Sat down at the keyboard tired and not terribly inspired this morning. Not much wind to get me going this morning. Been a stressful, hard week, but when I read the comments that some of my readers left me, after my recent request An Opportunity and…a Request , my wings  woke. Wanted to share with you this morning.

From Elise Foster, Cincinnati, Ohio. Thank you, Elise. You give me courage.

Hi Monte,

What an exciting opportunity. I’ll share a few thoughts here – hope you find it helpful. In short, your blog and tweets give me hope. The more students and teachers I meet, from all kinds of schools, the more I’m seeing the debilitating effects of the testing stress – on kids, on teachers, and even admins. It is rewarding to see people like you who are willing to experiment to find ways to do well on tests and create curious learners at the same time. Your courage, humility, and candor make the blog worth it – too many blogs these days show the certainty of solutions. You respect and honor the need to ‘not know’ just as much as the need ‘to know’ – and welcome the growth, challenge, and learning that comes from experimenting well.

You’re a shining example of how we can be open, honest, and courageous to try new things (that might fail) in a time when most of what gets put out there is the shiny version of perfect, that’s nearly unattainable.

Thanks for being there and giving me hope! Elise

Elise Foster

President, Leadership Potential Consulting | http://elisefoster.com

Co-Author, The Multiplier Effect | http://MultiplierEffectBook.com

From Mr. Abe Moore, Lynton, Paige, and Amber, Adelaide, South Australia. You deepen my hope in kids around the world. Thank you.

Monte Syrie and his Project 180 has had a huge impact on our class even though we are on the other side of the planet. We are a year 6/7 class in Adelaide, South Australia. Monte inspired us to begin our daily routine with Smiles and Frowns, which we love because it has helped us get to know each other better, have a laugh at times, and has allowed us to build a stronger connection with each other. We use Journey Journals to reflect on our learning and find ways to improve. We have Monte’s stimulus stems in the front of our books to help us. Last year our class connected with Monte via FlipGrid because we were interested in why he chose to give his students all A’s and how he has built student voice into his classroom. He inspired our class to use a select and defend model of self-reporting which gave us more choice, less stress, allowed us to be more creative and gave us greater awareness of our learning and control over it. Finally, Monte gave us an awesome book recommendation, “Freak the Mighty” which we have thoroughly enjoyed as a “read-aloud” story. Even though we have never met Monte in real life, he has helped change our classroom and learning in many positive ways. Thanks, Monte.

From Lynton, Paige, and Amber.

From Mary Wade, Utah. Thank you, Mary. You give me strength–often when I need it most–to stay the course. Thank you. 

Hi, Syrie. I would love to leave a comment. Your blog is continually packed with the rawness, honesty, and messiness that comes with being a visionary 21st-century teacher. It’s easy for these changes and concepts to be discussed in a shiny surface-level manner, but because you are in the trenches and continue to share your voice day in and day out, you are able to convey absolutely invaluable insight into what the work really looks like. You inspire me to have the courage it takes to shift the paradigm from teacher control to student ownership, agency, and voice. Thank you for your dedication!

From Amarise, former student who now lives in Texas. Thank you, Amarise. You give me frequent reminders of the impact I have on kids, and that matters. A lot. Thank you.

Hey Syrie! All I can say is that your blog makes me as a student think about the reasons my teachers have for doing things, like grades, differently. And it has helped me to understand the reasons as well.

Hopefully this was what you were looking for!

Thank you, all, for lifting my spirit this morning. Just the wind my wings needed. Thank you.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up a literary device review–table talk style.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

What did you expect? Did you not think you’d wrestle regret? Did you not think you’d duel with doubt? You’ve been stressed. And you know it. And there’s no way out. Just yesterday, your Sappy Sy Rhyme gave you away. You can’t hide. It’s here. The SBA.

It is here. The peel is in my path, and I am going to step on it. I have to. I chose this path. I took a risk. And now I have to own it. All of it, even the fear and trepidation that comes with it, the stress that comes with it.

And while it’s cool that I am resolute in my rejection of the starring role that standardized testing has come to own on the educational stage, courage–even foolhardy courage–is not without fear. The data are here.

They have arrived. The data are here. I’ve known for sometime. They come every year. First came the WASL. Then the HSPE. Now the SBA; they are coming for me. But even worse, they come for each kid. Claiming to be measure of all that we did. Or didn’t. Ready or not. They’ve come to assess all that I’ve taught. But this year is different. I turned away. I’ve tried to ignore it. Out in the fray. In terms of the test, we have not prepared. And though I boast brave. I am admittedly scared.

And I hate that. I hate that my otherwise exhilarating year with my kids gets reduced to a test. I have not prepared my kids for the test. At all, really. I have focused on them and their learning. And while I imagine things will turn out “fine,” for my numbers are always “good,” this year is different. I bought the banana. I peeled the banana. I ate the banana. I threw the peel in my path. And now I am going to step on it. I have to.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…discuss latest performance results: class and individual feedback.

…do some dreaded, cheap, I-am-a-sellout, last minute prep for the SBA. (Brave, indeed…).

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Have a great day. I’ve got a banana to eat.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Somewhat out of the blue, I was invited to present at this year’s Washington State Teacher Advisory Council (WATAC) Spring Conference. I will be co-presenting with 2012 Regional Teacher of the Year Lynne Olmos. She and I will share how we have used social media to elevate our voices in education. I am honored to have an opportunity to share how I have used my blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to share my vision and voice, hopefully compelling other educational leaders in our state to do the same.

To help prepare my presentation, I have a request for my readers. If you are so inclined, would you please consider providing a testimonial on the impact my blog has had on you? I am not fishing for compliments or seeking strokes for my ego–even though it feels like that. That is not my intent. Truly. Rather, I want to be able to show other educational leaders who are reluctant to share their vision and voice that they can make a difference, which I guess presumes that I am making a difference (sorry, this is a bit awkward). Anyway, any reader, regardless your station: teacher, friend, former student, parent, mom, etc. please consider this. It would be greatly appreciated. Please leave a comment on this post or email me at msyrie@cheneysd.org. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up introductions.

…submit self-selected grades.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Before break I gave my kids some last-minute homework (see below). Not only did I want to recharge my batteries over break, but also I wanted them to recharge theirs, so I gave them lots of RE’s to chase, to complete.

Today, during Smiles and Frowns, I will check to make sure that they did just that because that charge will have to sustain us till the end. And of course, that little extra charge will come in handy when we start state testing next week, for it will deplete their batteries like no other, sucking the life out of them as they–and I–comply to the mandated madness of standardized testing.

In the end, it is what it is, and I will muster what positivity I can for my kids’ sake–attitude does matter, but every year, it’s getting harder and harder to put on a happy face. But it’s never hard to put that face on for my kiddos. Eager to be back among them today.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…continue/complete introductions.

…self-select mid-term grades.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Time to recharge, replenish, rejuvenate, restore, re-energize, refresh, reboot, repair, relax, recapture, remember, reflect.

And so, I am going to. I am going to forget for a few days who I am, so I can remember. Spring break will find me riding my bike, splitting wood, repairing my driveway from winter’s wear, loving my family, walking with my dog, and soaking up the sun when I can. And I will try in vain to set school aside, so I can return refocused and ready to finish out the year.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns. 

…continue crafting our introductions.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Have a great weekend, all. I’ll be back to blogging after break.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

In my performance-learning classroom there are three basic components that we rely on: practice, performance, and feedback. I only use “grades” because I have to, and my “grading,” as most of you know, is–intentionally–far from traditional. And so, as I’ve written about numerous times, “work” looks different in my classroom. Well, it may not actually look that different. After all, that is a worksheet down below. But it feels different. Just ask my kids. They will tell you that work is optional, but I would also hope that they would tell you that work is beneficial. If it does not advance their learning, I don’t want them to do it. Sometimes–often times–they make this decision before the work. They decide they don’t need it. And that’s understandable; they’ve been subjected to teacher work far too often in their experiences, and they have discovered that much of what we put in front of them is just busy, fill-the-time (or the grade book) work. Jennifer Gonzalez speaks this truth in her recent post Frickin’ Packets. Kids are keen to the work game we play. So, many of them are reluctant to do the work. Work. Just another four letter word. One they learned early, and have come to revile deeply.

But I am seeking to change that. As I mentioned above, many of my kids don’t dive directly into the work. It’s work. But as we continue down the path to proving our learning through performances, many come to discover the benefit. They find themselves going back to the “work” as they learn through feedback that they are not meeting the performance targets. Yes, it’s retroactive, but for many, it’s also now relevant, because they are now in the context of the learning, and they see, they better understand the worth of the work. That does not mean that they go back and complete the entire worksheet, but instead, they go back and do what they deem helpful. The example below is not my best of this, but it is my latest. The kids are preparing to write their introductions for their Project Be a Voice pieces. Yesterday I put this in front of them to help them find their way. Some dug into it out of necessity. Others dismissed, but not disrespectfully. They already knew where they were going. It is likely that some will have to come back to it, but they get to make those big-kid decisions. It is their learning. It is their work. They will get out of it what they put into it. And that’s not untrue in the real world. But I also know it is not untrue that if we don’t find much value in it, we tend not to do it in the “real world” either.

On occasion, in my less resolute moments about this, when I wonder if this approach has any merit, I see my kids doing “work” from other classes. And more often than not that “work” is copying their friends’ worksheets, and this gives rise to my own four letter words about that kind of work. Work.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…begin drafting our introductions.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

“If they all carried the same meaning, then I should be able to challenge the standardized measure with another if I find it out of sync with my findings from the 180 days that I have spent in direct contact with the student, drawing from one or more of the other measures to support my position. Shouldn’t I? If not, then what the hell am I even doing?”

Never quite settled on what learning is and what learning is not, I try to be careful of coming from a place that suggests that I know–definitively–what learning is. I don’t. And that plays a big part in my Project 180 approach. Seeking to better understand the complexities of learning and the diverse needs of the little humans I serve, I attempt to turn upside down conventional approaches, and if there is one convention that I would love to leave on its back, it would be standardized testing. Much reviled but nonetheless regarded as the measure that determines learning in public education, standardized testing sits atop the bench with its gavel stamping success and failure on the foreheads of kids and teachers, schools and districts. At the end of the day, despite some of the eduspeak that would suggest otherwise, it is the measure that holds sway in education. It’s mad. I’m mad. And recently, I tweeted my mad rantings into the Twitterverse.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

...begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…finish and discuss the documentary from yesterday.

…begin drafting/crafting our statements of purpose/focus.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Have a great day.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Out of the classroom today. Life calls. Have an appointment. Am asking the kids to listen to the world today by having them watch the Netflix documentary Living On One Dollar. Will catch up with them tomorrow, so they can share what they heard, as they themselves seek to speak.

Sorry for the short post, all. Have a great Tuesday.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

If we can set aside the politically motivated aspersions that surround the March For Our Lives moment this weekend, then we might see what’s at the center of it all: kids. Many seem surprised by, and some cynically doubtful of, their ability to find and speak their voices.  But I am not. I am not at all surprised, for I listen to their powerful, beautiful voices. Every day. In fact, I try to give rise to them every day. And currently, with Project Be a Voice, I am trying to give them the loudspeaker, so that they may speak their own truths, their own humanity.

And those truths are more various than one might think, and I try to give rise to them all, even the ones I disagree with, maybe especially the ones I disagree with. I am not here to give kids truths. I am here to help them find their own. Last week I received a letter from a parent accusing me of pushing my liberal agenda on her child. It caught me off guard, for I believe I am neutral to a fault, hyper-conscious of my position of “power.” And so, I was surprised by the amount of vitriol in the letter, which accused me of giving kids too much room to speak their minds, especially in the face of authority. She’s right. I do give kids room. But what I wish she understood is that I give her daughter the very same room. Further, I wish she understood that I am trying to give each the guidance to speak their truths in ways that compel others to listen. For if we can listen to each other, then we can understand each other, and if we can understand each other, we can better live with each other.

Kids spoke this weekend. Some listened. Some did not. And though they are only kids, they have something to say. I know. I listen every day. And my life is better for it.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…listen to each other as we wrap up sharing our beginnings.

…establish credibility by deepening our knowledge from finding print or digital sources about our topics.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Today

Today I will listen.

Today I will learn.

Today I will take measure.

Today my wheels will turn.

Today I can only guess.

The effort and the fear.

Today I’ll weigh their words.

Their truths upon my ear.

But today won’t last long.

It’s only one in a week.

Today their voices come.

I’ve asked them all to speak.

So, today I will listen.

From each a thing to know.

Today I’ll take it in.

And from their truths, I’ll grow.

Today. Today, the kids will share their beginnings, those first mutterings of meaning, and I get a front row seat, and I will be on its edge, leaning into each. Can’t wait. Can. Not. Wait.

And in the tomorrows to come, I will be buoyed and brightened by the little suns that rise in my day, as they further find their voices, as they further find their way. Damn I love this job.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…share our beginnings.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend. Thanks for letting me practice my sappy rhymes on you today.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.