Wednesdays are Kindness Card days. The kids write one or more peers a quick note of kindness. The kids never let me forget. Most weeks they make sure to remind me Tuesday as if they are concerned I might somehow forget. They look forward to it each week. So do I.

Yesterday, one of my kiddos who of late has begun to pass during Smiles and Frowns resumed sharing. She “frowned” about something in her personal life that has been creating excess stress for her. Her peers heard her, consequently flooding her with kindness cards. It was a proud moment for me. Kids, who are not her friends, stepped up and let her know they cared. She was a little abashed, lamenting they were just “sympathy cards,” and she didn’t want people feeling sorry for her. But I tried to get her to see it differently.

Connected. They feel connected. I wonder if they ever consider the contrast in connection from that very first day of class eighty-one days ago. I do. And I am proud of its fruition, especially yesterday.

I have another proud moment to share from yesterday. Last evening I received this email from one of my kiddos.

This is the kind of “homework” I can get behind. I love that she is thinking of our class and considering our connections on her own time. I love, too, that she found her own authentic writing task. I am pleased to see our commitment to connection in room 206 coming together. And I believe it all stems from the simplest of activities: daily Smiles and Frowns, our simple connection.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reading writing (peer-proofreading).

…scheduling presentations.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Some time ago, I shifted away from “peer editing.” And though it may in the end be simple semantics, I call it “peer proofreading.” But there’s more to it than the name. At its center is the belief that it’s not the peer’s job to be correct; it’s the peer’s job to be careful. Let me explain.

Writing needs reading. Writers need readers, someone to lend a set of eyes to see what’s on the surface as well as beneath, someone whose eyes and ears may see or hear something the writer does not. Thus, I ask my kids to be readers. Yes, of their peers’ writing, but also, and ultimately, the first readers of their own writing. It still astounds me how few of my kids actually read their own writing–something I attribute to the transactional nature of “school writing,” the “teacher-is-the-reader” mentality that pervades the school experience. The kids write to satisfy the teacher. The teacher reads to measure their satisfaction. The saga continues, and by the time they get to me in grade 10, they know the routine by heart. So, it’s hard to change the story. But I try anyway.

First, I believe writing should be experiential, not merely transactional, which means I believe writing has to be read–to an audience. Granted this “audience” is generally an audience of their peers, but I have found kids engage in the experience more authentically than if they are writing to an audience of a teacher.

Second, I have recently come to believe that writing should not be graded. I am not suggesting there should be no standards. Have to have standards. I am suggesting those standards should guide the feedback cycle between student and teacher–though I use the terms writer and reader (I tell my kids I am a trained, experienced reader). And it is from this position where I help them through the process–the complex process of creating. As such, I have found the learning happens along the way–during the experience–and with the audience component mentioned above, that is the “accountability measure” I employ.

And to further help them get there, I employ students as peer proofreaders–careful readers of their peers’ writing. Here’s how I am currently approaching this until I find my next better.

It’s not perfect, but I have found it to be more engaging, authentic, and beneficial when I make writing an experience for growth rather than a transaction for judgment. I find it better honors and supports the young writers in my room. Okay, but do they, can they produce quality writing? Fair question. Absolutely. In my estimation, it is far better than what I previously experienced as a judge. Now, I am just a reader. Seems to make a difference. And so, along with my young writers and readers, I will continue to revise the writing experience in my room.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…cultivating community with kindness cards.

…reading writing.

…reflecting in our journey journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Two-hour late start today. Glad the kids got to sleep in some. Once upon a classroom, I used to fuss and fret about the lost time from a delay or cancellation, but now I just take it in stride. It’s what it is. We will adjust and make do. Less stress for me. Less stress for the kids. No big deal.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…responding to feedback from latest Learning Check.

…preparing for tomorrow’s Learning Check on Night.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Been a quiet week. Literally. Long stretches of silence have filled room 206 as the kids have diligently dug in to our “Read to Remember” experience with Night. Nearly all will be finished by the end of the day. It’s been a quiet, beautiful space to live and learn in this week. I am proud of my kids’ quiet commitment to this important work. But I am ready to return to their necessary noise. There’s commitment in that, too.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reading to remember (last day).

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Below are screenshots from a mass-solicitation email that showed up in my school email inbox yesterday from Schoology.

“Are you ready to protect learning from the weather…?”

Really? How about we protect kids from the inanity of compliance culture. It’s a snow day, a day off, a day that will be made up. We don’t need to control every minute of every day of kids’ lives. Let them be kids. Let them build a snowman, build a fort, have a snowball fight. Or maybe just let them sleep in. Whatever. It should be out of our locus of control. School can stay at school. It should stay at school.

Of course, my bias is seeping through here. I am a proponent of no homework. I have not assigned homework for a number of years now, believing that learning happens best in the classroom, where the kids and I come together as learner and teacher. Thus, our work is only ever schoolwork.

There are many reasons behind my approach–more than I can write about this morning, but the biggest reason is to minimize stress for my kids. They have way too much going on, and I choose not to add anything to their plates. I have the privilege of having a fifty-five minute slice of their days, and I believe our work should be limited to that time. My class is a fraction of their lives, and I act accordingly.

Yes, there are many who disagree with me. And no, the homework debate is nothing new in American public education (see http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/119001/chapters/The-Cult(ure)-of-Homework.aspx). It’s been debated and will continue to be debated for years to come. In the meantime, in my little corner of the world, the debate’s done. No homework. That’s a storm I can protect my kids from.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reading to remember.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Tired and uninspired. Not gonna force it. Things are good. Kids are working hard. Things are rolling along. Just not a lot to share this morning.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…building community with Kindness Cards.

…reading to remember.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Sorry for the lame post.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

“Life will go on.”

Bit of a follow up to yesterday’s post. I asked the kids to respond to the two questions below on a note card.

Answers varied, but most focused on learning or not learning. Too many focused on good grade v. bad grade (even after all I have done to combat this thinking). Some, as the quote above shows, were brutally honest. And some were rather thoughtful.

“I will have a chance to learn more about myself and the world.”

I collected their note cards, and then I gave them support in the form of time to read. Of course, ever seeking authenticity to a fault, I let them know that I would not babysit them about their phones or homework from other classes, but I would hold them accountable to maintaining a noise level (silence) for an optimal reading environment. And, they read. By and large, they read.

When we reach our deadline this week, I will pass back their note cards and ask them to respond to the following questions on the back.

• Did you read Night?
• Why?
• Are you okay with your choice?
• Why?

I will also ask those who finished to add their names to the “Memory Pledge” I presented yesterday.

We are reading to remember, and so I want the kids to take pride in their being members of the collective consciousness who have vowed never to forget. Above all, I want that for them.

For during reading, I will ask the kids to keep track of universal themes that Elie explores in each of the chapters as a resource for their final. I will also ask them to capture “lasting lines,” lines that will stick with them, that will become their memory. I recently asked them to identify their own “lasting lines,” lines they’d like their own readers to carry and keep from their own stories for our Wisdom Writers project. My hope here is that they see the power of story–others’ and their own.

Today will be day two for reading, for remembering. I hope that compels my young learners to read. It’s the only trick I have left in the bag.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…reading to remember.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Morning, all. Hope everyone had a restful, peaceful holiday. Mine was great, maybe too great. Gonna take a couple of days to get back into the groove. The same will be true for the kiddos, too.

But with the end of term upon us, we can’t take too long to get back in the swing of things. Too much to do. To few days left. But that’s always the case. So, we will do what we can with what we have.

One big item of importance that still remains is reading Elie Wiesel’s Night. And this year, I am going to try something different. We are going to do a “read-in to remember.” With the exception of Smiles and Frowns, we will devote every minute in class to reading his memoir this week. Our goal will be to finish it by Friday. For those who don’t, I will ask them to finish it over the weekend so we are officially done by next Monday. That’s the goal. Most will make it. Some won’t.

As I’ve discussed before, that is simply the reality, regardless of how much time I give. Kids will read, or they won’t. Yes, it will be used for our summative check on theme; yes, it is an important part of our collective humanity, and yes, all people should read it, but despite my efforts to inspire and motivate, some will simply not read it. And while that’s frustrating and disappointing, it’s what it is. So, why give them so much class time? I feel like I have to. I can’t stand in front of them and talk a big game and then not support what I expect. I will give them opportunity. I will support them with time. The reading is up to them. Here are two questions I will pose to get them to consider the implications of their choices.

What happens if you don’t read Night?

What happens if you do read Night?

I am interested in their responses. I want them to find their ways by considering their own cause-and-effect relationships with their learning. It’s in their hands.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…making choices about our learning.

…reading Night to discover connection and division in the human experience.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.