The Big Rock Routine
“It is not, as some students initially suggested, that you can always fit more into your life. Rather, the jar signifies our life, and the big rocks are the things we value and feel are truly important. If we place our big rocks in first, there is space to fit in the other things we have to do” (p.101).
Ron Ritchhart, Creating Cultures of Thinking
What do you value?
What do you need to prioritize what you value?
What makes you say that?
Purpose: What kind of thinking does this routine encourage?
This routine encourages individuals to synthesize and capture the essence of their own beliefs while connecting and listening to others.
Application: When and Where can it be used?
This routine can be used by a team of leaders, teachers, students, or other community members to try to prioritize time around ideas that matter.
Launch: What are some tips for starting and using this routine?
This routine works well in small groups of 3-5 participants. Each member of the group needs two small objects (rocks, stones, quarters, blocks, post-it notes etc.) to represent each of the bolded questions above.
Start by asking all participants to individually respond to the prompt: What do we want our students to be like at the end of our courses? In other words what will be the residuals of the education that we are engaging our students in? Each group member will write down on a post-it or paper their 1-3 sentences of what they hope for their students. One by one, the group members then present their first object (their statement), answering the first question and explaining their reasoning. All other members listen attentively until the speaker is finished. Then, they may ask clarifying or probing questions. Once all members have shared, the group presents their second object, sharing their responses and reasoning. Again, other members listen attentively until the speaker is finished then may ask clarifying or probing questions.
Variations might include merging these ideas with either a Chalk Talk Routine (to capture all the ideas in writing) or as Microlab Protocol (to structure time). If the group wishes, they might connect ideas together to create a team list of priorities for future planning.
Routine inspired by Creating Cultures of Thinking by Ron RItchhart
Created by Zapico, Evancho, Lusky & Rains, 2016