This morning marks my 500th post since starting my blog back in December 2015. To celebrate, I decided to have a little bit of fun and write a song to the tune of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). I will sing it to my kids today. They will likely be more embarrassed than I, but I will have fun at this milestone moment of my efforts to open doors, to find better And so for you, for my kids, for education, here is my proclamation of appreciation for all the support you’ve given me along the way. Thank you.

I’m Gonna Be (500 Posts)

When I wake up, well I know I’m gonna be,

I’m gonna be the man who writes a post for you

When I speak out, yeah I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who speaks along with you

If I succeed, well I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who succeeds next to you

And if I struggle, yeah I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who’s struggling for you

 

But I would write 500 posts

And I would write 500 more

Just to be the man who writes a thousand posts

To open up a door

 

When I’m writing, yes I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who’s writing hard for you

And when the ideas, come in from the work I do,

I’ll pass almost every thought on to you

When I’m at school (when I’m at school)

Well I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who goes to school for you

And if I stay young (when I stay young) well

I know I am gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who’s staying

Young with you.

 

But I would write 500 posts

And I would write 500 more

Just to be the man who writes a thousand posts

To open up a door

 

Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)

Da da da dun diddle un diddle un diddle uh da

Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)

Da da da dun diddle un diddle un diddle uh da

 

And I would write 500 posts

And I would write 500 more

Just to be the man who writes a thousand posts

To open up a door

 

Happy Friday, all. Have a great weekend. Fun fact: Benny and Joon, the movie in the video, was filmed here in Spokane.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

5…4…3…2…1…Today, December 31, the stroke of midnight will bring more than just a new year, more than just a new month, more than just a new calendar.  It will also bring some new changes to our LA 10  grading policy journey.  Yes, we are only four months in.  Yes, we still have 16 days left in the first semester.  But by living our “do, reflect, do better” motto every day, we realized that changes needed to be made.  Not just for next semester, but for this semester, even before it ends.

Of course, I still believe in what we’re doing and our grading approach.  But after Thanksgiving break I started to panic.  Despite the best efforts of my students and me, at that point I didn’t even have a handful of kids who had met proficiency on all four of the must-meet standards.  And it wasn’t for a lack of trying.  I was constantly modifying my instruction.  These students were doing all the work, asking questions, and taking performance retake after retake.  Their scores were improving.  I could see growth and improvement, but proficiency still hadn’t been reached.  So, after days of struggling in silence I felt a need, maybe more of a desire, to raise some questions during one of our morning collaboration meetings:  “What is more important?  Sticking to our initial plans to the bitter end or modifying our plans now to recognize and honor the hard work and learning that our students are doing?”  

Initially the answer was easy.  We knew we needed to adapt and change now because that is what is best for our students.  Initially, maybe we set the bar too high.  Maybe the end goal was unachievable.  Maybe we were reaching for the stars.  However, I do know, without hesitation, that we would not be where we are today, New Year’s Eve, if we didn’t make that decision.  We would not be on the verge of new changes, new decisions, and new policies if we hadn’t initially said, “Students must meet proficiency on all must-meet standards in order to select and defend a grade”.  So, now what?  What are the changes that we will be making?  

Even though we are still in the process of finalizing these new changes, there are some basics that we have already agreed on:  

1)  Students must have made an honest attempt on all performances.  (In traditional language, there can be no missing tests.)  2)  If a student has only received a 1 (or 1+) on all performances, they will automatically get a D and cannot argue for a higher grade.  (They have shown no improvement and/or made no effort to grow as a learner.)  3)  The amount of growth and improvement in performance scores will determine what letter grade students can select and defend.  There will also be other factors that can be taken into consideration.  

While we still need to finalize all the details of these new changes and communicate these change to our students, I am excited to embark on this new path of our grading journey as the new year approaches.  I am excited to see what happens in our last 16 days.  And I am even more excited to write about it in my next blog post at the end of January, one month into the new year!

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

I find myself thankful for much this holiday. I am thankful for my lovely wife Sherry and her support. I am thankful for my two beautiful children Finn and Arya. I am thankful for my parents Bob and Anne Ames. I am thankful for my brave CHS colleagues Jenna Tamura and Madeline Alderete. I am thankful for all my students past and present who have enriched my life beyond words. I am thankful for all the educators with whom I have connected through Twitter. And I am certainly thankful for all of you who read my blog. Thank you for your support. It means the world to me.

No posts this week. Will resume next Monday. Happy Thanksgiving, all.

 

 

I will hit the target if I…

…engage in the creative process, have fun, and grow as a writer.

 

“We are writers.”

We say this every day in 211. Forty-some days ago, in a Journey Journal reflection that began with either “I am a writer,” or “I am not a writer,” most of my kids indicated that they did not perceive themselves as writers. Forty-some days later, I am now trying to change their mindsets, and I will continue to do so with the remaining one-hundred-thirty-two days I have. No easy task, for many of their minds are set, and too many, to quote, “hate writing.” So, the battle is long and uphill, but I believe it is one worth fighting. So I will. And this is my plan.

1. Mindset Mantra. If we hear it, If we say it, we can believe it. Jaden, after a recent reflection, told me he that he had written, without thinking about the mantras, that he had grown as a reader, a writer, and a learner. Every day we say, “We are…readers…writers…learners.”
2. Multiple and Various Opportunities. I want my kids to have a number of different writing experiences. They will master no mode, but they will grow in each. We are currently working on description and focusing on development.
   

   4.1…demonstrate my ability to adapt the focus/purpose, organization, and development of my writing for a specific mode (narration, description, definition, argumentation, persuasion, exposition, cause-effect, compare/contrast).

3. Due Drafts. Names matter. I no longer call last drafts “final drafts.” I don’t like the finality of it, for writing–creating–is never done; it’s only “due.” So, I call them “due drafts.” Time runs out, and when it does, I ask my kids to give me their best at that moment. I will then give them feedback and opportunity for a next draft if necessary to achieve proficiency.
4. Limited Targets. I have begun only assessing a minimal number of specific targets. With each experience, I seek to make it manageable for them and myself. When we focus on too much, I believe we do not create sufficient clarity for learning. And that is what I care about: learning, moving forward as writers. Writing is transient and temporary. It is merely a vehicle. I care about the drivers.
5. Writer Targets. I also include “writer,” not just writing targets. For our latest writer experience, the kids are creating sensory descriptions to publish in Sense Books. I do not expect them to become expert authors from this experience, but I do expect them to grow as writers. So, as you can see in the self-assessment targets below, they will have to consider and report on how they have grown as writers from their experience in this mode. I am earnest that I want them to engage in the creative process and have fun. I know that is not an academic writing consideration. But is a writer consideration. Why can’t it be fun? Why can’t they “do” for the sake of creating? Cannot they learn from that? Cannot they grow from that? I believe they can. And in a roomful of kids who harbor little love for writing, have I really anything to lose? Maybe helping kids grow as writers lies down a different path than the traditional. Maybe. Hard not to explore new paths. Something always draws me. Gotta see what’s there.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…draft descriptions.

…reflect in Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Anything worth having doesn’t come easy.  Yes, this is a phrase I’ve lived by for a while, but the past few months it has truly stood the test of time as we’ve ventured down the “select-and-support” grading path.  One thing that isn’t always easy for teachers, rookies and veterans, is communicating with parents.  Why?  It takes time…They can be intimidating…we have 150 students…etc.  But, that doesn’t mean it’s not important.  It’s something we need to do.  Parents needs to know.  But whether it was teacher or parent initiated depended on the situation.  This year that has both changed and stayed the same.

At the beginning of the year the majority of the communication came from me.  I sent documents home.  No one really contacted me.  I sent mass emails.  A few responded.  I was at open house.  And while a small number of parents did attend open house, few asked questions, and I did most of the talking.  But at that point things were still new, still unfamiliar, and still a little confusing looking ahead.  That all changed when we realized everything had to “count” in the gradebook online.

Emails from parents filled my inbox.  I’m concerned about my child’s grade in your class.  Can they make-up missing assignments? How can they improve their grade?  Questions from students started to pour in.  Why do I have a(n) _____?  How can I get my grade up?  Can I redo that assignment/performance?  Eventually, after the questions were asked and the answers were provided, the directions of the grading path became clear:  1) Assignments represent completion.  2) Performance represent proficiency.  3) All assignments and performance can be made up, at any time, without a penalty.  4) All assignments and performances can be redone or retaken, as many times as they want, until they get the score they want.  5) In the end, letter grades will be determined by reaching proficiency on all four of the must-meet standards.  Through constant and consistent reminders of these directions, more and more students are understanding that their work ethic needs to change.  They need to start paying attention.  They need to start trying.  They need to start doing the work.  They need to start asking questions.  They need to start learning.  But not for me, for themselves. And as we have made our way farther down the path, they are starting to realize that they have not only the freedom to do these things but also the responsibility.  

Finally, this week, we arrived at the pit stop on our path.  Midterm grades.  On Monday, October 30 each student selected and supported the grade that they feel is a fair representation of their grade at this time based on the three performances (and possible retakes) that we’ve done so far.  As they were filling these out, student stress started to disappear.  For many it was a result of the fact that what’s in Skyward (the online grade book) won’t actually be their midterm grade.  For others it was a result of realizing their hard work is paying off.  For some it was a result of knowing they still have time to reach proficiency and get the grade they really want at midterm. Whatever the reason, we can continue on our path to the final destination.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

Forty days in and I am feeling great about how things are going. Told my wife last night, as I was making dinner, that I felt like I needed to pinch myself after another great day with my kids. Just too good to be true. And she reminded me that pinching isn’t necessary when it’s reality. Great should be the norm; great should be the reality. And she’s not wrong–rarely is, and since she’s the best teacher I know, I take her advice to heart. Always.

No stranger to experiencing fulfillment with my kids, I generally have good–okay, great–years, but this year is exceptional. I say this not from a place of arrogance, and I am sorry if it comes across as such, but I work hard for and care much about the experience I create for my kids. I want it to be a great year for them, academically, emotionally, socially, and otherwise. In short, my years are great. It is and has been my reality. But it is result of neither luck nor happenstance. It is work. It is intention. It is a goal. And this year, I feel like maybe–just maybe, I finally got the recipe right for a better yield. Well, for now at least. There’s always a call for reflection. There’s always another better beyond the bend.

Here’s what I have added to the mix for my “better batch” this year.

1 pound Smiles and Frowns

2 pints Practice

1 quart Performance

3/4 cup Retakes (substitute redo’s)

1/2  pound Mindset Mantras

2 tablespoons Set Daily Focus (Monday-writing, etc. Adjust to taste)

4 cups Select-and-Support Grading

1 pinch Journey Journals

A sprinkling of Sappy Sy Rhyme

Generous handfuls of empathy and compassion

Mix well. Bake at 180 degrees (best cooked slowly; it takes time for the ingredients to combine). Serve with a smile.

Okay, silliness aside. And maybe going back on my earlier claim, I have been lucky this year. Yes, there is certainly intention here, but things have just kinda fallen into place, and it is promising to be a best-ever year. But I have thought that for twenty-two years now, so I guess best really happens one year at a time. But as for “best,” I like better, better. Best suggests a resting place. Better suggests a chase. I like the chase. Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…dig deeper into theme with Santha Rau’s “By Any Other Name.”

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

 

“Syrieididntgetachancetofinishmyessayourwifiwasdownand…and…”

“Whoa, Abby. Slow down, chica. Sounds like you are stressing about this class. Thought we talked about this?” I responded, nodding at the back table where we ‘put down the glass’ last week.  “No stress. Shame on you. You will have time in class today, and if you need more time than that, then we’ll make it happen. Quit stressing. Go to class. I’ll see you this afternoon. No stress.”

Abby was one of a handful of kids yesterday who, despite my efforts to ban stress in room 211, were stressed out about the due date. And, like Abby, I  gave each of them the quit-the-stressin-crap chat, letting them know that life would go on, that all would be fine. They’d get it done, and when they did, I would happily take it.

But by sixth period, though she and I had conferenced about her essay, fixing some transitions and creating a full-circle ending, and though she finally finished the draft, Ms. Abby Stressalot was back.

“Syrieiamnotgoingtohavetimetofinishthereflectionandwehaveagameinpullmantonightandwontgetbacktilllate…”

“Stop. You’re killing me, kid.”

“I am stressing again, huh? I can get it to you when it’s done, huh? It’s gonna be fine, huh?”

“Yes, Ab, it’s going to be fine.” I smiled. And it was. And it will be.

As you know, I am of the firm belief that we do not need to stress kids out with our policies. Our policies. As teachers we decide what’s possible and what’s impossible. So, whenever I can, I choose possible. And though I know some would argue that I am not preparing kids for the “real world,” I am not inclined to subscribe to that line of thinking. In fact, it has been my experience that most deadlines, including tax deadlines, can be negotiated, can be extended. Teachers negotiate their evaluation/observation deadlines with principals all the time. In fact, some who wield the “real-world” stick for teaching kids responsibility are among some of the worst when it comes to asking for leniency from their supervisors. Real world, indeed.

It has also been my experience that those with the harshest responses to kids’ not meeting deadlines only ever offer up the real-world defense. And this suggests to me that they have not really thought their policies through, that their policies are not about the students; their policies are about them and their inability to motivate and inspire kids to learn. Any teacher can use a “stick” to make kids comply. There is nothing remarkable in that. And, too, there is no golden guarantee that just because a kid complies with a deadline that the work is worthy. In fact, it is often sub-par, because it’s more about done-on-time than done-well. Oh, some kids accomplish both, but my experience suggests that when kids are forced to comply, for many, their work lacks commitment and quality suffers. But when kids are committed and self-driven, quality flourishes. And that I believe is the better real-world lesson. When you commit to something, you accomplish something worthwhile. When you half-ass something just to get it done, you generally accomplish something that’s half-assed. And I believe this is true in any world. Teachers need to let go the real-world stick. It unnecessarily elevates stress, and it can also lead to an unintended decrease in quality. In truth, the world is real no matter our age or stage. And it’s time that teachers quit posturing, quit hiding behind this facade. Make learning, not deadlines the focus in your classroom. Things only become impossible when we make them so. Choose possible. What’s the worst that’s going to happen if a kid misses a deadline?

You’ll have to assess it at a different time? But weren’t you going to assess it anyway?

The kids won’t be ready to move on in the content? Don’t we already move on whether kids are ready or not?

It won’t be fair to the other kids who turned it on time? Did they not have the opportunity to learn and benefit from the assignment? Doesn’t every kid deserve that benefit? Is he really winning something over on the other kids if he does it later?

Our policies create our worlds, worlds in which we co-exist with kids for a significant chunk of their lives. They will be shaped by that experience in one manner or another. And in that time, we should not rely on threatening the real world to scare kids straight. We should rely on our worlds, over which we truly have power to influence, over which we have the control of choice. And as such, we should choose to make it a world where kids discover what really matters: themselves. We should provide that promise. We don’t need a stick. And if we do, shame on us, for we have chosen to wield it. We don’t have to carry it.

In my world, there is still stress. Abby was stressed yesterday, but I think it’s different. I think it’s the stress of commitment, not the stress of compliance. I think it’s because she cares, not because she’s scared. And I want to believe that’s because I chose to make it that way. My world. My choice.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…start down a new writing path: description.

…reflect in our Journey Journals.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Tuesday, all. Sorry for the rant this morning.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

Am I doing the right thing for my students?

Can I even do this?

This was happening.

There was nothing else to do but jump in.

 

One month in and I can’t believe October is already here. This month has flown by faster than I thought it would. Getting to know the sophomores has been just the experience that I needed to blow away the worries I had about our new grading policies. This sophomore class completely surprised me. They are hardworking but at the same time, so much fun.

As the day came when we were finally talking about the grading policies in class, nerves overwhelmed me. Am I doing the right thing for my students? Can I even do this? Well, there was no turning back as first period filed into the room and sat in their seats. I had nothing else on the agenda and nowhere to run. This was happening. The bell rang and all eyes ended up on me and Tamura since we team teach first period. There was nothing else to do but jump in.

We went through our grading policies the same way that we rolled them out to the administrators in our building. As I looked around the room, the reactions that the kids were showing on their faces were looks of excitement, looks of worry, and looks of a lot of faces filled with confusion.

This is when I started to feel like this group was exactly the group that was meant to start off our new LA 10 grading policies. Hands immediately shot up when the explanation was done. The kids had many questions now that they knew what the grading policies would be in our class. Some were easy to answer, and others were not so easy. But, the kids kept asking. They wanted to know more. The answers that were given sometimes made the kids feel immediately uncomfortable.

This brought me back to the reason that I decided to jump on board with this new approach. I was giving the kids the same feeling I had had when I was grading their assignments. They were as uncomfortable and as uncertain as I had been feeling the year prior. The difference now is that we will get to lean on each other to come to an agreement at the end of the semester. So, as the days have passed, the kids have kept on asking questions, questions that I welcome every day because it forces me to reflect on whether or not each and every thing I do in the classroom is for the kids and their learning. It forces me to take a huge leap outside of my comfort zone. I hope to continue to gain their trust and be able to put their minds at ease as we continue on our way. They are the center of this journey; they are why I’m embarking on this journey.

Am I really doing what is best for my students?  Am I being transparent enough?  Do they realize the importance of what we do every day in class?  

 

Wow!  I can’t believe I’ve been with my sophomores for a month already!  Yes, I have truly enjoyed getting to know them particularly through our daily “smiles and frowns.”  That being said, this month has been filled with surprises, mistakes, discoveries, and moments of stress.  Just like the sun rising, the kids came every day.  And while we use a forecast to help guide us through our days, sometimes there are things that happen that bring less-than-desirable conditions.  

As students filled the halls and our individual classroom on day one, we hit the ground running.  We were excited to start a new school year, excited to get to know a new group of students, and excited to embark on our new grading journey.  Day by day, during the first couple weeks, I saw the looks of hesitation and confusion diminish as I shared more and more details about the new grading policy.  Students quickly realized that amidst the change to something completely different they could trust me.  The power of a positive relationship goes a long way.

And then. . .BAM!  Week three hit me.  A thick fog rolled in.  It happens pretty much every year.  I pause just long enough from the “go, go, go” for all the worry and stress to hit me smack in the face.  My week was quickly filled with meetings, department chair responsibilities, and multiple questions:  Am I really doing what is best for my students?  Am I being transparent enough?  Do they realize the importance of what we do every day in class?  When it gets this bad it’s paralyzing.  My overall demeanor changes. I shut down.  I get quiet.  And those who know me well know this is completely out of character for me.  Syrie is definitely one of them.  He knows when it’s time to say, “Okay, kiddo.  We gotta figure this out”.  

On my drive home one day that week, I was trying to think of things I could do to alleviate some of the stress.  At some point I thought, “What if I write on colored poster paper and put it all up on the walls of my classroom?”  After digging through the trays at my neighborhood Rite Aid, I found enough colors to make it work.  

And now, since those have been up, the stress has subsided and I’m back to normal.  Whenever we talk about a Must-Meet or Focus Standard, I can direct their eyes to the green wall.  When they need to do their Journey Journal entry, they can look to the wall on the opposite side and answer any of those questions.  

And now, as I continue to give feedback through our practice assignments, and as they begin to strive for proficiency with the performances, the fog that crept in during week three has started to dissipate.  I can watch my kids learn.  I can watch my kids grow.  And, more importantly, I can support them as we make our way through this journey.

Do.  Reflect.  Do better.