I imagine there’s no other job quite like it. Of course, my imagining is limited to my experience, but it is my experience, after all, that leads me to such imagining. There’s nothing quite like teaching.
We have the power to change the world, and we also have the power to do nothing.
We are respected. We are reviled.
We create the possible as we daily face the impossible.
We are often unseen but we live under a microscope.
We are as connected as we are divided.
We may make many right choices throughout our day, but we are kept awake by our mistakes.
One word from us can build a kid up or break a kid down.
We have to wear many hats in our day, but we only have one head.
We are pioneers of the future. We are servants to the status quo.
We are heroes. We are human.
We smile through our day, even when life frowns back.
We try to find fair in a world that’s not.
We are filled by our days with kids only to be left empty when our days end in June.
And then we come back and do it all over again. We can’t help it. We are teachers.
To all my colleagues, near and far, happy Teacher Appreciation Week.
Role #4: Writer. This is also a worker role. My hope is that you write more this year than you have in all your other years combined. I believe this is perhaps one of the most important skills you can develop for life now and later. I need you to be a writer. I want you to believe you are a writer. We are writers.
I ask my kids to play six roles during their yearlong experience with me. One of those roles is “writer.” But of late–well, for some time now, if I am honest–I’ve begun to question what that really means.
Do I mean author? Essay writer? Pass-the-state-test writer? Communicator? Blogger? Journalist? Tweeter? Poet? Literate citizen? Functional student?
Yes. No. Maybe.
I think if I had to choose one. I would settle with communicator, meaning someone who can effectively deliver information to an audience. And it’s not that I think the others aren’t worthy of consideration; they just don’t cover the spread. So, I guess in that sense, I find myself a generalist when it comes to supporting writers.
Some might suggest that my specific charge falls under the essay-writer/pass-the-test heading, but–though I felt differently about it at one point–I’m no longer convinced this creates enduring understanding/application experiences for kids. So, I’ve begun approaching writing a little differently. Oh, I still consider many of the same things that one might expect in the “traditional sense,” but I want my kids to carry these considerations into all writing situations. To that end, I ask them consider these questions each time they set to writing.
What is my purpose/focus for this piece?
How will I organize this piece?
How will I support and develop this piece?
Of course, there are a bajillion other considerations to make, but this gives them a general guide, one I hope they continue to use as they encounter writing situations long after they’ve left me.
And then, I strive to give them various writing experiences where they plan on the front end and reflect on the back end. The in-between is filled with doing, getting, feedback, and revising–the process ultimately overshadowing the product. But if we consider the “product” the writer, then maybe it is the product that matters in the end, for the process builds the product, and I am just trying to build writers, communicators. So, I focus heavily on the process of the feedback loop.
At present, the kids have to write six pieces for their “This Is Me” project. They had to choose from eight modes: narration, description, exposition, argumentation, persuasion, definition, cause/effect, and compare/contrast. They have to “stick to the mode,” but their writing may take various forms ranging from advertisements to comics to poems to–yes–even essays. They choose which form they believe will best help them achieve their purpose.
This project creates the writer experiences I seek for my kids. It produces work for process. They plan, they write, they seek feedback, they revise, they edit, they reflect, they polish, they publish. And they repeat any steps necessary. And it is my earnest hope that these experiences stick and stay as they develop and grow as writers.
I also try to help them build craft capacity with practice opportunities using things like “Tricks of the Trade.” I don’t teach these, I provide and guide experiences with these. Yesterday, the kids had to create a “white board post,” on a post-it note, using one of the tricks of the trade. They had to write something about our classroom community and then “publish it” on the white board under the “trick” heading.
Today, we will start a pass-the-paper story. I will give the starting sentences.
She didn’t want to enter the house. She had to enter the house.
From there, each kid will begin their story. They will have three minutes to use one of the tricks (except the full-circle ending) as they continue the story. They will then pass to their neighbors who will have three minutes to do the same. We will pass once each day for a week. Next Tuesday, the original owner will get the story back, and they will produce the full-circle ending. We will then share the stories in small groups.
Will this activity magically transform my kids into effective writers? Nope. But it will give them an experience that will help them make their way down the path. That, I’ve come to understand, is all I can do.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing as writers.
…reflecting in our Journey Journals.
…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Tuesday, all. Sorry for the long post. Wasn’t the plan.
Morning, all. Tired today. Guess all my “relaxing” this weekend wore me out. Maybe I need to get out more often.
It truly was an incredible weekend, though. Norwegian Cruise Lines really went above and beyond to make us feel appreciated. They took great care of us, and made all of us feel like rock stars.
I didn’t win any of the cash prizes for the top three. They awarded them to the three who received the most votes. In a surprise move, with the generous help of their partners, they were able to increase the top prize winnings from $25,000 to an incredible $100,000!
Here are some pics from our evening at The Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle. Elvis Duran was even there to announce the winners.
Norwegian Cruise Lines President and CEO, Andy Stuart; Me; National Talk show personality, Elvis Duran
Interview on the “red carpet”
Giving Joy. Yes, Norwegian Cruise Lines did just that. And we still have our cruise to look forward to. Thank you, Norwegian Cruise Lines, for such a joy-filled time this weekend.
For me, of course, the joy continues as I am back among my kids today, where every day is filled with joy. I am truly blessed. Thank you, again, to all who helped make my weekend a possibility. Could not have done it without you. Thank you.
I am not the best “relaxer” in the world, but today, that is my goal, my better. It helped that my day began here at 6:30 this morning.
My lovely wife and I had this rooftop pool and spa all to ourselves for an hour here in Seattle. We are here for the weekend for the Norwegian Cruise Lines Awards Gala for the Giving Joy Campaign. They are treating us like royalty. We are staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, said by many to be the finest in Seattle, said by some in the world.
Washington residents, we have been to Seattle a number of times, but today we are really going to be in Seattle as we kick around downtown and enjoy our moment. We know we are blessed. Wish all teachers could enjoy such an experience. I am grateful that I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and to have such supportive friends, colleagues, and family. Gonna enjoy every minute of it.
Made a mistake yesterday. Well, I’m sure I made many, but one stood out. Actually, it was pointed out.
“Sy, did you mean to write, ‘availabable’?”
I certainly did not mean to write it. But I did. And I owned it. I left it up there the rest of the day, so my other classes could see it, too. We make and miss mistakes all the time, even English teachers, even English teachers who triple-double check for such mistakes. I made it. I missed. I owned it.
And as I reflect on it this morning, maybe that’s the more meaningful message from yesterday’s #MyRoomMessage. We make mistakes.
All year long, I have asked my kids to think of mistakes differently, to regard them as opportunities, not fatalities. Some mistakes, of course, carry more consequence than others, but it’s rarely the end of the road. We just get back on track and move forward. We live. We learn. We grow.
I hope my kids take that with them after they leave and continue down their own roads when our journey comes to an end, an end that is far too near. Gonna miss these lovely little humans. It’s really been a banner year. Mistakes and all.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing as writers as we seek and respond to feedback.
Had to share this news with a few kiddos yesterday. And though I tried to put it into perspective for them, telling them that it was not a defining moment in their lives, that it was just a test, and that they would eventually pass, it was still a hard conversation. It was still “rejection,” and rejection on any level…well, sucks.
He didn’t pass, but he can take an engine apart and put it together again–all by himself. I told him that mattered. A lot.
She didn’t pass. I wonder if the ongoing CPS intervention/investigation had anything to do with it. I told her, again, I am sorry for the trouble she and her family have endured this year.
She didn’t pass, but a look inside her portfolio from this year, would tell the tale of she did not fail. I reminded her of that and of how proud I am of her growth this year.
He didn’t pass. He doesn’t care. He has never passed. He quit caring a long time ago.
As I sit here thinking about my kiddos, I am struck by the absurdity of it all, for I find from my sixteen years now of state testing (in various forms) it is nothing more than a sorting mechanism, a way to separate “winners” and “losers.”
It has never–I repeat–never provided me with meaningful data to better my instruction. Seems odd, yes? Seems that such a mechanism should serve such an end, But it does not. And those who create and profit from such mechanisms work overtime to convince lawmakers and–educators, too–that without such a mechanism, we couldn’t measure learning. Horse hockey. I will give the lawmakers a little grace–a little, but I will grant no grace to educators. By now, we should know better. This mechanism neither informs nor improves. It sorts, tagging those who have suffered better the game of school, “winners,” and those who have not, “losers.” Kids are not pawns to move around the board. Let’s quit this game. We made the game, so we can change the game. Let’s quit playing pawns.
“…suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “‘Tis some visiter,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—Only this and nothing more.”
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”
Bit of a tough day yesterday. Doubt found me. Not sure if it was my talking about test scores yesterday morning or maybe our having so few days left in the year, but doubt came knocking. And, like a fool, I let him in.
And there he stood, staring me down, taking measure, making me wonder and worry over my decisions this year. Did I do enough of this? Did I do too much of that? Did she pass the SBA because of me? Did he fail the SBA because of me? Is everything because of me? Is anything because of me?
But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me –the sound would be heard by a neighbour!
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Is anything because of me? Yes. No. I don’t know. In my “doubtier” moments I imagine a conversation. I am not sure who it is sitting on the other side of the table, but we are familiar, not friends…no, foes. He is not welcome in my room, but I will not ask him to leave, for this is a conversation we must have. It’s been coming for years. And, there where I sit, I am confident, resolute. I have thought long, I have thought hard. I must say what it is that’s built inside. This is my moment to fight, for I will not take flight. I open my mouth, and nothing comes out. ‘Twas only a mad imagining as he vanishes, and I snap back to reality.
I fill my lungs with air. I smile away my fright. I say good morning to each of my charges. And I teach. I teach. In these moments I teach harder than ever. I must. It is the only thing that stills the noise, as I sit and learn with my kids in our moments, the only real moments I know, the moments that keep the madness at bay, the moments that no outsider can know. Our moments. My only certainty.
So I cling. I cling to our moments. They make me whole. I am me again. And I shout to doubt at the door, “You are welcome, nevermore.” But he’ll be back, of this I am sure.
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!” Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.”
Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven”
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing as writers.
…reflecting in our Journey Journals.
…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Tuesday, all. Sorry for the odd post. Unfortunately, it seems one’s struggle with “impostor syndrome” is just part of the journey. Thank you for letting me kick it from my front step this morning. Really am better today. The kids helped me through. They always do.
Been thinking too much about test scores as they trickle in. And even though “I don’t care,” I find that I do, especially for my kids who missed the mark this time. There will be a next time, for they are only sophomores, and they’ll have other opportunities to pass in the next two years, and the vast majority will, but it’s the now that worries me.
For a few, it will be a sober reminder that they will have to do more than rush through the motions. For some, it will be another “defeat” as they have yet to climb Mt. Standardization in their annual attempts in years and grades now past. And for others, it will serve as another reason for their disenfranchised resentment of the public school system.
In truth, we are talking but a small number, most of my kids have and will pass as the rest of the scores come in, but even so there are the few for whom I am sorry as they will have to continue playing the game.
Interestingly, it seems the “game” may soon change. In Washington State, it looks as if the SBA results will be de-linked from being a graduation requirement. Not sure what this will mean ultimately, but I am hopeful that it is a step in the right direction for devaluing standardized test scores as the measure of “success.” We’ll see. For now, I will just try to help my kids put things into perspective as we make our way through the rest of our soon-to-be over journey.
And, that’s all I have on this Monday.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing as writers as we add another piece to our “This Is Me” projects.
In the next three seconds, I will build or break. Every word I utter, every gesture I make from this moment forward will carry or crash her hopes. 1, 2, 3…
There’s no script to follow. No manual to brush up on. No magic formula. It is raw. It is real. It is scary. Responding to writers is deeply personal and profoundly powerful. And there’s no size that fits all, which only makes the moment matter more because the build or break relies much on how well we know the writer before us, for she will weigh everything we say, she will carry with her–for years perhaps–our response. 1, 2, 3…
She somewhere along the way lost–or never had–confidence as a writer, which is perplexing to me, for she is more than able, consistently producing lovely pieces of writing. And so, I wonder and worry at her trepidation every time she seeks feedback. Is it simply part of her character? Was she wounded by a teacher’s remark in her past? Regardless the reason, she seems in pain when she asks, “Sy, will you read this?” 1, 2, 3…
“Of course, I’d love to. But, help me first, Mar. What do you want me to look for as your reader?”
She knows better than to ask me to tell her if it’s “good,” but her past conditioning takes her there anyway, and she smiles at my smile as I shake my head no. And we pause for a moment as I once again, gently remind her that “good” carries little meaning, that it honors not her the writer, nor her writing. She should expect from me a more dignified response, than “good” or “bad.”
“Why did you write this piece, kiddo? What do you want it to do for me as a your reader?”
“I want you to feel like you are at my family’s cabin. I want to know if the senses are working?”
“Ah, those are the questions, chica. Those give me purpose as your reader.”
So, I set to reading, her eyes not watching but weighing, an almost unnerving feeling as the reader’s being read. And then the reader must speak, a new microscope to endure as he ferrets out the right words to say to this young lady, seeking to build from this precipitous moment in her growth as a writer. 1, 2, 3…
And that’s one kid. One writer. Each a study in herself, as I move from one to the next helping, hopefully not hurting, in our moment, seconds at a time in place where there is simply not enough time, in a place where my impact in the grand scheme of her development is but a blink, but those seconds may last a lifetime. A lifetime.
It is no small thing, then, this power we wield. It is scary. In a mere matter of seconds, we change a world.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…choosing a champ.
…growing as writers through drafting and conferencing.
Morning, all. Have some exciting news to share. I’m going on a cruise! I was lucky enough to end up as a winner in the Norwegian Cruise Lines Giving Joy contest.
I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful, supportive people. People near and far were kind enough to cast their votes to put me in 13th place with 2301 votes to get into into the semi-finals (top 60). From there I had to submit video, photos, and quotes to make it into the top 30 to win a cruise. Now I am hoping to make into the top 3, so I can win a cash prize for Cheney High School.
It has been a long six weeks with lots of anxious moments as we moved through the various phases of the contest, but the last week has seemed an eternity, for I knew I had won, but I couldn’t tell anyone, so I had to lie to a few people, including my mom. Sorry, Mom.
We will find out the grand prize winners in Seattle on May 3rd when Norwegian Cruise Lines flies my wife and me to the awards gala, where I will meet the other twenty-nine winners from all over the U.S. and Canada. Sadly, only thirty won, and I was lucky enough to be among them. Every teacher deserves such an award, so I am counting my blessings.
Of all, I am excited to be able to take my lovely wife on a cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary next year. She is also a teacher, so I am pleased that she, too, gets to experience the joy of such an honor. We have never done anything like this in our twenty-seven years together, so it will truly be a treat. Thank you to any and all who supported us along the way. We are eternally grateful, and we will enjoy every moment of our upcoming experience. Thank you.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will experience…
…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.
…growing as writers as we work through the various pieces of our This Is Me projects.
