Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Learned v. Learning: Morning Musing from the 180 Classroom
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Category Archives: Project 180
Go to the Source: Thoughts from the 180 Classroom
How do we know what we know in education? How do we know Jill learned this? How do we know Jack didn’t learn that? How do we know this was a good lesson? How do we know that was a bad lesson? How do we know this is a good teacher? How do we know that is a bad teacher? How do we know this is a good program? How do we know that is a bad program? How DO we know this? How DO we know that?
Maybe we don’t.
Maybe I don’t. Maybe it’s just me. But how do I know?
Seems when we don’t know, we don’t want others to know. So we seek answers. It’s human. We want to know. But what if we can’t know? I mean, really, what if we can’t? What if in education, we can’t know?
Oh, we try to know, especially if our “knowing” is necessary to hide what we don’t know. I mean, we can’t tell a parent we don’t know if Jack is learning. We can’t tell our supervisor we don’t know if that was an effective lesson. We can’t tell someone we don’t know if he is a good teacher. We can’t tell the school board we don’t know if that program is successful. We have to know. We have to prove we know. And so, we measure.
We measure. When we want to know if an essay is effective, we create a rubric. When we want to know if student has learned, we provide a grade. When we want to know if a teacher is good, we create an evaluation. When we want to know if a program is successful, we mine data. We measure to show what we know, to prove beyond doubt that we know. But what if there’s doubt?
What if the same essay, using the same rubric was scored differently by a number of teachers? Does that mean we know? I have some doubts.
What if a student got an A on all tests but only got a C in the class because she didn’t do the homework? Does that mean we know? I have some doubts.
What if a teacher puts on a show only when he is observed to be labeled good? Does that mean we know? I have some doubts.
What if a school or district fails fewer kids to increase graduation rates. Does that mean we know? I have some doubts.
I have doubts. But there’s more at work here than one teacher’s doubts about the system he works in. When we measure, we rank. When we rank, we label. When we label, we sort. In short, when we measure, whether it’s an intended outcome or not, we create a culture of winners and losers, a reality that we know can have grave implications for kids at the top and bottom. A kid who is labeled a poor reader in elementary school will come to believe that label, come to live that label. And by the time she reaches me at the high school, she has lived out the prophecy. When my own son comes to believe–despite my suggesting otherwise–that an A is all that matters, his heightened stress makes me hope in earnest that he gets an A- this next year as he starts his high school experience.
Of course, we will never get away from the measure. We have to show what we know. But maybe, in the case of kids’ learning, we can take a different tack. Maybe we can know better by engaging those who know best: the learner. Let’s ask her. And if we can’t let it take the place of our measure, then maybe we can make it a complement to our measure. Either way, there may be some merit to the notion that if you want to know something, go to the source.
Kids know. They do. More than we believe, and the longer I have spent moving away from the measure and moving closer to the source, the more I have come to believe that if we want to know if kids are learning, we have to ask and listen. And that’s why I have gone to and continue to refine my select-and-support grading. Kids select their grades and support their choices with evidence. We come to an agreement based on the evidence, but we also take into account our judgment, our gut. For each kid, each situation is different, and among the myriad measurements that exist in our system, the only thing I “know” is that there is no one, best means to measure each kid. This I know. And of that there’s no doubt.
We should not only consider but go to the source when it comes to learning. Go to the headwaters. Ask her. She knows.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
From One Ending to Another Beginning: Project 180 Guest Post
Here is Jenna Tamura’s end-of-the-year post. I meant to get it out a long time ago. Sorry, Jenna.
“I’ve always heard every ending is also a new beginning, we just don’t know it at the time. I’d like to believe that’s true.” I’ve heard this quote several times as I continue to watch new, and rerun episodes of one of my favorite shows Criminal Minds. Many know that the world of teaching is full of both knowns and unknowns. Sometimes it is out of our control. But other times we can do something about it. As this year comes to a close, I’ve thought about the things that I’m going to take with me into a new school year.
I will continue to do smiles and frowns with each one of my class periods every single day. As I think about all the bits and pieces of stuff that I’ve learned about my kids, I can’t imagine going back and not knowing all those pieces of their life puzzle. They know a lot about my life puzzle because I share as well. They’ve learned more about each other. We have become more than just a classroom. We are a community. In my sixth period the other day I observed a group of 10 kids, who collectively probably wouldn’t have socialized outside of our community before, circle up to play a giant game of Uno during some down time. In that moment I knew smiles and frowns are a non-negotiable for me moving forward.
I will continue with our select-and-support grading policy. I can’t validate ditching the unconventional for the traditional when I’ve witnessed our grading policy work. Yes, we know there are always changes and improvements to be made as we strive for “better”, but Monte Syrie and I are committed to staying on this path because kids respond when they are in charge of their own learning. The stakes are less stressful because kids know they have time and we are flexible to their needs. We focus on growth. We focus on learning. We focus on what is best for kids.
So, as I say goodbye to my kids with either a high five, handshake, or a hug, I know that the break of summer will bring a new beginning to a new school year. And while I don’t know what that new beginning will bring, I know I will carry these parts of this year with me into that new year with a new group of students.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
A Matter of Priority: Reflections from the 180 Classroom
Reflection’s Reality: A Summer Series from the Project 180 Classroom
Confession. Kids do too much work from other classes in my room. Confession. In general, I allow it, but in principle, I am not okay with it. Confession. It’s one of my frustrating fails from this past year.
I did. Really, in this case, I did not. I have been reflecting—more like agonizing–on it for months. And so now, if I am going to live up to my “Do. Reflect. Do Better.” standard, then I have to do better.
Last week, as I processed a Twitter conversation by some of my tweeps, Joy Kirr, Scott Hazeu, and Nicholas Emmanuele, my ruminations presented a possibility of better.
In an end of the year blog post, Joy Kirr, a middle-school ELA teacher and the author of Shift This, shared a detailed, honest reflection from her gradeless classroom.
And while many things caught my attention, one line in particular resonated, revealing one of my own struggles.
“Students prioritize other classes first.”
Other classes first. When one does not grade practice, when one does not penalize late work, when one does not impose rigid deadlines, when one does not punish behavior with grades, and when one does not adhere to the one-and-done approach to moving through the curriculum, he is going to face the reality of his class sliding down the priority scale. Of course, it is not a surprising reality, for he set that stage, but that does not mean it’s not a disappointing reality. Of course, he wants kids to make his class a priority.
Of course, I want kids to make my class a priority. And I am not alone. Others who offer the flexibility found in a gradeless classroom do, too, but they are not going to compromise principles for compliance. They choose flexibility. It is a student-considerate approach.
Nicholas Emmanuele, an ELA teacher from Pennnsylvania, chooses to make his classroom a “doomless” classroom.
Scott Hazeu, a Canadian high school ELA teacher with the coolest beard ever, shared his own ruminations about the prioritization of work, raising an important question.
“…a problem or an old habit/feeling of control that needs to die?”
This one cut deeply. Truth always does. Of course, this is not the first time I’ve been cut by this particular blade. I have reported on my own self-inflicted wounds as I have shared in numerous posts the realities of trading power for influence and the realities of freedom from flexibility in the gradeless classroom. I was already thinking of changes for the coming year when Scott’s question sealed the deal. And I came up with a plan.
A Matter of Respect or Priority?
Though it may seem counter-intuitive and counter-productive, I am going to let kids do work from other classes in my room. I am going to publicly invite them to work on their math and science assignments in my class. Let me explain.
As I mentioned in my confessional above, kids do too much work from other classes in my room. They do. And they do for all the reasons that were raised explicitly and implicitly in the tweets above. And while it would be easy–too easy–to make this a matter of respect, I think there’s something else at play. I am not suggesting it has nothing to do with respect. It does. It does seem disrespectful on the surface, and it is hard not to take it personally. It is my class. My class. But that hints of ego. And my wanting to control how my ego feels does not necessarily make my kids disrespectful. Some of my very favorite kids, with whom I feel a deep sense of mutual respect, took advantage of my flexibility this year.
But I don’t think they were being disrespectful, though my ego may have suggested otherwise at the time. They were prioritizing. They assessed the situation. They made a judgment call. It wasn’t about me. It was about them. They knew that I would take their work late, but they knew, too, that they would be “doomed” (thank you, Nicholas) if they did not have their math assignment done before next period (Sorry math peeps. Nothing against math, but most assignments that kids “prioritized” were math). And now that I can emotionally detach from the situation, I can see that it was a matter of priority, not respect.
But, as I also mentioned in my confessional, I am not really okay with this–in principle. In principle, I want my kids to take advantage of the opportunities to learn in my class, and I want them to commit to the responsibility of this opportunity.
In general, we make a tacit agreement when kids enter our classrooms. When you are in my room, you will work on my work. Of course, some agreements in some classes are more explicit than tacit, giving rise to specific consequences when the agreement is not upheld, and more often than not, those consequences take the form of punishment. I have found in my own “agreement” that things have been too tacit, and as such, I feel I have little recourse when I find kids working on work from other classes. So, I wanted to find a way to make our agreement less-tacit, but in a way that I could remain true to my own principles and not punish kids.
As a rule, I have little interest in compliance. My real interest lies in commitment. So, how do I get kids to commit? I believe that answer is found in ownership. One of the guiding principles in the 180 classroom is student ownership, which invites responsibility. Priorities are a part of responsibility. I want kids to own their priorities. I want them to take responsibility for their priorities. And that requires a level of honesty. And that is another guiding principle in the 180 classroom. I don’t want to “play school” with my kids. I don’t want to operate under the pretense of ostensible roles. I want to authentically experience life and learning with them. I want things to be real.
So, earlier when I said, that I would invite them to do work from other classes in my room, I was being honest. I will. There was, however, a “but.” But I want them to be honest, too. I want them to own it. I don’t want them to hide it. And I don’t want to pretend like I don’t see it. We have to be honest with each other. I want them to come to me and say, “Sy, I have to get my math done.” That is the first step of taking responsibility for their priorities. But their doing so, does not take their responsibilities for my class off the table; it just shuffles the list. They still have to get to my work. That will be our agreement. The first two will be “freebies” (see below). I will trust that they will get it done on their time. The “next times” will require a trade. Time for time. If John needs 15 minutes to finish his math, he will then owe me 15 minutes of his time. He will have to come in during lunch or before/after school. Another guiding principle in the 180 classroom is to grant grace when I can and find fair when I cannot. The Lifeline is grace. The trade is fair.
I will give each kid two tickets per semester. They may use them at any time. No questions asked. Once they have used their tickets, they will have to barter with me. Importantly, I too will have two tickets to spend. There are days when my priorities get shuffled also. So instead of “playing school” and keeping kids busy while I secretly take care of other priorities in my life, I will be real with my kids. I will spend a ticket when I have to. I will take responsibility for my priorities. I will be real in hopes that my doing so creates an authentic experience for all of us.
And that really is the goal of the 180 classroom. To find better. To find different. And yes, this is different. Probably too different for most, and for some perhaps a different that borders on “malpractice,” but if doing the same was the answer, I wouldn’t be seeking better, and you probably wouldn’t be reading this post. We have to dare different at times if we want to get better. I just want to get and make better.
Of course, it’s going to take more than a ticket to create the “better” I desire. I also have to continue to seek better ways to provide more meaningful learning experiences for all my kids. I have to do better. And I will. I have more new “betters” to share, but I will save those for another post. For now, I will be content in my finding this latest better regarding priorities–just another better to learn from, so I can chase the next one. Always a next one.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
End of the Road: Project 180, Day 180
And then they came to an end in the road. It had been on the horizon for some time, and though each day it grew in their view, it still seemed far off and away. But not today. It is here, and so are they.
And that’s that. We’re done. And with another behind, I am already looking ahead, and as the dust settles, I will spend time reflecting on what I did, so my next “do’s” will be better. I will share my reflections in my summer “Reflection’s Reality” posts, but for the next week or so, I am going to take a break. Thank you to all my faithful readers for your kind and continued support. Could not do this without you. Thank you.
And as I wrap up another year of Project 180, I want to give a special shoutout to a special young lady. I first met her when she was a student in my classroom management course at the university. After that, she had some issues with her student-teaching placement, so she reached out for help, and–long story short–she ended up student teaching with me. She finished up mid-year, and through some connections, we were able to get her a job at Connell HS, where she finished up the year. But we snatched her back up here at Cheney that same fall, and she has been with us for the last two years. And though we thought we had found a “lifer,” stuff happens–love happens, and we are now losing Maddie as she heads off to Texas, following her beau. And while she will be missed by many, she will be missed most by Jenna and me, for she was the other leg in our gradeless grade-ten team. She has spent the last year experimenting and innovating with us, and we will miss what she brought to the table, a table that she, Jenna, and I sat at every morning for the last 180 days dreamin’ and schemin’ about ways to make our kids’ educational experiences more meaningful. Thank you, Maddie. Thank you for the collaborative, kid-loving, robot-dancing, cheer-coaching, compassionate spirit that you shared with us. You have made a mark. And you will not be forgotten. You are a cherished colleague, and you will be a lifelong friend. Keep doing. Keep reflecting. And keep doing better. Goodbye, dear friend.
Today’s Trail
Along our last stretch of trail we will…
…do our final Smiles and Frowns (my crowning achievement for the year)
…end with a final Sappy Sy Rhyme
…high-fives, handshakes, and hugs.
Happy end of another year. Maybe my best of 22. Gonna miss my little humans.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Another Goodbye: Project 180, Day 179
Dang. Almost didn’t make it. Last round of Sappy Sy Goodbyes. Would write more but I am running way late. Catch you all in the final post tomorrow. Have a great day.
And Now, Goodbye: Project 180: Day 178
Hate goodbyes. Always have. They’re hard. And always will be. But, this year’s goodbyes seem even a little harder. After a full year of Smiles and Frowns, we have formed some rather strong bonds, and we will sincerely miss what we have shared. Never have I had the privilege of being part of such a deeply connected classroom community, and not just in one of my classes, but all five. Today, we will say goodbye in third and fifth. For the next two days we are on a two-hour block schedule for finals. Periods one, three, and five today. Periods two, four, and six tomorrow. And then on Thursday, our last day, we will have 15 minute periods before our end of the year activities. So, we are saying our formal goodbyes today. Plus, many kids will not come on the last day, so today we start our goodbyes.
Twenty years ago, I wrote something for my kids called the “Last Word.” They were my first class, and I had them for two years, and “goodbye” seemed not enough, so I wrote each a little note to honor them and our time together. This year, goodbye feels inadequate, too, so I wrote each of the kids a short Sappy Sy Rhyme. This was a particular challenge, for it is hard to both rhyme and capture something of significance for each kid. I did my best. I have included today’s below. I will read and distribute them to both periods. Gonna miss these kiddos. A lot.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will…
…begin with Smiles and Frowns
…have our final Community Circle of the year
…end with Sappy Sy Rhymes
Happy Tuesday, all.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
aMAISing: Project 180, Day 177
Many proud moments of late, but Maisie’s moment sits at the top. In a world rife with compliance and transaction, there are kids who go beyond, kids who transcend, kids who rise above and shine their lights. Maisie is one such kiddo, and I am so proud of her commitment to her learning. She is aMAISing. The Twitter thread below tells the story.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will…
…begin with Smiles and Frowns
…finish speeches
…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme
Happy last Monday, all. Cannot believe we are done this week.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Kids Know, Too: Project 180, Day 176
“I mean come on, 67% of teenagers IN THE WORLD are active to this exposure EVERY DAY. Don’t get me wrong I am one of those 67% as I’m sure you are too. But I can’t be the only one who knows to take a step back and see its true effects on our generation, on our health, both mentally and even physically.” –Savannah
“So I ask you one more time, am I not human? Have I not spent an entire semester getting to know all of you wonderful people? I’m not asking you to do anything, I’m not even asking that you talk to me outside of classes, but seriously, just try not to hate others unless they’ve done something awful to you. If not for me, then for your own health.” –Damon
“Your parents may tell you to think about others or to treat people how you’d like to be treated. Then, when you go to school, they tell you not to worry about others and to keep your hands to yourself. Which is it? What if I like hands?” –Maisie
“I am not a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and neither are you. We are not based off our testing when our testing can’t assess how each one of us learns, thinks, and processes information. We are not the same for a reason. Our diversity is what separates us and makes us all unique, not the numbers produced from a biased test.” –Madisyn
Good morning, all. Another round of student voices to share today. Lots a questions to wrestle with out there. Turns out, kids are not bad wrestlers. Not bad at all.
Are You a Percentage? by Savannah
As of January 2018, there are about 7.593 BILLION people on Earth. Out of those 7.593 billion people, 3.196 BILLION people are active on social media. That is 42% of our WORLD’S population that is actively on social media, a large chunk being teens. 67% of teenagers are active on social media every single day, being social media’s most active users. Now let me ask you something… with almost half of our World being active on social media, how is it that little to none are truly aware of its effects on teenagers and their mental and physical health. 3.196 BILLION people actively use some form of social media everyday. 3.196 BILLION people are actively exposed to each other. Actively exposed to the harms of our social norms and the harms of one another. I mean come on, 67% of teenagers IN THE WORLD are active to this exposure EVERY DAY. Don’t get me wrong I am one of those 67% as I’m sure you are too. But I can’t be the only one who knows to take a step back and see its true effects on our generation, on our health, both mentally and even physically.
Social media comes with its obvious pros and cons. Sadly we mostly only focus on the pros, ignoring the consequences it can often have. Body negativity, FOMO, depression and even anxiety are major effects teenagers face daily…. No active social media user in this room can say that they haven’t seen one of their peers or even a celebrity post something on the internet, that hasn’t made them jealous of their body, maybe their friends, their clothes, or their wealth. One of the most common effects social media has on teenagers is body confidence issues. 84% of teenage girls struggle with their self image along with 52% of teenage boys struggling with the exact same thing. Social media just rubs salt in the wound, where you can easily see people you might think have a better body than you. “Wow she has nice curves.” “Damn. Look at his abs, I wish I had abs like that.” “Her skin is so clear, I wish my skin could look that perfect.” Most teenagers might not even notice these thoughts going through their head, but in others these thoughts control them. Social media CONTROLS how we see our own SELVES in the mirror! That is so [effed] up! Body negativity is one of the leading causes of depression and social anxiety in teenagers globally. Do you know how confident we could easily be in our own skin if we didn’t constantly see people “more beautiful” than us being praised online? This often leads to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. That is only one of the ways social media can affect teenagers mental and physical health. Another way social media affects teens is it’s an easy platform for bullying and racism. It is SO easy for cowards to hide behind a screen and make racist, sexist, homophobic remarks. Bullying like this is just ANOTHER leading cause to depression in teenagers.
As of January 2018, there are about 7.593 billion people on Earth. Out of those 7.593 billion people, 3.196 BILLION people are active on social media. 42% of our Worlds population is active on social media. 67% of teenagers are active on social media every day. But only 23% of teenagers even report being bullied on social media. 84% of teenage girls struggle with body confidence due to social media. 52% of boys struggle with body confidence due to social media. Now trust me I’m not telling you to stop looking at memes on Twitter or watching your favorite YouTuber, or even stop posting on Instagram. But I am asking you, are you letting social media make you a percentage?
Hate Isn’t What Our Reality Should be About by Damon
As the great William Shakespeare once said, “Am I not human? If you cut me, would I not bleed?”
I’ll spare you the assault charges, I do. We all do.
So, if we all bleed, then why must we judge and ridicule others based on nothing but the colour of their skin, their religious views, or even who they love?
I’ll admit, I do actively hate a couple of people, but not based on their looks or beliefs, I hate them because they did something to me that I found unforgivable.
How could somebody hate another human being just for being who they are? How could somebody hurt, or even kill another human being just for loving another? How could they?
How could you?
You might say that hate is a part of human nature, but, as Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa so beautifully and wisely stated, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Hate is not natural, so I ask again,
Why?
You might say that hate is becoming less of an issue since many years ago, but crimes against persons, or hate crimes, have seen a near 5% increase in the past 5 years alone.
That might not sound like much, but each single percent is more than 1000 people being targeted for the way they look, or what they believe.
We need to fix this. You might ask what you, a single, inconsequential person might do to affect an entire world of hate, but if one person stops the hate, happiness can spread. Kindness is just like hate, but it spreads easier. Smile at somebody, pay for the next person’s coffee.
A small act can deeply affect somebody’s day, and they might even pay that kindness forward.
If I walked up to somebody you love and punched them in the gut for no reason, would you just stand there, or would you throw a punch for them? You almost definitely would, so why must so many people sit idly by as so many people are being attacked, or even murdered, just for being themselves? For example, we may see Concentration camps as a thing of the past, something that won’t be repeated in the near future, but, just last year, there was a “secret” camp for homosexuals! It was in Chechnya, a Federal subject of Russia, and the camps have already imprisoned at least 100 men, killing at least three of them and torturing/mutilating all of the rest! This may even still be going on to this day, but the Chechen government has denied all of these accusations, stating that “My officers would not even want to touch such people [homosexuals}—if they exist—let alone beating or torturing them.” This is just one of many groups that has been discriminated against heavily in the past year alone.
There are many ways we can stop the hate in the mainstream, such as no longer allowing hate-groups to get the attention they so desperately want. We can stop interviewing Neo-Nazis, we can discontinue the hiring of known hate-group advocates into the mainstream media, and we can demonize them, as they so deserve.
Hate is not a universal truth. It isn’t natural, and it’s unhealthy. Being an angry or hateful person can actually cause heart problems, and strokes, according to Dr. Cynthia Thaik. There are ways to fix this. All you have to do is talk to somebody. Vent your frustrations at a good friend, and listen to them when they vent. There are other ways, of course, but none of them are as easy, and some of them even cost money, like therapy
I have a challenge for you. Close your eyes, and think of all of the people that you don’t like. Next, think of why you don’t like them, and how much you actually know about their lives. If they have done something to you, something that has actually given you a valid reason to dislike them, then ignore this next step. If not, try to get to know them, and think from their perspective. Have they done anything to deserve this? Are they really as bad as you think?
So I ask you one more time, am I not human? Have I not spent an entire semester getting to know all of you wonderful people? I’m not asking you to do anything, I’m not even asking that you talk to me outside of classes, but seriously, just try not to hate others unless they’ve done something awful to you. If not for me, then for your own health.
Life by Maisie
I used to go to bed early. I used to be motivated. I used to make art. I used to be an optimist. I used to be kind. I used to enjoy going to school. I used to believe in God. I used to read poetry. I used to be excited about my future. I used to make art. I used to find myself in others. But I never used to open my blinds.
In an over-analysis of my own emotional traits, I have come to believe that time will take from you what it wants; but it gives back, too. It starts with the first memory you have of growing up, maybe even earlier than that. Your parents may tell you to think about others or to treat people how you’d like to be treated. Then, when you go to school, they tell you not to worry about others and to keep your hands to yourself. Which is it? What if I like hands?
Next, you are in middle school and you will want to be anyone but yourself. You are convinced that there is a way to act, to look, and to think. You have no real concept of anything but what your peers and your parents have told you. Your brain is only beginning to develop into its own machine. All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall.
Then, all of the sudden, you’re a highschool student. You might begin to find yourself and your individuality. Maybe you realize that your own happiness ranks higher than other people’s approval. You may begin to see your teachers as the humans that they are. People who have walked the same halls as you in an attempt to find themselves. Yet, they so often treat you like you are so much less that what you really are.
Finally, you will graduate with the people who helped shape your identity, who gave you the foundation that was your first 18 years. Something you will look back upon and wonder how different things would have been if you’d grown up in a different state, or if you hadn’t fallen in love with that one person. Your perspective of the world will expand when you are on your own, with nobody to tell you where to be and when.
Years pass and you are on your deathbed, you will think about your life. You will think about the wonders you saw and the people you let understand you. You will hope that your soul grew so much it has stretch marks, wrinkles, and sun spots. Maybe you will ask yourself what your life was worth anyway, if you will be gone tomorrow with only a dozen people to tell your story. You will ask yourself where all that energy goes, but you will never know until it is too late to tell. This is something you will work your whole to accept.
There are many questions like these throughout life but we must not let them separate us from each other. Your life experiences and beliefs are only an attempt to make sense of it all and although it is almost necessary to believe in something, there are no facts. No matter how sure you may think you are, there are no facts. Anyones beliefs are as valid as yours. Respect everyone you meet and let this pattern take place every day.
If we are all a part of the human race
We all should stand by each other just in case
In the case of an apocalypse or a mass level extinction
What if the only people left are torn by distinction?
We can’t just crucify people for the lives they choose
Or put a price on the dreams they lose
Don’t act like there are facts, because nobody knows
Which means we are all equally right… or wrong I suppose
I hate to make it too simple and draw it out
But I want you to know what I am talking about
Bill Withers was right when he said in his song:
Lean on me when you’re not strong
We have to have to lend a shoulder to lean on sometimes
When the living starts to hurt and we have hard times
Tell people you love them and send them edgy memes
Like Lorde said once: we’re on each others teams
I Am Not a Number by Madisyn
Am I a 1, or a 2? Maybe a 3, or a 4? Did I pass or did I fail? Is this what I need to graduate? Our education seems to be surrounded and based off of one thing, standardized testing. Standardized testing measures only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. They are an unreliable measure of student performance. Standardized tests have not improved student achievement and are not objective. So the real question is are they pulling our education system together or tearing it apart? Do students have a healthy relationship with standardized testing?
Standardized tests measure only a small portion of what makes education meaningful. We spend an immense amount of time cramming, preparing for, and taking these test only to forget the material soon after. Am I really going to need to know how to make a zip line and all the zip line requirements? What’s meaningful about that? Are we learning to pass a test or are we learning for a purpose other than just a number? Aren’t we supposed to be happy to learn new things?
Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, It will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I believe that standardized tests are like the tree. We all are given the same formatted test and expected to complete it and score as high as we can, but everybody’s brain works differently. We are all so diverse but yet given the same test. How is that fair? Standardized tests are an unreliable measure of student performance.
As students we are supposed to keep learning and growing. The focus of school is on us and our learning, yet standardized testing has not improved student achievement. If anything, it stresses us out and we dread it. Some teachers can make it seem like our only goal is to learn to pass the test. Hours and hours of sitting in a quiet room reading and answering questions off of a laptop. How boring. Not only are we subjected to the test, but some teachers even require prep tests. My math teacher for example spent 1 whole week with us and the laptops to simulate the testing environment and so that we can practice the questions only to take the actual thing a few days later. What a waste of time. What did we learn during that? How to use an online calculator?
I am not a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and neither are you. We are not based off our testing when our testing can’t assess how each one of us learns, thinks, and processes information. We are not the same for a reason. Our diversity is what separates us and makes us all unique, not the numbers produced from a biased test. Our learning is more significant than our testing. We are much more than a number or a test.
Proud of my kiddos. They give me hope.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will…
…begin with Smiles and Frowns
…continue and mostly wrap up speeches
…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme
Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.
Kids Know 1: Project 180, Day 175
“On the other hand, what is art? Does art have rules? Restrictions? Are you able to recognize any boundaries within art? No, art does not hold creativity in a box, that’s the beauty of it. Neither does dancing, painting, sculpting, makeup, music, clothes, digital design, including skateboarding.” –Gabrielle
“Just because I wear backwards hats, skate shoes, ripped up jeans, and baggy shirts does not mean I am a bad person. It does not mean I am trying to cause trouble.” –Devin
“The fire. I knew it was burning. I saw you add the gasoline, yet I did nothing to blow it out. I sat there and watched, listened, and understood what you were doing to them, yet I did nothing. I am part of the bullying cycle.” –Isabella
Morning, all. So many great “Be A Voice” speeches yesterday. We laughed. We wondered and pondered. And we cried–not sure there was a dry eye in the room after Abby shared her speech on “Dealing with Death” in 6th period. Kids spoke about stress, about being openly gay at CHS, about the environment, about implicit bias, about life, about social media, about being bikers and skaters, about bullying, about responsible pet ownership, about identity, and the list goes on. Kids know more than we believe, and if we gave them a voice AND listened more often, we would learn much. I have learned much from kids in my twenty-two years, and this year is no exception. In truth, I learned more about kids this year than ever before, but I should have. I gave them a voice and I listened. It inspired my Twitter reflection this morning.
And yesterday, I learned a lot from these very best of humans. Here are some highlights.
We Have a Choice by Isabella
I am the type of person who thinks they can solve everything, but it turns out I can’t. I thought I could be the one to find a solution to bullying, but through my own experience and research I realized there is not and never will be a solution to bullying. But that doesn’t mean I can’t try; it doesn’t mean we all can’t try, I have a few ideas and approaches for bullying, but it all starts with one word: choice.
Today I will share three different points of view. The bully, the bullied, and the bystander. Because each and everyone is an important factor to this death causing problem. Whether you think so or not, at some point in our life or maybe several times, we will play one of these roles. We may be the bully and not know it; we may be the bullied and become weak, or we may be the bystander who is watching someone being damaged everyday and not doing anything about it. It’s all about choices. You may not even realize that you made the choice.
The Bully
“You’re not good enough, you’re useless, I am ashamed to call you my child”. I am told this every night I go to bed thinking I’m not loved. I wake up in the morning believing I’m not loved, and I go to school knowing I’m not loved. So what do I do? I treat others poorly to make them believe they are not loved, so then maybe I won’t be the only one.
The victims are told they are bullied because the bully has a hard life back home or that’s just how they are raised. But does that give them the excuse to treat others like they’re nothing? To treat others like they are hated by everyone? To treat them as though they will never be loved? No. When is it ever okay to treat someone poorly for our own personal benefits? It’s not. But that’s not the only scenario. There are times where one will bully because they are jealous of you, or they want to sound all cool and badass. But they fail to notice that they are really making themselves look like a terrible person by having such a negative impact on others, sometimes even leading to suicide.
Even though bullies maybe hurt, they can cause even more hurt.
The Bullied
Hurt. That’s how I feel. I feel as though I am unwanted and unliked by everyone. I am too scared to tell someone about my hurt.“You’re fat, You’re ugly, Why do people even like you, This world would be a better place if you weren’t in it.” At night I take my shower, looking in the mirror wondering who I am or why I look like this. I hurt myself as a punishment. I slit my wrists, but I keep my self-harm to myself. You damaged me, and scarred me . You held the knife pushing it deeper and deeper with every hurtful word, every name, every insult .Then it came, that thought I realized my bully is right, the world would be a better place without me in it. The rope was tied, the chair in place, I climbed up…. And I jumped. Stories like these don’t stop after they stop breathing, rumors are still spreading, at this point we are only fueling the flame.
The Bystander
The fire. I knew it was burning. I saw you add the gasoline, yet I did nothing to blow it out. I sat there and watched, listened, and understood what you were doing to them, yet I did nothing. I am part of the bullying cycle. I helped you feel as though you were alone. I laughed along at the hurt they caused you. I am part of the bullying cycle, and I didn’t even know it. And now you’re gone… I could have been the one to help you, to save your life. I could have been the one to end your hurt. Most bystanders see this all happening and don’t react until it’s too late or don’t react at all. If you would have just said something, told somebody, or if you would have just been their friend. Don’t wait until it’s too late to help out. Be the reason they decide to live another day.
4,400. 4,401. 4,402 and counting. This is the number of bullied caused suicides per year. Bullying will never stop or have a solution. But we can help others live another day by speaking up or being a friend. It’s all about our choices. Again I’m the type of person who thinks they can solve everything, but I can’t. But I hope today I helped someone. I hope I helped someone realize how they are treating others is wrong. I hope I helped someone realize that they are worth fighting for and that they are not alone. I hope I helped someone realize that it’s time to speak up and save a life. Today I helped someone, can you say the same?
from I Just Wanna Ride My Bike by Devin
Maybe it was the way I walk, maybe it was the way I dress, or maybe it was because I am a teenager that looks like I cause trouble. Just a few weeks ago I was walking down the street, and I faintly heard a man say, “Honey, look at that kid,” and a little louder response from his wife, “He looks like such a bad kid, his parents must be so disappointed.” I soon found out it was the car sitting next to me at a stop light. I pretended not to hear them, but since the window was open it was almost like they wanted me to hear. I think since people don’t know me, they shouldn’t judge me. Nobody should judge people just on first appearance.
I see people like I see a book. You can see the cover and you can see the person, but you really need to read the inside or talk to the person to really understand and get to know who they are as a person. Just because I wear backwards hats, skate shoes, ripped up jeans, and baggy shirts does not mean I am a bad person. It does not mean I am trying to cause trouble. All it means is I am wearing the clothes that I like. People look a certain way and wear certain things because they like it. But your clothes or the way you look does not define the person you are.
from Skateboarding Is My Art by Gabrielle
“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater,you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean.”― Dave Barry
Mankind strives to push risk aside and smash apart the impossible. How often and how far can one go in a sport with rules and confinements. Many don’t question how skateboarding breaks boundaries. Instead, they rather overlook all it offers and push it as a sport. Skating holds more depth. It constantly creates a wider diversity than a sport would. It’s time to pull skating out of its closet and reclaim it by the heart. Skateboarding is an art.
If you love something enough to pour your heart into it and express yourself through it, can’t it be an art as well? I think so, because anything can have a deeper meaning to one person than what it just appears on the surface to someone else. That’s why skating is an art to me and many of my friends, because we love it so much and are able to express ourselves through it and pour our heart and soul into it. I want to share my love for skateboarding with the world. If you too have something you’re passionate about daily, you should share it too, because there are no rules when it comes to loving what you do, and that’s art in itself.
So lucky to have a seat in the room, to have an opportunity to listen to and learn from these wise, resonant voices. Kids are the very best humans.
Today’s Trail
Along today’s trail we will…
…begin with Smiles and Frowns.
…listen to more Voices.
…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.
Happy Thursday, all.
Do. Reflect. Do Better.