Day Fifty Four. Morning, all. Taking my final spring break day today. Going kayaking and fishing with my wife and friends. I will be back here on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Fifty Three. Morning, all. For this week’s assignment, I am asking the kids to find and use their powers of persuasion in a follow-up to last week’s work with the rhetorical appeals.

I try–and don’t always succeed–to find ways to make our work relevant. In my latest attempt, I am asking the kids to consider an authentic context in which they are requesting something from someone who needs convincing. My own son, who’s in my class, apparently has written his mom and me a request regarding his getting his own car. I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m sure we will be subjected to the full force of his Jedi mind tricks. And if not immediately, he will likely–eventually–get what he wants. The Force is strong in that one.

Here is the assignment.

It’ll be interesting to read the kids’ requests next week. I hope they find it a worthwhile use of their time as they seek to find their force. Sorry, parents.

Happy Thursday, all. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Fifty One. Morning, all. Been sharing lots of numbers lately, as we move through the strange of our days. Thought I would take the opportunity to share another one that’s significant to me. 950.

This is my 950th post here. Never–never–would have imagined back in December of 2015, when this journey started on the dare of a student Megan Lavin, that I would have reached this milestone. What could I possibly write about to reach such a number? And as I think back on all I have written in the last four-and-a-half years, I am not sure I have any better answer now than I did then. I just write my journey. And as I look ahead, I will continue to do so. I will just write my days as they come. One experience at a time. Glad to have you along with me. Thank you for reading. Thank you for supporting.

Happy Tuesday, all. Stay safe and sane.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Fifty. Morning, all. Found a tough message in my box this morning, which prompted this Twitter thread. I decided to go ahead and make it my post for the day.

And as I am is as I will be. A little lost, but that’s just me. All because humanity.

Happy Friday, all. Enjoy the long weekend. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Forty Nine. Morning, all. Not much on my mind today. Just kinda going through the motions. Really could use some in-person interaction with my kiddos. We are making it, but “it” pales considerably to the “it” we prefer. With less than a month to go now, I feel like we are just holding on till the end. Of course, that’s true to some degree even in normal times, but the feeling of “just holding” on seems heightened in these strange times.

And, for the most part, bless their hearts, the kids are holding on and doing their parts to rise to the occasion and ride out this reality. Still–for them, for me, for all–I am ready for this ride to end. Till then, we’ll keep holding on.

Happy Thursday, all. Keep holding on. We’re almost there.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Forty Eight.

Some days I sit here and think I can change the world. Some days I sit here and wonder who the hell I think I am.

Some days I feel like I have made powerful connections with my kids. Some days I wonder if I am imagining such things.

Some days I need those who walk with me on this journey. Some days I just want to walk alone.

Some days I marvel that I am actually getting paid to do what I love. Some days my love is the only reason I continue in this underpaid job.

Some days I feel the fight. Some days I prefer the peace.

Some days I worry that the next 15 years will go by too quickly. Some days I wonder if I have the strength for another 15.

Some day it all will end. Some day.

But until that some day, I will continue to go where my some days send me.

Happy Wednesday, all. Sorry for the odd post. Some days I just write odd posts.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Forty Seven. Morning, all. As I wrote yesterday’s post, I started reflecting on “help.” In some respects, “help” is a dirty word in education. Sadly, many kids come to believe early on that if they need help, they are somehow lesser than their peers. Of course, this is not true, but truth it becomes. And, they learn to hide from help. They don’t want the stigma. So, their needs go unmet. And therein lies the tragedy, for that is where we meet and live, in that place where help meets need. I tried to capture and communicate this to my kids yesterday in my daily #MyRoomMessage.

When I am helping is when I most feel like I am teaching. Whether it’s offering assurance, clarifying directions, providing feedback, alternating instruction, modifying assignments, etc., when I am helping, I am teaching. But my helping, my teaching is diminished when my kids can’t, don’t, or won’t indicate or articulate their needs. And by the time they get to me in the tenth grade their habits of hiding are deeply rooted. And despite my offers to help, they hide. I am not alone.

So, what can we do? Well, I think small changes can draw them out of hiding. Here’s a tweet that I shared yesterday, which has gotten the attention of and gained some traction from educators on Twitter.

I have long offered “if.” But I think this only reinforced their hiding, for they would have to call attention to themselves by asking for help. I think if we make the subtle shift to “when,” we can help destigmatize “need” by focusing on the expectation of the task, suggesting that the challenge of the task will create a “helping-need” situation for us, so we can do our job. We have to communicate this openly to kids. Not only is it okay but also necessary for the learning process. Learning should necessitate need for the learner, which in turn, activates the help reflex from teachers. Need is necessary. If we are not helping need, what are we doing? Yes, planning, assigning, grading, managing are all parts of the whole, but if they are not paving the path to the need-help sweet spot, then the whole is not complete.

To be clear, I am not suggesting that we have to raise our expectations to unreasonable levels. We should never expect more than we can support. More, I am not suggesting that we create a classroom of dependent drones who suffer from learned helplessness. Kids have to learn independence, and struggle is as necessary as need–they may actually be the same thing by a different name.

I am suggesting that we need to break down the barriers that have too long separated us from that sweet spot between need and help by establishing through word and deed that it is okay to need. And when they need, we will help.

Happy Tuesday, all. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Forty Six. Trying something new this week. I have begun playing around with Screencastify to produce “instructional videos” as a way to add a more personal touch to delivering our work, hoping to offer some assurance and clarity to kids who need more than the printed page. I feel a little clunky with it, but I think it has some promise for future applications as I reflect and get better with the platform, which, by the way, is free and super easy to use.

Here’s an introductory rap for the rhetorical appeals that I wrote and “performed” for my kids.

In addition, here’s the “walkthrough” of the week’s assignment. For me, the five minutes (limit for free version) was a challenge, but maybe it’s good because kids’ attention spans are not much longer. It’s nothing groundbreaking. Really, I’m just talking my kids through the assignment (maybe “talkthrough” is a better name), but I suppose much of our work is talking to and through. I have missed that part. I suspect the kids have, too. So, I decided to give this a shot to see if it helps. I hope, at least, it doesn’t hurt. It’ll be interesting to hear what the kids think.

Won’t be winning any awards, but I do feel like it adds something, like it closes the distance a bit. I hope my kids feel the same.

Happy Monday, all. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Day Forty Five. Morning, all. So I just realized my count is wrong. 163 is the number of P-180 posts I have done this year, but because I continued posting through “spring break,” my count is off. Oops. I suppose in the grand scheme it doesn’t matter, not like anything else has followed the expected pattern this year. That said, even though the posts will exceed 180, I will keep at it till done is done. Sorry for the slip.

Happy Friday, all. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.