Midterm.

First “official” checkpoint of the year.

Grades are going home.

Let the interpretation begin.

And isn’t that what it is? An interpretation. What does “A” really mean? Is the “A” in period 2 the same as the “A” in period 5? What about that “C” in period 3? How was the letter determined? Was it an average? Was it based on tests only? How heavily did homework count? How did the teacher’s late work policy figure in? Can my child improve her grade? Is she learning?

Seems a little letter can mean much. Or maybe not. Maybe parents don’t really ask these questions. Maybe they trust that the little letter we assign means everything we mean it to mean, for surely we all mean the same thing for each letter. But that’s a lot of trust for a little letter that in the end may in fact mean nothing.

Well, okay, not nothing. But is the something we send the same something that is received? I am not convinced. And while I think that parents do likely wonder these things about the little letters we send, they rarely voice them, for I think they think we have this letter system down pat, we have an exact science. If only this were true.

We don’t. And we know it, and I think on some level we thank our lucky stars at these checkpoints that parents don’t push, that students don’t squawk–at least not too loudly or so much that we can’t silence them with teacher talk.

“The percentage in Skyward is…”

“They have to study more.”

“In the real world they have to…”

“The state testing requirements…”

“It is not fair to the rest of the students.”

But what if we didn’t “silence” them? What if instead we gave them a voice? What if we let, in particular the students, add their two cents to the story? What if we asked them, “Are you learning? How do you know?”

And then let’s come to an agreement on what letter (only because it’s required) best represents your learning for this grading period.

This is exactly what I intend to do today. I will ask kids to select and support a letter. I will ask them to contribute to their story. They are the source of what’s really going on. I wrote about this back in July, Go to the Source. I think we can work with kids to capture that which we don’t have down pat, that for which we do not have an exact science. Learning.

Letters tell a tale. Is my way the best way? Don’t know. But I am trying to find a better way, and I believe that lies down the path of working with kids, allowing them to participate in and take ownership of their learning.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…connecting through Smiles and Frowns.

…selecting and supporting grades.

…freedom and joy of personal reading.

…reflecting in our Journey Journals.

…hearing a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.