“I have reason to believe that the majority of society expects public education to prepare our children to continue advancing our society; so if we believe this to be true, why do we continue to suppress creativity and prevent communication?” –Juliane

 

 

“What is Love? Why is love something that many find hard to explain or even understand? How do you know what love is if you’ve never experienced it, but how do you know if you’ve experienced it if you don’t know what it is?” –Lyss

 

In June, the kids get the podium. They get to speak. They get to share. They get to be a voice. This June, my kids have had two opportunities to speak. First, they had an opportunity to share their Passion Papers, a piece of their very own, self-selected and self-directed writing. Second, they are now sharing their Be A Voice speeches, speeches on matters/issues that give rise to their voices. And though there have been many resonant voices over the past days, two in particular caught my ear: Lyss’s and Juliane’s.

For his Be A Voice speech, Juliane made his case for why we need to change education for the sake of society AND kids. Please understand that Juliane is an exemplary student. He may in fact be my “best student” this year, but that “best” has come at a cost, as he is a living, breathing example of what he presents in his paper: a stressed out over-achiever trapped in a hyper-competitive existence that brings little purpose or joy to his life. Isn’t that funny? When I think of our need to be engaged in meaningful, fulfilling experiences as adults in things that bring us purpose and joy, in both our personal and professional lives,  I can’t help but feel that we are subjecting our kids to the very things we strive to escape as adults: the mundane, the joyless, the meaningless, the purposeless, the stressful…the list goes on. And so when Juliane spoke yesterday, it resonated with me, not only as a change chaser in education but also as a person in the world. But what could a sixteen-year-old possibly know about education? Maybe more than we think. Here are some of my favorite lines.

“I am sick. I have been infected with one of the worst diseases that has ever been inflicted upon humankind by humankind. I’m not talking about some chemical weapon; I’m not talking about the Black Plague; and I’m definitely not talking about the flu. This epidemic affects millions of teenagers every single day. Education. Public Education. As a great theoretical physicist once said, ‘The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education’ (Albert Einstein).”

“The next issue to address is that the students are both physically and mentally damaged when they attend school. We are taught that we need 8-10 hours of sleep, yet I get 5 on average. I need to have breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, yet I skip lunch to study for exams or just because the school lunch equals that of a prisoner’s meal. I need to finish high school, yet I think about giving up.”

“Conditioned to be perfectionists, these students are backed into a corner where mistakes are the downfall of their image, but I believe our greatest mistake is making said students to stress over these mistakes instead of learning from them. From an efficient-seeking point of view, this method proves to carry out what graders desire: results. From an ethical point of view, this method contradicts the expectations of the parents by damaging the mental development of our students. In Jay Shetty’s video “Life is the Most Difficult Exam”, he proceeds to elaborate on the things that schools do to students that should be changed. He tested what would happen when typing in the phrase ‘University makes me…’ into google to see what the top searches are. As expected, most proved to be negative. Google showed that when typing in the phrase ‘High school makes me…’ its top searches were: suicidal, want to cry, feel stupid, and stressed.”

“So I say this once more: I am sick. High school public education has taken us, the students, hostage, and society is at its mercy as it spreads its yearly epidemic. I can only ask and beg and call for help on this matter, so listen closely. Our education is supposed to guide us to the people we will become, and if we continue to take the wrong steps, we fail to keep advancing effectively as a society.”

 

For her Passion Paper, Lyss explored the question, “What is love?” Inspired by an earlier Community Circle topic, “Is teenage love real?” she further examined her own ideas and feelings. But what could a sixteen-year-old possibly know about love? Maybe more than we think. Here are some of my favorite lines.

 

“Now I probably just sound like some dumb teenager who has no idea what she’s talking about but it’s ok… because I am. I don’t know what I’m talking about because the truth is I don’t know what love is.”

“Now I probably just sound like some dumb teenager who has no idea what she’s talking about but it’s ok… because I am. I don’t know what I’m talking about because the truth is I don’t know what love is. I love my mom and my dad and my sisters and my dogs but I don’t know why. That sounded bad… I know why I love them but I don’t know why I feel that specific emotion toward them. I’ve never had to think of why I love them.”

“Are there two different types of love? I don’t know. I feel like there is this in between emotion.”

“One time my friend told me that you won’t stop worrying about someone until you know that they love you and much as you love them. But I never worried about whether or not my dad loved me as much as I loved him. Maybe that just because I was lucky and I never had to worry about my parents not loving me. Maybe I’m just ignorant and love is something that you’re supposed to worry about. Maybe that’s the thing. Maybe love is different for everyone. What if we all share a common emotion that means something different to all of us but feels the same. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to wrap our minds around the idea of what is love.”

“I got caught up in things that I didn’t and did understand, but I realize that love is something that sometimes only you can give yourself. I love myself. I love myself. Maybe that’s when we understand what love is.”

 

What could kids possibly know of such things? Maybe more than we think.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…continue speeches.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

“There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch” (alternatively, “There is no such thing as a free lunch” or other variants) is a popular adage communicating the idea that it is impossible to get something for nothing. The acronyms TANSTAAFL, TINSTAAFL, and TNSTAAFL are also used. The phrase was in use by the 1930s, but its first appearance is unknown.^[1] The “free lunch” in the saying refers to the nineteenth-century practice in American bars of offering a “free lunch” in order to entice drinking customers. (Wikipedia)

 

And while there is certainly truth to this, the kids at Cheney High school can get a free lunch…well, almost. It costs them a “thank you.” I started Project Feed Forward last year after coming to a realization that kids, lots of kids, were hungry during the day, so I started making food available to just my students, but then others caught on, and before I knew it, I was feeding the school. Unable to sustain this on my teacher salary alone, I reached out to friends and family for help, and their response was overwhelming. So many donated to the project, and they still do today. From friends, family, teachers, administrators, school board members, community members to former and present students, people have warmly responded to the project. Yokes, one of our local grocery stores, donates noodles all the time. But as with anything, there are always a few who find fault and criticize.

Early on, some chimed in, suggesting that I was not preparing kids for the real world–with some literally saying, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” Others suggested that kids would take advantage of it, that some would take food even if they didn’t need or deserve it. And from there, I began calling it Project Feed Forward. And this became the basic message of the project: kindness feeds kindness. It was not about who deserved and who did not. It was about how a simple act of kindness can make a difference and how when others are treated with kindness, they are likely to do the same. I want this generation to go forward knowing that kindness matters. I am feeding that message forward. I ask for nothing in return except for a “thank you,” which the kids write on the closet door after they take food. The thank you is not for me, it is for those who donate. On occasion I take pictures of the “thank you’s” and post them on social media.

Are there some who take advantage? Maybe. But so what? We all need kindness. Early on, I had a local business offer funding but it would have to be designated for “needy” kids (it’s just how it had to be), but I declined. I did not want to risk further stigmatizing some of our needier kids, so it is available to all. No questions asked. We all need food. We all need kindness. Will a handout ruin a kid’s chance in the real world? Who knows? If so, maybe the world needs to change. If compassion is a free lunch, then I will feed the world. And there are many who would feed it with me.

There are so many kind people in this world, people who are willing to give and help. And while I am thankful that Project Feed Forward is getting some publicity, I am abashed to be in the spotlight again, for there are so many out here who are doing great things for kids. I just happened to be in the right spot at the right time. Katie Chen from KHQ spied the “thank you” board when she was in my room a few weeks ago and asked me about it. At the time, she commented to her crew that they should do a piece on the project. I figured she was just making polite talk, but she meant it, for she contacted my yesterday morning and interviewed me at lunch. And though my face is in the news, I share that space with all who have so generously donated to the project. A million thank you’s. I could not do it without you. Thank you. The kids thank. And I believe–truly, that they will feed forward your kindness.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

...begin with Smiles and Frowns. 

…begin delivering our Be a Voice  speeches. Cannot wait. 

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

“I come to school every day because of you.”

 

Jill, pictured at bottom, wrote this on each of the cards her peers are holding. She then went on to personalize each card by writing something about each individual, capturing something that he/she/they did to contribute to our classroom community. She read each card aloud. It was a terrific tribute to her peers, and it exemplified what I would want from a classroom community. I could not have been more proud of her.

Earlier, during the planning stages of the Passion Paper, she had come to me with the idea, asking if it was okay, so I ran through the requirements of the Passion Paper by asking her two questions: Is it writing? Is it something that you care about? She readily answered, “Yes.” We high-fived, and she set to work. The rest is history.

One-hundred-seventy-one days ago, I shared a document with my brand new students (see below). I don’t do rules. I, instead, offer roles, routines, rights, and responsibilities. One of the roles I present to my kids is that of “valued community member.”  In the beginning, I think perhaps the kids thought I was paying this lip service, thinking it was like any other document that any other teacher might put in front of them–blah, blah, blahing away as we do. I am not sure Jill or any would have predicted into the future that she would be making a public tribute to the members of her community. And Jill is not alone. Devon in fifth period, did something very similar for her peers.

 

Of course, while I am immensely proud and pleased with my kids honoring each other, it is not with surprise that I am sharing this outcome. It was the plan all along. I say that not from a place of arrogance. I say it from a place of confidence. Just like relationships in the classroom are no accident, classroom community is not one either. I planned and executed this all year long. From reading Seedfolks (see below) to saying our Mindset Mantra (see below) to engaging in Smiles and Frowns and Community Circle to sharing Sappy Sy Rhymes, we have intentionally built our community all year long. No accident.

The Mindset Mantra began with my saying it for the first two weeks, then they said it for the next two, and finally, from there on, we all said it each day. Hear it. Say it. Believe it. I would like to think that Jill and her peers now believe it. I hope she and her peers also believe that I “come to school each day” because of them.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…tie up some loose ends with Passion Paper delivery and final speech preparation.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

Morning, all. Feeling a little sappy as the end draws near. Okay, a lot sappy. Forgive me.

 

Out in the Air

 

Twenty-two years

Seems I just started

Then I remember

How many’ve departed

 

They left my class

Yesterday, it seems

Needed more room

Chasing bigger dreams

 

I wonder how they’re doing

I wonder how they are

Did they catch their dreams

Did their wings take them far

 

Our time was short

If I speak true

So I only did

What I could do

 

But I’m never quite sure

If it was enough

That’s why this job

Is sometimes rough

 

We wonder and worry

And often fret

Will they remember

And not forget

 

We believe they will

We place that bet

We did our best

We should not regret

 

They’re doing fine

They’ve found their place

Their wings spread wide

In their bigger space

 

And now too soon

New fledglings leave

Our too-small nest

And I will grieve

 

And wonder…

 

How they’ll do

How they’ll fare

Will they catch their dreams

Out in the air

Will they catch their dreams

Out in the air

 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…share Passion Papers! So excited for this. 

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme

Happy Friday, all. Sorry for sharing my sappier side. Dang kids always get to me. Why do they have to grow?

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Sy, okay. I know this is crazy, but hear me out.”

“Okay, Kat, shoot. What ya got?”

“Well. I want to start over.”

“On your speech?”

“Yeah.”

“Not feeling it?”

“Nope. Not anymore. I keep reading it, and I am boring myself. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“Okay. What ya got in mind.”

“I have no idea.”

Yesterday was the last in-class day for periods 1, 3, 5 to work on their Be a Voice speeches (we’re on a block schedule for testing). Kat’s in my 5th period class, and she was essentially done with her speech on the affordability (unaffordability) of college, which was well-researched and written, relevant and timely. and minus a few polishes here and there, done. She was done, and so I was a bit surprised that after all that she has put into it, she wanted to abandon it.And so, I–flexible to a fault–let her.

One and most important, it’s her work, her voice, and if she’s not feeling it, then it is not my place to stand in her way. Two, she does the work, and I know that even at this late hour, she will dig in and get the work done. She was even willing to again go through the performance/feedback checkpoints, willing to do it all. But I told her no. She’s already demonstrated that she can meet the required standards. I am not going to make her go through the steps again just to go through the steps. I told her just to go for it, to trust her instincts, and to come to me if she needed help. With that, she and I nodded and smiled our agreement, and she went back to her desk. Within five minutes, she announced her new topic, and by the end of the last hour, she had drafted her next speech. Her new topic? The horror of homework. Can’t wait to hear it.

What I love about this interaction with Kat is that in the end it was not about getting done. It was about creating something that she was happy with, something that she was proud of, something that she did because she wanted to, not because she had to. So many of our kids’ experiences in school are just about completing the transaction. But learning should, learning can be so much more. We have to move beyond done. Done is a place of compliance. It’s the doing that measures the commitment, that fosters the growth. And while not all of my kids have moved beyond done as Kat has, I want to believe that many have, for they have had the freedom and the responsibility to do so all year long. Man, I am gonna miss this group of learners next year.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up speech work.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

Good morning, all. Late start on the blog this morning, so I am just going to share a bit of miscellany. Just finished an online interview with a young lady from Bored Panda, an online arts magazine with impressive reach. They were moved by Meg’s story, and reached out to me for more information. Still crazy that one tweet has reached so far and resonated with so many. That said, had a guy from Denmark tweet something in Danish (see below).

All that aside, the most important news to share, and I am truly sorry that I do not have a way to share the video, is the news about Abby’s jaw-dropping, we-begged-for-an-encore performance of her Passion Paper, which was a song that she had written for her recently deceased grandmother. It was amazing. The kids have done some remarkable things with their Passion Papers this semester. Can’t wait till Friday when more kids will share.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…work on speeches.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Sorry for the random post this morning. Have an awesome day.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

I know less than more, but one of my “places of knowing,” especially as I have experimented with grading over the last several years, is that we have to move away from the one-and-done approach to learning as we rush through too much content, moving from unit to unit, test to test, calling this learning, labeling and sorting kids as winners and losers.

 

Funny how many R’s there are in education. For years, long before I was a teacher, I remember hearing the three R’s: reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. And for those years, long before I was a teacher, these seemed to prevail as the core to an educational experience, and even today they prevail as the targeted areas for annual yearly progress (AYP) as evidenced in standardized testing requirements. In Washington, kids have to pass the math and ELA tests to graduate. But there are other R’s that matter. And though it doesn’t start with an “R,” it passes the sound test. Art. My wife, the art teacher, reminds me of its importance all the time, but it doesn’t take much reminding; she’s right. Art matters. A lot. Another R that matters a lot, maybe more than all, is relationships. It is the “R” that I push the most, for it, I believe, is as close to being the magic key in education as anything. All my success and/or failure in the classroom has come from the relationships I have–or don’t have–with my kids. Relationships matter most, so I push them. But I also push another R, at least I am going to today. Retakes.

I believe we have to re-imagine learning. I have said numerous times and in numerous ways that we have a lot to learn about learning. That said, I know less than more, but one of my “places of knowing,” especially as I have experimented with grading over the last several years, is that we have to move away from the one-and-done approach to learning as we rush through too much content, moving from unit to unit, test to test, calling this learning, labeling and sorting kids as winners and losers. This weekend inspired in part by what some of my kids shared with our guest Rachael Kettner-Thompson (Tweep and fellow ed rebel), I tweeted a thread on the importance of allowing retakes. See below.

I believe that this is yet again, despite myriad factors outside our rooms and control, something that we CAN do in OUR rooms. As you reflect on this year and think ahead to next, please consider adding another R to your repertoire. Give the kids a try again button. Let them retake assessments. Little to lose. Possibly much to gain.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…begin the final wrap up of our speeches and Passion Papers.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday ….er, Tuesday, all. Sure feels like a Monday.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Crashed. Hard. Been riding high for a week, caught up in the crazy of a tweet gone viral, still trying to process how it all happened and what it all means. It’d be disingenuous for me to suggest that there has not been a measure of giddy excitement as new and more articles and newscasts come out about Meg’s story. I got caught up in it, excitedly sharing and discussing the news with friends, family, colleagues, Tweeps, and my students. It was exciting. But it was also exhausting. And I should have been better prepared for the crash to come because it did. Of course it did.

But I did it to myself. I know better. I know how big a wuss I am when I don’t get enough sleep, and I also know that tripling my caffeine intake will only make the crash harder when it comes. I know that my introversion can only handle so much noise, and I also know that my trying to sing along only makes more noise. I know that attention leads to introspection, and I also know that introspection and the second-guessing that comes with it leads to doubt and insecurity. I think some may call it “impostor syndrome.” And while I do not feel the impostor, I do feel the human and the frailty that comes with it. And today, I feel decidedly human.

And even though I was on my tip-toes atop a chair with my wife holding on to me as I dismantled every smoke alarm in the house at 2:00 AM this morning to stop an alarming beep only to discover it was the carbon monoxide detector with a dead battery, I am on my third LARGE cup of coffee, running late, hoping to write something appealing to my readers, feeling anxious about opening my classroom to Twitter friend and neighbor Rachael Kettner-Thompson who is visiting my class this morning, worrying about meeting her expectations, and…well, I am back at it again.

I am not sure why I am sharing this this morning, my first-world problem: poor Monte’s gotten too much attention. Maybe it’s because I needed to process all that’s happened. Maybe it’s because I am afraid of what will now be expected. Maybe it’s that I wanted to let my readers know that I am just me beneath it all. I don’t know. But I don’t have time to figure it out now.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…choose a community champ.

…begin sharing our Passion Papers.

…engage in a Q&A discussion with Rachael.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Thank you for being here. Matters. A lot.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

 

Monte the moron…

Obviously he is not a good teacher.

Fire the teacher…

 

Above all, I was hoping to start a conversation. Two and half years ago, I started this blog, and I called it Let’s Change Education. Then, as now, I believed that it started and continued with a conversation. And, since then, I have been working hard to initiate and sustain conversations around changing education, particularly in the manner of challenging the status quo. As many know, I made such a challenge last Thursday when I tweeted out my reflection on Meg’s falling asleep in class. Consequently, most of my blog posts and tweets are reflections that often project an aspect of education that I believe needs examination, that I believe warrants some conversation. And that is where I was coming from last Thursday as I found myself moved by a moment with Meg. Little did I know that in a week’s time the thread would explode and go viral, resulting in news coverage both locally and nationally, resulting in a conversation about what happened–about what is happening in America’s classrooms. The conversation has begun. And yesterday it gained even more traction and continues with Yahoo’s Maggie Parker’s article.

She contacted me via Twitter and asked if I’d be willing to do an email interview on a lifestyle piece about sleepy, stressed students. I told her I would have to check with Meg and her family. I did and they consented. Maggie and I completed the interview yesterday afternoon, so I was surprised when a former student from nearly twenty years ago brought it to my attention, exclaiming it was on Yahoo.

I expected it to be out some time next week. And so I was caught off-guard a bit by CJ’s news, and I scrambled to link to the article, hoping that my words and their message, their intent made the final cut. And they did. Maggie did a fantastic job of presenting the issue and my position. I am so grateful that she provided this national platform to help continue the conversation. Of course some conversations are more easily had and more productive than others. Not sure how to engage people who call me a moron, judge me incompetent, and call for my termination–not exactly the conversation I had in mind.

But a conversation is a conversation, I guess. A week ago no one was talking about this. Today, from all and any sides (some of the comments are absurd) people are having a lot of conversations about our kids and our schools. And that’s all I’ve wanted all along. Some think I did this for attention. I did. But not for me. I did it to bring attention to things that need attention. Kids. Schools. This was never about Meg. This was never about me. It was about–always about–starting a conversation. Thank you to all who have chimed in (even the haters) and advanced the conversation. I hope it’s not done. I am not. Not by a long shot.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…engage in an impromptu speaking activity.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all. Let’s keep the conversation going. Change can happen.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

They tell my students that mistakes are a part of teaching, that teaching like learning is growing.

 

Last night I hosted a teacher panel for my college students. I do it every quarter. I ask some of my high school colleagues to join us for an hour, asking them to share their words of wisdom with my wide-eyed, soon-to-be teachers. It is the highlight of the quarter for many reasons, but I think most of all, it gives my just-entering-the-ed-program students a glimpse of the human side of teachers. This may sound a bit odd, but these kids’ experiences have only been from the student side of the room, with generally only their K-12 experiences and two years of college. And though some certainly have had some significant relationships with their teachers along the way, they still have only seen, only known them as teachers. But each quarter as my awesome colleagues sit down with them as fellow educators, they get a hint of what the human side of teaching looks like, and last night was no exception.

The discussion begins with the teachers introducing themselves, sharing their names, what they teach, how long they have been teaching, and what they wish they had known when they started teaching. From there, we open it to questions, and for the next hour a rich discussion about teaching ensues. And while there certainly are some nuts and bolts to the conversation–it is a course on classroom management, there are also questions about how to take care of yourself as a teacher: time/stress management, burnout avoidance, isolation, etc. And of all the things my colleagues share, I think this part of the discussion always sets my students’ minds at ease the most, for my colleagues reveal their human sides.

They tell my students that they cannot do it all. They tell my students to make time for themselves. They tell my students to leave it at school. They tell my students they don’t have to grade everything. They tell my students they don’t have to know everything. They tell my students that mistakes are a part of teaching, that teaching like learning is growing. They tell my students that real teachers don’t do EdTPA lesson planning (that’s only in college). They tell my students to surround themselves with like-minded, passionate colleagues who will support them. In the end, the gist of what they tell my students is that teachers need teachers.

And we do. We need others who understand the insanely impossible but richly rewarding job we do all day, every day. For we never really leave it at school. Just because we left that stack of essays at school does not mean that we are not wondering and worrying over our students, recalling and reflecting on our many mistakes, and dreaming and scheming about our next kick-ass lesson. It is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week calling for which there is no hanging up. We are on call. We are teachers. And if we did not have each other, we could not make it. I need those colleagues who shared themselves with my students last night. They are my witnesses. They are my supporters. They are my confidants. They are my shoulders to cry on and my bellies to laugh with. They are my teachers, and I need them. Teachers need teachers. And I am grateful that my students heard this message last night.

I have been thinking a lot about this with my recent, thread-gone-viral experience, wondering why it has resonated with so many across the nation, especially teachers. Especially teachers. And I wonder if perhaps what’s at play is that it served as a common connection and reminder that it is okay–that it is necessary–for us to treat our kids with kindness and compassion, that our instincts matter, that we teach kids before content, that we can find comfort in knowing that others know and do what we do, that we are not alone–we are not alone, that there others out there–everywhere, who get it, who do it. Every single moment of every single day. I am glad you are out there. I am glad that I am not alone. Thank you.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…keep working on writing and speaking.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.