Trail Talk

“If you are not a little confused or overwhelmed at this point, then I am concerned. This is entirely different from what you are accustomed to; as I said, it’s a new language. I expect there to be some gaps in your understanding. You should be confused. You should be overwhelmed. But I expect that as we move forward, things will become more clear, and those gaps will fill in. I will work hard to that end. Promise.”

Yesterday, I shared my approach to learning–my grading policies. Yes, there was some confusion as kids spun it around in their heads, attempting to envision what the trail ahead may hold. But there was also some wonder in those eyes as they considered the possibilities of a path unemcumbered by the limited language of grades. In the end, really, their responses were what I expected, and I will use those responses going forward. I will provide clarity for their confusion. I will provide more possibilities for their wonder. I want this to be a transformational learning experience for all of us this year.

Tonight,  I will get to pitch it to parents at open house, where I expect to encounter more confusion and wonder. The challenge, though, will be that I will only have a few minutes to introduce a foreign land and language. I will thus rely on the documents I have prepared to fill in the gaps. Importantly, I will also rely on my commitment to communication with parents, seeking to partner with them as best I can in the journey ahead. But, most importantly, I will rely on my mantra that speaks to how I do all that I do. I will let parents know that this is my current better, and as the year progresses, and I reflect and learn, I will seek to do better. Always better.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns. Took a different angle with this yesterday. This, too, is foreign to the kids, so consequently, many don’t find value in it and “pass.” So, yesterday, coming off establishing roles, especially #2, I tried to add value by telling the kids that each time someone passes I die a little inside because of the missed opportunity to learn about him/her. I told them that Smiles and Frowns is not a cute way to start our day; it’s an intentional community-building activity. We’ll see if it’s any different today.

…continue considering character, community, and conflict with Seedfolks. Took the day off from this yesterday. The smoke is awful here in our neck of the woods, and it’s killing my throat. Hurts to talk and swallow, so I tried to limit my talking. Resume today out of necessity. Smoke and throat same. Time’s getting away.

…introduce routines. Roles yesterday. Routines today. This is my commitment to being more organized and disciplined in my approach this year. 

…conduct “Twitterviews” for reading and writing stories. As introduced in our roles yesterday, #3 reader and #4 writer, the kids will do a lot of reading and writing; these are their “worker” roles. To begin, I want them to share their “stories” about each through an interview using a modified Twitter platform. One, it adds some novelty. Two, it challenges them to be concise with a 140 character limit. 

…capture the day in or Journey Journals. I am learning, but am not surprised, that the kids are rather inexperienced at reflecting, so each day, I seek to up the game a bit. Right now, I want them to grasp that it’s not a summary of what we did, but a reaction to what we did. Trying to emphasize the “So What?” right now. We”ll get better.

And that’s our Wednesday. Hope I still have a voice at open house tonight. Looking forward to sharing our journey with parents tonight. Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

New clothes. Reunions with friends after summer’s separation. Anxious energy belying the sleepy tiredness of a schedule interrupted. A new hope for a new year. No zeros in the grade book. No referrals in their files. A clean slate. For everyone.

The new year gives new life to every kid who walks through the door, a fresh start. Their Phoenixes reborn, they take flight, vowing to do better, the other New Year’s resolution. And for a moment the building’s a bubble, buoyed by beliefs of better. And then…the bubble bursts. It always does. And we can’t stop that. But, we can choose our response when the air escapes and the crash begins.

He was late the first day. That’s okay. He may have gotten lost. He didn’t have a backpack. That’s okay. I plan for such things; I gave him a pencil and paper. He talked to his neighbor too much. That’s okay. He doesn’t know me and my ways yet. I won’t even get to my “rules” until next week. He didn’t come to class the next day. That’s okay. Probably a scheduling snafu. Lots a changes still. 53 minutes later, He walked by my window. We made eye contact. It was two minutes before lunch. He had skipped my class. That’s not okay.

I have to write up truancies. It’s my job. The rules are clear. The consequences established. The other kids saw him, too. So, I had no choice. But I hate that corner. I hate being backed into the place where I cannot exercise my better judgment. So, I dwell in a circle instead. No corners. Just a continuous flow of ideas cycling through my mind until I find the best answer. I don’t subscribe to one-size fits all for learning. And for me this is just another learning opportunity. And despite the clarity of the rule, I chose a different path.

Turns out, I knew him before I knew him. “Axe.” Oh, that’s who Axell is. I’d heard about Axe, everyone had. But I had never put a face to a name. And now the “freshman terror” was a member of my sophomore classroom community. No wonder he skipped. That’s what he does. And if he’s not skipping, he’s disrupting. The kid with a rap sheet that rolled out in front of him, announcing to the world, I am Axe; I am here to ruin your day. At least that’s the gist of last year’s narrative.

I could have resolved it simply. I could have just written him up. In fact, they have ready-made referrals waiting for him in the office (kidding). But, when I went to the assistant principal to discuss the issue, I discovered that he and Axe were well-acquainted. And immediately his crestfallen response communicated, “Here we go.” But I didn’t want to open that door already. It was only day two. So, I asked, instead, if we could use it as perhaps a reachable if not teachable moment, requesting that in place of a referral and ISS, we all have a conversation on Tuesday morning. In keeping with my Journey metaphor, I wanted to approach it from the “he-just-got-off-path” angle, hoping to get him back on track in a manner that communicated, “You are part of this journey, Axe, and it’s important to me that we make it to the end, so you can’t go wandering off on me. You gotta stay the course.” Our AP was very receptive to the idea. And we agreed to give it a shot.

But that changed. Another choice came circling around the room in my head. Standing out in the hall before 4th period, I had a chance to catch Axe alone before class began. Here’s our conversation.

Me: (quietly) You know I gotta do something, right?

Axe: Yeah, I know. I’m sorry; it won’t happen again. I talked to some other kids, and they were like, “Dude, you don’t skip Syrie’s class.”

Me: Okay, I’m not gonna write you up, but we need to have a conversation with Mr. Roberts on Tuesday. Okay? I’m not mad. I just can’t have ya skipping class. And if you are gonna skip, ya can’t walk by my window. We’ll talk more about it on Tuesday.

Axe: Okay, thank you.

Importantly, Axe and I walked in late together, so the rest of the kids knew he and I had discussed the issue. They knew that I had not just let it go (all eyes are on us–always). Axe found his seat and the period got underway, and in that time my mind had changed yet again. Axe participated in Smiles and Frowns. He didn’t talk to his neighbor. I sat with him and helped him, and he even willingly redid a portion of the assignment (apparently, he “didn’t do work” last year), and near the end of the period, he asked me if I had ever been to Northport where he was going camping over the holiday weekend with his family.

Consequently, we are not meeting Tuesday morning. I am okay with where we are. We will continue the journey as if nothing ever happened. Axe wandered a bit, but I didn’t lose him. He’s with me, for now. He may be pulling the wool over my eyes, even some of the storytellers from last year suggest that that is likely the case, but I had to give him a chance to get back on track. Too early in the year to lose one of my charges. Right or wrong, I made a choice. I chose to lift Axe up, saving him from the crash. Not that hard, really. I got air to spare, even for kids-especially for kids–with broken bubbles.

“I hope you discover the value of community and the power of empathy. Though our learning journeys are unique, we all travel similar paths. When we come to realize that through our similar trails we share a bond, we begin to understand that we are not alone, that we can learn with others, that we can learn from others. When we connect with others, we learn. When we connect with others, we can understand. We will connect. We are a community.”

Trail Talk

“Take a quick scan of the people in the room. Raise your hand if you know everyone’s name in this class.” I made this request in each of my five classes yesterday. And each time, no one could raise his/her hand. A few of the kids suggested they could name most, but the vast majority of us admitted we would miss more than we’d make. I asked them what that suggested about our community.

As many teachers do, I have my kids make “name tents” on day one. I don’t assign seats, so I don’t have a seating chart to assist my learning their names. So, we use the name tents for the first week. Knowing names is a top priority, a non-negotiable. A must. This year, I upped the ante. In response to the severe shortage of raised hands indicating our knowledge of names, I challenged my kids to know names along with me. I gave us till next Friday. But that’s not enough. Not even close. And I told them so.

We are going to learn a lot this year. A lot. I am going to push you to make the most of our opportunity together. And while the content of the course will occupy the majority of our learning experiences, it is not the most important thing we will learn together. Yes, syntax and rhetoric are important, and, yes, we will treat them as such, but they are secondary to what matters most: the people around us. Our worlds will always be full of important stuff, but they will also be full of people. And it is my belief that if we want to learn about the world and to learn about ourselves, we first have to focus on the people around us. So we, my young friends, will spend time each day learning about each other.

Yesterday, this is how I sold “Smiles and Frowns” to the kids. It is my intentional approach to daily community building, our entry task every day for the entire year. Here’s a link to a post explaining the approach in detail Relationships Are Not Accidents. Basically, each of us shares a smile, frown, or both from our school or personal lives. Importantly, each has the option to pass. I am not going to build bonds among us through force. So, I offer the option to pass if someone is not comfortable. A lot of kids passed yesterday. And why wouldn’t they? They are among strangers. And though it bums me out that we miss an opportunity to learn each time someone passes, not all learning is lost, for even if they are not sharing, they are listening. They are learning.

And so, we found a little discomfort yesterday in our travels. As I watched the kids’ responses to the roll out, I saw a mixed bag. *Rick rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I am not here to learn about the people in this class. I am here to learn about English.” *Sam slunk down in his chair, trying to hide. “Oh my gosh. All eyes on me. Just let me be anonymous.” *Sally smiled, sitting up in her chair. “Yes! I get to talk about me.” *Carla cocked her head, confused, looking at me like I was crazy. “We’re doing what?” And all sorts of responses in between. And that’s okay; it’s what I expected. It is a strange thing among strange people, so I will exercise understanding and patience as we move forward. At the end of the semester, I will make the name request again, but I will also ask how many could share something about each person in the room. I hope we find things less strange by then.  *Names not real.

Moving on. As predicted, yesterday was a cluster with pictures. It took 40+ minutes each period, so we didn’t even come close to discovering what I’d hoped yesterday. And that’s just how it goes out on the trail. Things don’t always go as planned. And while I was a wee grumpy about it, I just adjusted our course, and we did what we could. Today will be no less “clustery” as we have Friday late start along with an hour-long pep con, resulting in only 35 minute classes today. Silly Syrie, you should know better than to plan so much for the first few days of school. Indeed, seems this is one “do better” that I will have to continue chasing.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…build community with Smiles and Frowns

…complete our Wordles

…reflect in our Journey Journals

And that’s the plan. Funny that I haven’t given out any rules, grading policies, etc. Just working on building community. Oh, I guess I did share one “rule” out of necessity. Sarah asked if eating was allowed in class. Yes, Sarah. Always. We are on a journey, not a hunger strike. Eat away kid. Just pick up after yourself. 

Have a great weekend, all.

Do. Reflect. Do better.

“I believe in kids and that they are all capable of learning; some kids take longer than others, some have different approaches than others, some have different strengths than others, and all have different discoveries within their own education. It felt wrong to me to put them all in one box and tell them that was how it was. Period.”

In January of 2016, yes, only just over a year and a half ago, I started my journey as a teacher. I had finished my student teaching about a month earlier and was going to be a brand new teacher, in the middle of the year, at Connell High School. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I had one weekend to get my classroom together and start teaching the upcoming week as it was their transition time between semesters. I felt rushed and really hadn’t had much time to process as I was also moving into a new apartment in Connell and leaving the familiar behind. Which in the long run, may have been a blessing.

In the weeks prior to starting, I had received a packet from Connell High School that went over their school grading policies. Having just finished my student teaching in Monte Syrie’s classroom, I was completely confused when going over Connell’s grading policies, they didn’t seem completely fair to me or fit my style. When I texted Syrie about my dilemma, he explained to me that as a first year teacher, at a place that I’m not established at yet, I’ve just got to “play the grading game,” and make small changes where I can that wouldn’t get me in trouble. So I poured over the grading policies that Connell gave me and tried to make small changes where I could that made me feel a little more comfortable when I was putting student grades into the gradebook.

Comfortable. What a weird thing to think about when grading kids. Why was slapping a grade onto a kid’s paper uncomfortable to me? Thinking back to that not very far away time, I feel that I have found why trying to find one way to grade ALL kids was uncomfortable to me. I became a teacher for a reason. I believe in kids and that they are all capable of learning; some kids take longer than others, some have different approaches than others, some have different strengths than others, and all have different discoveries within their own education. It felt wrong to me to put them all in one box and tell them that was how it was. Period.

As fate would have it, a position opened up in the LA department at Cheney High school later that semester. I immediately put my application in and got my ducks in a row and things fell into place as I later got a call for an interview and got offered the job the day of my interview. I took my first full year of teaching at Cheney High School talking to Syrie and observing his journey through P-180. I loved what I saw and as we started talking about changes he was making for the upcoming year, I knew I wanted to jump on board. I knew that I would stop feeling uncomfortable about grading student work. I knew that this was going to be an exciting adventure for kids.

As the doors open this week for students to be back at school, I’m excited to embark on this journey with my students and learn right alongside them.

Project 180 is all about the journey. As teachers, we choose the experiences our students will have. I choose the Path of Possibilities because I want to experience learning with my kids. I want to walk with them. I don’t just want to wait for them to arrive at the end to make the final transaction. Journey begins tomorrow!

Hi, all. So, last week, hoping to be helpful, I shared a document during the #tg2chat with links to all the documents I have shared in my posts this summer. For some reason, some are unable to follow the links, so I have tried again. I have also just included a pic of each doc if the links don’t work. Sorry for any confusion or trouble.

Grading Policies

Parent Letter

Student Letter

Roles, Routines, Rights, and Responsibilities

Focus Standards

Learning Targets

Feedback Form

Learning Log

Reading and Writing Stories

Twitterview: Writing

Twitterview: Reading

In my continuing efforts to create the culture of possibility that I desire for my kids and myself, I have decided to reframe my policies and procedures into roles, routines, rights, and responsibilities. The intent is not all that different from the old frame, but I believe the new frame better fits this current leg of my journey. As always, if you find some value in what you see here, please feel free to use and/or adapt. If you want access to original doc, please DM me on Twitter @MonteSyrie.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Roles, Routines, Rights, and Responsibilities

Welcome to your language arts learning journey. I will be your guide as we make our way along our 180-day path this year. But, before we get started, there are some things we need to discuss that will hopefully help you have a successful journey in room 211 this year.

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 room 211. 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.

Routines

Our trail stretches far into the distance, and while many unkowns lie in wait, here are some things that you can come to expect on a regular basis: our daily and weekly routines. It will take some time for these to become routine, but my hope is that these common expectations will help us move along the trail with some certainty and efficiency.

• Every day we will begin with Smiles and Frowns. This is our community check in, where you will have the opportunity to share what is going in your life in the frame of a smile and/or frown. All will be encouraged to share, but no one will be forced to share. If you choose not to share, you may simply say, “pass” when it comes to you. (5 min.)
• Every day we will begin our work with Mindset Mantras (see handout). I know for some of you this will be kinda corny, but I believe that if we hear it, we say it, we will believe it. Above all, I want you to believe it. Mantras will be a regular part of our journey. (30 sec.)
• Every day we will take a Brain Break halfway through the period. This is a time for you to stretch, talk, walk, and check your phones. (3 min.)
• Every day we will end our work with our Journey Journals (see handout). As mentioned above in the Reflector Role, we will reflect upon and share from our experience each day. (5-7 min.)
• Monday is a We Are Writers day (WAW). As the name suggests, we will be writing every Monday, working on either the assigned writing or our Passion Paper.
• Tuesday is also a We Are Writers day (WAW).
• Wednesday is a We Are Grammarians day (WAG). Here we will work primarily with syntax and other “needs” that we discover from your writing.
• Thursday is a We Are Readers day (WAR). Each week on Monday you will either receive a Life is Lit passage or an Article of the Week. It will alternate each week. Along with the text you will be given practice. The reading and practice are due on Thursday, when we will discuss both.
• Friday is a We Are Learners day (WAL). Friday is an extended reflection day in our Journey Journals. It will also be devoted to your personal reading.
• Every two weeks on Friday, you will complete a Learning Log (see handout). This time will be devoted to your officially recording your progress with growth and proficiency. This will also be a time for portfolio updates and upkeep.
• On Mondays and Tuesdays during our WAW time, we will conduct scheduled writing conferences (see handouts).
• Every day your cue to leave will be my message, not the bell. I will dismiss you each day with something along the lines of, “Thank you for letting me learn with you today. Have a great day.” After you hear this, you are free to go.

Rights

As a member of this community, you have the following rights.

• I have the right to feel safe.
• I have the right to learn.
• I have the right to ask as many questions as I want.
• I have the right to make mistakes and not fear penalty.
• I have the right to “prove” my learning in various ways.
• I have the right to feedback as an essential part of my learning.
• I have the right to access Syrie for help whenever possible.
• I have the right to eat and drink in class.
• I have the right to express that my rights are not being granted or protected.

Responsibilities

Beyond your rights and roles and the routines of the room, you will also have responsibilities as a member of our learning community.

• I have a responsibility to get to class on time. If I am late, I will not disrupt the class. I will quietly apologize and sit down. I understand that if my being late becomes a habit, Syrie and I will have to find a solution.
• I have a responsibility to know and honor the routines of this class.
• I have a responsibility of monitoring my behavior so I do not disrupt the learning of my community members.
• I have a responsibility to self-regulate my use of electronic devices in this room. I will keep my device stored out of sight until the Brain Break or when I have been given permission to use it as a tool. I understand that if I cannot self-regulate, Syrie will ask me to keep my device on his desk during class. I may have it back during Brain Break. I will also have future opportunities to prove I can self-regulate.
• I have a responsibility to be a great listener. This means, I will not talk while others are talking; I will visually track/connect with the speaker; and I will use gestures to demonstrate that I am listening.
• I have a responsibility to self-regulate my leaving the room. I may go to the bathroom when I need to, but I need to work at keeping my leaving to a minimum.
• I have a responsibility to take ownership for my learning. It is my learning.
• I have a responsibility to be sensitive to and respectful of others’ viewpoints. In short, I have a responsibility to be kind.
• I have a responsibility to clean my space before I leave for the day.

Interventions for when I do not meet the obligations of my responsibilities.

1. Reminder(s)
2. Conversation(s)
3. Parent Contact
4. Office Referral (It is unlikely that I will ever get to this point.)

“Many teachers who are going gradeless have turned to social media to proclaim the benefits of a gradeless classroom in moving the focus off the points and back onto the learning. For students who need academic intervention, the additional potential benefit of going gradeless is keeping the focus on where they are in their own, unique learning journey, and off of comparing how they are performing relative to peers.” Lee Ann Jung, Going Gradeless and Special Education #TG2Chat

“Most importantly, the way we need to present data for reporting or even to guide our own reflection for instruction should never blindly drive the way we present data for the purpose of giving students feedback every day to fuel their passion for and engagement in learning.” Lee Ann Jung, Going Gradeless and Special Education #TG2Chat

Unfortunately, I did not get to participate in last night’s TG2Chat, Going Gradeless and Special Education. But this morning, fortunately, I did get to follow up on the chat from last night on Twitter. And as I was doing that, one question and response that I was tagged in caught my attention: number 5 (see both graphics below). One, it had the “J” word in it: journey. Those who follow me know that word means much to me and my approach to education in my classroom and beyond. Two, though the focus was special education, for me, it spoke of other implications in the gradeless classroom and the importance of “the additional potential benefit of going gradeless is keeping focus on where they are on their own unique learning journey…”(Jung). Coupled, then, with Brandon Brown’s comment below, “I feel like there’s a profound comment about ‘journey vs. destination’ to be made here. And all journeys are different.” I had to jump in. And while it may not be profound, I do have a comment to make. For I truly believe that ALL journeys are different, and as I think about ALL my kids, top to bottom, I think that the gradeless classroom provides a uniquely responsive environment for kids on “their own unique learning journey[s].”

Upon seeing question 5 and Brandon’s response, I revisited last night’s questions, and as I did, I was struck by the fact that with some minor tweaks, these same questions could also fit those who come to us ahead of grade-level expectations. For instance, number 3 could be recycled as, “With students who are ahead in all areas, how do we prioritize or select our focus?” Number 5, “How should feedback be different for those who are ahead in grade level expectations?” Please know that my goal in this line of thinking is not take away from what Lee Ann and Aaron prepared and presented for last night’s chat. To be sure, last night’s chat was significant in its own right, and I believe it addressed what special education teachers have always believed and advocated for, and I am thankful that it got its due consideration in the gradeless classroom. And I am sorry I missed it. Even so, it still carried weight with me, still impacted me, and that is why I am stepping in.  And then, when “journey v. destination” got tossed in the mix…well, I couldn’t help myself. So I am entering the discussion to once again offer that for no other reason (though I believe there are many) than feedback is the emphasis not a grade, the gradeless classroom creates a superior learning environment to the traditional classroom.

Journey

In the classroom, when I think of journey, I think of growth. Each kid is on a journey–to grow. And when I reflect back on the myriad journeys that I have been blessed to join in the last twenty-one years as a teacher, I have met each and every kid at a different place; no two kids have been alike, and no two journeys have been alike. Some have been way behind grade-level expectations; others have been way ahead; and most have been at different places in between. But sadly, though that’s true, I have not always been responsive to that reality. And it’s not because I chose not to be responsive. It’s because I did not how to be responsive; I did not know I could be responsive. And now that I have stepped beyond the traditional classroom, I know not only how but also that I can, meaning that there are better alternatives to traditional grading, alternatives that consider learning and feedback, not points and letters, alternatives that consider each kid in her actual place, not just her relative place to her peers. Her journey. Her learning. Her growth. This is the “additional potential” I have discovered in the gradeless classroom.

Lee Ann, in her comments that I shared above, spoke to the different lens that exists in the gradeless classroom. “keeping the focus… off of comparing how they are performing relative to peers.” As I considered this lens, I reflected on my experiences in both the graded and the gradeless classrooms. In my graded classroom, I would often hear, “Why did she get a higher grade than me?” This reality bothered me for a couple of reasons. One, I didn’t always have a good answer for what made her 88 better than her 84. Two, kids obsessively worrying about other kids’ learning as “an indicator” of their own learning drove me crazy. CRAZY. But now, in my gradeless classroom, where feedback, not grades, is the currency, I never hear Susie wondering, worrying, or whining about Sara’s feedback because its Sara’s feedback. It fits her. It’s for her. It’s her journey. They are all on their own journeys, and I have found that when I join them in their journeys, I join them in their learning, and it is there where I feel I can make a valuable contribution to their growth in the form of feedback. I can’t say with the same confidence, the same pride, that I was able to do that before with grades.

In my journey, kids have come and kids have gone. And as I get ready to join this year’s kids in their journeys, I feel better equipped than ever to meet each where she is. If she is ahead, that’s where I will meet her. If she’s behind, that’s where I will meet her. In the end, I don’t really care where she is when I find her, as much as care about where she is when I leave her, a place where I am confident that I have helped her move farther down the trail, where she is better prepared to chase her next better.

Thank you, Aaron Blackwelder, Lee Ann Jung, and Brandon Brown for helping me think even further about the significant role that “journey” plays in room 211, where I chase better every day.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Been thinking a lot about feedback lately, and with the new year and my next go at Project 180 right around the corner, there has been some urgency to my thinking. Ever seeking to do, reflect, and do better, I have been racking my brain to come up with a better way to get feedback to my students this year. And though–as with anything I do–I will eventually discover a “better best,” here is my latest “do better” for feedback.

Last year, with grades completely off the table ( gave every student an A), feedback was all that I had at my disposal, for there were no points to assign. And while this produced the learning culture I had longed for my entire career, it also produced a reality for which I was not adequately prepared. Oh, I was no stranger to giving feedback, and I had discovered early on the power of conferencing with students, so in that regard, I wasn’t completely out of my league. But decidedly, I was in a league that was entirely new, entirely different, and past practice was not going to cut it. But all I had was past practice in a realm not familiar with time racing ahead, and so, I had to make do. And that’s what I felt like I did last year: I made do. But “making do,” is not the “do” I seek, so this year I will do better.

The Plan

I don’t like rubrics. Never have. But I’ve never publicly admitted that, for in many circles they are  touted as THE tool of the effective teacher. Don’t get me wrong. Providing criteria for meeting standards is terribly important, I have just found that rubrics tend to over-complicate things. From worrying about micro-differences articulated through “rubric speak” to chasing the elusive “exceeds standard” to translating a rubric score into a traditional percentage grade, I have found rubrics more messy than meaningful. So, I quit. Some time ago, I quit rubrics, at least traditional multi-point rubrics. And I started using what I now know is called a single-point rubric, but I have only come to know that term in last few weeks, largely due to Aaron Blackwelder’s post,  The Single Point Rubric, which I came across in his response to someone asking for help on rubrics in the TG2 Facebook Group. I had heard folks in the TG2 group tossing around the term for the past few months, but I had never really taken the time to check my understanding. And then Aaron’s post came along (which I recommend everyone reads), and I give him credit for helping me find my next better. Thank you, Aaron. Once again I have found that our brains are eerily similar. And I find great comfort and confidence in my thinking when I learn that you shares my thoughts. 

No More Rubrics

I am removing the term rubric from my teacher talk. In its place, I will use the term “feedback form.” I am not shunning the use of rubrics by others. In fact, Aaron’s single-point rubric is really only different by name, so it’s about names, and it’s about fit. Rubric no longer fits me, so I won’t use it. In its place I will use a feedback form with language that better fits me and my classroom. See below.

I tend to use the term “learning target” in my classroom. I like the idea of something to aim for, and with that, I like to frame feedback in terms of “hit or miss.” Meeting standard in my classroom is hitting the target. I do not provide generic exceeds-standard criteria. I address it on an individual basis in my conferences with students, and I use it as an entry point into differentiating for that student beyond the standard towards mastery, which I believe is a pursuit, not an end.

Hitting the target is straightforward. They met the criteria. As for missing the target, I do make some distinction for the sake of clarity and convenience. I present either a “near miss” or a “far miss.” For clarity it lets the student know how far off aim she was. For convenience, it helps me tailor both feedback and next steps in regards to why/how she missed the target and what she can do to take better aim next time.

Using “next steps” fits well with the journey experience I seek to create for my students. Their work is just part of the journey, and I believe that when I frame it that way for them, they just see “what’s next” as part of their journey. Never there. Just forward. Always forward. So, that is how I will frame feedback. Next I will talk a bit about how I will get it to the students.

Feedback Folder

I have never–never–been great about getting feedback to 150 kids in a timely manner. I have gotten better, and relying on verbal feedback through conferencing has helped (more on conferencing below), but it’s largely been hit or miss for me, and that’s not acceptable, so here is how I am going to try to do better.

I am going to use what I am going to call a “feedback folder.” I will create one for each of my five periods. It will be where students place work for feedback once they feel they are ready. Any work that gets placed in the feedback folder must have a feedback form attached. The form must have the standards/learning targets on which the student wants feedback (no more than 3). I want them to take greater ownership of how they seek feedback. I want them to see that it’s not simply about handing something to someone and asking them if “it’s good.” In this case, it’s about asking me to engage them in a specific part of their work, using our target language as our means of communicating.

What about the timely part of it? My plan is to respond each night. I know that sounds daunting, and even now I am half-grimacing as I imagine what it’s going to be like, but then I remember a few things. One, in reality only a few students a day will be ready for feedback. Two, with the format of the feedback form and the limit on standards/learning targets, these won’t take very long. And, I am wise enough to know that if it’s going to take too long because there is too much to address, I will just have a conference with the student.  Three, I am a terrible procrastinator, and that’s been a part of the problem, so I am using this to force me to be more disciplined  and efficient with my time. Of course, there will be times when I do take 150 assignments in at once, and that will take longer than one night, but for the other times that students need more timely feedback, I have the feedback folder.

The feedback-folder approach also provides another opportunity for students to assemble growth evidence for their grade selection at the end of term.  And that is part of that ownership that I mentioned above. I want them to become avid seekers of feedback, so I am trying to design a system that better provides what they seek. I can’t ask them to seek what’s not readily there. This is my attempt to make it more readily available. In addition, every two weeks the students have to complete Learning Logs which requires they speak to feedback they have gotten from me, so here is a chance for them to start building their feedback portfolios.

Conferencing

I am also trying to become more disciplined with conferencing this year. To that end, I am going to present a three-week rotating schedule to my students (see below). In the past, I have utilized the sign-up-when-you-are-ready approach to conferencing, but again, this has been hit or miss, and not as many students take advantage of conferencing, which I believe is the most powerful thing that can happen in any learning experience. So, this year, I am going to make that belief a reality for all of my students. I am going to schedule conferences.

Mondays and Tuesdays are “We Are Writers” days. Monday begins with a craft mini-lesson, and then the kids are working on either their assigned writing or independent Passion Papers. We do this on Monday and Tuesday because those are our Chromebook days. In the past, I have wandered and helped or conferenced with kids who have signed up.  This year will be different.

I have roughly thirty students in every class. I will conference with five on Monday and five on Tuesday. So each week I will get to ten of my students, a third of my class. I will just lift the first ten names from my roster, placing them in the spaces on the schedule, and then the next ten, and so on. The students will know when they are scheduled to conference with me. I will require them to be prepared by having a feedback form ready, which will then become our conference record. I will address their work from the standards/learning targets they have specified, verbalizing hits, misses, and next steps as they record them on the form.  My goal is to limit the conferences to five minutes, which will then give me time to work with other students who are not scheduled for conferences. For those students who are not scheduled to conference with me that week but want/need feedback, then the feedback folder comes into play. This way, I can still “be available” to all my students.

That’s the Plan

In my twenty-one years of teaching, I have never come up with the perfect plan, and this one is no different. There will no doubt be some wrinkles to iron out, but I have come to expect that as a learner. For now, it’s my best plan moving forward. I know it’s better than what I did last year.  And really that’s all that matters. I hope you discovered some value in my plan. As always, feel free to use and adapt. If you have any questions, I’d love the opportunity to chat with you.

Do. Reflect. Do better.

As many of my regular readers know, I am a believer in the journey, and that belief has certainly carried over into my classroom, where once again it has materialized as the frame for my student letter this year.  Earlier this summer in my  TG2 post, Gradeless: A Culture of Possibility, I made mention of my personal drive to walk my talk, to make sure that my realities follow my ideals. This letter to my kids is an attempt to do just that, to create that accountability. I am not presenting the things in this letter as mere talk. This is the reality I want for my kids, the reality that I am holding myself to creating for my kids this year. When I say, “This is what I hope you discover on this journey,” I am really providing my kids with an informal contract, a guarantee that these things will present themselves and be part of their journey. Their sharing their discoveries at trail’s end will be their final. If they haven’t discovered these things by then, I will be deeply disappointed in myself, and I will tell them that when I read this letter to them on day one.  From there, I will have 179 days to do my best.

Dear Learners,

Welcome to Honors LA 10. I am beyond excited to begin and share this journey with you. And while I am not certain about all that we will encounter and experience along our way–or even where we will land at our journey’s end, I am certain that it will be unlike anything we have experienced in the past. And as we set forth to explore and experience learning, here are some things that I hope you discover along the way.

What I hope you discover on this journey.

• I hope you discover the importance of relationships. My successes and/or failures have had everything to do with relationships in my own journey. Relationships. Relationships. Relationships.
• I hope you discover the value of mistakes and the necessity of failing. Mistakes and failing are paths that lead to learning. Follow them. You won’t get lost. In truth, you’ll probably find yourself.
• I hope you discover that you own your learning. 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 hope you discover the unique power of your voice. Language is power, a power available to all. It is not reserved for a select few. You have language, which means you have power. I will help you find your way, but it begins with your believing that you have power. I so hope you make this important discovery this year.

• I hope you discover that literature is a rehearsal for life. We will engage and embrace literature as a way to learn about the human experience. Literature is life. Life is literature.

• I hope you discover that learning is a circle that often requires redo’s. I will create no ends to your learning. You may have as many attempts as necessary. I can control that. However, I cannot control time. Over that end, I hold no control. Time expires, but learning never ends. And as long as you are in my locus of control, I will always give you another shot. Always.

• I hope you discover the power of a growth mindset. I firmly believe that our attitude about anything means everything. With that, I would like you to add a tiny word with gigantic implications to your learning vocabulary. Yet. I hope it helps you bridge the gap between “I can’t” and “I can.”

• 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

• I hope you discover that feedback is the most essential ingredient in learning. Travelers get hungry. The need for fuel will be significant for our sustained journey of 180 days. Fortunately, I have an unlimited supply of the necessary nutrient: feedback. I will not feed you grades. I will only offer feedback. It is the stuff of learning. It is the most vital thing I can offer you. I really hope you make this important discovery as well.

• I hope you discover the value of community and the power of empathy. Though our learning journeys are unique, we all travel similar paths. When we come to realize that through our similar trails we share a bond, we begin to understand that we are not alone, that we can learn with others, that we can learn from others. When we connect with others, we learn. When we connect with others, we can understand. We will connect. We are a community.

So, we set out. 180 days from now we will arrive at some destination. But before we start down the trail, consider what I have said; consider what I hope you discover. I will be with you every step of the way, but you must take the steps. I cannot take them for you. Months from now, as we look back on our explorations and experiences, and you consider this list, I hope you have added them to your packs as mementos of our time together. Thanks for letting me join you. I am honored.

Let’s get started,

Syrie

I am so excited to begin this next 180 day journey with my kiddos. I am eager to get to the doing, reflecting, and doing better that I so crave. I am hungry to learn. I am ready for kids.

Do. Reflect. Do better.