Five days in and all is…quiet. No parent calls. No colleague protests. No ensuing classroom chaos from students free from the compliance chains of a grade. Nothing. Things are going smoothly–too smoothly. And it is not that I expected uproar or upheaval necessarily, but there is less noise about the A’s in 211 than I thought there might  be.  And it gives me pause, pause to wonder, “Is this the calm before the storm?” And if so, am I ready for the storm? Tonight will be my first real test. Open house.

This evening at CHS parents will make the rounds, following their children’s schedules, meeting each teacher, ten minutes at a time. Ten minutes. I get ten minutes to sell Project 180 to my students’ parents. Ten minutes to explain my madness. Ten minutes to put doubtful minds at ease. Ten minutes. It is not enough. For, if I am not careful, I could tease the tempest from the horizon, waking the storm.

Of course, all this suspense is most likely a product of my own mind’s melodramatic muddle from what’s to come, and things will ultimately go well, but it still worries me, and I know I am in for a long,  anxiety-filled day as the clock ticks on and a storm, real or imagined, gathers in the distance. For, sometimes the worst storms are the ones we imagine, the ones we create, and they never develop and dissipate from our minds as the fearful moment passes and all is clear, and we learn, shrugging sheepishly, that it was clear all along.

All that aside, things really are going well in 211. Each day is a new adventure as we make our way through uncharted territory seeking authentic learning experiences. Yesterday, our first steps into mindset were guided by what we are calling our “Quest Question” for the week, “To what degree does our attitude affect our ability to grow?” Thus, with this at the center, we engaged in a rich discussion about mindset. And, as always, I was amazed by young minds and the wisdom they show when they are given real opportunities to glow. Bright like diamonds. Man, I love kids.

Anyway, happy Wednesday, all. Thank you for letting me write through my messy mind this morning. I’m sure all will go well tonight. It helps to know you are with me. Truly. Huge shout out to my beautiful wife for capturing and sharing the image above from yesterday’s sky. It fit perfectly this morning.

Morning, all. Project 180 will officially get underway in less than a week. And while I am excited about this new adventure, I would be less than honest if I didn’t also share that I am scared. And that anxiety makes me live in my head, thinking a lot about the possibilities of success and failure, especially failure. Of late, I have been thinking quite a bit about the number of conversations that I will likely be engaged in as others ask me about what I am doing, and why I am doing it. Here are some of my rehearsed responses as to the why, in no particular order.  Thought I would share.

• I want to learn.

• I want to see if kids will learn without traditional grades.

• I want to see if kids can learn better without traditional grades.

• I want to challenge conventional thinking.

• I want to challenge the status quo.

• I want the focus in my classroom to be learning, not grading.

• I got tired of playing the grade game.

• I want to call attention to the absence of any real foundation for traditional grading practices.

• I want to expose the incredible amount of autonomy that teachers have over their grading practices.

• Am I not entitled to the same autonomy as every other teacher?

• I believe education has to change.

• I believe true motivation is intrinsic.

• I think learning is a process, a long process in which different learners arrive at different stages at different times, and our traditional practices don’t honor this. In fact, I think our traditional practices unwittingly punish this.

• I believe students must take ownership of their learning, and I believe this happens through commitment, not compliance.

• I have to face 20 years of doubt and misgivings about my own grading practices. I can no longer ignore the haunt of those ghosts.

• I want to grow.

Happy Friday.

Morning, all. Here is a draft of the letter that I will hand and read to my students on day one to introduce Project 180. A little context: I am making 4″ wooden letter A’s to hand the kids as they walk in the door on the first day. Hopefully that helps as you read the letter. Wanted to share. Happy Wednesday. I have lots of A’s to make.

Dear Learners:

Welcome to Honors English 10. I am beyond excited to begin and share this journey with you. And while I am not certain about all that we will encounter and experience along our way, or even where we will land at our journey’s end, I am certain that it will be unlike anything we have experienced in the past.

As you entered the room today, I handed you a wooden letter A. It is my gift to you. It is your grade for the year. No, I did not misspeak, I am giving you an A…for the entire year. It is yours to keep. I will not take it back. Promise. Cross my heart.

But, my young adventurers, take heed. For, after all, what I handed you is just what it appears to be: a wooden letter A. It is nothing. Oh, don’t worry. I am not going back on my promise. I will type the A into your transcript at the end of each semester, but even that is merely a digital character, a mark on a screen. It, too, in reality, is nothing. So, before you sit back and relax with your gift and chalk me up as your “best teacher ever,” consider the following.

In truth, I gave you nothing, but I did that, young traveler, to give you everything. When I handed that A to you as you came aboard today, I really gave you ownership. I gave you the keys to your learning. I gave you choice; I gave you freedom. I gave you responsibility. And that is the essence. In the end, young friend, you are responsible for your learning. I cannot give it to you. In this arrangement that we find ourselves, I am responsible for providing opportunity and support, and I can and will give that freely and abundantly, but I am not responsible for your learning. You are. This reflects, then, the terms of our agreement for our journey.

So, we set out. 180 days from now we will set anchor in some unknown harbor. But before we set sail, pick up your A. Look at it. Feel it. Right now it is an empty gesture, a simple symbol. It won’t mean anything until you give it meaning. Months from now, as we look back on the calm and storm of our journey, and you hold this symbol in your hand, what will it mean then? I can’t wait to hear about your discovery. Thanks for letting me join you. I am honored.

Welcome aboard,

Syrie

Morning. I have had some inquiries about what my Super Standards and Super-Student Profile look like, so I have pasted the standards and profile below. These reflect the core of what I will be using this year to assess learning and learners. I have also included links to previous posts that provide the thinking behind both. There are likely to be some tweaks in the coming weeks, but for now, this is what I am moving forward with. Please contact me if you have any questions/suggestions. Hope this helps.

http://www.letschangeeducation.com/?p=532

Focus: Morning Minutes, May 17, 2016

http://www.letschangeeducation.com/?p=634

Morning, all. Below is a draft of the letter that I plan to provide for parents this year to introduce Project 180. Just wanted to share. Happy Tuesday.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to the 2016/2017 school year! My name is Monte Syrie, and I will have your child in my Honors English Language Arts course this year. This year marks the beginning of my third decade as a teacher in public education. And with that beginning comes a significant change in how I will approach learning in my classroom, a change that I wanted to share with you, for it will certainly impact your child’s experience in room 211 over the days to come. And while it will seem a radical departure from business as usual, please know that I have thought deeply about this, and while I am prepared and committed to seeing it through, I do expect to make adjustments along the way, as I try to make learning the central focus in my classroom, not grading. Please know that, above all, as we progress through the year along this rather radical route, I have your child’s best interests–both present and future–in my mind and in my heart.

After years of suspecting that traditional grading gets in the way of real learning, I have decided to part ways with convention. In short, I have decided to do away with traditional grades, adopting something that resembles a standards-based approach, but with a twist, a twist that I feel is necessary to truly approach learning differently, a twist that will no doubt raise eyebrows and objections, but one that I believe is critical to bringing about change and improving the learning experience for all kids. I am giving each student an A–for the year. Aside from one minor catch/requirement, your student will get the A on day one and keep it for the rest of the year.

In the attached packet, you will find details on how I will report learning in my classroom this year. Please know that, despite my taking grades off the table, I hold high expectations for your children, and I will do all that I can to push and support their learning for the next 180 days, but I will not dangle the “grade carrot” in front of them. I will instead intimate and impart to them that they have an opportunity to “build themselves” in my English Language Arts classroom, and it is up to them to take advantage of that opportunity, to whatever degree they choose. Of course, I expect that you will play a large part in encouraging and supporting them in their pursuit of developing their literacy skills this year as they prepare for their important futures.

I suspect by now you have a number of questions and/or concerns. I anticipate that, and I will work hard to address those questions and concerns both now and later, to whatever extent necessary. I have included my contact information below, and I am always willing to meet with you in person to discuss the important matter of your child’s learning. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any concerns–big or small. And while I am sure that this has been perhaps overwhelming, I am excited about and hopeful for the changes/improvements this can bring about. Imagine, for a moment, that in my class you and your child will not have to play the grade game. You will already know the grade for the rest of the year, so now instead of asking about the grade, you can ask about the learning. And that is the essence: learning. An old teacher adage suggests that “grades are earned not given,” but that is simply not true in the vast majority of classrooms. Grades in many cases and in many ways are given, and so I am doing as most do, giving a grade–granted it’s an A, but a grade is all I can give. I can’t give learning. Learning truly is earned. I really only provide the opportunity. I look forward to working with you this year.

Sincerely,

Monte Syrie

msyrie@cheneysd.org

509-559-4051

Happy Monday, all.  Many of you may remember that my students last year prepared and presented injustice speeches. You may remember, too, that I was quite proud and pleased with their products and performances. Even more, a few may remember my mentioning that we were going to try to put together a “highlight video,” if you will, showcasing students’ topics and positions on their self-selected injustice topics. Well, I am pleased to announce, due entirely to the hard work of Ms. Kiersten Gasper, that said video is now complete, and I have posted it below.

To provide some context and explanation, the kids were asked to share a line from their speeches, a line that they felt captured the essence of their message. Sadly due to logistics and time running out on us, we were only able to get about a third of all students to contribute. Still, we felt it was enough to put the piece together. As you watch the video, please keep in mind that you will not have the full context or specific topic from each student’s speech, but what you will have is a thoughtful, honest perception from this generation.  I am so proud of my kids. Enjoy.

Thank you, Kiersten for your all your hard work and expertise. Couldn’t have done it without you, kiddo. Thank you for “living into the A” I gave you in June for your final Independent Learning Project.