So, I am trying to instill in my kiddos that their learning is a story. And for that I am trying to provide a script. Generally speaking, I am wary of scripts, for sometimes our “scripting kids” is more harmful than helpful, too often leading to their fixed mindsets about not only school but also themselves. But the following is a script that I can get behind. In fact, it is at the center of 180, and importantly, it is at the center of my own learning stories, both professional and personal.

Really, the script is pretty simple. Do. Learn. Do Better. If my kids can do this, can “write this,” then I am confident they are learning. So, intentionally, I create consistent opportunities for them to capture the chapters of their learning. Below is such an opportunity, which went along with their second learning log of the year, another page in their stories.

My Learning Stories #2 (9/24 – 10/6)

Topic: Learning Experiences in Room 211

Audience: Parents and Syrie

Purpose: Analyze and Interpret, Express and Reflect

Prompt: Select a learning focus for which you have received feedback from me on a specific practice activity. Analyze my feedback in relation to the criteria and your work, then complete the template below. Please attach the specific practice activity to your learning log.

What I did (briefly explain the assignment): 

What I learned (summarize my feedback/suggestions for growth):

What I will do next time (explain how you will use my feedback to do better next time):

Essentially, the “Do” is what they did. The “Learn” is the feedback I provide. And the “Do Better” is the next time. Thus, “scripts” in hand, the kids set out to capture, to write their learning stories. They are due today, but as they began on Friday and came to me for guidance, three types of tales began to emerge.

Three Tales

Tale #1. These stories were the most common. The kids, as the prompt required, looked through their portfolios for evidence in the form of specific practice activities for which I had given feedback. For the most part, they were pretty straightforward and went something like this.

What I did (briefly explain the assignment): In the first essay of the week, I used a “Have-you-ever hook,” which Sy has now outlawed, so in the second EOW, I tried one of the 18 “legal” hooks he provided. This time, I used an anecdote.

What I learned (summarize my feedback/suggestions for growth): So, I got positive feedback on my hook type, but I forgot to bring it back in my conclusion, creating a full-circle effect. I got so focused on the beginning that I didn’t even think about revisiting my hook in the end.

What I will do next time (explain how you will use my feedback to do better next time): Next time I will do both. I will focus on the beginning, but I will also focus on the end. Glad there’s a next time (okay, doubt any kids will actually say this, but I hope they at least think it. 🙂 ).

Tale #2. These stories were less common, but there were more of them than I would have liked. These stories involved kids who had little or no practice with feedback. So, inevitably, discovering that they really had no story to tell, they came to me for help. I obliged, telling them that they had a story indeed; they just had to be honest. Their stories go something like this. And these stories may be even more important than the ones above.

What I did (briefly explain the assignment): I haven’t really done anything. I don’t really have any evidence to use as material for my story.

What I learned (summarize my feedback/suggestions for growth): I need to start doing more practice, so I can get feedback, so I can learn.

What I will do next time (explain how you will use my feedback to do better next time): I am going to start doing the EOW’s because I now see that Sy is using them as a way to give me feedback.

Tale #3. These stories were the least common. They involved kids who had essentially “met standard” on all that I had put in front of them. They, unlike those in the previous tale, had plenty of evidence; in fact they had all of it, so the first two parts were no problem. They were having a hard time with the “next time” part. So, I helped them.

What I did (briefly explain the assignment): I have done all the practice in this class.

What I learned (summarize my feedback/suggestions for growth): I have learned that so far I am pretty much on target with where Sy wants me to be.

What I will do next time (explain how you will use my feedback to do better next time): From here on, I will either find ways to challenge myself or work with Sy to find ways to take my learning further.

Different tales, yes, but all important in their own ways. I am excited to read their latest chapters. I hope as they become more experienced and comfortable with their authorship, they begin to see it as a critical component of their learning. I hope, too, that some other notions begin to sink in and set in their perceptions when it comes to the role of feedback in their learning. To that end, I placed the following propaganda in front them on Friday as well (see board above).

Feedback is the fuel of learning. Believe this from the bottom of my heart. I would even go on to suggest that without it, learning is not happening. So, if truly it is the fuel, I will continue to “feed” them. Pun intended. Can’t move forward if the vehicle won’t run. Gotta have fuel. I have a ready, rich supply.

Feedback is critical, not personal. Easier said than heard. Unfortunately, feedback is rarely warmly received, especially critical feedback. But critical feedback is…well, critical. I have to be able to be honest with kiddos about their performances against the established criteria. And so I am. I have to be. And that doesn’t always set well with them. So I work very hard to temper it. Fortunately, we have the growth-mindset anchor to fall back on, and I can rely on “yet.” As such, I used that word a fair amount as I gave the kids critical feedback on their pre-assessment practice this weekend. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to soften my judgment, some will still take it personally. But I hope as our journey continues, I am able to change their views on feedback; that they learn to trust the intent behind the words.

Happy Monday, all. Big week ahead. So proud of my kids. If P-180 achieves even a trace of success, I will owe it all to them.  They rock.

“I am so proud of this one.” –Vivian.

Yesterday, as she placed her essay of the week on my desk, Vivian, beaming brightly, shared the above sentiment, grabbing my attention, making my entire day. Glancing quickly at her theme statement, I congratulated her success and tucked her essay away in the rest of the pile. Then, this morning, shuffling through my feedback cards, I discovered that there was more to the story.

“Since I didn’t take Honors LA my freshmen year, I didn’t have as much knowledge for themes as other people did. So, for the first theme we had to write, mine was horrible. BUT when we worked with our group to write a theme with Sy’s help and worksheets, I learned how to write a great theme.” –Vivian

Here is Vivian’s proud accomplishment.

“Since our society influences the way we perceive things, often times, we are subconsciously forced to disregard the positive interpretation of things and focus on what society frowns upon.”

Mucho proud of this. So glad to be a part of Vivian’s learning story. I can’t wait for the next chapter. Here are the rest of the kids’ comments from the week.

“I think that instead of writing a lot of 3 paragraph essays every week we should do a larger one every like 2-3 weeks.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, the “larger” writing assignments are coming. The EOW is not going away. I think it is valuable practice. It challenges you to generate and articulate your ideas on a regular basis, and it gives me an opportunity to give you targeted feedback on a regular basis, too. Sorry. Probably not what you wanted to hear. Of course, there’s always the option to not do the EOW.

“For an essay of the week or something, I think if we did a topic about a current event that’s happening. It would be good for us. Mostly because a lot of us have opinions on them…”          –Anonymous

Anonymous, I agree. Up till now, I have tried to tie the EOW to the Text of the Week in order to connect our work, but on occasion, I can certainly select more timely topics. I might even consider letting you guys select your own topics as long as you still address the feedback target for the week. I’ll pay it some thought.

“I wish we could pour a lot of time (class time hopefully) and effort into one really good essay that takes like a month to write instead of churning out a bunch of low-effort essays. It gets stressful because they take a lot of time, even though we haven’t had much class time to practice or learn. A better use of time would be quick 3 sentence essays each week. They’re great practice and much shorter, so they’re easier to put effort into.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, as for the longer essays, see previous response to a similar concern. As for the 3-sentence essay, I agree, and when I can use that over a full 3-paragraph essay, I will.

“I think the essays are gonna be less done, so we should do a larger one whenever you think necessary. Just not every week!!–Anonymous

Anonymous, please see previous responses.

“Project 180 is wonderful. We can focus more on the learning than the grade. I don’t really like the EOW. We should do one every other week.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, please see previous responses.

“I love the idea that the work is optional because it helps me focus on doing homework I have in other classes, but I also feel like I can’t learn if we aren’t doing things in class because otherwise, I’m not motivated to do the work.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I tried to give you guys a lot more class time this week, and I will be conscious of it in the future. I hope this helps.

“I feel like you pass out TOO MANY papers. Can we limit the the amount of papers by using Google Classroom more?” –Lily

Lily, I hear you. I am working towards that. The biggest obstacle at present is that we only get the Chrome Books 2 days a week, so “paper” is still my default. On top of that, I worry about not all kids having access to wi-fi outside of school. But I wonder if we could make a digital option for those who do. I don’t know. Maybe we should discuss this as a class next week.

“I appreciate how willing you are to work with your students. I think that no homework is a great set-up for an LA Honors class. It take so much pressure off from my other AP and Honors classes. However, I would be hesitant to implement this in other classes, like a science class.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, I , too, wonder if this would work in other subjects. I would like to believe that it could/would, but I simply don’t know. 

“I do like this class; however, I don’t think we should spend as much time as we do on things like reflections, opening questions, and quests… We could have more time to do work, etc. without those. Maybe we could make up for the Q’s, reflections, and openers with more community circle.”–Anonymous

Anonymous, thank you for sharing your concerns. Hopefully, the modifications I made last week helped somewhat. But I will not be moving away from these things completely, I believe they serve an important role in creating and sustaining our culture and community. Still, I can try to be creative in how we do them.

“I love this system although my parents still expect me to turn in all of the assignments and essays. So, even though, the grade would allow me to be more relaxed in this class, I am still a bit overwhelmed by all the assignments I need to turn in…” –Anonymous

Anonymous, please know that I am both thrilled and sorry for your situation. I am thrilled that your parents take such an active role in your education, but I am sorry that you are feeling overwhelmed. I hope for you it ends up being one of those things that you appreciate later when you realize that it benefited you in the end. I hope. I will work hard on my end to help you arrive at that end.

🙂 –Anonymous

Anonymous, 🙂

“Just wanted to let you know I am only not doing the essays of the week because of all the other homework I have in math, history, and science. I am not just blowing it off because I get an A, and I will try to start doing them.” –Anonymous

Anonymous, glad that you have found some motivation. Maybe start by doing one every other week. That’s better than not at all, yes?

“I really really like this class! I think it’s the perfect mixture between fun and serious. The only problem I have is that I have a lot of homework in other classes, and I tend to push this class to the side, especially the essay of the week. So, the next time we have an essay of the week, I’m going to do it over the weekend and not do it last minute or not at all. Thanks for everything you are doing though! –Anonymous

Anonymous, see previous response. Maybe it would work for you, too?

“This class is amazing because he is very flexible when it comes to the work. We are in charge of our learning, which I like. If I do not get my work done, it’s not an “F.” It’s a missed opportunity. –Layla

Layla, thank you for making my year. If I were to provide a script for what I hoped a student might say about 180, this would be it. Exactly it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So grateful that the kids feel free enough to tell me how it is. I hope they keep it up. We’ve got a long ways to go, and I am lucky to have such great company.

Well, when one teaches kids first and content second, sometimes things go differently than planned. Oh, we certainly managed to get through what I had planned for the day, but there were a few “unexpecteds” along the way.

First, food. So, when I set out to provide a student store this year, I imagined that I would have a few snacks available for kids in addition to the expected school staples of pens, pencils, paper, etc. Then, due to the kindness of community, both known and anonymous, the Sy’s Student Store grew to something more.

Yesterday, through the compassion and coordination of Jessica Deutsch and Kelly Depner, I was able to help feed hungry kids with the donation pictured above. Cheney Middle School, in partnership with Communities in Schools, had surplus food to share, and they, aware of what I was doing to help feed kids, generously offered the above bounty of apples, carrots, bread, potatoes, and Nutter Butters.  At first, I was a bit reluctant because I wasn’t sure if my method of distribution would be efficient enough to keep with the items’ limited shelf lives, but I wanted to try, and I’m glad I did. By day’s end, it was mostly gone, and I’m confident that it will be by today’s end. I am so grateful and proud to be a part of the Cheney community; there are so many kind, generous people who want to help, who want to make a difference. And they are. Because of recent feed-the-kid events like this, conversations are being started at the district level to find more ways to sustain a steady supply of food for our kids. Thank you Jessica and Kelly for making a difference. Hungry kids can’t learn. And kids shouldn’t ever be hungry. Ever.

Second unexpected: sleep. Had a first yesterday. Had a young lady ask me if she could put her head down and sleep for ten minutes. Oh, I have had kids nod off before during some of my marathon-mouth moments–I could barely stay awake, too, but this was different. She needed a nap. There’s more to the story. She lives with narcolepsy. I was aware of this, for she told me, insisting that I not take it personally should she nod off, but up till now she had managed to fight off the urge to nod–a struggle that I have witnessed regularly. But today was different, the struggle too real. So, of course, I consented. She assured that me all her work was done, and that she only need ten minutes. The rest of kids were working, and they are generally aware of her situation, so I didn’t think it would call too much attention;  it was an easy yes. Interestingly, she is doing her My Learning project on narcolepsy, hoping to deepen not only her but society’s understanding with her EQ: What is it like to live with narcolepsy? Now, thinking back on the situation, imagining that a principal walked in and wanted to know why a kid was sleeping in class, I would have been happy to reply that she was simply doing research for her project.

Happy Friday, all.

Though the price is neither too high nor unfair, there is a price. Exhaustion. One only has so much energy to burn, to give, and when one goes beyond, the piper will be paid. I am paying this morning–the piper unmoved and unempathetic. So, I pay, and I will continue to pay, for while it is exhaustion, it is sweet exhaustion, the satisfaction of tagging along with kids on their journeys, both my high school and college kids. Lovely beings all. Lucky they’ve let me in. Couldn’t part even if I wanted. The price.

Why so tired today? Well, above all, it stems from my helping kids work through their thinking yesterday with their topics and essential questions, work that not only necessitates but also generates enthusiasm–genuine enthusiasm, a two-sided coin of exhaustion and excitement, a light burning bright with an appetite as big as the world. And while a good deal of work remains, we made marked progress yesterday, and I am thrilled with the topics and EQ’s the kids are generating. Here are some that come to mind this morning (pardon the paraphrases, hard to be exact with 89 topics and EQ’s dancing in my head).

Topic: The Decline of Rodeo in American culture.

EQ: What will we lose if we lose rodeo?

Topic: Christianity

EQ: What does it mean to be a good Christian?

Topic: Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)

EQ: Do FBLA students have a real-world advantage over their peers?

Topic: Art

EQ: What is art?

Topic: Sloths

EQ: Why do sloths get such a bum rap?

Topic: Elephants

EQ: Should we end the practice of keeping elephants in captivity?

Topic: Personality

EQ: Why does our personality change with our environment?

Anyway, these are some that come to mind. It’s important to remember that the kids are not searching for the answer, they’re seeking to deepen their understanding. I am excited to see where their seeking leads.

Yesterday, I invited you to ask me questions about P-180. Below is a question from former student and faithful follower, Amarise.

Question: Since starting P-180, have you seen a difference in student behavior compared to previous years before P-180? Ex., student motivation, completion of assignments, respect for teacher and peers, desire to learn, etc.

Great question, Amarise. Actually a hard question to which I am not sure I have a ready answer. But it certainly has given me pause to reflect. I want to say, “Yes,” it’s better than before, but I am not sure it is that simple, so I won’t for now. In truth, I think we have to give 180 more time. So, for now, I will simply say, “I am not sure.” But be assured, it will definitely be on my mind as we continue down the path. Thank you for making me think.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Today, the goal for the kids is to select their topics for their My Life Projects. For that I have two requirements. First and foremost, it has to be of genuine interest to them. Second, they have to be able to generate an essential question. They alone are the guards at the gate for the first one. They know their interests. Even so, and maybe simply because they rarely get real choice, their seems to be an air of distrust on this one as kids come to me and say, “Can I do my project on “X?” And, I simply respond with, “Is it of genuine, I-am-really-passionate-about-this interest?” If the answer is yes, then we are on our way.

But what about the essential question? Well, this requires a different approach, an approach that I must, can, and will support. To that end, the first step is defining an EQ. And this is how I am going about that. First, I put the two columns of questions below in front of the kids, asking them to analyze them as a team, noting their observations between the two columns. Second, based on their observations, I ask them to draw some general conclusions about questions. We did this in teams as a Quick Quest. They had four minutes to complete the task. Then, they shared their thinking, and we discussed our findings as a class. Essentially, the kids arrived where I wanted them to, noting that the left-hand column was more broad in its scope, and the right-hand column was more narrow. They noted, too, that the right seemed to have definite, “Googleable” answers, and the left seemed to have a range of possible, opinion-based answers. All this was done before I had said one word about their projects. Interestingly, one conclusion that we eventually drew is that school seems to largely emphasize and value the right-hand column over the left. Even more interesting was the observation that their seems to be applicability and value to the left-hand column type of thinking in the real world. And we wondered about the mismatch between the two. Insightful kids.

Now that I had them thinking, I introduced the project, emphasizing interest and the EQ as the key first steps to paving the path for their projects. Last night, as homework, I gave them a handout on essential questions to read and annotate. In that handout are the key considerations that we will take into account as we generate our EQ’s today, key considerations that I will take the kids back to as they ask me if they can do their topics on “X.” I told them yesterday that my goal is to ultimately say yes to their chosen pursuits, but they have to pass the interest and EQ litmus test first. I can’t wait to join them in their discoveries today.

A good essential question…

1. Is open-ended; that is, it typically will not have a single, final, and correct answer.
2. Is thought-provoking and intellectually engaging, often sparking discussion and debate.
3. Calls for higher-order thinking, such as analysis, inference, evaluation, prediction. It cannot be effectively answered by recall alone..
4. Raises additional questions and sparks further inquiry.
5. Requires support and justification, not just an answer.
6. Recurs over time; that is, the question can and should be revisited again and again.

Happy Tuesday, all. But before I go, I have a request. Many of you have been following me for long time now, and you represent a broad spectrum from fellow educators, to former students, to current students, to supportive friends, to curious or skeptical members of society, and so on. As such, you all have unique perspectives and filters through which you are processing P-180. As a means to not only make P-180 better but also in order to prepare for the conference in November, please consider asking me any questions that you have about P-180: big, small, complex or simple. Your questions will help me further process, develop, and refine the project’s present and future. Thank you for your consideration. Truly, it would help. Good day.

Time for a Monday mosey on down the learning trail. Below is what I will present to the kiddos today. Last year, some of you may remember, I had the kids do independent learning projects to  get them to take greater responsibility for their learning. That was last year, before Project 180. This is this year, where now taking greater responsibility for their learning isn’t a secondary target for my kids. It is the target. So, this year, I changed the independent learning projects. Here are a few of the key changes I made.

1. What’s in a name? While it still emphasizes independence, this year’s name, “My Learning” emphasizes above all ownership, which is the hallmark of a P-180 classroom.
2. Last year, we did one project per month. This year, we will do one per semester. It is a much bigger project, which I will use as a vehicle to target, develop, and assess Super-Student learning targets and behaviors.
3. Though there was an “essential-question” component to last year’s projects, there is a greater emphasis this year. One cool thing that I just learned was the idea of reaching understanding instead of reaching an answer, which makes sense, for there really are no definitive answers to well-posed EQ’s.
4. For the final ILP last year, the kids created mock blogs. This year, we will use Google Blogger to create actual blogs, giving the kids authentic, real-world writing experiences with real audiences. So excited for this addition.
5. In an effort to offer support for what I expect, I will allot two class days per week to the projects, which is a major move from last year, where I would not allow any class time.
6. In addition to the time support, I will also offer my support as a resource, which was not the case last year.
7. And finally, perhaps my favorite change, I did away with the points. No points. No grade. Just learning. Just another opportunity, advantage to a P-180 classroom. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

And that’s that. It’s been coming all along, but I had to wait until I felt like we had built a foundation around the principles of 180 before we started building. And I feel like we are there. Learning, HO!

Happy Monday, pardners. Wagon’s a rollin’.

My Learning Project #1

This project is designed to put you in the driver’s seat of your learning. I am excited to assist you from the passenger’s seat. So let’s buckle up and go for a ride.

Project Outline

1. Select a topic from your Learning Territory inventory Be sure that is of genuine interest to you, for you will spend a lot of time with it.
2. Develop an essential research question.
3. Generate informational questions to help you progress towards understanding.
4. Search for answers to your questions.
5. Keep track of your sources, providing a bibliography and works-cited page in MLA format.
6. Create and keep a blog on your topic. Information and requirements to follow.
7. Create and present a product that reflects the depth of your learning.
8. Prepare and deliver a presentation that showcases your understanding from the project, emphasizing both the process and product of your project.
9. Post regular My Learning reflections to your blog.
10. I will provide 2 class days a week (Monday and Tuesday) for your project.
11. I will use your projects to target, develop, and assess Super-Student learning targets and behaviors.
12. Due Monday, January 9, 2017

Targeted Super-Student Standards

1. I can integrate cited text evidence into my writing to support my thinking.
2. I can successfully complete all parts of the writing process.
3. I can construct an effective argument.
4. I can achieve the big-six, real-world writing purposes.
5. I can use effective speaking skills to engage an audience.
6. I can identify, use, and avoid errors with a variety of clauses and phrases.
7. I can use parallel structure.

Targeted Super-Student Profile Characteristics

1. I have a growth mindset.
2. I take responsibility for my growth as a learner.
3. I collaborate to learn.
4. I participate to learn.
5. I reflect to learn.
6. I demonstrate independence and resourcefulness.
7. I ask for help when I need it.
8. I contribute to my classroom community.
9. I use class time wisely.

Fewer comments from the kiddos this week. I had to do some minor editing to protect anonymity, but I was careful to preserve the kids’ original messages.

We should do community circle another time. –Anonymous

Anonymous, I agree. It’s just hard to find the time. But it’s important, so I will make it happen–somehow. To hold myself accountable, I will make a public promise. We’ll do at least one each month. Wish it could be more. 

Hey, Mr. Syrie. I really do enjoy your class, but I just wish I (we) had some freedom to join other groups and learn from/with them. I know we get to pick our seats, but people have kinda claimed their spots, and I can’t do anything about it because all the seats are full, and I don’t want to “take” someone’s spot. I just wish we could change up the seats, but if we can’t that’s okay.–Anonymous

Anonymous, thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please know that you are not alone; I’ve had others express a desire to move and/or change things up a bit, so as I mentioned yesterday, next week you have the freedom to move your desk to join other groups if you wish. I want to continue to honor choice, but I also want to be responsive to your needing/wanting more flexibility. Hope this helps.

Could you possibly write all the assignments and when they are due on the board? Thanks. I really enjoy your class. –Andrew

Andrew, yes, of course. You were gone yesterday, but I have already created a “due dates and reminders” space on the whiteboard. I am sorry that I assumed, because of our flexible due dates, that you guys wouldn’t want or need me to provide this for you, Obviously, I was wrong. Sorry. Hope this helps. kiddo.

Thank you, Mr. Syrie. I am very happy that you are trying something new in the classroom.      –Joe

Joe, thank YOU for your willingness to try it along with me.

I love this new program. –Justin

Just, love that you love it.

If there is one thing that I can say about this class, I’d say it’s the most fun and most freeing time I’ve spent learning anything. –Anonymous

Anonymous, music to my ears, kiddo, music to my ears.

I suppose my feedback this week is pretty simple. I absolutely love this class, and not just because we get an A, but because of the environment. I knew from the first time I came into this class I would like you, only because of the way you presented yourself. The more I get to know you, the more I feel comfortable. I mean you showed up to school in a cheerleader outfit! I guess this week I just want to say thank you. Thank you for giving us a chance to determine our future in this class. Thank you for making me (us) feel safe in this room. And thank you for being you, no matter how weird the world thinks you are. You’re taking a risk for us, even though others may judge you. So, if everyone is telling you your idea sucks, and we won’t get anything out of this, just know that you have impacted at least one student this year. –Anonymous

Anonymous, thank you for putting the icing on top of this already awesome week. So glad that you are in my corner. Makes a world of difference for me, especially during those tougher times when I, myself, wonder if my idea doesn’t suck. Though I would consider it a success if I only impacted you, I hope that in the remaining 158 days I am able to impact a few more. Thank you.

Kids will speak if we give them a voice. They’ll continue to speak if we listen. I am doing my best to listen. I hope they’ll keep speaking. Not sure I could handle their silence.