Some days I feel as if I am a force. I am making a difference. I am daring different. I am chasing better. I am changing education.

Other days I feel as if I am a fraud, clinging to the ethereal imaginings of a madman who’s at the beginning of his end. Will I fight or flee when they come for me?

Come for you? Well, no, not really. But at some point the roads are going to cross. And it is that crossing that haunts and taunts. It is that crossing that will test my convictions. And though I like to think I’d fight, and believe I certainly would have as a younger teacher, as I have gotten on, I am less-certain of the strength I once possessed. And, I’m not sure if there’s enough fight left in me. And that. That is far more worrisome for me than losing the fight without. I am afraid of losing the fight within. That is the fraud I fear.

To keep him away and at bay, I have always kept my door open. Always. It’s as if to say, “Come, look. See me. I have nothing to hide, nothing to fear. I am a force.” Oh, that is not to say that I haven’t wanted to shut myself in and the world without, that I haven’t wanted to take the path less hard. But I don’t. I can’t. It’s not in my fiber. It’s not in my being. I am a fighter. I have always been a fighter. I will always be a fighter.

Until, I am not. A younger Sy could not fathom such days. “Not” was never a consideration. But now “not” visits my thoughts. And I am afraid.

This past week, to keep the noise out while kids were presenting, my door has been shut. And aside from the mild episodes of claustrophobia, I didn’t hate it. I found comfort in the close, literally and symbolically. I didn’t want to be a part. I wanted to be apart. I wanted to sadly slip into my cave. Want to. But won’t.

My door will be open today. And though I am less than what I once was, I can still feel the force. For now.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…demonstrating growth with grammar (learning check).

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. Sorry for my weakness today.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Crazy that this is the last week of the semester. It’s gone by in a blink. And though there never seems to be enough time to go as far as I’d like, I am pleased with our work and growth this term. And it is just that–growth--that I will ask my kids to consider as they come to the “grading table” this week and tell their stories about their learning and what grade best reflects their learning journey. To that end, I provide the template below to help them capture their stories.

In my room, grades don’t exist until the kids and I come together and “give them life” at the end. We record and report learning experiences and house them in a portfolio all along, but we don’t focus on the grade any more than we are required (mid-term). And when we are required to submit a term grade, we do it together. In my room, one of my self-standards is “I want my kids to feel empowered.” This is one of the ways I do it. I can’t capture learning without the learner. They have to be a part of the conversation. It’s their learning, their story.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…wrapping up with our Wisdom Writers stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Morning, all. Short post today. Tired. Lots on my list with end of semester drawing near.

It’s been such a gratifying week for me. So proud of my storytellers AND listeners. Proud of my kids on both sides of the stories. So much respect and empathy between. Of course, I think Smiles and Frowns has played a huge role in creating the necessary connections for such interaction. 86 days ago, many did not even know each other’s names. Now, 86 days later, they not only know the names but the people in them. It’s been a remarkable journey. Lucky I have been able to tag along and be a part of the story.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…sharing our stories

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a wonderful weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Okay, I suppose it’s more imagined than real. But sometimes, I like to think of myself as a rebel, sounding my “barbaric yawp” over the rooftops of the world, smiting the institute of education, crusading for my cause.

But then, I come back to reality and realize I am merely making a bit of noise on the grand stage, more of a “wannabe whisper” than a rebel roar. But a guy’s gotta dream, so sometimes I do.

And then, sometimes I do more than dream. I do.

Real or imagined, I rebel. No, not because “what is” is bad, but because “what could be” could be better. That’s my rebel roar.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…sharing our stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Yell for Better.

We started sharing Wisdom Writers Diaries yesterday. We’ve worked on them the majority of the semester, so I was eager for my kids to finally share their wise words. In addition to sharing their stories, we have published a diary in each of my classes, which I will proudly share with my future classes as we make this an annual event. I could not be more proud of my distinguished storytellers in our inaugural year.

Below are some of the “lasting lines” kids selected from their own stories as “teaser lines.” Such a wide range of topics, such a deep understanding of the human experience.

To honor our writers, the audience wrote comment cards and delivered them afterwards. It was gratifying to see the writers’ responses to the kind words of their peers. It was a proud day for me, one of many to come. So honored to be a part of their experiences.

Some people take time for granted, like it’s always going to be there.

“Laughing is all I can do when I think about the pain of the past.”

“Those are just words now.”

“ All it took was for one person, like me, to stand up for what I thought was right.” 

“We really don’t realize how much a friend is worth until they’re gone.” 

 “There was light again. The darkness ended. I was out of a place that only brought bad experiences.”

“Oh no, it’s stuck.”

“If they had just told us… none of this would have happened in the first place.”

“They didn’t help at all. I don’t know what I’m going to do for the next two weeks. I just want to go home.”

“When someone we love dies, we have to move on. If not for us, for them.”

“And you know? It doesn’t feel very good to be cut off by the people you care about for something that you can’t help.”

“It’s bad enough that I lied, but I don’t even know why, and that’s even worse, by far.”

“Only when we understand death can we understand life.”

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…cultivating community with Kindness Cards.

…sharing our stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Final is a funny word in learning. It suggests an end, and though I believe most would concur that it’s time that’s expired at the end, not learning, I am not sure this is what gets reflected in practice.

“Final” conjures up all sorts of things when uttered in the classroom. Stress. Weight. Judgment. Finality. It, of course, is the end–of the unit, the term–but it carries more than time. It purports to be the definitive measure of learning, a point of no return, for returning flies in the face of final. So, largely, final is final. But it doesn’t have to be. It’s possible to go beyond final.

Possible is always possible. And in my room, my practice, I choose possibility. Isn’t that inconvenient? Yes. But I have come to believe that learning is inconvenient. it’s also the prime directive, so we cannot let it be deterred by inconvenience. So, I peddle possible. Here’s the scoring guide I use for “finals.”

No, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but I want kids to know that, even at the end, learning continues, that there’s still an opportunity to improve. So, I create that opportunity. If a kid scores a “2” (BTW, “summatives” are the only time I use numbers. I have to for district data demands) there is learning that can still happen. I provide them with feedback and a next opportunity (and a next if necessary or desired). I will not cast this number on them and send them on their way. Yes, they will eventually have to move on, but when they do, I want them to know possibility and opportunity were always a part of the experience. Always. I find it silly, to stamp a “3” on a minor mistake, so I let kids correct those errors to get to the “4.” But is that really a “4”? What else would it be? They made the necessary corrections to meet the standard. So, I call it a “4.” In the end, I don’t care about the number, I care about the learning, which only ends when we create constructs that get in the way. And so, to keep the way clear, I choose to build bridges, not walls.

That’s the decision I make. That’s the decision I live with. But really, the kids make the final decision. I provide opportunity. They choose how to live their learning. Their “will” determines my “way.” And together we continue learning. That’s our way.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…sharing our Wisdom Writers stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

In a bit of a mood this morning. Need to get it out, but I am going to keep it in. No, not healthy, I suppose, but feeling like my airing it publicly won’t be healthy either. So, I will skirt around it by simply saying there are things at the adult-level of this job that make it terribly frustrating at times. In my twenty-four, I have never not wanted to go to work when it comes to kids, but if I am honest (and I will be), the same is not true when it comes to adults.

Of course, I imagine I am “one of those adults” for other adults at times. I imagine–I know–I am not always easy to work with either. So, I will not pretend that I do not contribute to the “difficulty of the adult work in education.” I am not perfect, but I am not a patsy either, and when things strike a dissonant chord for me, I can’t help but hear the music, and I get triggered. One of my many failings I suppose, and though I try to change the tune and avoid such situations, I’m a bit of a fighter at my core. Always have been. Some days it gets the better of me, reminding me how far I still have to go as a human. Thank goodness I have kids to help me find my lighter side when I lose my way.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…publishing our Wisdom Writers Diaries.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Sorry for the negative post this morning.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

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.