What if we were all this brave?

It seems as though my students are finally finding their groove. They get what it means to be scored based on criteria, though they are still figuring out what the assessment descriptors look like in practice; they realize that low scores now won't necessarily mean low scores later,though some are still having me field questions from their parents; and they are enjoying the fact that their homework is not graded. 

And yet, I still hear...

"What if it sounds stupid?" 
"What if I do it wrong?" 
"What if I don't finish?" 
"What if I get a bad grade?"

In my head, I passionately respond, "Who cares?" But I recognize that they might misconstrue those words. What I want to say is, "This is your learning. Don't let other people tell you whether your learning sounds smart, correct, finished, or up-to-par. This is your education. Claim it!"

But then I remember that they are 14, 15, 16, maybe 17 years old and I am asking a lot. Was I brave enough, at 14, to turn in an assignment that was only half way done? Was I brave enough to show rough drafts of writing to my classmates? Was I brave enough to not let other people's judgments of my work affect my learning? Half the time I'm not brave enough now! Here I sit, writing this blog, wondering what my own colleagues will think of it, questioning whether I'm writing something worth sharing with you, our readers.

So instead of saying, "Who cares?" I found myself saying to one young lady on Monday, "Be brave." She sat for twenty minutes in front of her computer screen as three classmates (not her friends) typed feverishly into a shared google doc about the distinctive characteristics of an exceptional short story. Every 5 minutes or so, I walked by and just said, "Be brave." And when, finally, she started typing, she realized what she'd been missing.

Because it's scary to take risks in your learning when you think the answer might be wrong. It's terrifying to put your ideas out there for others when you think your writing doesn't sound as sophisticated as that of your peers. But it feels so good when you realize you're not alone in your learning. This Empowered Learning thing forces students to take ownership of their learning but gives them the freedom to learn and grow from others. It's electric. 

I'll end with a few thoughts from my students this week in response to a quick (anonymous) reflection activity about collaboration when the practice and homework isn't graded:

I like this system a lot because I don’t have to feel alone when I don’t know an answer or like I don’t have anyone who can help me. You can really talk and “bounce” ideas off of each other. The answers in this system are supposed to be thoughtful, thorough and well written and your peers can really help with that. This way, I just have to try my best and then the outcome is just me learning what I need to do better. I feel that I’m able to almost take more risks in class and experiment with different ideas and explanations that I would have never done if I knew that it may impact my grade in a negative way.

 What if we were all this brave?

 

 

Truth be told

“Trust starts with truth and ends with truth.” –Santosh Kalwar

One October evening when I was a graduate student in English at Wayne State University, I sent my dad an email. I had attached what I thought was the final draft of my thesis. I trusted—and still do—my dad and valued his opinion beyond measure; after all, he’s been in the business for 40 years, over half of them as a professor of English.  So, when he sent the document back, and I saw how many comments and questions there were typed into the margins, I would be lying if I said it hadn’t stung. But, the thesis I ultimately submitted was stronger for it, as was I as a learner.

We had family therapy in AP Literature yesterday. Why? They got back their first assessment, their base-line writing assignment, and suddenly the trust I had asked them to put in me was tested.

When I introduced Empowered Learning in the first week of school, I promised the students I would always be truthful. But wow, that truth is sometimes hard to face.  Their egos were bruised--no question--but more than that, they were panicked. Many of them saw scores they’d never seen before. In the world of grade averaging, those scores would have meant there was no hope for an A, maybe even a B. The notion of using one set of rubrics that remain the same all year is new to most of them. They’ve heard me say that their grade will be based on their highest consistent score and that they will have ample opportunity to learn and improve and show me what they can do; but there was definitely a sense of distrust ... that I might turn my back, leave them to fend for themselves, or, heaven forbid, decide to average their scores after all. And there was fear about what their parents would say.

So, I did the only two things I could think of: I ran interference with a few parents to ease some of the panic, and I got on with class. We spent some time looking at strong sample papers and then students wrote and wrote and wrote, alone, in small groups, sharing constructive criticism, fueled by their desire to improve their skills in Criterion A. And I think they’re starting to get it. Every moment in class is a moment to practice, free of penalty. Every homework task is a risk-free opportunity to try their hand at writing differently, sometimes better, sometimes not. Every assessment they take is a chance to get feedback, reassess their strategy, and forge ahead.

It was hard to see my students in emotional distress. That’s not why any of us got into teaching. But at the end of the day, whether they like me or not, like Empowered Learning or not, I want to know that I told them the truth—at the beginning and at the end—and gave them endless chances to be brave in their learning. For me, Empowered Learning is how I can keep that promise.

And Here We Go...

Many times, when I am on the brink of a new beginning, I think of Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight, as he is walking toward his epic battle with Batman he says, "and here we go".  That is how I feel today as my students complete their first assessment in my class - the dreaded summer reading.

Much like Jen, I have gotten a lot of questions about whether or not this assessesment is graded, how many points is it worth, will this be on Zangle?  Through continued discussion and soothing words, I've tried to remind the kids about the purpose of standards based assessment, and asked that they trust me to help them through this new process.

To add to the anxiety students are already feeling, I've already experienced some gradebook issues because my kids' grades are showing up as Es, which has many of them concerned.

Regardless of the gradebook issue, and the fears some kids still have over SBA, I think students will be more willing to trust me and the new system once they see how it works.

So, here we go...

What am I doing here?

"What am I doing here?"

I ask myself that question a lot lately. Not because I'm second-guessing my career choice after 24 years, and not because I think there must be a better situation out there for me somewhere else.

It's because my learning, as a result of changing the focus of my classroom, instruction, and assessment processes has led me to be more reflective, more deliberate, more empathetic in my approach to the work I do and the people I work with.

And I see differently what's happening around me. I see two tides rising. One from the outside that has an unshakeable faith in the power of data to reveal the truth about teaching and learning. The business/science of education.

The other tide, the one I'm swimming with, is also rooted in an unshakeable faith. Faith in the humanity of learning, the power of relationships, the empowering nature of learning to learn, and the confidence and optimism that comes from being respected for our individual gifts. The art of learning.

So it's not "What am I doing here?" it's more "What am I doing here?"

And if I had to put one in front of the other I think I'd rather do good than well.

"The apparent ease with which children learn is their ruin. You fail to see that this very facility proves that they are not learning. Their shining, polished brain reflects, as in a mirror, the things you show them, but nothing sinks in. The child remembers the words and the ideas are reflected back; his hearers understand them, but to him they are meaningless."

Excerpt from Emile, Or On Education,  by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1762.

What My Students Are Saying...

As Mike wrote in his most recent blog entry "On the eve of week 2", this first week has highlighted for me how well we (myself included until a year ago) train our students in a traditional assessment model to see the grade and points as the goal of learning despite the fact that few of us went in to teaching with that as our philosophy. I am astounded by the number of times in the last week a student has asked, "So, will this count towards my grade?" But, as Mike did, I have tried to reassure my students that they will be okay... more than okay, I hope.

Two reflections to share, borrowing the words of these budding empowered learners themselves:

1. I had a student write on the bottom of her very first in-class essay, "You won't be able to tell from this test, but I did read the book. I tried my best, so I hope that is okay." My new mantra: your best is ALWAYS good enough!

2. Last year, I did some exit polling at the end of the year to see how students felt about Empowered Learning. The results were fantastic. But I realized that I hadn't asked them how they felt at the beginning, and I think that's really worth asking as well. So, I have. Here are some of my favorite responses from my students today:

• "I'm very excited about learning how to be a better writer."
• "I think your grading system is fair and cool. I like it a lot. I'm nervous about getting good grades."
• "I don't really understand it. Once I understand the grading system more, I will be more comfortable."
• "I think it's very fair. It's not something I'm used to, but I'll get the hang of it."
• "I like how it sounds, getting a grade on the end result. I might kind of dislike not being able to see the grade till the end but that's okay."
• "I'm worried about this grading system because I won't be able to constantly check my grade."
• "I think that it is probably a good system because it isn't averaged and if you keep improving you get a better grade."
• "I think it will be fun but it will be difficult to explain to my parents."

I have told my students two things in these past days: I promise to be fair and honest about your skills every step of the way, even when it is hard, and I know it will take time for you to trust that promise.

"Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others ... Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth." ~Katherine Mansfield, Journal entry, 14 October 1922

On the eve of Week 2...

So I feel like the first week of school went pretty well.

I was expecting there to be a lot more chaos and stress - and I'm sure there was somewhere for someone. So I count myself lucky that some of my apprehensions turned out to be just... some apprehensions.

I focused the first class meetings of the new year on the idea of Empowered Learning to the World History students at 9Camp and the Psych 1 and Intro to Philosophy students at MCamp.

The Freshmen seemed eager to take a run at this way of learning. But it's been my experience that the freshmen are pretty much eager and excited to be high school students. They're ready for just about anything different - and eager and excited to get on with it.

The Juniors and Seniors, on the other hand, were a divided lot.

There were more than a handful of students that seemed intrigued by the idea of grading that takes into account progress. They were curious and interested in an approach to the classroom that emphasizes active learning and some degree of freedom and choice.

But I also got a vibe ("Mr. Barry, are we actually going to learn any psychology this semester) that some upperclassmen were hoping for a more traditional, lecture-focused, daily-homework-for-points, what's-my-grade-right-at-this-very-second kind of experience. They struck me as apprehensive and perhaps a little disappointed by the divergence from their expectations and training.

I think they're going to be OK, and I told them so. I told them I believe that BHHS students are remarkably resilient and resourceful. And once they get the swing of the Humanities Assessment Criteria and how they're applied - and how we use them to encourage risk-taking and growth - that they'd find themselves surprised to find that learning is fun again. And that the content of the course will be stickier than it ever was in any other cram-it-in-for-the-test kind of class.

I believe it. My greatest challenge in the next couple of weeks will be helping them believe it too!

MB

"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."
Helen Keller 

Observations and Reflections on the First Day:

It's no secret among educators, either 100 years ago, or yesterday, that setting a positive tone with a new group of students from day one can make a huge impact on the path the classroom learning community takes for the rest of the year.  Incorporating the "Empowering Learning"model is not only a wonderful system to ensure that a postive and encouraging tone is set for students on the first day, but, by it's very own nature, reinforces postive fostering of the classroom room learning community by the students themselves for the duration of the course.  In my experience, I have always tried to build a community of trust and safety with the students in the first few weeks of school.  The problem of maintaining the community, however, throughout the duration of the course--especially with the increase in content expectations to cover and the limited time to cover them--has been something I have struggled with for years.  It is a struggle I have lost, not only because my attention is required elsewhere with content and skill-teaching, but I haven't fully allowed my students to take the lead and initiative in maintaining the community that is created.  It is their learning community, after-all--not mine.  A positive, encouraging, and supportive learning community of students at the beginning of the year, without continual reinforcement, often ends with disappointment by both the teacher and the students. Reflecting on my first day working with the "Empowering Learning Model," I have realized that the continual reinforcement of classroom norms, trust, support, and student-led initiative and responsibility for learning as a team--instead of just individually--might provide the answer of maintaining an effective learning community that survives past the first few weeks of school.  I am excited to see how this develops in my classes using this model.   More to follow! 

David Jenvey-- 

Peril vs. Triumph

"When there is no peril in the fight, there is no glory in the triumph" - Pierre Corneille

Firstly, I want to extend a huge thank you and all my gratitude to Jen, Mike, and Dave for allowing me to be part of this journey. I am so lucky to work with such an amazing group of supportive educators.

As these first two days have come and gone - I realized how nervous I was about rolling out standards based assessment to all my students. I was nervous they wouldn't understand the concept, or would run to their counselors asking to be switched to a different English teacher.

While I believe very strongly in standards based assessment, it has proven, at times, to be a rather scary endeavor.  However, I have already had some great feedback from students who are excited to begin this journey with me!

I am looking forward to "the fight" but am even more excited about the triumphs to come.

-MR

D minus 2...

D minus 4 (cont.)

"Here are three things we can say about the fact that we are all here now. One, the subject is World History. Two, I'm your teacher. And three, this is 9Camp - Room 10.

"Only one of these is true...

"Maybe not the first one. I know your schedule says World History. To earn a diploma you have to take World History. There will be world history questions on the MME and ACT.

"But this course is not really about world history. It's about you. It's about how you can learn to learn - confidently and independently. World history is the timber we'll use to learn how to make a ship. The Humanities Assessment Criteria are the tools and hardware that will help you construct the ship. When it's ready the ship will sail with you at the helm. And you'll be able to navigate not only the sea of world history but the entire ocean of the social sciences.

"I'm uncomfortable suggesting that the second proposition - 'I'm your teacher' - is true. I've always felt funny about calling myself a teacher - especially at the beginning of a course. It seems a bit presumptuous to consider oneself a teacher before knowing if anyone has learned anything. So for now I'll be your instructor, coach, cheerleader, devil's advocate, and fussy quality control inspector. If, at the end of the semester, it turns out you've learned something, and you feel like I had something to do with it, then I'll let you decide whether or not I'm a teacher.

"So I guess it must be the third thing that's true. Welcome to 9Camp - Room 10, Black Hawks. I'm Mike Barry and it's going to be an awesome year!"

"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught."Winston Churchill