Darcy Bakkegard
“Great public schools are the heart of our society. People seem to have lost sight of the fact that education is about so much more than information; it’s about equipping the future.”
Q: Name | Location | Years in Education
Darcy Bakkegard | Fargo, ND | 16
Q: Tell us the story of your journey to becoming an educator. What are the significant waypoints along that path?
I decided NOT to be a teacher. Debated and weighed options and earned a degree in Theatre, with minors in Dance and Humanities. My goal was to act and direct. After several years working in non-profit theatre (in various capacities), I realized it wasn't my purpose. So I went back to school and earned an English degree along with a Master's in Secondary Education.
Q: Who inspired you (friend, family, coach, mentor, guide, sponsor, advisor) to become an educator, and/or get involved in education?
Kids. Students inspired me to become a teacher. My purpose to use theatre and dynamic teaching methods to help kids pushed me to become an educator. That said, I experienced and benefited from amazing educators: Mr. Friestad loaded our entire Physics class into a van and had us measure hills around town to determine the steepest incline a car can go up; Mrs. Langdahl had us create news programs about our books; Mr. Horsager expected us to think like college students and work out problems. Mrs. Bjorum empowered us as students and compassionately confronted me when I was struggling. While students are why I got involved in education, great educators helped me become the educator I am.
Q: When (and where) do you feel you are most likely to succeed as you practice your educational art, and your educational craft?
“I feel the fire when I’m working with teachers. Helping other educators reconnect to their purpose and implement their ideas to improve teaching and learning is magic. Giving teachers the opportunity to feel heard and then empowering them to take action—-all the feels. I succeed when they succeed. After one workshop a veteran teacher of 30+ years asked if she could hug me. As she wrapped her arms around me, she said, “Thank you for not wasting my time!” Coming from another educator, high praise! ”
Q: What are the skills you feel most confident using in your life, and work in education?
I really only have one skill: I can organize anything. Take a big thing and break it down into its component parts and quickly sequence tasks. It helps with planning all the things I do: teaching courses, directing plays, and designing PD.
Staying organized -physically and mentally- gives me the freedom to pivot and shift gears, to drop content/ideas, and insert random inspiration. (It also means I know where all my kids' junk is...)
Q: What are the most significant challenges you are working to overcome as you define what school could be?
The status quo. Change is scary and uncomfortable. When I get frustrated by how slow things are going, or by resistance, I remind myself: People love their kids. They love their community's kids. And when something as familiar as school suddenly looks and feels so different, it's scary.
The general apathy toward education and mistrust of educators create further barriers. I want to amplify the impact teachers have not just on students but on society. Great public schools are the heart of our society. People seem to have lost sight of the fact that education is about so much more than information; it's about equipping the future.
Q: Describe some of the most rewarding moments in your time in education; those crazy days when you knew you were having an impact...and it felt really good.
Those times when a student walked all the way to my room (theatre teacher- my room was all the way down by the auditorium, opposite side of school from everything else) and asked for a hug. Every time a student shared a piece of their heart or a glimpse of their dreams. And all the times when a kid realized they just accomplished something they didn't think was possible. (And it's the same now that my "students" are teachers.)
Q: What do you most want to learn from this global online community of your fellow educator-leaders?
What's working for educators and students. What are you trying, testing, planning. I just love hearing stories about people living their purpose and making teaching/learning RELEVANT and meaningful.
Q: What is something quirky that you love about yourself and would help other community members to get to know you?
One of my favorite favorite things to do is brainstorm. To brainstorm anything, but especially to brainstorm ideas around curriculum, student voice, professional development- OH! I get. So. Excited. (My husband loves to tease me that I don't have a job, I have a hobby. Cause no one gets THAT excited about what they do, does it in their free time, and generally talks about it all. The. Time.)
Q: Ben Franklin supposedly said, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." You might think Ben was full of baloney, but we are wondering when YOU are most awake, alive, productive, creative, and/or reflective. Early morning, late at night, some other time?
For me it's more about the conditions than the time: Clean slate, clear focus, no distractions, full cup of coffee.
Q: Cold night, snow out, warm fire, hot beverage, or hot day, white sand beach, shorts and slippers, cold beverage?
Cold night & a hot beverage!
Q: The coolest thing that happened to me today (the day I am filling out this form) was…
Completing this form and thinking about all the reasons why I do what I do.
Q: Putting on your futurist cap: What might your school/learning spaces (or “schools” in general) look and sound and feel like in 25 or 50 years.
In 25+ years, schools will be collaborative idea playgrounds focused on critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. No longer divided by age, students will complete skill clusters, demonstrating their mastery in multiple ways. Work will primarily consist of Joy/Purpose projects that allow students to explore key concepts via authentic pathways. By doing away with so many standardized tests, we will recognize the genius inherent in every child and honor their unique abilities to improve our world then create spaces for them to do that work. And they will.
We'll see more and more inventions and innovations coming from schools, more patents by students. The power of education will create a glut of teacher candidates as people flock to the one profession that is changing (saving?) the world.
Q: And finally, what do you think is the purpose of education? (Clearly not a small question, but we hope you enjoy responding!)
“Education exists to help all students identify their why -their purpose- while developing essential life skills. Education is (should be) the equal opportunity that propels all students toward productive futures.”