A bit tired and uninspired on this Monday morning. Staring at the screen trying to capture something isn’t working, so I’m not going to force it. Some days it just doesn’t come to me. Consequently, this 791st Project 180 post will be short and lame. Sorry. Tomorrow will be better. Usually is.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing with grammar.
…connecting to others’ stories (Freedom Writers).
…reflecting in our Journey Journals.
…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Monday, all. Sorry I came up empty this morning.
I once prided myself on my ability to keep kids silent. I ran a tight, quiet ship. It, I thought, was the mark of a classroom staged for learning. I now think I thought wrong. Learning is human. Learning is social. Learning is noisy. I set the stage differently now.
Of course, there are times when the script calls for quiet and noise needs to be addressed, needs to be regulated, but as I’ve outgrown my compliance model of old, I have come up with new ways to create commitment opportunities for my kids. I don’t want to force them into compliance. I want to nudge them into commitment.
Eight days in, I have found it’s time to nudge a few of my talkers. Here’s the conversation I hope to have today.
Me:Hey, guys. How ya feelin’ about your talking?
Them:Eh, we probably talk too much.
Me:Agree. But I’m stuck. I don’t want you to stop talking. I value your energy and voices. But we need to find a way to manage your talking.
Them:Okay.
Me: I have an idea. Keep talking. But I want you to monitor it. I want you to try to be aware of how much you’re talking. And then, at the end of the period, I want a report. It’s just between us. It will be subtle. When we go to do Journey Journals, I want you to give me a sign with your fingers. 3, we did well. 2, we did okay. 1, we didn’t do well. I also want you to write the number at the top of your journal entry for the day. Let’s start Monday. And then let’s check back in on Friday to see how the week went. Okay?
Them:Okay.
Of course, I cannot really know how they will respond, and of course, this approach may fail miserably, but as I thought about my student teacher’s question yesterday about how we deal with talking, my mind rejected compliance strategies and set to finding commitment opportunities. And this is where I landed.
They are not acting disrespectfully and they do come to attention when necessary, but outside that, they are talkers, offering running commentary on just about everything. And I think–perhaps–it may very well be that they’re just not fully aware of how much they’re talking and how interruptive it can be. I say interruptive because it’s not really disruptive. They interrupt more than they disrupt. Maybe semantics. Either way, I am going to ask them to be aware. My hope is that they then come to a place of self-regulation.
Will it work? I don’t know. If it doesn’t, we will come at it from a different angle. It’s all we can do. Humans together. Living. Learning.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing with grammar.
…connecting with others through their stories (Freedom Writers entries).
Because I do things differently, I have to own the responsibility that comes with that.
This was part of my message to parents last night at open house. With only ten minutes to share too much information about an approach that is radically different from their kids’ other teachers, I had to acknowledge, had to own the responsibility that there will be a need for clarification down the road. So, I invited them, welcomed them to please email me when they needed me to clarify my approach–as many times as necessary. I accept the “responsibility of “different.”
Skyward’s gonna be problematic.
Skyward, our online grading program, fits not well my approach. It is built around the percentage-based approach to grading. So, for those of us who dare different, it presents a challenge. It can be a problem. Here is how I am addressing the problem. Here is what I told parents.
“Skyward is not my grade book. It is a recording and communication tool. I keep record of your kids’ Learning Checks as a way to communicate their experiences and progress. If ever you see something that you want more information on, please email me.”
I don’t give F’s and I want everyone to get an A.
I told parents that I shared this with their kids in class yesterday when we were discussing my learning practices. I wanted to make a point.
(to the kids) “Okay, we know no one is going to fail and we know it is likely that most will get an ‘A.’ So there, we had the grading conversation. That leaves learning. That’s our focus in here, not grading.”
Your child doesn’t take Learning Checks (assessments) to put grades in the grade book. They take Learning Checks to give me an opportunity to provide them with feedback.
I emphasized this to parents as I was explaining the basic learning experience in my class. Practice. Learning Check. Feedback. Response. I use assessment for learning. It creates the opportunity for feedback from the teacher and a response from the learner. And the process continues for as long as the learner needs. Learning is a circle, not a line.
And, for the most part, that is what filled our ten minutes together last night. Of course there was more to tell–more different to deliver–but I believe we got off to a great start, and together we will work to create a rich learning experience for the kids we daily share, for the kids they place in my trust, a trust I take not lightly. And as I dare different, I feel a keen sense of responsibility to work hard to keep that trust.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing with grammar.
…considering the purpose and power of story.
…viewing coverage of Rodney King trial and the L.A riots to create context for Freedom Writers.
Is there are a distinction between how we learn in school and how learn outside of school? Explain.
What is teaching?
I am going to ask my kids to consider and discuss these questions today prior to my sharing my learning practices, which are quite different from the practices they encounter in their other classrooms. So, to help situate them in the learning context of my classroom, I want to connect with them, hear from them, learn from them about this thing we call teaching and learning.
But they are kids. What do they know about teaching and learning? You went to college for that. You are the expert on teaching and learning?
Am I? Did I have a firm grasp on this as I left university?
But you have taught for twenty-four years, surely you know what needs to be known about teaching and learning.
Do I? Do I hold the corner on what is learning, what is teaching?
I don’t think so. I didn’t think so when I started Project 180 three years ago (In truth, it’s why I started Project 180 three years ago). And I don’t think so now at the start of year four. But, as I start, my eyes and ears are wide and open as I seek to learn more about this thing we call teaching and learning. And I will make the kids partners in this endeavor. For, while they are not officially trained, they are sufficiently experienced to bring their perspective to the table as they have been on the other end of this thing we call teaching and learning for some time now. And, from that place, I will ask them to help me capture learning this year. Their learning.
Learning Practices
This is what I will share with the kids today as we set the stage for their learning experiences, their stories this year. I will also share it with parents tonight at our open house.
So, you do have a corner on teaching and learning?
No. Decidedly, no. I am not sharing this from a place of knowing. I am sharing it from a place of wanting to know. It is simply the latest manifestation of my chasing better, of my earnest efforts to learn more and better about this thing we call teaching and learning. I am not sharing because I have the answers. I am sharing because I don’t.
It had to happen. Sooner or later, we had to have the talk. I chose a bit later.
Yesterday, we finally had the talk.
Cellphones.
Every teacher has to have the cellphone talk. It’s our reality, and so we have to establish our phone policies in our classrooms.
I chose not to have the talk the first three days. Oh, I politely asked kids to put their phones away during Smiles and Frowns, and I casually mentioned that we’d eventually discuss my phone policy, but for the most part I ignored phone use. We had other, more important things to address, but upon rolling out my 4 R’s last Friday, I decided it was time we established my policy for phone use in room 206.
A few years ago, tired of the phone fight, I decided to compromise with kids, and I began granting a “Brain Break” halfway through the period, a time for them to stand, stretch, talk, use the restroom, get a drink, and…check their phones. In truth, maybe it should be called a “Phone Break.” It’s how the majority of the kids use it. But it’s their time, and, well, it’s the main reason I did it.
So yesterday, before we got going, I told the kids we had to talk, and I shared my policy with them. Outside of the “Brain Break” and unless otherwise directed by me (using them as learning devices), phones are to remain out of sight.
Of course, though I think kids generally respect me, my stating my policy doesn’t magically end any and all issues with phones. Kids will still give into their impulses to check their phones, will still try to sneak peaks. And when they do, I will politely–usually privately–ask them to put their phones away. For those who just cannot help themselves, I will politely ask them to place their phones on my desk. They are not in trouble. They just need my help. They may have their phones back at “Brain Break.”
For me, really it’s more about time. Our time together is short, so I need them fully present. And though I am guardedly selfish with that time, I am willing to give up three minutes of it for them to attend to the other areas of their lives, which may not be important to me, but they are important to them. And I try to acknowledge and honor that. Further, and I discussed this with the kids yesterday, we don’t do homework. My class only ever takes up fifty-two minutes of their days, and in that brief blip, I need them to be fully here. I quipped yesterday that if they needed to recoup the screen time deficit that occurs in my class, they can consider recovering it later as homework.
Mom: Why are you on your phone?
Son: Doing my LA homework. Sy said I could catch up on my screen time on my time.
Jokes aside. I tried to level with the kids yesterday. I feel like my policy and purpose registered with them, and I believe our phone issues will be minimal this year. To be sure, they–regardless the policy–will always be an issue, but I believe if we level with kids and are reasonable with our policies, we can take the fight out of it.
Trying something new this year with grammar. Calling it “Grammar Growth: An exposure and experience model to learning grammar.”
After Smiles and Frowns, it will be our daily five-minute exposure to and experience with grammar. The goal is not to make kids experts with grammar; no, the goal is to give them consistent experiences in the hopes that they grow some with the more conventional aspects of our content.
Here is what I will tell the kids as we begin today.
“Grammar Growth activities are for you to do and for us to discuss. You will not leave here experts, but you will leave here more experienced. You will grow with grammar this year.”
Here is the basic approach. My grade-level colleagues and I will use Google Slides to guide our work. Here is what we will use today.
From the daily exposure and experience, kids are really building a resource. To continue their experiences, we will give kids regular “learning checks” (assessments) for which they may use their resources, their notebooks. We will never grade or collect their notebooks. We don’t want to create a compliance situation; we want to create a context of commitment. Their resources will be as valuable as they make them. They may even add additional, outside-the-lesson notes to their resources–their resources.
Our “lessons” will never last longer than five minutes. We will set a timer and stick to it. Sometimes we may be done sooner. I anticipate today’s first lesson will be shorter.
The kids will do. We will discuss. And we will move on.
Grammar in isolation? Grammar at all? Yes. And Yes. In an ideal situation, I would probably offer ” no, and no,” but in this “real situation” where kids will still be called on to “achieve” in the context of grammar, we feel like we are obligated to support them. But we feel like that support might come best in the form of experience and exposure. No high stakes (kids can correct/retake Learning Checks a million times if they desire). No pretense (they will not leave here experts). Just intentional exposure and experience in the hopes that some things might make sense, in the hopes that some things might stick.
Perfect? Hardly. Better? I don’t know. But can’t know if I don’t try. So I’m trying to know. Trying. That’s all I can do.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing with grammar.
…considering theme and the human experience.
…reflecting in our Journey Journals.
…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Monday, all. Hope you have a great start to your week.
Kids get to make choices today for our activity. They can either work as individuals, as partners, or as groups of three or four. On their “First Five” cards, many kids indicated working preferences, ranging from “I love working with others” to “I hate working with others.” Of course, it’s not as if I needed them to tell me this. I know this. It’s a reality as old as school itself. But they did tell me, and I implicitly promised to listen when I asked them to share what they needed me to know about them as people, as learners. My hope is that they will discover right away that when I ask for their input, it is not to complete a transaction; it is to create a connection. I will listen. I will respond. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they will always get what they want, but I do want it to necessarily mean that I will listen and meet them where I can, when I can.
No, it is nothing profound to give kids choices in regards to their work preferences. I did not discover or invent magic. I am simply regarding their input. I want them to take something away from today’s experience, and if that means some work alone and some work together for that to happen, then I am okay with their making the best choice for themselves. We don’t always have to take the same path to get to the same place. And I believe when kids get to choose, the experience is more authentic.
Does that mean I always give kids choices about how and with whom they work? Nope. There are times when I intentionally set the stage, but in those times, I try to be as transparent as I can be with my rationale for doing so. And importantly, in those times, I never make the stakes high. Many kids dislike “group work” because it’s hurt their grade. When I pair or group kids, it’s more about the process, the experience than the product.
The Task
I am going to give the kids the 4 R’s today (Roles, Routines, Rights, and Responsibilities). These are the policies and procedures we will live by on our yearlong journey in room 206. They are what I use to set the stage and sustain the story of our time together.
I used to read these to the kids. And part of me still wants to. I like my words. I like my voice. Just being honest. But if I am going to be honest with you, then I have to be honest with myself.
The kids will more likely internalize my message if they work with my message. So, instead of pretending like they are hanging on my every word, I am going to let them discover what parts of my message matter to them. And this is hard (getting less hard) for me. I still feel the pull of thinking I have to say, I have to cover everything. I don’t. I won’t.
Here’s the gist of the task.
Distribute and (briefly) introduce 4 R’s.
Ask kids to select work preference.
Ask them to read/skim with this purpose: What stands out? Why does it matter?
For each “R,” kids will then capture one thing they “picked up” and why it matters. (This is keeping with our Journey Journal language).
There will already be 4 long sheets of butcher paper spread across each of the four sections of our seating square.
Kids will claim their territory on the paper, which is where they will make visible their work to present to the class.
In whatever manner they choose, they will display each of their four “R’s” explaining what it is, and why it matters. They will also have to either make a rhyme or draw an image that captures its essence. They may do both if they choose and if time allows.
They will cut their “territory” from the larger sheet and present their work to the class.
Will the kids absorb and keep my entire message? Nope. That’s okay. We have lots of days ahead to live and learn. Will they leave with something that is likely to stick and stay? I hope so.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…the policies and procedures of the class.
…making choices, considering, creating, and presenting.
I hit “pause” in my head, creating one of those split-second moments that is teaching.
The room is watching, listening, weighing. My kids. My student teacher. The young man who took to heart my suggestion to write down what they wished to be called on their “name tents.” Everyone is watching, weighing.
“A little long,” I responded. “How ’bout Slayer?”
“Yeah, we can do that. “Slayer” it is!” he declared, writing it on his name tent.
I had a choice to make. And as with the bajillion choices we make on the daily in our classrooms, my choice was being closely monitored and weighed. Really, I was being weighed. My responses, my choices set the tone every day, but perhaps even more so on day one, not even five minutes into class. How would Sy respond?
I indulged his whim. I didn’t have to. I could have sternly or even gently redirected him to write his real name, but my instincts urged me down a different path. For this is certainly not the first “Slayer” I have had in my room in my twenty-four years, so I decided to play along.
Mistake? Maybe. Wouldn’t be my first, and most certainly won’t be my last. But, as the period got on, I don’t think I made a mistake with this energetic young man. Why? We connected. I moved closer to him with my choice. And I believe I can use that to my advantage as our journey continues. In fact, later in the period, though he and I continued our whimsical interactions, he respectfully, thoughtfully asked if he should actually use his real name on his “First Five” card, an interaction that was also watched and weighed by the class.
“Yeah, probably,” I replied. “But put ‘Slayer’ in parentheses so I know who it is,” I added with a smile and a nod.
I am glad I will have some colorful characters along on the journey this year.
First Five
This was a newish activity for me this year. I asked the kids to write down the first five things they thought I needed to know about them as people and learners on an index card, telling them that info was between them and me.
And though I have only begun to thumb through them, I was impressed and pleased by the pertinent information kids offered to help me better serve them. Ranging from anxiety to learning styles to dispositions towards reading and writing, kids provided me with a wealth of important information. In the coming days, I will meet with each of them. Actually, I had a chance to get started with fourth period yesterday, and I could already feel the distance closing between us as we created connections around their needs as people and learners.
Smiles and Frowns
This may come as a bit of surprise for some of my followers, but we didn’t do Smiles and Frowns yesterday. We will do it for the first time today, and every day from here on. I wanted to first set the stage with my “Dear Learners” letter and our “Meet Me” activity.
But today we will begin with the most important thing we do, connecting through Smiles and Frowns, creating community through connections.
I will don my sweater, we will sing our song, and we will learn each other. Can’t wait. It’s a beautiful day for Smiles and Frowns.
Had a Smiles and Frowns wristband made.
Today’s Trail
Today is going to be a bit of a cluster. It’s picture day, and we do that during the kids’ LA classes, We have an hour-long assembly. So we won’t have much time in class. Not sure what we’ll get done, but we will definitely get our first Smiles and Frowns in.
I have stood here before. I have considered here before. I have started here before.
And so, here it is I am again: standing, considering–and, yes–starting.
At the end of the past three years I have wondered if I had another one in me. Can I do Project 180 another full year? Can I commit again to another year of daily posts, sharing my journey from my classroom?
I can. I will.
And so here I am, sitting in the dark, staring at the screen, fumbling my fingers, considering the climb, starting year four of Project 180.
What’s New?
Learning Practices. As some know already from my “First Days” posts (http://www.letschangeeducation.com/learning-first-days/), I am poised to provide learning experiences this year that push grades further to the side and pull feedback closer to the center as the sole currency to be exchanged between my students and me. A long-time goal, the “feedback-only” classroom seems more possible than ever as I move forward with my “Learning Stories” idea. I am excited to to learn from and share about this part of my journey in the coming days and weeks.
Student Teacher. I will have a student teacher along with me as I set out this fall. My grade-level colleague Jenna Tamura and I will share our journeys with Ms. Sade Aribibola. She will be with Jenna in the mornings and with me in the afternoons. We are both excited to learn with and from her.
Son in Class. This is a new one for me. I will have my son in class this year. We are both excited by this opportunity to share our year, but we’re both a little uncertain going in, wondering what it will be like. My son’s biggest concern at the moment? My singing.
Construction. Well, not new I guess, but we are in phase two of our major remodel/construction, and it will affect us more this year than last. Biggest impact right now? No AC. Gonna be a hot fall.
What’s the Same?
A lot. Smiles and Frowns. My Room Messages. Sappy Sy Rhymes. And you. And this morning, especially you. I could not do this without you. Thank you for being here with me to share in my journey. Whether it’s real or imagined, my thinking that doing Project 180 matters to you played no small part in my decision to be here again. And so. Here I am. Again. Thank you.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…introducing ourselves with “First Five.”
…hearing my “Dear Learners” letter.
…creating connections with “Meet Me.”
…reflecting in our Journey Journals.
…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Wednesday, all. Looking forward to our year together.
