Passion is an oft loosely used word. And recently, though my intentions were sound, I used it to invoke inspiration only to discover that I created confusion. Part of the problem, as my regular readers are aware, is that I have a flair for alliteration, so when I first presented the opportunity to my kids, I quickly fell in love with the title “Passion Paper.” It was alliterative and it contained the word passion; where could that possibly go wrong? Turns out, it didn’t take long to go wrong. In fact, a number of my kids never got out of the starting blocks. They were stalled. Paralyzed. And “passion” was the problem.

“Sy, I don’t know what to write about.”

“Well, it’s easy just pick a passion. Go back to your desk. Set your timer for two minutes and list the things that you are passionate about.”

Several similar conversations and prescriptions later, I discovered that I had misdiagnosed the problem. “Passion” was the problem. The kids thought it had to be something that burned brightly within, and so they were having a hard time finding their fires. And I mistook this for laziness and lack of imagination, but really I created the problem by presenting what actually turned out to be a rather prohibitive term. So, yesterday, I took another stab at it, and attempted to explain it better by offering that, here, “passion” simply meant something that they wanted to do, something in which they would find value, something from which they would find joy. Further, I offered a list of is’s and is not’s.

I did (poorly). I reflected (with help from the kids). And I did better (at least for now, for there is always a “better” better). I am not going to change the name. I do love alliteration. And the idea of passion does resonate with me. I am just going to do a better job of explaining it in the future, for this paper, this project, exemplifies the freedom to learn that I desire for my kids. I want them to have an opportunity to explore and grow as writers under their own power. I want them to discover value. I want them to experience joy.

I want them to come to me as Abby did yesterday.

“So last year, I started writing a short story called, “Breathe, and…”

“Yes, I interrupted.”

“I just really don’t like my first topic, and…”

“Yes, I interrupted again. Change it.”

“It’s just that I really liked…”

“That’s passion. That’s what I want for you, Ab. Go for it. I want you to chase what you want, not what you think I want. It’s your passion; it’s your paper.”

“So, I can change it?”

“Yes!”

Of course, the problem here goes beyond the word “passion.” Part of the problem is the kids’ still adjusting to the freedoms I have provided. They are not accustomed to holding the keys. But as we continue our journey, I hope they come to trust and embrace their ownership. In the meantime, I will be patient. In the meantime, I will continue to provide opportunities that create commitment, not opportunities that force compliance. Truly, I want kids to do because they choose, not because they have to.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…continue pursuing passion with our passion papers.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

I wish I could say it’s organized.  I wish I could say it’s neat and tidy. I wish I could say it’s well-in-hand. But I can’t. It’s a mess. It’s a juggling act. On a unicycle. And I am terribly uncoordinated. But somehow. It’s working. Sixty days in, a third of the year, it’s working. And while I’d like to claim it’s the product of proper planning, it’s more likely luck than skill.  Either way, there is some emerging evidence that suggests that Project 180 is making a difference: for kids. And for me, that’s the only difference that matters.

Grades off the table, feedback on the menu, relationships as the centerpiece, Project 180 seems to be creating experiences apart from the norm, away from convention. And that is my goal. I want learning to be an experience, not a transaction. And it is in that experience that I want kids to learn themselves first, so they may better learn the world hereafter.

Recently–finally–I finished reading and scoring the kids’ narrative essays, and beyond learning a great deal about their lives, past and present, I learned, too, about how they are beginning to feel as writers. And “writers” is a key term here. I want my kids to view themselves as writers, not as “completers” of writing tasks. From saying, “We are writers,” each day in our Mindset Mantra to reflecting on our growth, I try to set the stage for kids to discover their roles as writers in room 211. Here are Abby’s and Shalla’s reflections.

Granted, this is a narrative essay, which creates more freedom, but even so, as our first major writing experience of the year, I feel like the kids were able to just be writers. Yes, they were still held to standards, and no, not all met those standards, but each had an opportunity to explore and grow as writer.

Additionally, I also recently asked kids to write letters to their parents for conferences, sharing their experiences in my class. Intentionally, I asked kids not to discuss grades but rather their day-in and day-out experiences in 211. Of course, though I was not the target audience, I was a reader, and in my reading, I learned a lot about how they are feeling about their experiences with me thus far. Here are some of the things I took away.

1. Smiles and Frowns was the most-mentioned activity. The kids value it, recognizing that it’s an important piece to building community.
2. Most indicated that they felt minimal stress in my class even though they felt challenged. This resonated a great deal with me. One, it is a primary goal for me to make this a stress-less class, BUT two, it is also a goal to present this as a high-expectations with high-support class. Stressed brains can’t learn.
3. A vast majority mentioned our monthly Community Circle activity as a highlight. Community matters.
4. Most, if not all, mentioned my flexibility with deadlines, retakes, and redo’s.
5. Many felt like they were actually learning stuff and not just covering stuff. We do not set a fast pace in 211, and we hover around standards for lengths of time. Learning takes time.

This is a small sampling of the things that stood out in their letters to their parents. And what I appreciated is that as parents read the letters at conferences there were lots of head nods and “She-talks-about-this-at-home” comments. Here is Shalla’s letter to her parents. The “sweet summer day” comment is a little much, but I had asked the kids to work in a “trick of the trade.” Shalla included a simile.

For the moment, I am pleased with our progress, but I will not rest here long. The wheel will turn, and we will be upside down again until we right ourselves, 180 degrees at a time, rotating from one “do” to our next “do better.” That is the 180 experience, a messy, tossed-about ride as we move through our days, as we live through our experiences, doing, reflecting, and doing better. I am lucky to have such a fantastic group of companions.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…continue working on our Passion Papers.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

 

 

Kids are smarter than we believe.

Kids’ worlds are real enough, really.

Kids can if we let them.

Kids trust if we trust back.

Kids’ limits shouldn’t be our limits.

Kids know if we’re faking it.

Kids are wiser than their age. 

Remember, it’s their learning, not ours.

 

These are my six-word, so-what statements about kids, which were inspired by our messy learning around injustice over the past two days in 211.

Yesterday, on a whim, I went off script and rewrote a scene. Actually, off-script is really not a whim for me, it’s the norm. Staying on script would be more a whim than off. Anyway, at the last minute, I came up with an idea for wrapping up our Table Talks on injustice. I asked the kids to culminate their thinking into six-word, so-what sentences about injustice. I wanted them to make a final emphatic statement to publish for the class. And though that may sound easy, it actually ended up being a greater challenge than one might believe. But the kids were undaunted.

I’m so proud of my kids.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

...begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…clear the clutter from the trail. We have these days on occasion, so we can pause and gain control of all that we have going on.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Ryhme.

Happy Friday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do better.