Kids had a challenging performance yesterday. And in the 180 classroom, challenge necessitates support. Heck, in any classroom, it should necessitate support. We should not expect what we cannot–in some cases, will not–support.

But doesn’t every teacher support what they expect? I’d like to think this true, but my ears tell me differently as I listen to kid after kid share stories of being tested on things that were never covered in class, things that come as a complete surprise. Mystery. Gotcha.

Of course, my prejudice towards this approach is neither warm nor quiet. It’s BS. And I tell the kids it is. And I wish–I wish–they and their parents would call teachers out on it. Kids should know, always know, what to expect on an assessment. I’ll even go one further, they should know, too, how they are going to perform. Shouldn’t they? In many “gotcha” classrooms there is often a disconnect between the homework and the test. Sold as if it’s pertinent practice, “homework” too often fills the grade book with points rather than the kids with confidence. Shouldn’t practice lead to confidence? And if it doesn’t, what’s the point?

Don’t get me wrong, “doing” has its place, serves its purpose, but “doing to do,” rarely if ever produces the necessary confidence, much less growth, in our kids’ learning experiences. Doing is necessary. Can’t give kids feedback until they do, but if there’s no feedback that follows, no “this is why you missed the target,” joined with “this is how you need to do it next time,” then there’s likely no learning occurring. And if there’s no learning occurring…

Please know that I am not coming from a place of “having it all figured out.” I have not “cornered” learning in the 180 classroom, but I am chasing it. And while I dream of a day that I do finally corner and catch it, I know it’s a goose chase, for every kid learns differently, and just as I catch it with one, it will have escaped with another. And so, the chase continues–eternally.

So what’s my point? Just this. Let’s come at it as if we don’t know definitively what learning is for all kids. Let’s concede that, and then let’s approach it from how can we best serve each in her own struggle to grow. Serve them. Challenge them (gosh yes, we have to). But support them. Serve them. No gotcha. No mystery. Give them time. Give them resources. Give them redo opportunities (there are redos in the real world btw). Give them feedback. And then give them more feedback.

I told my kids yesterday, and I am going to begin telling them more frequently, “I am here for you. You are not here for me. I am here for you. I serve you. What do you need?”

That’s what I am about. Yesterday, sixth period, Martin likened me to a mom, poking a bit of fun at my ardent pleas to let me know what else I could do for them. Mom? Okay. I can live with that. Everyone knows moms are the best. Thanks, Martin.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will experience…

…listening to our guest speaker Mr. Tamura share his family’s experiences from the Japanese internment camps.

Happy Friday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.