“…more often than not the only difference between what’s possible and what’s impossible in the classroom is the choice of the teacher.”

“Sy, can I redo some of my performances tomorrow before break?”

“Of course. Always.”

This was an email exchange yesterday afternoon between a student and me. It both surprised and pleased me. Surprised because up to this point he has showed little interest in taking advantage of the opportunities that I offer to learn from feedback and second efforts, even at my urging. He was one of the last I expected an email from. Of course, I suspect his new-found motivation likely stems from home and avoiding trouble over break, but the reason matters little to me. Regardless, he will be sitting with me today, discussing his work, considering my feedback, and trying again.

And that pleases me. He will learn today. He will also learn about learning, and as he learns, I hope that such understanding will lead him to take advantage of the opportunities I offer, not for the trouble it avoids but for the help it hands. May sound a small thing, and it may not be the purest of purposes for his wanting to redo, but I find it a giant leap for this young man. I was immensely pleased by this step.

Some of the Performances (assessments) that he is seeking to redo are from many weeks ago. And while some classrooms would never consider allowing kids to go that far back, in the 180 classroom it’s always possible. As I have said a number of times, more often than not the only difference between what’s possible and what’s impossible in the classroom is the choice of the teacher. I choose possibility, and in doing so, I provide possibility, room to grow for my kids. I will not let some arbitrary view of a timeline or an incident of of inconvenience stunt my kids’ growth. I have that choice to make. I have that choice to own.

And in that “owning,” I have never once second-guessed myself. Not once. Would I prefer such things to happen with more immediacy? Of course. But late or early, there’s always opportunity to learn. And as I sit down with him today, I will praise him for coming to me, and I will feel good about creating a space and experience where late lives and never not. 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

….choosing a Community Champ.

…wrapping up Truth Projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Enjoy the holiday season. This is the last P-180 post now till after break. Thank you for all the support.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Things are different in the 180 classroom. Without points to push and pull my kids, I have to use my words. From Sappy Sy Rhymes to the newly implemented #MyRoomMessages, I try to find ways to encourage and inspire my kids to make the most of our time together. I have no carrots or sticks to force them, so I use my words to compel them.

I’ve always, it seems, had a penchant for the authentic. Things and deeds are better true, and if they are not…well, then, they just don’t seem to matter as much to me. So, in the classroom, as I frequently mention, I have little interest in compliance, for I find it generally inauthentic. Instead, I seek commitment, and though I seek it, it is really not for me. It’s for my kids. I want them to commit to their learning. I want them to take ownership and responsibility. In that, I find authenticity. In that, I find hope for more than the now. I find hope in the “then,” when they have moved along their path away from me and the opportunity we shared.

In the end, I believe I am simply a provider of opportunity and support. And it is this belief that drives my approach. And so, I do differently. And the further I venture into different, the more different it becomes. In general, I feign posting learning targets on my board. For, (as my pattern reveals) I find them contrived, so instead, I post things–consistently of late–like the MyRoomMessages. Does it inspire and encourage my kids? I want to think so. Do my kids–all my kids–work diligently 100% of the time? No, of course not. In fact, I’d like a number of kids to step up their game, if you will. And so, I interrupt their learning at intervals and ask them questions like, “Who could look me in the eye and say they’ve made progress?” Or for their daily Journey Journal reflections, “If I can’t trust you, show me your entry.”

Of course, there’s more to my madness than words. There’s a foundation that I set on day one and have been building on ever since: relationships. Words matter. But words mean less without connection. When we’re connected words seem to matter more, so I spend the time and energy on connections. 

Some days, if I am honest, I wonder if I have wandered too far, but even as I wonder, I wander, seeking better. Sometimes, I have to backtrack…okay, a lot of times, I have to try it again, but I’d rather try and fail to succeed than stubbornly stick to something because it’s the way we’ve always done it, even when we know it’s not working. So here I am, daring different. And I guess that’s what I’ll keep doing because I don’t know the way back.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…putting the finishing touches on our projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Yesterday, still unsettled by the previous day’s revelations about one of my kid’s getting bullied, I decided to make sure all my kids know that they matter. So, I used my recently implemented  #MyRoomMessage to get things underway.

And then, just as we were set to begin Smiles and Frowns, I decided to up the ante for myself a bit, asking the kids to humor me as I said, “you matter,” after calling each name to share, looking each in the eye as I did so. John, you matter. Lisa, you matter. And so on.

Awkward? A bit. It was particularly awkward when a kid “passed” after my telling them they mattered. But I will always accept and respect their right to pass. AIways. On a whim, I asked the kids if anyone had ever said their name along with those two words before. Many answered, “Just now.” That tells me we all could do a better job of letting those with whom we’re connected know they matter. It matters.

Of course, there are ways other than the words to let people know, but words carry weight. And as I watched and listened to kids’ accepting the challenge to let others know they matter, I was moved by their words. And I hope they were moved by mine as I said “you matter” to 143 of them yesterday. I hope they found the sincerity in my sentiment and felt the weight of my words. It matters. A lot.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reaching the end and wrapping up our work with our Truth Projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend. You matter. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

They broke my glasses and hit me repeatedly on the back of the head.

I wasn’t going to write about this this morning, but I can’t get away from it, so I am going to get it off my chest.

It caught us all off guard. Normally in his quirky, awkward, goofy-smiled way, he shares something silly, so when he began with “Frown, I got attacked last night…” we missed the initial gravity of his admission. One of his peers even misheard, thinking he had said, “I got a tat (tattoo) last night.” But then the mood changed and the gravity of what he was sharing pressed us into our chairs as looks of dismay shaped our faces upon hearing his horror.

They followed him after they got off the bus, calling his name. That was the first red flag, he shared. “They never talk to me.” Then they called out, asking to him to wait up, that they wanted to talk to him, “That was the second red flag.” And then the hitting started, knocking him to the snowy ground, pounding him on the back of the head, breaking his glasses. (Sorry for the graphic detail, but I wanted to try and relate how we felt upon hearing this deeply troubling tale).  

In disbelief, we sat in shocked silence. But then something happened. Empathy emerged. Questions came. Comments lifted. We were not okay with this. And we wanted him to know. Peers poured out their support. And for that moment, I believe he felt less-broken. I am not suggesting that his peers are all now his fast friends. No, to be sure, my second period is about as cliquey as it gets, but even so, we all experienced a moment of humanity yesterday morning. And even though the world is skewed in his eyes with both a broken spirit and glasses to match, he saw his peers yesterday and they saw him. 

The “two” will get into trouble. There will be consequences for their actions. But, there may be more important consequences than their trouble. The consequence of human connection. We weren’t jocks, preps, emos, gamers, wallflowers, or smokers yesterday. We were humans connected in a moment which, though brought to bear the ugly, ended in the beauty. The beauty of connection. And those in the room won’t soon forget. We can mend the broken. 

This is why I do Smiles and Frowns. I do it for him. I do it for them. I do it for all of us. All of us.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…making our way to the finish line with our Truth Projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all. Sorry for the hard post this morning. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Many know that I provide my kids with lifelines for those days when life is tugging at them and they need a little grace. I give them two per semester. And though I have yet to use my two in class, I am going to spend one with you guys today.

Feel like crap. First cold of the season. And of course, since it’s “only a cold” and I can overdose on cough drops and cold medicine, I am going to school today. But I’m not gonna post much this morning. Sorry. 

Catch up with everyone tomorrow.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…choosing a community champ.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

“No bad. Just where you are until we find our way, okay?”

Somewhere along the way we got our wires crossed. What I expected and what she thought I wanted were two different things, and, consequently, it affected her performance.

I said as much in my written feedback at the top of her paper, giving her the benefit of the doubt and taking some responsibility that I may have explained it inadequately. Even so, our conference began yesterday with her uttering, “I did bad.”

But she didn’t do “bad.” She just needed clarification, for as we went through the performance (assessment), it was clear that she understood the “what,” she had just gotten mixed up on the “how.” And that’s partly on me, yes?

Once upon a classroom, the conversation would have gone far differently. So differently, in fact, that I struggle to recognize the teacher I once was. Then, I would have simply said that she didn’t follow directions. I said them. I wrote them. And most every other kid followed them. So it was not my fault. It was hers. And there are consequences for not following instructions. It’s the way things are. And she would have earned her “F.” 

Who does that? Well, clearly, I. But as I did, too many still do. But it doesn’t have to be. I will never go back to that place, a place no longer imaginable. But even as I run away from that place where I once dwelt and dealt, I cannot deny that when I was there, I thought I was right. I knew I was right. You know nothing, Monte Syrie.

Even now, in a place far better, I know less than more. I have not the answers. I have not arrived at the magical land of ED upon a yellow brick road. I have no illusions that there isn’t simply a man behind the curtain. But. But I no longer only look behind the curtain for answers, I look out into the room, the space and there I find who knows as well or better than I. The kids.

Oh, there in that place I still have a role. Always will. Somebody has to make it okay. No bad. Just learning. I can do that, and though I will no doubt look back someday and find fault in this space, too, I have to believe–I want to believe–I won’t cringe knowing that I helped a kid find her way, instead of hiding behind the “way of things.” 

And so, that’s what I did. I helped her find her way. No wicked witches. No wizardry. Just two humans working together as we seek our way.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…writing anecdotes as a method of elaboration (performance with self-assessment and reflection).

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

“When I ask a question, the teacher tells me I should ‘already know that.'”

Hmmm. So she asked a question because she wanted to know. And, instead of taking the opportunity to validate her as a learner, the teacher lays guilt at her feet, pointing a finger, instead of lending a hand.

Sadly, this plays out far too often in the classroom. And even if there is “some truth” to the “already-know-it-response,” it relies more on what was taught rather than what was learned. Just because it was in the curriculum last year, and just because it was taught and maybe even tested, it does not mean it was learned. And so, when a kid asks a sincere question, we should set aside our assumptions about last year and be responsive to our kids this year. Kids come as they are. Ready or not. And ready or not, it is what it is at that point, the point where they are “our kids,” not somebody else’s kids. And in the many moments that we find ourselves with our kids, there is much to learn from each other. Yes, of course, we have a lot to teach, but we can’t really teach if we don’t know what our kids need, and there is no better way to learn what they need than from the questions they ask. 

But what if they don’t ask questions? Then can we really meet them where they are? Learners have to ask questions. It’s where learning begins. So, then, why don’t kids ask questions? Well, for reasons like the example above and myriad other reasons as well.

Recently, I had a chance to hear and think about the reasons. In cooperation with Elise Foster, an author and executive coach from Ohio with whom I have become connected through Twitter, I had a chance to think through student questions via an email interview. Further, my kids also completed a survey for her, answering “I’d ask more questions in class if…” The above response that started my post is from a young lady in my 5th period class, a young lady who is one of the most genuine, sincere young people I have ever known, and if she asks a question, she really needs to know. She doesn’t need to be invalidated. Ever.

We wield a power, we teachers. We have the power to build up or break down. And as I have thought about that power recently (thank you, Elise), I made a pledge to my kids.

Can I meet all their needs all the time. Sadly, no. But I at least will know what they need so I can try. And maybe that’s what teaching is in the end: The Big Try.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…the joy of personal reading.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

“Are you serious? You haven’t done Community Circle with these guys yet? What’s wrong with you? Why would you do that? That’s a mistake, Sy.”

Before Smiles and Frown there was Community Circle. Ten years ago, I started doing Community Circle with my kiddos. We would sit in a circle around the room and share our lives through various topics, ranging from our favorite candy to what haunts us. As with Smiles and Frowns, kids were given the right to pass. Even then, I wanted their commitment, not their compliance. We did it every Friday. It was transformational; it created and sustained powerful relationships and developed a strong community. And though the amount of times I do it per month has changed, it remains a valuable component to building our classroom culture.

But I haven’t done it yet this year. In part, our new weekly schedule has had an impact, and in another part, I wanted to wait a bit longer and later into the year, first getting Smiles and Frowns underway. Last year, we did it the first Friday of every month. And I had planned to officially begin it in January with the new year, but I I had to scrap that plan, for I got called out.

Ceejay, a student from last year, stopped by recently during 4th period to check in. We had just finished Smiles and Frowns, and she asked my kiddos how much they loved Community Circle, too. They blankly looked at her and then questioningly looked at me. And then she let me know in her upfront way that I came to love last year that I had made a mistake. And she wasn’t wrong. So, today I am seeking to salvage the damage, and we are doing our first Community Circle of the year.

Here’s the basic approach.

I arrange the desks in a large circle (er, square) around the room. We have also sat on the floor and stood in a circle. Regardless the approach, it is key to create a space where everyone is looking at each other.

I prepare questions/prompts in advance (typically 5-7). I pose the question and we go around the circle, giving each an opportunity to share or pass. Again, I believe the “right to pass” is key to success with this activity. We also have the “come back.” Sometimes kids have not had enough time to think of  a response, so we go back to them at the end. 

Just as with Smiles and Frowns, this a great opportunity for practicing listening skills. I ask my kids to be great listeners. I ask them to visually connect with the speaker and not to talk while someone is sharing. For the most part, my kids are fantastic listeners, but they need reminders now and again. 

That’s the gist of Community Circle. Nothing too fancy. Really just an opportunity to create and strengthen connection in our classroom community. 

Mistake to wait this long? Probably. Glad Ceejay got me straightened out. 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience….

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns and Community Circle.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.