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All Kids: Project 180, Day 47

“But will it work with ‘regular kids’?”

“I don’t know. I’d like to think so. Next year, I will found out.”

That was a common conversation among colleagues last year. They acknowledged that I was experiencing some success with my honors kids with my gradeless approach, but they always wondered if it would work with “regular kids.” Their “wonder” seemed to suggest that it wouldn’t. And though I had nothing to offer up as “proof” otherwise, in earnest, I believed it would. In fact, I believed it might even work better. My choice not to use it with my “regular” kids last year stemmed from the fact that I was one of four LA 12 teachers, and I thought it neither fair to my colleagues nor the other senior students to offer it only in my classes. So, I used the approach in my Honors LA 10 courses, for which I was the only teacher. This year that changed. I was no longer teaching LA 12. I was back to teaching one section of LA 10, and with my LA 10 peeps jumping into the gradeless arena with me this year, we would use the approach with all sophomore LA classes, regular and honors.

Of course, this year is markedly different, as I am not offering all kids an A for the year. But we are still staying true to our gradeless beliefs with our select-and-support approach. And so this year, with all kids–not just the honors–on a gradeless journey, we are making a lot of discoveries about the impact of de-emphasizing traditional grades and emphasizing feedback as the key ingredient to student motivation and success. Yesterday, as I made my way through the latest performance in my regular LA 10 class, I found myself fist-pumping the air as one 3 (meeting proficiency) after another materialized. For Kelly’s I even uttered, “Yes!” aloud with a giant smile, writing a “YAY!” and “I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!” in all caps on the top of her paper next to the 3. And it just kept going as Bing, Katie, Courtney, and others filled my heart with their successes on their performances. And though all my kids did not score a 3, many–most–improved, and that was worth celebrating, too. They’re just not there…yet, but they will be, and I believe that. And my believing that is as important as anything that I do.

Sadly, the “regular kids” are often unwittingly held to lower expectations, and I have certainly been guilty of this dangerous inequity over the course of my career. I suspect we all have. But I have discovered that with grades off the table and with the promise of feedback at each placemat, the distinction between regular and honors is obviated, and the singular title of learner fills the place card. In the strictest sense of the idea, my “regular” kids are not great students. But they are learners, and all learners regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, and ability, respond to feedback, learn from feedback. And it is that–feedback–which led to Kelly’s latest success. It was an intentional string of moments which led her to the 3. I am not patting myself on the back. I simply did my job. I responded to her efforts in a way that would help her take better aim and hit nearer the target with each attempt. In her latest, she hit the target. And I could not be more proud of her. I can hardly wait to share the news with her, today. So proud of you, Kelly.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…begin a new descriptive writing activity.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Communication Clears the Cluttered Path: Project 180 Guest Post

Anything worth having doesn’t come easy.  Yes, this is a phrase I’ve lived by for a while, but the past few months it has truly stood the test of time as we’ve ventured down the “select-and-support” grading path.  One thing that isn’t always easy for teachers, rookies and veterans, is communicating with parents.  Why?  It takes time…They can be intimidating…we have 150 students…etc.  But, that doesn’t mean it’s not important.  It’s something we need to do.  Parents needs to know.  But whether it was teacher or parent initiated depended on the situation.  This year that has both changed and stayed the same.

At the beginning of the year the majority of the communication came from me.  I sent documents home.  No one really contacted me.  I sent mass emails.  A few responded.  I was at open house.  And while a small number of parents did attend open house, few asked questions, and I did most of the talking.  But at that point things were still new, still unfamiliar, and still a little confusing looking ahead.  That all changed when we realized everything had to “count” in the gradebook online.

Emails from parents filled my inbox.  I’m concerned about my child’s grade in your class.  Can they make-up missing assignments? How can they improve their grade?  Questions from students started to pour in.  Why do I have a(n) _____?  How can I get my grade up?  Can I redo that assignment/performance?  Eventually, after the questions were asked and the answers were provided, the directions of the grading path became clear:  1) Assignments represent completion.  2) Performance represent proficiency.  3) All assignments and performance can be made up, at any time, without a penalty.  4) All assignments and performances can be redone or retaken, as many times as they want, until they get the score they want.  5) In the end, letter grades will be determined by reaching proficiency on all four of the must-meet standards.  Through constant and consistent reminders of these directions, more and more students are understanding that their work ethic needs to change.  They need to start paying attention.  They need to start trying.  They need to start doing the work.  They need to start asking questions.  They need to start learning.  But not for me, for themselves. And as we have made our way farther down the path, they are starting to realize that they have not only the freedom to do these things but also the responsibility.  

Finally, this week, we arrived at the pit stop on our path.  Midterm grades.  On Monday, October 30 each student selected and supported the grade that they feel is a fair representation of their grade at this time based on the three performances (and possible retakes) that we’ve done so far.  As they were filling these out, student stress started to disappear.  For many it was a result of the fact that what’s in Skyward (the online grade book) won’t actually be their midterm grade.  For others it was a result of realizing their hard work is paying off.  For some it was a result of knowing they still have time to reach proficiency and get the grade they really want at midterm. Whatever the reason, we can continue on our path to the final destination.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Jenna Tamura is a teacher and the ELA Dept. Chair at Cheney High School. She is a monthly contributor to Project 180. You can follow her on Twitter @JennaTamura

 

Click: Project 180, Day 46

 

“At each ‘C’ you must check in with me before you move on to the next.”

To help kids move away from simple summary and step deeper into analysis, I use a Claim-Cite-Clarify approach. Additionally, it helps them learn to integrate text evidence into their thinking, rather than just including text evidence. Our work with theme thus far has required kids to present and defend their themes with our “Life is Lit” selections, our weekly literary passages or selections. Life is Lit, or Life is Literature, is my attempt to sell the notion that literature is a rehearsal for the human experience, and that is why we read literature in my class, to learn from and live in the human experience, even if only vicariously, though many of the themes we discover and explore are more real than vicarious to my young humans. What’s more with this approach, in an age where it is ever more difficult to get kids to read–actually read–I have found that shorter passages/selections better ensure that all have read the material, and, too, we can get to more and varied texts with shorter chunks. In short, I have had better success with this approach to literature than I have had with novel units.

To this point, we have practiced identifying, presenting, and defending theme with six selections, and we have had one performance opportunity, where the kids have had a chance to formally demonstrate proficiency with our first two Focus Standards.

Focus Standards

  1. *I can integrate cited text evidence into my writing to support my thinking.
  2. *I can determine and analyze the theme of a text.

From the first performance I learned that we still had much to do, that we weren’t quite there…yet. The kids needed more practice, and they needed more feedback. So, I designed an activity where the kids would work in teams to not only complete a CCC for each of the two selections but also hold each other accountable by sticking to the learning-target criteria, and then as an added checkpoint, they would have to check in with me before moving on the next “C.”

 

I wish I would have videoed or at least recorded their conversations. Waiting my turn, I was scoring other work, listening in on their conversations, and I was rather pleased with their genuine dialogue and authentic collaborative efforts where they found not only agreement but also–more importantly–disagreement, working through the latter until they reached consensus. And once they reached consensus, they would call me over, and I would give them feedback on their attempt, which would sometimes be a hit, and other times a miss. In truth, I found greater value in their misses for they presented better learning opportunities. Many had to go back to the drawing board after their initial attempts, but each time I believe they dug deeper and understood better. For most of them, there were a lot of aha moments. Many exclaiming, “Oh that’s what you want.”

Learning takes time. And it registers, it “clicks” at different moments and from various means for each. Some kids “got it” right away from the first CCC. Others have picked it up gradually from the practice and performance feedback. But most needed this activity to find their clicks. And that is what matters to me: the click. Of course not all are there, and some will require even more time and yet other means, but I am committed to their learning. I can’t teach them everything, but I can focus on a few things (Focus Standards) and help them turn their cogs until they find their clicks.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…finalize activity mentioned above.

…reflect in Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

But a Piece: Project 180, Day 46

There’s always one. There’s always that one class that stands out among the others. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what makes it stand out, but it does nonetheless. It’s as if the mix is just right, and the kids create a culture of their own, give life to their own identity. For me, this year, that is my 5th period class. But in the beginning, I would not have thought it so. No, for they were my biggest bunch of “passers” during Smiles and Frowns, and I even recall finding them a bit lame, much without character. But my first impressions were wrong, and as we have gotten on, they have become…well, that class.

Earlier this week, they were unusually chatty, and I let them go on, but at the end, I composed a special Sappy Sy Rhyme in response, which I regrettably did not save. In the short rhyme, I mildly–jokingly–admonished them for their “talkiness.” The next day, I walked in a minute late to discover in my tardiness that they had conspired, and they had all taken a vow of silence, not uttering a peep during roll, just nodding their heads. And then they attempted to do the same during Smiles and Frowns, but for some it became too much, and by the time it got around to Moses their vow was broken. But the score was settled. They had gotten even.

Then yesterday, after posting here about my absence the day before and my simply being a tag along in their journeys ( Tag Along ), I discovered the note from my 5th period kiddos in the picture below.

 

It was my first smile of the day. And it became an even bigger smile, when I read the notes from my sub, who corroborated their story.

 

Yes, they went off the path that I had set before them, but they ended where I needed them to be. And, even more, they owned it. And I love that. And I told them so. It was perhaps my favorite moment of the year. My big smile, a smile that grew even more upon learning that all my classes had demanded to begin with Smiles and Frowns, even though I had not made mention of it to the sub. I even discovered that they had added it to the list of to-do’s on the whiteboard. In addition, I also learned from my colleague across the hall that 5th period had ended with our Mindset Mantra, saying it loudly and proudly enough that she could hear it across the hall.

We are valued members of this community.

We are readers.

We are writers.

We are learners.

We are awesome!

 

Yes. Yes, you are. You are awesome. And…you owe me a stool.

Such a happy moment for me yesterday. I am both proud and pleased that the culture that we have been working to build over the past forty-five days has begun to come together. Each class its own puzzle of mixed and varied pieces fitting together in ways both imagined and unforeseen. And I am but a piece. I am one fit, one part of their marvelous mosaic, and I value beyond words the small space they have granted me as I continue to tag along.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…engage in Community Circle (always first Friday of the month).

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend. Finally got some sleep last night.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Just a Tag Along: Project 180, Day 45

Not much of a post this morning, all. Still sick. Not sleeping. Yada, yada, yada. And not feeling terribly inspired. Sorry.

But, despite my current state, we have reached the 1/4 mark of the year. And as I pause and look back, I am pleased with how far we have come, and I am eager to get even farther down the trail with my band of young traveling companions. I left them on their own yesterday, as I went home sick. And I am sure they got along just fine without me, which admittedly is thrilling and depressing all the same, for I like to think that they need me, and they do, but I’d like to cling to them a bit longer before letting go. And, to be sure, letting go is the plan. With each passing day, I push them farther away, seeking to give them greater ownership, seeking to make myself unnecessary in what is really their journey, not mine. I am simply, or rather strive to become, a tag along. And in that striving, I find a small measure of nobility in my purpose. Opportunity.

I have the opportunity not to lead them to the end of a journey. No, I have the opportunity to give them a chance to find their own ways, to find their own selves as they advance into their own unexplored territories, discovering the wonder of the world without and their own powerful person within. In the end, I matter little, but in that end, I find all that matters: an opportunity to have experienced life and learning with the young spirits with whom I was lucky enough to walk with for a stretch. And in that end, I am fulfilled. I am complete. I am honored.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with a Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up a theme activity (didn’t get to it yesterday since I was gone).

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Conversation with Kaitlin: Project 180, Day 44

“It’s a ‘D’!”

“No, it’s a ‘near miss.'”

I use a 3-point scale in the grade book to report completion of practice and proficiency on performance. I adhere to the language of a target. 3=hit. 2=Near Miss. 1=Far Miss. 0=Missing. It’s a new language for the kids who are accustomed to percentage-based grades. And so, when they see 66% in Skyward, they think “D” instead of Near Miss.

“Kaitlin, you have to quit thinking in terms of percentages. You have to start thinking in terms of, ‘There is a target. I am asking you to take aim at that target and ‘shoot.’ After you have done so, we will evaluate how closely you came to hitting the target. You scored a 2 on the performance which means you missed the target, but importantly, it was a ‘near miss.’ You were close. And then we can discuss how you can adjust your aim next time, so you can hit the target.'”

And the next time is the key. I put the standards in front of my kids multiple times so they have ample opportunity to take aim, adjusting their aim in response to my feedback. For some, next time also becomes “retakes,” which I encourage, trying to instill the notion that assessment is for learning, that each time we do and adjust and do again, we learn. That is the goal.

“But what about all the practice?” Kaitlin pressed.

“Practice is just that, kiddo. Practice. I report completion of practice as a record to your parents of what you are doing in my class. I work hard to ensure that the practice prepares for performance. But in the end, it’s the performance that matters, for that is where you demonstrate growth and proficiency.”

“So, I don’t have to do the practice?”

“Right. It’s a choice. I want you to do it because you find value in it. I want you to see that it leads to better performances.”

“So, it doesn’t help my grade?”

“Well, technically, no. But it doesn’t hurt it either. If Kyle doesn’t do any of the practice but scores 3 on all the performances, he is in a strong position to make a case for an A at the end of the semester. Of course, this will likely be an exceptional case, but I am not going to punish him for not doing the practice if it was not necessary for his success. I want you to do ALL of the practice. Of course, I do, but again, I want you to do it because you have discovered it is a path to proficiency.”

“So it’s all about the tests?”

“Well, performances, yes. But you have multiple opportunities to retake until you have demonstrated proficiency. And that’s by design, kiddo. I want you to redo and retake. I think it’s a necessary part of the learning process.”

“Okay,” she nodded.

Midterm is Friday, so grades have become a part of the discussion in room 211. Kids have an opportunity to select and support a grade (see self-evaluation below). There is not enough time to confer with each kid, so the self-evaluation is what I will use to report grades at midterm. I will post whatever they select. At term, in a grading conference, they will have to convince me with evidence of growth and proficiency with the standards, and we will then come to consensus on a grade that we can both live with. I did give the kids a little direction. As they considered their midterm mark, I told them that if they are scoring 3’s on the performances then an A is fair representation of their achievement at this point, etc.

Of course, I would just as soon that we not have to shove learning into a letter, but I have not the power to escape that reality. So, in the meantime, I will continue to try and make learning more meaningful for my learners, even if it’s not a neat and tidy fit within the system. By no means have I discovered the way, but I believe I am moving towards a way, a way that will no doubt require more conversations with Ms. Kaitlin, a way that will eventually result in my kids rethinking their learning. Their learning.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up our theme work with “By Any Other Name.”

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Still feeling crappy. Hope I can kick this cold.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Deep Water: Project 180, Day 43

Just because I love it. Just because it feeds my spirit. Just because I look forward to it every single day, does not mean that it’s easy. It’s rewarding–incredibly so, but it’s also demanding–incredibly so. And though I am generally buoyed by all that is good and all that is great, there are days when the buoy is not enough, and I sink beneath the surface, a hand become periscope seeking succor, asking for aid in a sea vast and lonely. Today, I’ve not the strength to tread. Today, I’ve the mind to give in, to float away, letting the weight pull me under, washing away the worry. But then, I remember. I remember that I promised Riley we would read through her Passion Paper. I remember that I promised several kids they could do retakes during access time today. I remember that we have to do Learning Logs in fourth and fifth period still. I remember. I remember…well, I remember too much. And with a sigh, I begin to swim. I have to. Too much to do. Too many to help.

I should stay home today. But I won’t. I will drink even more coffee. I will overdose on Alka Seltzer Cold Plus. And I will survive. And the kids will help. They always do. Funny how devoted we become to those with whom we, in the end, spend so little time. I am always amazed at the hold they establish over me. And I know I am not alone. And so a shout to all who ride the waves with me every day, caught in the ebb and flow of an existence beautiful and impossible, an existence sustained only by the young lifesavers that right our ships in our greatest moments of need.

Today’s Trail

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…survive. (Promises to keep/Miles to go before I sleep)

…reflect in Journey Journals

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

The Work Goes On: Project 180, Day 42

Tired. Getting sick. Again. But the work continues–though I suspect there won’t be much Super in the Syrie today. Just Simple Syrie. Some days it’s just about survival. Today is about survival.

My tenth-grade team and I recently made some changes to our Learning Log. We felt the former was too teacher-dependent, and so with this one, we sought to make it more learner-dependent. We wanted them to be pushed to dig into their performances to seek to discover and understand the why of their misses. In most cases, this can be determined from the accompanying criteria, but in others it necessitates a conversation with us. Either way, the kids are placed in a position where they have to find some answers, information that will not only help them understand their most recent performance but also will help them better hit the targets in the next one.

Additionally, we added a target-specific growth-goal requirement. The plan here is to get the kids to identify from their “digging” a particular target for which they need to improve their aim. Once identified, we want them to come up with a plan for progress between now and the next Learning Log, for which the “timeline” has changed. Our initial thinking with Learning Logs is that we would complete them every two weeks, but in truth, there just wasn’t enough to log about, so we now have taken a more flexible, responsive approach, completing them when there is sufficient information to do so. For me, that’s looking to be every three-to-four weeks. We will complete one today.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…complete Learning Logs.

…continue description practice.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do Reflect. Do Better.

People, not Nails: Project 180, Day 41

Okay, maybe I should have knocked on wood yesterday after sharing how great things were going in room 211. Should have, but I didn’t, and so I should not have been surprised when things didn’t go as planned, when things didn’t go as imagined. I should have knocked.

“Okay, please go write your “reader reaction” on the board.”

In an effort to get kids to wade deeper into the analysis pool, away from the safer, shallower, summary end, I have begun asking them to first capture their emotional responses. Last week, as writers of their own stories, they had learned from Pixar writer Andrew Stanton that the first commandment in storytelling is to make the audience care–emotionally, intellectually, aesthetically. Here, I was looking for how the author made them care emotionally. So, I asked them to share on the board.

Some made their way to the board, but many were still in their seats, a good number of them rifling through the pages of their literature text. And it suddenly dawned. They didn’t read the story. 

This, of course, is nothing new. Kids don’t do. Kids don’t read. Regardless the teacher. Regardless the grading approach. In the end, kids are kids. What I should say is that people are people. For I have discovered that even in the “real world,” even when your boss asks you to do something, people don’t always do, for there have been many times in staff meetings and professional development sessions that the real-world adults have shown up without having done the homework. And I marvel at the irony, grumble at the hypocrisy, for they are the very same who hammer kids who don’t do their homework.

No hammers in 211. I quit hammering kids a long time ago. I never really found hammers to be particularly effective at motivating kids anyway. And, even though there remain vestiges of my old-get-the-hammer self–I was truly not pleased yesterday–I kept my emotion in check. I don’t need a hammer. Hammers are for nails. My trade puts people–puts kids–in front of me, and people are not nails to be pounded into position. They are to be worked with, challenged, and supported. And so, with no hammer to place in my hand, I tried my seek-to-understand tool, my empathy wrench.

“Okay, stop. Let’s own it. Who didn’t read the story.” Too many hands went up.

“Why?”

“Wi-fi was down.”

“It was in the book and not in a handout.”

“I forgot.”

“I meant to this morning.”

“You didn’t give us a link in Classroom.”

The list went on.

“Okay, fair enough. I will do better. I will–no matter the length–make hard copies for everyone (we only have a classroom set of literature texts that we don’t use very often). I will also, when possible, provide a link in classroom. I will own my part. And I will do better. But, you must, too. I am not saying your excuses are neither fair nor valid, but I am firm believer in if there is a will, there is a way. So find a way. Please. I am not mad, but I am disappointed. Not in you, but for you. You are missing out on an opportunity to learn and grow. There will be more to come, but we can’t get this one back. Fortunately, I still think there will be some benefit as you listen in on the discussion and lesson today. We gotta do better, chicos.”

I am not sure if it’s because the kids talked to their peers in my other classes or if their peers actually read it the night before, but as the day went on, fewer and fewer kids showed up without having the story read. Either way, all was not lost yesterday. And I believe it will get better moving forward. Of course, there will still be days of disappointment. They’re kids. They’re people. And people just do “peoply” things sometimes. And when they do, I will do what I can to turn it into a teachable, reachable moment, but no hammers; my days of hammering are far behind me.

Here’s my Sappy Sy Rhyme that sprouted out of my disappointment yesterday.

 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

...begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…complete Learning Logs.

…clear some clutter from the trail.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

A Better Recipe: Project 180, Day 40

Forty days in and I am feeling great about how things are going. Told my wife last night, as I was making dinner, that I felt like I needed to pinch myself after another great day with my kids. Just too good to be true. And she reminded me that pinching isn’t necessary when it’s reality. Great should be the norm; great should be the reality. And she’s not wrong–rarely is, and since she’s the best teacher I know, I take her advice to heart. Always.

No stranger to experiencing fulfillment with my kids, I generally have good–okay, great–years, but this year is exceptional. I say this not from a place of arrogance, and I am sorry if it comes across as such, but I work hard for and care much about the experience I create for my kids. I want it to be a great year for them, academically, emotionally, socially, and otherwise. In short, my years are great. It is and has been my reality. But it is result of neither luck nor happenstance. It is work. It is intention. It is a goal. And this year, I feel like maybe–just maybe, I finally got the recipe right for a better yield. Well, for now at least. There’s always a call for reflection. There’s always another better beyond the bend.

Here’s what I have added to the mix for my “better batch” this year.

1 pound Smiles and Frowns

2 pints Practice

1 quart Performance

3/4 cup Retakes (substitute redo’s)

1/2  pound Mindset Mantras

2 tablespoons Set Daily Focus (Monday-writing, etc. Adjust to taste)

4 cups Select-and-Support Grading

1 pinch Journey Journals

A sprinkling of Sappy Sy Rhyme

Generous handfuls of empathy and compassion

Mix well. Bake at 180 degrees (best cooked slowly; it takes time for the ingredients to combine). Serve with a smile.

Okay, silliness aside. And maybe going back on my earlier claim, I have been lucky this year. Yes, there is certainly intention here, but things have just kinda fallen into place, and it is promising to be a best-ever year. But I have thought that for twenty-two years now, so I guess best really happens one year at a time. But as for “best,” I like better, better. Best suggests a resting place. Better suggests a chase. I like the chase. Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…dig deeper into theme with Santha Rau’s “By Any Other Name.”

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.