Roles

Here are the various roles that I will need you to play over the course of the year. Sometimes, our day’s path will require you play one specific role; most times, our path will require that you play many simultaneously. Either way, I promise I will not ask you to stretch yourself beyond your limits. You got this.

Role #1: Yourself. This is your most important role. I need you to be who you are. I realize that the setting in which we find ourselves sometimes impacts our ability to be ourselves, but my hope is that the classroom community and culture we create during our time together will give each of us the comfort and confidence to be who we are. This is the role that matters most to me as I join you in your journey this year. I am excited to know YOU.

Role #2: Valued Community Member. This is your second most important role. At present, many of us are not well-acquainted, but we are in this together either way. And as we will spend a lot of time together both struggling and celebrating over the days to come, my hope is that we establish a community that is rich in relationships and in excess of empathy. We are a community.

Role #3: Reader. This will be one of your worker roles. Lots to read as we explore various texts along numerous paths, discovering the power in others’ words. I need you to be a reader. I need you to believe you are a reader. We are readers.

Role #4: Writer. This is also a worker role. My hope is that you write more this year than you have in all your other years combined. I believe this is perhaps one of the most important skills you can develop for life now and later. I need you to be a writer. I want you to believe you are a writer. We are writers.

Role #5: Mistake Maker. Another worker role. By now, you know there are no penalties for mistakes in our room. In fact, mistakes are enthusiastically encouraged as they are launching points into learning. Mistakes lead to learning. We will travel down many mistake paths this year, which means we’ll find lots of learning. We are mistake makers.

Role #6: Reflector. Last role but no less an important one. By now you also know that I will expect you to add to your learning story each day in your Journey Journal. Each day we will end our time together, reflecting on and sharing from our day’s experiences. Reflection is such an important part of learning. I really need you to become reflectors.

Trail Talk

“I don’t know about all of recorded history repeating itself, but there are certainly aspects of my life that tend to repeat themselves. In particular and of the moment is my inability to plan effectively for the first few days of school. I always fall into the I-think-I-have-more-time-than-I-really-do trap, and this year, rushing headlong down the trail, I fell victim once again. Same trap for twenty-two years now. Old dog. Same old tricks.”

This is one of my five (keeping a journal in each class) Journey Journal reflections from Friday. I always underestimate the out-of-my-control variables that impede progress on the first few days, and we are already behind, but I am not completely without wisdom from my past adventures. Yes, we are behind, but rushing ahead will not necessarily catch us up, so I will keep the pace I planned: seven days to set the stage. I may, indeed, have to change a few of the props, but the show will go on as planned.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…check in with Smiles and Frowns.

…discuss our approach to learning (grading policies). Finally getting to this today. Really, it’s introducing a new language, and as such, the kids will have lots of questions, and the unfamiliar will be uncomfortable for them for awhile. I have to remember that they have been speaking “grades” for ten years now, so I cannot expect them to pick it up immediately. It will take time, and it will take patience. But my earnest hope is that kids leave me “fluent in feedback” come June.

…establish roles (Roles, Routines, Rights, Respsonsibilities). Over the next four days, I will roll out the 4 R’s. Today, I will focus on the roles that I would like the kids to fill over the course of our journey. Again, my goal here, with all of these, is to create a year-long experience, not a fill-your-seat, do-your-time, episodic approach to learning. 

…continue considering, character, community, and conflict with Seedfolks. 

…capture the day in or Journey Journals

And that’s what’s on the menu today. I know I am taking the slow approach. But I am asking kids to do things that they have never done before, to follow new trails so they may discover new possibilities. And with that, I have the responsibility to make sure that they are ready for what lies ahead.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Trail Talk

“So, you gonna actually stick to the notebook reflections this year?” My room is often a rest stop for former students who have gone on as juniors to take advantage of the Running Start program at EWU, our local university. Their classes don’t start for another three weeks, but many of them are taking one-to-two classes at the high school, so they need a place to call home a few hours a day. They are always welcome, and as one might gather from the opening quote, they are also comfortable.

Lily, called me out, neither snarkily nor unfairly. I failed miserably at the notebooks last year. She knows it. I know it. But that knowing is what has led me to chase better–way better–with this important aspect of the learning experience. And so, my “do better” has resulted in creating routines as I outlined in my recent post Roles, Routines, Rights, and Responsibilities.  I know that if I do not commit to routines, I lack the discipline when things get busy to stick to the plan. And that is why this year, I created the Journey Journal, which I am going to do along with kids. Except, I didn’t. My first fail of the year. It wasn’t until 5th period when the kids were writing their first entry that I realized I was sitting their on my butt, pleased with the diligent efforts of my kids, and I was already ruining the routine. I was forcing the kids to eat their veggies (see quote below from my letter to students) and I was indulging in the dessert of their diligence.

“I hope you discover the power of reflection. I hope my “forcing” you to reflect on your learning each day will help you develop this essential learning skill for life. I will use the broccoli effect for this, “Whether we like it or not, broccoli is good for us.” Whether we like it or not, reflection is good for us. #sorrynotsorry #eatyourveggies #reflectionrules”

So, today, I will go back and retroactively write my first entry. I will also ask the kids to hold me accountable. If they write, I write. They have my permission to call me out. So, when, I am sitting there staring at them, smiling like an idiot, fawning at their dedication, they need to tell me to get to work, to eat my veggies. Dang. Day one, and I already screwed up. Wonder what I’ll screw up today.

Today’s Trail

Today will be a wee bit of a cluster. Picture day at CHS, and we use the ELA classes for pictures, so consequently, my classes will be disrupted all day long. I have tried in vain to get this changed for years, but I have given up on that battle, and now I just take it in stride.

I will not share grading policies until tomorrow, and I won’t roll out the 4 R’s until next week. Both are important of course, but right now getting to know my kids and setting the stage for the journey, the experience is more important.

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…continue considering, character, community, and conflict with Seedfolks

…work on our Who Am I? Wordles

…capture the day in or Journey Journals

And that’s our day. This weekend, when I have more time, I will look through and share some of the responses from the kids’ grade cards. Today, I am just going to focus on my Journey Journal. I will do better. Have a great day, all.

Do. Reflect. Do better.

The journey continues. Today, I begin year two of Project 180. And while this year’s route will be a lot different, the goal is the same: find better. Thus, armed with my three favorite tools, Do. Reflect. Do Better, I will journey once again into the gradeless realm, sharing my learning as I seek to find better ways to help my kids learn.

So, join me. Once again, I will share each day in a blog post, but this year I will strive to make my classroom even more public, sharing the plan for the day, the resources I will use, and a reflection from the previous day.

The Plan

In keeping with the whole journey metaphor, I am going to present the day’s plan in the form of “Today’s Trail.” Here, I will share the day’s targets and tasks that we will encounter along our path. Below is what I will have written on the front board this morning. Explanation in blue is for you, my readers.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…define grades (Grade Cards). As I shared in the linked post, I will ask my kids to define what they believe is required for an A, B, and C grade. I will give them very little information about why we are doing it, but I will lead them through a quick what-to-consider brainstorm, offering no answers, only questions. They will write their names and definitions on a 3×5 card, and I will collect them. I will keep them until mid-term when they will have their first opportunity to select and support a grade. Importantly, I am doing this before I reveal my grading approach for the year. In fact, I am not going to share that until Friday, day three. I am doing this first, so I do not influence their definitions. On a side note, it will be interesting to see how many are disappointed in my not giving them all an A to start the year. Word travels, especially word of free A’s. That trip is over. Hitting a new trail this year. Sorry, kiddos. 

…hear my hopes for your discoveries (Letter to Students). I will distribute and read my letter to the kids, sharing what I hope they discover on our journey this year. I want this to set the stage for our experience. No syllabus on day one. Just my sincere pledge to my kiddos. 

…consider community and conflict in Seedfolks. I love this little book. I have used it for many years in many ways. It’s great for introducing community. It also fits with our theme for the semester: injustice. I love reading to my kids, so over the first seven days, I will read two to three chapters, asking the kids to consider what the author reveals about community and conflict. We will briefly share our discoveries. Today, we will meet the characters Kim and Anna. Love. This. Book.

…define and share ourselves in a Who Am I? Wordle. From a we-are-a-community (the classroom “our garden”) perspective, I will frame the need for the members of a community to be connected, and those connections begin with knowing, so we will use the Wordle activity to begin making connections. The kids will have to identify ten nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs that reflect who they are. They will “find” each in a short sentence. For mine: I am a teacher. I write a blog. I am dependable. I live simply. Once their sentences are complete, they will capture the words in a Wordle, adjusting size for importance. This will happen today and tomorrow. Today, each will share a sentence or two aloud with the class. The finished product will become the cover for their Journey Journals, giving me a quick visual for helping me get to know my kids. I tried to be sneaky about throwing the parts of speech in there. Just a quick check for understanding.

…begin our Journey Journals. This is one of my biggest changes for the year. I am going to be super intentional about reflection. And that will begin today. More specifics in the linked post, but each day we will log our day’s journey. I will do this with the kids. I want them to discover the necessity of reflection in learning, so I am making it a daily priority. Slow, easy start with it today. I will ask the kids to read the handout tonight, so we can discuss in greater detail tomorrow. 

And that’s where our path will lead today. Tomorrow, I will share how it goes. So eager to get year two underway. Thank you for joining me in my classroom. Special shout out to Project 180 partners, Jenna Tamura and Maddie Alerete. Thanks for joining me ladies. Gonna be the best year ever. Glad you are out here with me.

Do. Reflect. Do better. 

“I had to because it’s what was familiar to me when I was trying to keep my head above water during those first couple years.  It wasn’t until a few years later, when I moved into my own classroom, that I started to realize that the familiar was not best for my kids.”  

Nine years ago I walked through the doors at Cheney High School.  As I stepped into my classroom, with bags of school supplies and a bundle of nerves, I thought about the things I knew.  I knew I was excited to teach Language Arts.  I knew I was thrilled to be working with kids outside of coaching. I knew, as a brand new 23-year-old teacher, I did not know everything.  And that last thought forced me to think about the things I did not know at that time.  I did not know the value and importance of relationships.  I did not know how to grade my students.  I did not know how different year nine would look from year one.  

Yes, I went to college, have two degrees, and countless hours of information.  But there was never a time during those six-and-a-half years when someone said to me, “This is what your grading policy should look like”. So, by default, I went back to what I knew, which meant I graded my students the way I was graded when I was in school.  To be honest, I think I had to because it’s what was familiar to me when I was trying to keep my head above water during those first couple years.  It wasn’t until a few years later, when I moved into my own classroom, that I started to realize that the familiar was not best for my kids.  

Luck?  Fate?  Not sure.  Maybe both.  My new room was next to my colleague, and now my friend, Monte Syrie.  And while this brought about an endless supply of short jokes (which still continues to this day), I started to witness some grading do’s and don’ts that peaked my interest.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted to start incorporating these into my own grading policies.  I was at a place where I wanted to try something new. If there was something out there that might be better for my students than what I was currently doing, why not?  If it didn’t go as planned, reflect and do better.  If it was successful, reflect and do better.  Regardless, I was fairly confident there would be buy-in because of the open, honest, comfortable, and transparent relationship I strive to create with each of my students.

Since then I have kept those changes.  To name a few I give a 50%, rather than a zero, on any assignment or assessment not turned in. I allow retakes on an assessment as many times as a student wants.  Missing work can be turned in at any time, until the last day of the semester, with no penalty.  But, as we all know, nothing stays the same forever.  

And now, after watching and talking with Monte as he ventured through his Project 180 journey last year, and realizing I was once again at a point where I wanted to try something new, I have decided to also adopt the select-and-support approach to grading as well.  I am excited to embark on this journey with him.  I am excited to see how it goes.  I am excited to see what we learn.  

Here we go!

For much of my teaching career, I have lived a lie. It wasn’t a mean lie, as much as it was a necessary lie, necessary because I had to hide the fact that I didn’t really know what I was doing. So I hid. I hid behind the mantle of expert, and as I look back on it now, especially the early years, I realize the absurdity of the lie (and it was surely more mean than I believed, for kids suffered at my ignorant hand), but it was an absurdity for which I can only accept part of the blame, for the system in which I was educated, the system in which I was trained, the system in which I have now taught for over twenty years, failed me. No one taught me how to grade.

Oh, I went to college. In fact I have two degrees in education, but in all that time, no one ever sat me down, and said, “Okay, here’s how this whole grading thing works.” Of course, now I realize that this never transpired because no one knows–I mean really knows. Do we? If so, I would have to believe that there would be something that we could put our hands on, something that could guide the way, a touchstone from which we could seek wisdom to prepare and provide a valid, reliable, equitable approach to that which carries so much weight in our students’ present and future: grading. If it exists, I have not found it. But I seek it. I have sought it among my colleagues for over two decades. For twenty plus years, from numerous colleagues I have directly and indirectly sought “the way.” But all that I have found are numerous, similar-but-never-the-same approaches to grading. Seems no one ever really taught them, either.

I have sought it among the literature, where I have found some promising possibilities but no definitive answers, other than there is little to no support for that which is commonly practiced in the form of traditional grading. And it was–and still is–that particular revelation, where I the finally fully felt the burden of the lie that I had been carrying for the majority of my career. So I quit. I quit pretending that I was an expert because I was a teacher, and I started shedding my traditional grading practices. Slowly at first, I got rid of zeros; I stopped penalizing kids for late work; I even stopped failing kids. And before long, the shedding became a cascade, culminating in my completely getting rid of grades last year, a move that led me to where I am today, in the realm of the gradeless, a realm of like-minded teachers who I believe somewhere along the way, shed, too, their skin of old, in search of that which would better serve as a means to support and communicate learning. But importantly, I have not found the gradeless realm to be the place of answers. No, to be sure, it is a dimension of questions, inhabited by seekers. We do not have the answers. But we seek the answers. And that is what matters. We are here to learn. We are here to share. And as we are here to learn, we live an existence of learning; we walk a path of perpetual questions, seeking answers not to become expert, but simply to become better.

By now, most of my readers and gradeless peers know that I am always chasing better. And that pursuit is paved with questions. This past week, seeking better with my new gradeless team, we encountered some questions in our discussions that will hopefully lead to better.

Select and Support

This year, we are using a select-and-support approach to grading. At the end of the term, kids will select and support a grade in a teacher-student conference providing evidence in answer to the questions:

1. What evidence do you have that you met the focus standards?
2. What evidence do you have that you achieved growth with the focus standards?

We are happy with this. This is what we want our approach to be this year. But there’s a problem, a problem that revealed itself from… questions. Damn questions, always leading to problems.

Do we need to provide delineated descriptions of grades for the kids?

Are we just going back to traditional grades if we provide what a grade has to be?

Will the descriptions just become a checklist?

Will we create a system of minimums again? Meaning, will we recreate the reality we sought to get away from where kids ask, “What do I have to do to get an A?”

What if a student asks, “How will I decide which grade to pick? What’s an A?”

What if a parent asks the same question at Open House?

What is an A?

What is a B?

What is a C?

Hmmm. It all seemed so easy. Kids select. Kids support. We put the grade on the transcript. And we would move to the next grading period. Nope. Full stop. We had to come up with an answer, an answer that fit us, an answer that protected our belief that kids must own their learning, an answer that supported the kids in their taking that ownership. So, I went home and slept on it. Here’s our answer.

1. We are going to ask kids to individually indicate what they believe is required for an A, a B, and a C. Before we share our grading approach for the year, we are going to hand each kid a 3×5 card (see graphic above), and ask him or her to provide information about each grade. We will ask them to write their names on the cards, and we will collect and store them.
2. At midterm, when we are required to put a grade on the report card, we will ask our kids to complete a mid-term progress report. We will not conference with the kids, but the process is essentially the same. The kids will select and support a grade with evidence. To help them in the process of selecting their grades, we will redistribute the “grade cards” they made at the beginning of the year. We will re-collect and store the cards. The kids will take their progress reports home to share with parents. They will return them signed. And we will enter the grade.
3. At end of term, we will once again give kids their grade cards to assist them in their grade selection before conferences. During the conference we will ask the kids if they want to make any changes to their grade cards. We will keep the cards.
4. Repeat process for second semester.
5. For the final conference, we will ask kids to revisit their grade cards, and as part of their final conference we will ask them to share their reflections on grades from the year.

But, wait. Kids can’t decide what a grade is. They are not experts. Teachers have to decide. Okay, let’s walk down that path for a moment. Yesterday, I spent the day with my colleagues from Cheney High School. Seventy teachers and 4 administrators. Let’s imagine that I had given them the same grade card I am going to give my kids, asking them to describe what is required for each of the three grades. And though I cannot claim to know exactly how it would have played out, if I had to guess, I would offer that there would be a great number of variances among answers, leading one to wonder which answers were more “expert” than the others. Oh, I am sure that there would have been some general semblance of excellent (A), good (B) , and average (C) among the responses, but I have to wonder if the kids won’t arrive at the same general concept. And if so, what might that reveal? Are we trained experts on grading? Or are we just more experienced products of the system? In truth, don’t most teachers–out of necessity–end up grading how they were graded? I did. I had to. There was nothing else to turn to. So, I wonder. I wonder if kids might not learn more from the experience if I give them the opportunity to set their own standards. Of course, I don’t know. But there are a lot of things I don’t know. And as it turns out, I am not sure I know any better than they what an A is. Sure it’s a risk, and in the end, it could prove a mistake, but I will own it. I will learn from it. I will do better from it. All I can do. I’m no expert.

Do. Reflect. Do better.

Good morning, all. Here is my parent letter for the 2017 – 2018 school year. As always, feel free to use and/or adapt to fit your needs. DM me @MonteSyrie on Twitter if you want access to the original doc. For those already in the classroom, hope your year is off to a fantastic start. For those whose starts are right around the corner, hope you are as eager as I to get going. Happy Friday.

Do. Reflect. Do better.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Hi, my name is Monte Syrie. I will be your child’s language arts teacher for the 2017 – 2018 school year. I am honored to join him or her in his or her learning journey this year. This year will mark the twenty-second year of my own learning journey, and while I tend to say this every year, I truly believe that this year will be my best year ever. And as I look ahead to my “best year ever,” here are some things I would want you to know.

What I want you to know.

• I want you to know that I care about your child. She or he is not a number. She or he is not a “seat-filler.” She or he is a person, and I will treat her or him as such. I will strive diligently to get to know her or him as a individual person, so I may best help her or him as an individual learner. I believe all my students come to me at different places socially, emotionally, and academically, and I will meet them wherever they are. So, I will meet your child where she or he is, and from there we will journey forth into our learning experiences for the year.
• I want you to know that I encourage and value your role as a partner. I have long felt that by the time students reach high school, as a system, we tend to place parents at arm’s length. I think this is unfortunate. I believe that optimal learning requires a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and students. We have to partner in this, and so with that I offer you an open invitation to be a guest in room 211 this year. Please join us. All I would ask is that you be willing to participate in the day’s activities. Ideally, you would schedule this with me, but an open invite is an open invite. You are welcome. Always.
• I want you to know that communication between us is important. Just as I presented an open-door invite above, I also offer a direct line of communication assurance. Communication is a must. If there is ever anything that you wish to address with me, please do so. My contact information is below. My preferred form of communication is email. Please never hesitate to contact me.
• I want you to know that I believe that your child owns her or his learning. I am not passing the buck. I simply believe that if your child is going to make the most of his or her learning opportunities, then he or she must take ownership. Here is what I wrote to him or her in my letter to students. “From the deepest recesses of my teacher being, I believe that this is the key to true learning. You have to own it, for when you own it, you take responsibility for it. I am responsible for joining and aiding you in your journey, and I enthusiastically own that. But you are responsible for your learning, young friend.”
• I want you to know that I value learning over grading. In the past few years I have made major strides in providing an approach to that places greater emphasis on learning, not grading. As such, your child will find himself or herself in a feedback rich environment, which has been made more possible with my stepping away from traditional grading practices. Please carefully read the attached documents explaining my grading policies. And, as offered above, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.
• I want you to know that I understand the strain that homework can place on you and your child. It is not my goal to burden your child or your family with a heavy workload outside of school. In most instances, your child will have time to do our work in class, where I am available for feedback–the ideal situation. So, consequently, he or she will not have “homework” in the traditional sense. Instead, my “homework” for the year will be asking your child for at least 30 minutes of reading each night. That is my homework for the year. I would like you to partner with me by encouraging your child to complete this homework. 7 days a week. 30 minutes a day.
• I want you to know my approach to life and teaching: Do. Reflect. Do Better. Twenty-two years into my journey, I do not have all the answers. I am just seeking to do better each day, each year. This year is no different. I will make mistakes, and some of my plans will fail miserably. But I expect and accept that because I know I will learn from it each and every time. This is how I approach my own learning. It is how I will ask your child to approach his or her leaning.

These are the things I would want you to know as we set out on our own journey together as the adults in the party. I am keenly aware of the trust that you place in me for your child’s care and education each day when she or he walks into my classroom. I, too, am a parent, and have the same expectations for my own children. And so, please know that I take my role in your child’s journey very seriously, and I will do my best to see him or her safely to our journey’s end. Thank you for joining me this year. I hope it is a “best year ever” for you and your child.

Sincerely,

Monte Syrie

msyrie@cheneysd.org

(509)-559-4042

It all began two years ago when my student Megan Lavin called me out. “Hey, Sy, you’re going to do an Independent Learning Project, too, right?” “Uh, sure,” I responded. And that set things in motion. The project required our pursuing something of genuine interest, something that we wanted to learn about. Consequently, I’d always toyed with the idea of starting a blog, so I decided to make that my project. I would start a blog.

A Blog Begins

Had no idea. No idea how to begin. So, I Googled it. “How can I start a blog?” And after some time, and a lot of trial and error, a blog was born. Going in, I knew the content of my blog would focus on education, particularly changing education, for I had always pushed for change, and now I would have an “official looking” platform. And with that, the proud papa named his baby blog, Let’s Change Education. I officially kicked it off on January 4, 2016 after winter holiday. Here’s the link to my first  “Morning Minutes” post. Below is the first paragraph.

“Good morning, all.  So, it’s officially begun, a journey to better education in anyway that I can for the next twenty years. Not satisfied with what I accomplished in my first twenty, I am newly committed and energized to help change the narrative on public education, helping it evolve to better deliver the promise of hope and opportunity to the young who inhabit a new, ever-changing world.  And, so, as with any journey, it begins with a step.  This is my first step.  And while the journey will no doubt be lonely at times, I take comfort in knowing that some will join me along the way as I cross paths with those who too share a passion for improving education.  I am eager to encounter and share your company somewhere down the road.”

Finding My Voice

For the next six months, I blogged every morning. But there was no real focus as I went from topic to topic, format to format. But as I continued, I began to notice that grading was a recurring topic, a topic that generated interest among my few readers (mostly family, friends, and students). So I started focusing on grading, and the more I focused, the more I came to question the validity of traditional grading practices, the more I came to despise grading’s disruption of learning. And by April, I had decided to move ahead with Project 180 (though it had not been named yet). I would turn grading upside down with a bold experiment where I would give all kids an A for the year, so we could focus on learning. I would “knock the sloth on his ass.”  

What’s in a Name?

Plenty. Here’s what’s behind the title, Project 180.

• Turning grading upside down. 180 degrees. I would truly put the sloth on his back.
• The school year. 180 days in the school year. It was a yearlong project, and I would blog about it each of those 180 days.
• The triangle. 180 degrees in a triangle. Three corners whose angles always add up to 180. The equilateral triangle became the ideal. 60 degrees of ownership and responsibility in each corner: one for me, one for students, and one for parents. This is the ideal that I still pursue with 180.
• Do. Reflect. Do Better. Saving the best for last. This has become the essence of Project 180. It is my mantra for my endless quest for better, a quest to turn my world upside down, so I can see it differently, so I can make it better. Project 180 is the approach that I want to share with the world, to share with those who are also unsettled by the status quo, to share as a means to disrupt so as to only make better. Always better. An endless cycle, 180 degrees at a time. An assurance that I will neither be on my feet nor my back for too long, for there is danger when things come to rest. So I will not rest. I will journey forth, and with each path I will seek to do to reflect to do better. No destination. Just a chase. Chasing better.

What’s Next?

The journey continues. Year two of Project 180 is just around the bend, and I will be turning things upside down again. I will also be blogging every morning as well. This year, though, instead of focusing on all that went with giving kids an A, I will be focusing on sharing my learning through the 180 lens. For each daily blog post, I will take something that I learned from the day before and present it in a do-reflect-do better format. I also plan to share more resources for those who are interested in venturing into the gradeless realm.

So, that’s the story behind 180. Nothing too exciting, but I wanted to clarify for any who wondered about the name. I am so excited to get underway with year two. I hope to walk with and continue to cross paths with all the awesome folks who are out here with me. So many, many awesome people. Glad I have connected with you.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Hi, all. Some readers have asked about next year’s grading since I am not going to use the give-’em-all-an-A approach in year two of Project 180. So, I put together this “Blog Graphic” using Canva to give folks a glimpse of the select-and-defend-a-grade approach for the coming year. I am fortunate to be joined by these two ladies who have helped me create our new grading policy. In addition to the graphic below, I am also providing a link to an earlier post discussing our Grading Policies in greater detail. There will likely be some final changes as we continue to collaborate over the summer, making final revisions, but for now, this is the gist of how we will address grading this year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Met with these two awesome young ladies this morning to hammer out learning targets. Doesn’t feel like work when there’s passion involved. So excited to take a  unified gradeless journey  with these two next year. Jenna (left) and Maddie (right) are truly a dynamic duo. Thanks, ladies, for trusting and believing in me. Thanks for having the courage to turn your worlds upside down. Couldn’t do it without you.  Looking forward to doing, reflecting, and doing better with you as we venture into the expanse of the gradeless realm next year. Gonna be awesome.

#project180 Do. Reflect. Do better.

Recently, Project 180 connected with Mr. Abe Moore and his class in the City of Glacier Park in South Australia. Abe, a fellow teacher, blogger, and Teachers Going Gradeless member came across Project 180 in the Twitterverse. Already on his own journey into the gradeless realm, he shared his discovery with his students, which then led to a rich inquiry and discussion about Project 180 and the role of grading in learning. And from their discussion, his students were inspired to create a Flipgrid  AMA (Ask Me Anything)  for the crazy bloke Monte, a teacher from Washington State, U.S.A. who gave all his students an A for the entire year. I will begin responding to their Flipgrid questions today, so be sure to check the site later or catch our interaction in a follow-up post.

In addition to the AMA , Abe’s students also recently posted reflections on their classroom blog, where they reflected on something that had resonated with them over the term. Hailey, reflected on Project 180.

In Washington State there is a teacher named Monte. At the start of the year he gave all his students an “A” and said they would get an “A” at the end of the year. He gave them work and homework but it was their choice if they were going to do it. Most of his students wanted to earn their A’s but there was a small group of students who took advantage of the situation. Why would someone give their students all “A”s? Was it a waste of time? Would you give students all “A”s? If I knew I was getting an “A” no matter what I would want to earn it because, when you do something you get something out it. Why does a meaningless grade provide motivation for a student. Do it for the experience not the grade. – Hailey

Hailey perfectly captured what Project 180 is all about. She is a pretty wise 12 year old. Thank you, Hailey. I could not have said it better myself.

A half  a world away it is winter, and Abe and his kids are still in school. Here it is summer, and my kids and I are on vacation. But, even on vacation, I am learning. Thank you, Mr. Abe Moore and the rockstar students from Hallett Cove South Primary for letting me participate. In the last few days, I have learned that there is a Glacier Park in Australia. I have also learned what Flipgrid and AMA are. More importantly, I have learned that there are teachers across the globe who are willing to challenge convention to create better learning experiences for their students. But most importantly, I have learned that Australian kids are pretty dang cool. See you on Flipgrid later today, cool kids.

Do. Reflect. Do better.