference that takes place each summer in Providence, Rhode Island. The conference, called “The Big Bang,” is set up the conference just like a Big Picture school. Each conference member is assigned to an advisory with an experienced Big Picture advisor. We each wrote a learning plan for the three day conference that described a goal we had for the week. And at the end, we had exhibitions to explain the progress we each made on our goals along with evidence of the progress. In between advisory sessions, our time was completely booked between conference workshops, keynote speakers, and great meals with even better conversations.
Advisory was the best part. It was the place where we got to discuss ideas, issues and strategies that had worked for us, so it felt very practical to me. At fifteen members, the small size made it intimate, so you felt like you had an identity and, even in three days, friendships quickly formed. Also, we had a great advisor, who gave me some good ideas as well as modeling ideal advisor behavior. She was very organized, but in a way that made it seem natural, almost casual. And Bonnie was always the last one out, lingering over conversations about any topic her advisee might want to discuss.
After a stimulating and challenging first year as a Big Picture advisor, I hungered for what the Big Bang offered: a chance to ask all those questions that came up during the year and an opportunity to hear how other advisors confront the challenges I see here at Big Picture South Burlington. At last year’s conference, it seemed like a blur to me. Having no experience with Big Picture, I could only listen and nod, scribbling notes that didn’t make sense until much later. This was sort of like getting directions in a foreign country, when the local is describing a landmarks that you have never seen to help you navigate. When you finally see them, the recognition dawns, but at the outset, you doubt your chances of getting anywhere near where you want to go. But this year, I felt a little more ”local” who was even able to give some directions of my own, all the while on the lookout for ways to help my students find their own best routes through life.