They broke my glasses and hit me repeatedly on the back of the head.

I wasn’t going to write about this this morning, but I can’t get away from it, so I am going to get it off my chest.

It caught us all off guard. Normally in his quirky, awkward, goofy-smiled way, he shares something silly, so when he began with “Frown, I got attacked last night…” we missed the initial gravity of his admission. One of his peers even misheard, thinking he had said, “I got a tat (tattoo) last night.” But then the mood changed and the gravity of what he was sharing pressed us into our chairs as looks of dismay shaped our faces upon hearing his horror.

They followed him after they got off the bus, calling his name. That was the first red flag, he shared. “They never talk to me.” Then they called out, asking to him to wait up, that they wanted to talk to him, “That was the second red flag.” And then the hitting started, knocking him to the snowy ground, pounding him on the back of the head, breaking his glasses. (Sorry for the graphic detail, but I wanted to try and relate how we felt upon hearing this deeply troubling tale).  

In disbelief, we sat in shocked silence. But then something happened. Empathy emerged. Questions came. Comments lifted. We were not okay with this. And we wanted him to know. Peers poured out their support. And for that moment, I believe he felt less-broken. I am not suggesting that his peers are all now his fast friends. No, to be sure, my second period is about as cliquey as it gets, but even so, we all experienced a moment of humanity yesterday morning. And even though the world is skewed in his eyes with both a broken spirit and glasses to match, he saw his peers yesterday and they saw him. 

The “two” will get into trouble. There will be consequences for their actions. But, there may be more important consequences than their trouble. The consequence of human connection. We weren’t jocks, preps, emos, gamers, wallflowers, or smokers yesterday. We were humans connected in a moment which, though brought to bear the ugly, ended in the beauty. The beauty of connection. And those in the room won’t soon forget. We can mend the broken. 

This is why I do Smiles and Frowns. I do it for him. I do it for them. I do it for all of us. All of us.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…making our way to the finish line with our Truth Projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all. Sorry for the hard post this morning. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Many know that I provide my kids with lifelines for those days when life is tugging at them and they need a little grace. I give them two per semester. And though I have yet to use my two in class, I am going to spend one with you guys today.

Feel like crap. First cold of the season. And of course, since it’s “only a cold” and I can overdose on cough drops and cold medicine, I am going to school today. But I’m not gonna post much this morning. Sorry. 

Catch up with everyone tomorrow.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…choosing a community champ.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

“No bad. Just where you are until we find our way, okay?”

Somewhere along the way we got our wires crossed. What I expected and what she thought I wanted were two different things, and, consequently, it affected her performance.

I said as much in my written feedback at the top of her paper, giving her the benefit of the doubt and taking some responsibility that I may have explained it inadequately. Even so, our conference began yesterday with her uttering, “I did bad.”

But she didn’t do “bad.” She just needed clarification, for as we went through the performance (assessment), it was clear that she understood the “what,” she had just gotten mixed up on the “how.” And that’s partly on me, yes?

Once upon a classroom, the conversation would have gone far differently. So differently, in fact, that I struggle to recognize the teacher I once was. Then, I would have simply said that she didn’t follow directions. I said them. I wrote them. And most every other kid followed them. So it was not my fault. It was hers. And there are consequences for not following instructions. It’s the way things are. And she would have earned her “F.” 

Who does that? Well, clearly, I. But as I did, too many still do. But it doesn’t have to be. I will never go back to that place, a place no longer imaginable. But even as I run away from that place where I once dwelt and dealt, I cannot deny that when I was there, I thought I was right. I knew I was right. You know nothing, Monte Syrie.

Even now, in a place far better, I know less than more. I have not the answers. I have not arrived at the magical land of ED upon a yellow brick road. I have no illusions that there isn’t simply a man behind the curtain. But. But I no longer only look behind the curtain for answers, I look out into the room, the space and there I find who knows as well or better than I. The kids.

Oh, there in that place I still have a role. Always will. Somebody has to make it okay. No bad. Just learning. I can do that, and though I will no doubt look back someday and find fault in this space, too, I have to believe–I want to believe–I won’t cringe knowing that I helped a kid find her way, instead of hiding behind the “way of things.” 

And so, that’s what I did. I helped her find her way. No wicked witches. No wizardry. Just two humans working together as we seek our way.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…writing anecdotes as a method of elaboration (performance with self-assessment and reflection).

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. 

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

“When I ask a question, the teacher tells me I should ‘already know that.'”

Hmmm. So she asked a question because she wanted to know. And, instead of taking the opportunity to validate her as a learner, the teacher lays guilt at her feet, pointing a finger, instead of lending a hand.

Sadly, this plays out far too often in the classroom. And even if there is “some truth” to the “already-know-it-response,” it relies more on what was taught rather than what was learned. Just because it was in the curriculum last year, and just because it was taught and maybe even tested, it does not mean it was learned. And so, when a kid asks a sincere question, we should set aside our assumptions about last year and be responsive to our kids this year. Kids come as they are. Ready or not. And ready or not, it is what it is at that point, the point where they are “our kids,” not somebody else’s kids. And in the many moments that we find ourselves with our kids, there is much to learn from each other. Yes, of course, we have a lot to teach, but we can’t really teach if we don’t know what our kids need, and there is no better way to learn what they need than from the questions they ask. 

But what if they don’t ask questions? Then can we really meet them where they are? Learners have to ask questions. It’s where learning begins. So, then, why don’t kids ask questions? Well, for reasons like the example above and myriad other reasons as well.

Recently, I had a chance to hear and think about the reasons. In cooperation with Elise Foster, an author and executive coach from Ohio with whom I have become connected through Twitter, I had a chance to think through student questions via an email interview. Further, my kids also completed a survey for her, answering “I’d ask more questions in class if…” The above response that started my post is from a young lady in my 5th period class, a young lady who is one of the most genuine, sincere young people I have ever known, and if she asks a question, she really needs to know. She doesn’t need to be invalidated. Ever.

We wield a power, we teachers. We have the power to build up or break down. And as I have thought about that power recently (thank you, Elise), I made a pledge to my kids.

Can I meet all their needs all the time. Sadly, no. But I at least will know what they need so I can try. And maybe that’s what teaching is in the end: The Big Try.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…reconnecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…the joy of personal reading.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

“Are you serious? You haven’t done Community Circle with these guys yet? What’s wrong with you? Why would you do that? That’s a mistake, Sy.”

Before Smiles and Frown there was Community Circle. Ten years ago, I started doing Community Circle with my kiddos. We would sit in a circle around the room and share our lives through various topics, ranging from our favorite candy to what haunts us. As with Smiles and Frowns, kids were given the right to pass. Even then, I wanted their commitment, not their compliance. We did it every Friday. It was transformational; it created and sustained powerful relationships and developed a strong community. And though the amount of times I do it per month has changed, it remains a valuable component to building our classroom culture.

But I haven’t done it yet this year. In part, our new weekly schedule has had an impact, and in another part, I wanted to wait a bit longer and later into the year, first getting Smiles and Frowns underway. Last year, we did it the first Friday of every month. And I had planned to officially begin it in January with the new year, but I I had to scrap that plan, for I got called out.

Ceejay, a student from last year, stopped by recently during 4th period to check in. We had just finished Smiles and Frowns, and she asked my kiddos how much they loved Community Circle, too. They blankly looked at her and then questioningly looked at me. And then she let me know in her upfront way that I came to love last year that I had made a mistake. And she wasn’t wrong. So, today I am seeking to salvage the damage, and we are doing our first Community Circle of the year.

Here’s the basic approach.

I arrange the desks in a large circle (er, square) around the room. We have also sat on the floor and stood in a circle. Regardless the approach, it is key to create a space where everyone is looking at each other.

I prepare questions/prompts in advance (typically 5-7). I pose the question and we go around the circle, giving each an opportunity to share or pass. Again, I believe the “right to pass” is key to success with this activity. We also have the “come back.” Sometimes kids have not had enough time to think of  a response, so we go back to them at the end. 

Just as with Smiles and Frowns, this a great opportunity for practicing listening skills. I ask my kids to be great listeners. I ask them to visually connect with the speaker and not to talk while someone is sharing. For the most part, my kids are fantastic listeners, but they need reminders now and again. 

That’s the gist of Community Circle. Nothing too fancy. Really just an opportunity to create and strengthen connection in our classroom community. 

Mistake to wait this long? Probably. Glad Ceejay got me straightened out. 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience….

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns and Community Circle.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Slept late. Fell back asleep in my chair this morning. Sorry, all. Catch up with you tomorrow.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…capturing “truths” and pitching project proposals.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday. Sorry about the no post.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Just another day of walking and wandering, finding paths and leaving tracks. Not sure if any will follow, but I want to leave a trace of where I go just in case I go too far and can’t find my way back. The 180 wheel turns and I just hold on, each day a new adventure. Here are some recent tracks I’ve made.

Thank You

Last week I posted about writing thank you cards to my kiddos (A for the Day) . Takes me a minute. I write two per period (sometimes more). I try to personalize each one. I want my kids to know I value them. As humans.

This morning, as I was cruising through Facebook with my first cup of coffee, I found this lovely post on my timeline from the parent of one of my kiddos.

Choose a Champ

“Why aren’t you doing that this year? I loved it. Didn’t care about the candy, but I saved every little note.”

“Huh. I dunno. Forgot about it, I guess. But you’re right. It was good.”

Last week a former student from last year who is now my TA 6th period reminded me of “Choose a Champ,” an activity where kids honor each other as builders of our classroom community.

Here’s the gist. I give each kid a scrap of paper. They write a note to a peer they feel has made a positive impact on our community. I collect and tally them. Whoever gets the most notes for the week is crowned “Community Champ.” I read the winning nomination notes aloud and award him/her some candy. I then distribute the rest of the notes to the other kids.

We did it yesterday for the first time. Kids loved it. Takes a couple of minutes. We will do it every Tuesday, right after Smiles and Frowns.

And Syd was right. The candy award is secondary. It’s the shared sentiments that matter. And I was so pleased with the way they honored their peers. Kids loved it.

Views

In the grand scheme of things, I am not sure what it means, but 180 hit a milestone yesterday. Since its humble beginning three years ago, this month it has achieved 75,000 views. My son Finn asked me on the way to school yesterday how much longer I was going to keep 180 going. I don’t know. I’d like to try to get through five years. In the end, I guess it comes down to if I can keep finding things to write about each morning. One day at a time. One track at a time.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns. 

…shifting our Truth Project work from exploring media to making media.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

 

 

There’s divide. It separates. It obfuscates. It alienates. It waits.

For us. 

It waits to see what we will do. We can ignore it. But it will grow. We can trick it, tempt it, tease it, but it will soon be wise to our paper bridges, intimating that those icebreakers we did in September no longer hold.  But all is not lost there were the divide resides. No it is vulnerable. We can confound the chasm. For we hold the power to create connections, and when we do, we make our divide less-wide.

Of course, we will never fully close the gap. We only have so much time, and there is that age thing–they are children and we are adults. No getting across that, but we are more than our ages, for regardless how many seasons we’ve seen come and go, we are all of us human. And humans want connections. As teachers we can use this power to do great good. We can bring people together. People together. That seems a worthy end in our divided time. That seems a real-world impact that makes our work consequential.

Those who follow the 180 journey know I put much stock in such things, as I daily make efforts to bring those in my charge closer together now, and, world-willing, later. Connections matter. So I work at them. Yesterday, I let my kids come closer. I let them interview me.

Oh, there was more to it than bridging the gap. There was also the opportunity for my youngsters to build capacity as interviewers and interviewees, to grow as communicators.

To that end, I asked them to consider PVLEGS as they observed me.

Poise

Voice

Life

Eye Contact

Gestures

Speed

These are the skills we emphasize for engaging an audience. In particular, I asked them to give me feedback on Life and Eye Contact.

When it’s their turn to be interviewed, they will have to consider and select two areas of focus for the rest of the class to focus their feedback on. As I said yesterday, these are building moments, not make or break moments, so I am very careful about the frame. As such, we do this not for a grade, not for an evaluation. We do it for experience, feedback, and growth.

But that’s an aside for today, a step away from what I learned yesterday, rather remembered: we have to let kids across. We have to let them know us. And when we do, we make the divide less-wide. I encourage all teachers to build this bridge for their kids. Let them interview you. Here are some of the questions that I can recall from yesterday’s hot seat.

Why did you become a teacher?

How did you meet your wife?

What’s your favorite word?

What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?

How much wood could a woodchuck…?

What are your views on the gun debate (I was careful but honest here).

What is your greatest fear?

The chicken or the egg?

What’s your favorite book?

Why do other teachers reject or not adopt your teaching style?

Have you ever played an instrument?

Can you make any funny noises?

If we could visit any place in the world…?

What do you think it will take to change education? (I told the kids, “you.”)

If you weren’t a teacher…?

Think of all the mistakes you’ve made. If you could go back and erase them, would you?

The list goes on. Each class had ten minutes to grill me. But grill is not the right word here. Know is more apt. They got to know me, and in so doing, I, them.  We moved the edges.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…the craft of writing through 101 word stories.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals. 

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

I don’t wanna read those. More, I suspect the kids don’t wanna write them, either.

So, I changed my mind. That happens a lot in the 180 classroom, part ADHD, larger part trying to imagine ways to make what we’re doing more engaging and relevant–for all of us.

Last week as I was planning the final components of our Truth Project, I was designing an essay–spent a lot of time on it–but as I neared the end, I wasn’t “feeling it.” As I imagined the end game, I found myself questioning the “grand” in the finale with having kids write an essay. They have been so engaged in their projects that it felt anti-climactic, so I decided to do different. Instead of an essay, the kids are going to have an interview.

Details are still emerging, but here’s the gist.

Each individual or team will receive a copy of interview questions before the interview. Here are some of our “developing questions.”

What theme did you select for the project?

What was your most and least helpful medium? Why?

We have spent the last several weeks exploring ways in which the human experience both connects and divides us. From your own exploration, what did you discover in regards to how your selected theme connects and divides us? Please be specific, making reference to your explored media.

Part of any process is encountering challenges along the way. Please share a challenge that you encountered and how you overcame it.

What was your favorite medium? Why?

We live; we learn. And with each experience we gain not only knowledge but also–hopefully–wisdom. With that, what wisdom can you share from your recent experience?

What truth did you discover about your selected theme? Please share your theme statement.

Now that you have shared your truth, what medium did you create to present your truth? Please share your medium.

What question would you like us to ask you about your work?

They will have time to prepare responses and submit them in writing. However, they will not have their prepared responses with them during the interview.

I will not ask the questions. The kids will be interviewed by a “panel of peers.” All kids will have a chance to be on the panel over the course of the days that it will take to conduct the interviews and make the presentations.

My ultimate goal here was to try to create an authentic experience for my kids that is both engaging and enduring. When kids care they are engaged. I find my kids “care” way more about speaking to their peers than they care about writing for me, and I believe this will be evident in both their preparation and performance. When kids see the long-term application of what we are doing, they’re more invested. All of them will have an important interview when they leave education; few of them will write an essay when they leave education.

With this, not only will the kids–hopefully–feel like the end better matches the journey, but also they will get to celebrate their work with an audience. Further, it will be a great way for us to consider and practice interview skills.

Are the kids anxious? Of course. Who isn’t anxious when it comes to an interview? I am not trying to convince them otherwise. Rather, I am trying to show them that they can face and prevail in such situations, where experience is a key factor. So, I offer experience.

And that is my goal. Not to put them on the spot, nor to put them in the hot seat as it were. I just want them to step up and out. Of course, ever-mindful of placing kids in overly stressful situations, I will offer individual interviews with me for those who find it too overwhelming. It’s a building moment, not a make or break moment. These things take time and support. I can give both.

In the mean time, always trying to walk the walk by being willing to do whatever I ask the kids to do, I told them they could interview me. So, today, I am in the hot seat where I will model the interview skills that I have learned from my own experiences.

I told them they could ask me “whatever they wanted,” but I also told them that I could decline comment on whatever I wanted (they are sophomores). So, today, I find myself in the hot seat. I’ll share some highlights (maybe low lights) tomorrow.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…interviewing Sy.

…the joy of personal reading.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme. 

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Project 180 officially started with a radical first step: I gave every kid an A. For the entire year.

Since then, though in truth the radical rebel still resides in room 206, I have taken less-crazy steps towards turning education upside down.

This week, feeling an abundance of appreciation for my little humans, I decided to start giving out thank you cards (2 per period). An “A” for the day. “A” for Appreciation.

So, I stocked up on my thank you cards, and started appreciating kids, seeking to personalize my gratitude for each one. Here are some of the things I have appreciated this week.

Thank you for your awesome attitude and work ethic.

Thank you for sharing yourself during Smiles and Frowns.

Thank you for allowing me to experience life and learning with you. I am wowed by your wisdom every day.

Thank you for always getting the party started with Smiles and Frowns.

Thank you for being a good sport with my kidding and joking.

Thank you for your “thank you” and “goodbye” to end my day each day.

Thank you for being you.

Thank you for being a leader.

Thank you for your crooked smile when you pass each day for Smiles and Frowns. Someday, you’ll share. Right. Either way, the smile is enough.

Thank you for your GIANT spirit. You lift us all.

So, here I go again, handing out A’s like candy. No empty calories, though. Just sweet smiles as the kids digest a daily dose of appreciation.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…(mostly) wrapping up our media exploration for our Truth Projects.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. (And show some appreciation along the way.)