It’s just an experience. I have come to the place where I see our work as an experience. And while that may sound overly obvious, I am not sure we all see or sell it simply as this. But here, in the 180 classroom, that’s what it’s become. It’s just an experience.

In the 180 classroom, we have a daily Learning tASK, and when the time is right, we will have a Learning Check. And though each serve a particular purpose, tASK or Check, they are still experiences from which we have an opportunity to grow. The former, the Learning tASK, is simply our daily practice. My hope here is that kids find meaning and value as we work our way through our curriculum towards the latter, the Learning Checks, which are more formal opportunities for me to engage with kids in the feedback/response process for our priority standards. And from there, by design, I tell the kids that the worst that can happen is better. And shouldn’t that be the point of all experience? Better. What else would/should there be? If kids don’t have a chance to get better, what’s the point? And that is my design decision in all that we do. How will this help kids grow?

Each experience is an opportunity towards better. And if it’s not, then we don’t do it. More, because I cannot possibly account for each kid in each experience, I give them room to decide for themselves. And that’s why I do not make our daily Learning tASKs worth points. They are asks to which they are invited to respond, but they get the freedom to find value and relevance in the ask. So, do they do the work, do they answer the ASK? Yes, they do. Not all. Of course, not all. I have not discovered some utopian universe, but a great many do the work–choose the work, and that is all I can ASK. The answer is up to them.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.