Real Life Frameworks for English 12
This is the second post of this two part series. To re-frame: At the end of last year I requested the ability to work a bit with each grade (aside from juniors as American Lit is not my interest or forte). My current line is one class of 9 Honors, two classes of 10 honors, one class of 10 academic, and one class of 12 academic.
Due to the success of the "Classroom Office" which I ran with a colleague last year (and has been fully detailed in previous blogs), I decided to keep this framework for my one class of freshmen. However, I knew that I would have some students again a second time (whether in 10th or 12th grade) and wanted to make sure they were learning the English content within a new and fun experience.
I have never taught seniors before and was both nervous and excited for the challenge. I knew I had the make the class REAL in order to keep their attention. I wanted to teach this group because I feel too often it is easy to give up on the oldest students (since they no longer want to be in high school and are ready for the next chapter of their life). I wanted to make sure I was able to make one last impact and leave them with some solid life skills before the left to the real world. The framework I established was a focus on critical lenses through an introductory study of psychology. Here is how I set it up:
Students in all grade levels know that my classes are on a rotation of manners in which class begins. In any first class within a three class cycle, students begin class with a random quick write that we then discuss in a circle format. (Please refer to other blog entries regarding establishing classroom environment and rapport for specifics on how to make this work with high school students). Sharing these random quick writes is a great community building tool that allows students to get to know one another, build empathy, and hear how other students write. Also, because the topics themselves are random, students are able to write in a myriad ways. In any second class within a three class cycle, students will analyze a song (with lyrics provided on the Promethean board) and in every third class students will do the same with a poem. These full class analyses allow students to develop their critical thinking and synthesis skills over time by hearing other students' thought processes as well as hearing the lens from which students attack multiple forms of art across a wide period of time. This tool can further be used by teachers to gauge individual students "senses" (or the vibe they bring to class) - and can in turn use this information to better meet students psychologically where they are in a specified time.
Students receive formative assessment grades for participating in circle (which literally every single student does) and are graded summatively on six items per quarter: a formal song analysis, a formal poem analysis, a timed in-class essay on the class novel they read/discussed that month, and two group "psych projects" (in 12th grade). All of these projects are assigned with huge open-ended due dates. Students submit 3/6 of these assignments at the midpoint of a quarter and the other 3 at the end.
The seniors sit around the circle (really a square) of my room in seats of their choice. Students spend the second half of each class (after work on the quick write/song/poem) reading the quarter class text and engaging in psychology activities. Students weave these topics together and look at different characters and situations of their novel through the lens of diverse principles of psychology (thus reinforcing the English content knowledge while teaching life skills and giving students meaningful, yet low pressure oral presentation opportunities).
Students engage in a different focus (building their psych knowledge) each quarter. These are listed the way I have separated them below:
QUARTER 1: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Topics include: Basic Theory on Groups, Visual Perception, Dreams, Gestalts, Cognitive Psych, Theories of Intelligence, Left/Right Brain, Love, Emotion, Attribution Theory, Personality, Leadership, and basic experiments such as Rosenhan's, David Kolb's, and The Good Samaritan. They engage with these concepts while reading "The Kite Runner" by: Khaled Hosseini
QUARTER 2: DISCREPANCIES, DISORDERS, and THERAPY
Topics include: Mood disorders, Somatoform Disorder, False Consensus, Stress, Self-Discrepancy, Art Therapy, Hypnosis, Cognitive Dissonance, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Drive Reduction, Heuristics, Magic, Personality Disorders,. Dissociative Disorder, Anxiety, and Strangeness.
They engage with these concepts while reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by: Barbara Kingsolver
QUARTER 3: EARLY FIELD RESEARCH: 1849-1933
Topics include: Pavlov, Freud, Adler, Watson, Rorschach, Piaget, Lewin, Fromm, Horney, Vygotsky, Sullivan, and Murray. They engage with these concepts while reading "Hard Times" by: Charles Dickens
QUARTER 4: MODERN FIELD RESEARCH: 1934-PRESENT
Topics include: Skinner, Kohlberg, Milgram, Zimbardo, Asch, Harlow, Banduru, Rogers, Maslow, Ellis, Bowlby, and Jung. They engage with these concepts while reading "Things Fall Apart" by: Chinua Achebe
All activities involve students working together with the text and the topic in order to establish understanding of the real world through literary situations. These lessons culminate in group presentations that must last 15min per group and encompass the quarter psychology theme, a class text (novel/song/poem), and an interactive activity that engages the other students and pushes our thinking forward.
Having a framework in class (and I am sure you can see how the World Lit texts and mixture of modern songs and classic poetry marry the real life psychology themes) allows teachers to create excitement and tradition around the content within their class. Focusing on group collaboration rather than competition allows students to focus on the highest levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (and while being assessed in English content skills) can focus on the relevant elements of the discipline (critical reading, critical writing, and oral presenting - rather than focusing on individual skills taken out of authentic context).
As stated previously, my freshmen framework of "The Classroom Office" has been detailed in previous post. My next post will discuss the framework of my senior class and the post to follow will discuss using games in class to develop a positive environment and an early and strong rapport.
If you are attending NCTE17 and are interested in learning more. Please come see me and the incredible student leaders: #thebowtieboys during our D.18, F.14, and i20 sessions! Rock on! :-)
Due to the success of the "Classroom Office" which I ran with a colleague last year (and has been fully detailed in previous blogs), I decided to keep this framework for my one class of freshmen. However, I knew that I would have some students again a second time (whether in 10th or 12th grade) and wanted to make sure they were learning the English content within a new and fun experience.
I have never taught seniors before and was both nervous and excited for the challenge. I knew I had the make the class REAL in order to keep their attention. I wanted to teach this group because I feel too often it is easy to give up on the oldest students (since they no longer want to be in high school and are ready for the next chapter of their life). I wanted to make sure I was able to make one last impact and leave them with some solid life skills before the left to the real world. The framework I established was a focus on critical lenses through an introductory study of psychology. Here is how I set it up:
Students in all grade levels know that my classes are on a rotation of manners in which class begins. In any first class within a three class cycle, students begin class with a random quick write that we then discuss in a circle format. (Please refer to other blog entries regarding establishing classroom environment and rapport for specifics on how to make this work with high school students). Sharing these random quick writes is a great community building tool that allows students to get to know one another, build empathy, and hear how other students write. Also, because the topics themselves are random, students are able to write in a myriad ways. In any second class within a three class cycle, students will analyze a song (with lyrics provided on the Promethean board) and in every third class students will do the same with a poem. These full class analyses allow students to develop their critical thinking and synthesis skills over time by hearing other students' thought processes as well as hearing the lens from which students attack multiple forms of art across a wide period of time. This tool can further be used by teachers to gauge individual students "senses" (or the vibe they bring to class) - and can in turn use this information to better meet students psychologically where they are in a specified time.
Students receive formative assessment grades for participating in circle (which literally every single student does) and are graded summatively on six items per quarter: a formal song analysis, a formal poem analysis, a timed in-class essay on the class novel they read/discussed that month, and two group "psych projects" (in 12th grade). All of these projects are assigned with huge open-ended due dates. Students submit 3/6 of these assignments at the midpoint of a quarter and the other 3 at the end.
The seniors sit around the circle (really a square) of my room in seats of their choice. Students spend the second half of each class (after work on the quick write/song/poem) reading the quarter class text and engaging in psychology activities. Students weave these topics together and look at different characters and situations of their novel through the lens of diverse principles of psychology (thus reinforcing the English content knowledge while teaching life skills and giving students meaningful, yet low pressure oral presentation opportunities).
Students engage in a different focus (building their psych knowledge) each quarter. These are listed the way I have separated them below:
QUARTER 1: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Topics include: Basic Theory on Groups, Visual Perception, Dreams, Gestalts, Cognitive Psych, Theories of Intelligence, Left/Right Brain, Love, Emotion, Attribution Theory, Personality, Leadership, and basic experiments such as Rosenhan's, David Kolb's, and The Good Samaritan. They engage with these concepts while reading "The Kite Runner" by: Khaled Hosseini
QUARTER 2: DISCREPANCIES, DISORDERS, and THERAPY
Topics include: Mood disorders, Somatoform Disorder, False Consensus, Stress, Self-Discrepancy, Art Therapy, Hypnosis, Cognitive Dissonance, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Drive Reduction, Heuristics, Magic, Personality Disorders,. Dissociative Disorder, Anxiety, and Strangeness.
They engage with these concepts while reading "The Poisonwood Bible" by: Barbara Kingsolver
QUARTER 3: EARLY FIELD RESEARCH: 1849-1933
Topics include: Pavlov, Freud, Adler, Watson, Rorschach, Piaget, Lewin, Fromm, Horney, Vygotsky, Sullivan, and Murray. They engage with these concepts while reading "Hard Times" by: Charles Dickens
QUARTER 4: MODERN FIELD RESEARCH: 1934-PRESENT
Topics include: Skinner, Kohlberg, Milgram, Zimbardo, Asch, Harlow, Banduru, Rogers, Maslow, Ellis, Bowlby, and Jung. They engage with these concepts while reading "Things Fall Apart" by: Chinua Achebe
All activities involve students working together with the text and the topic in order to establish understanding of the real world through literary situations. These lessons culminate in group presentations that must last 15min per group and encompass the quarter psychology theme, a class text (novel/song/poem), and an interactive activity that engages the other students and pushes our thinking forward.
Having a framework in class (and I am sure you can see how the World Lit texts and mixture of modern songs and classic poetry marry the real life psychology themes) allows teachers to create excitement and tradition around the content within their class. Focusing on group collaboration rather than competition allows students to focus on the highest levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (and while being assessed in English content skills) can focus on the relevant elements of the discipline (critical reading, critical writing, and oral presenting - rather than focusing on individual skills taken out of authentic context).
As stated previously, my freshmen framework of "The Classroom Office" has been detailed in previous post. My next post will discuss the framework of my senior class and the post to follow will discuss using games in class to develop a positive environment and an early and strong rapport.
If you are attending NCTE17 and are interested in learning more. Please come see me and the incredible student leaders: #thebowtieboys during our D.18, F.14, and i20 sessions! Rock on! :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/
Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Monday, November 13, 2017
Real Life Frameworks for English 10
I have taken a break from the blogosphere for the summer in order to design a few new frameworks I am now running in my classes. At the end of last year I requested the ability to work a bit with each grade (aside from juniors as American Lit is not my interest or forte). My current line is one class of 9 Honors, two classes of 10 honors, one class of 10 academic, and one class of 12 academic.
Due to the success of the "Classroom Office" which I ran with a colleague last year (and has been fully detailed in previous blogs), I decided to keep this framework for my one class of freshmen. However, I knew that I would have some students again a second time (whether in 10th or 12th grade) and wanted to make sure they were learning the English content within a new and fun experience.
I have been working with the class of 2020 since they were in seventh grade and know the students of this year extremely well. In fact, six of them are sitting immediately to my right as I type during my planning period chilling with their friends on their phones and discussing basketball. Having had the ability to develop a relationship with these students and watch them grow over the years, I had the unique ability to pinpoint some real life skills to teach them. Being a class mostly comprised of "followers" (and I say that lovingly) I thought this class could benefit greatly from learning some real leadership skills and thus planned to run my three sophomore classes of British literature through the framework of a leadership summit. Here is how I set it up:
Students in all grade levels know that my classes are on a rotation of manners in which class begins. In any first class within a three class cycle, students begin class with a random quick write that we then discuss in a circle format. (Please refer to other blog entries regarding establishing classroom environment and rapport for specifics on how to make this work with high school students). Sharing these random quick writes is a great community building tool that allows students to get to know one another, build empathy, and hear how other students write. Also, because the topics themselves are random, students are able to write in a myriad ways. In any second class within a three class cycle, students will analyze a song (with lyrics provided on the Promethean board) and in every third class students will do the same with a poem. These full class analyses allow students to develop their critical thinking and synthesis skills over time by hearing other students' thought processes as well as hearing the lens from which students attack multiple forms of art across a wide period of time. This tool can further be used by teachers to gauge individual students "senses" (or the vibe they bring to class) - and can in turn use this information to better meet students psychologically where they are in a specified time.
Students receive formative assessment grades for participating in circle (which literally every single student does) and are graded summatively on six items per quarter: a formal song analysis, a formal poem analysis, a timed in-class essay on the class novel they read/discussed that month, and two group "leadership summit" projects. All of these projects are assigned with huge open-ended due dates. Students submit 3/6 of these assignments at the midpoint of a quarter and the other 3 at the end. For now I will focus on sophomores and then move in to my methodology with academic seniors in my next post.
The sophomores sit around the circle (really a square) of my room in their leadership groups (which they choose based on different criteria each quarter) one group inhabiting each side. Depending on class size, these groups are typically six members but can range from 5-7. Students spend the second half of each class (after work on the quick write/song/poem) working with group members to learn a new aspect of leadership and apply this knowledge back to our class texts (thus reinforcing the English content knowledge while teaching life skills and giving students meaningful, yet low pressure oral presentation opportunities).
Taken from James Kouzes and Barry Posner's "The Student Leadership Challenge" (2013) students engage in a different focus (building their leadership skills) each quarter. These are listed the way I have separated them below:
QUARTER 1: MODEL THE WAY (Leading by example)
SEPTEMBER: Learning to clarify the values of a group (Q1 groups decided by students' common core values). They engage with these concepts while reading "And Then There Were None" by: Agatha Christie
OCTOBER: Learning to set the example (how to speak passionately about your beliefs in front of others in order to inspire them). They engage with these concepts while reading "Frankenstein" by: Mary Shelley
QUARTER 2: INSPIRE A SHARED VISION (Having a common goal/purpose)
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER: Learning to envision the future (Q2 groups decided by students' common career aspirations). They engage with these concepts while reading "Animal Farm" by: George Orwell
JANUARY: Learning to enlist others that can help with the group's vision. They engage with these concepts while reading "Lord of the Flies" by: William Golding
QUARTER 3: CHALLENGE THE PROCESS (How to keep moving when pushback is felt)
FEBRUARY: Searching for opportunities to spread the word and to achieve goals (Q3 groups decided by students' Myers-Briggs results). They engage with these concepts while reading "Iliad" by: Homer
MARCH: Experimenting and risk taking in order achieve and innovate. They engage with these concepts while reading "Macbeth" by: Shakespeare
QUARTER 4: ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT (How to inspire others to join the cause and get traction/how to delegate)
APRIL: Fostering collaboration (how to get every member to do their part and do it well). They engage with these concepts while reading "The Canterbury Tales" by: Chaucer
MAY: Strengthening others (how to make others just a strong of leaders as yourself). They engage with these concepts while reading "Beowulf."
All activities involve students working together (whether talking, writing, drawing, etc.) in order to achieve their group's goals. These lessons culminate in group presentations that must last 15min per group and encompass the monthly leadership theme, a class text (novel/song/poem), and an interactive activity that engages the other students and pushes our thinking forward. In every quarter, concepts of recognizing contributions of group members and celebrating the victories of groups and individuals.
Having a framework in class (and I am sure you can see how the British Lit texts and mixture of modern songs and classic poetry marry the real life leadership themes) allows teachers to create excitement and tradition around the content within their class. Focusing on group collaboration rather than competition allows students to focus on the highest levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (and while being assessed in English content skills) can focus on the relevant elements of the discipline (critical reading, critical writing, and oral presenting - rather than focusing on individual skills taken out of authentic context).
As stated previously, my freshmen framework of "The Classroom Office" has been detailed in previous post. My next post will discuss the framework of my senior class and the post to follow will discuss using games in class to develop a positive environment and an early and strong rapport.
If you are attending NCTE17 and are interested in learning more. Please come see me and the incredible student leaders: #thebowtieboys during our D.18, F.14, and i20 sessions! Rock on! :-)
Due to the success of the "Classroom Office" which I ran with a colleague last year (and has been fully detailed in previous blogs), I decided to keep this framework for my one class of freshmen. However, I knew that I would have some students again a second time (whether in 10th or 12th grade) and wanted to make sure they were learning the English content within a new and fun experience.
I have been working with the class of 2020 since they were in seventh grade and know the students of this year extremely well. In fact, six of them are sitting immediately to my right as I type during my planning period chilling with their friends on their phones and discussing basketball. Having had the ability to develop a relationship with these students and watch them grow over the years, I had the unique ability to pinpoint some real life skills to teach them. Being a class mostly comprised of "followers" (and I say that lovingly) I thought this class could benefit greatly from learning some real leadership skills and thus planned to run my three sophomore classes of British literature through the framework of a leadership summit. Here is how I set it up:
Students in all grade levels know that my classes are on a rotation of manners in which class begins. In any first class within a three class cycle, students begin class with a random quick write that we then discuss in a circle format. (Please refer to other blog entries regarding establishing classroom environment and rapport for specifics on how to make this work with high school students). Sharing these random quick writes is a great community building tool that allows students to get to know one another, build empathy, and hear how other students write. Also, because the topics themselves are random, students are able to write in a myriad ways. In any second class within a three class cycle, students will analyze a song (with lyrics provided on the Promethean board) and in every third class students will do the same with a poem. These full class analyses allow students to develop their critical thinking and synthesis skills over time by hearing other students' thought processes as well as hearing the lens from which students attack multiple forms of art across a wide period of time. This tool can further be used by teachers to gauge individual students "senses" (or the vibe they bring to class) - and can in turn use this information to better meet students psychologically where they are in a specified time.
Students receive formative assessment grades for participating in circle (which literally every single student does) and are graded summatively on six items per quarter: a formal song analysis, a formal poem analysis, a timed in-class essay on the class novel they read/discussed that month, and two group "leadership summit" projects. All of these projects are assigned with huge open-ended due dates. Students submit 3/6 of these assignments at the midpoint of a quarter and the other 3 at the end. For now I will focus on sophomores and then move in to my methodology with academic seniors in my next post.
The sophomores sit around the circle (really a square) of my room in their leadership groups (which they choose based on different criteria each quarter) one group inhabiting each side. Depending on class size, these groups are typically six members but can range from 5-7. Students spend the second half of each class (after work on the quick write/song/poem) working with group members to learn a new aspect of leadership and apply this knowledge back to our class texts (thus reinforcing the English content knowledge while teaching life skills and giving students meaningful, yet low pressure oral presentation opportunities).
Taken from James Kouzes and Barry Posner's "The Student Leadership Challenge" (2013) students engage in a different focus (building their leadership skills) each quarter. These are listed the way I have separated them below:
QUARTER 1: MODEL THE WAY (Leading by example)
SEPTEMBER: Learning to clarify the values of a group (Q1 groups decided by students' common core values). They engage with these concepts while reading "And Then There Were None" by: Agatha Christie
OCTOBER: Learning to set the example (how to speak passionately about your beliefs in front of others in order to inspire them). They engage with these concepts while reading "Frankenstein" by: Mary Shelley
QUARTER 2: INSPIRE A SHARED VISION (Having a common goal/purpose)
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER: Learning to envision the future (Q2 groups decided by students' common career aspirations). They engage with these concepts while reading "Animal Farm" by: George Orwell
JANUARY: Learning to enlist others that can help with the group's vision. They engage with these concepts while reading "Lord of the Flies" by: William Golding
QUARTER 3: CHALLENGE THE PROCESS (How to keep moving when pushback is felt)
FEBRUARY: Searching for opportunities to spread the word and to achieve goals (Q3 groups decided by students' Myers-Briggs results). They engage with these concepts while reading "Iliad" by: Homer
MARCH: Experimenting and risk taking in order achieve and innovate. They engage with these concepts while reading "Macbeth" by: Shakespeare
QUARTER 4: ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT (How to inspire others to join the cause and get traction/how to delegate)
APRIL: Fostering collaboration (how to get every member to do their part and do it well). They engage with these concepts while reading "The Canterbury Tales" by: Chaucer
MAY: Strengthening others (how to make others just a strong of leaders as yourself). They engage with these concepts while reading "Beowulf."
All activities involve students working together (whether talking, writing, drawing, etc.) in order to achieve their group's goals. These lessons culminate in group presentations that must last 15min per group and encompass the monthly leadership theme, a class text (novel/song/poem), and an interactive activity that engages the other students and pushes our thinking forward. In every quarter, concepts of recognizing contributions of group members and celebrating the victories of groups and individuals.
Having a framework in class (and I am sure you can see how the British Lit texts and mixture of modern songs and classic poetry marry the real life leadership themes) allows teachers to create excitement and tradition around the content within their class. Focusing on group collaboration rather than competition allows students to focus on the highest levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (and while being assessed in English content skills) can focus on the relevant elements of the discipline (critical reading, critical writing, and oral presenting - rather than focusing on individual skills taken out of authentic context).
As stated previously, my freshmen framework of "The Classroom Office" has been detailed in previous post. My next post will discuss the framework of my senior class and the post to follow will discuss using games in class to develop a positive environment and an early and strong rapport.
If you are attending NCTE17 and are interested in learning more. Please come see me and the incredible student leaders: #thebowtieboys during our D.18, F.14, and i20 sessions! Rock on! :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/
Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 29, 2017
With only two weeks left...
I think I have found a major problem with school. This may be met with some resistance, but let's really think about this for just a second and be honest as we reflect about ourselves as teachers. Although we almost always have our students best interests in mind and we almost always come to school with engaging and meaningful lessons in tow, we too are human, and we make mistakes. We can fall pray to laziness, to mid-year burnout, to meetings and to paperwork. And we can sometimes use the excuse of "I am the adult and you are the kid" as the reason why we are not teaching at our 100% best effort.
The major problem though, stems from the fact that we actually believe that students can't see through our pathetic attempts. We think they don't notice when we watch movies every class, complete packet after packet, or only play "review games" and fill in the blanks on study guides. They notice. And the worst part is, they let us get away with it. And herein lies the even bigger problem. When given the option, students want to slack off too. They don't mind watching our movies, listening disengaged to our lectures, mindlessly filling in blanks, and pretending to have a BLAST playing Kahoot! because then they don't have to do anything. And there is a big difference between school fun and actual fun. The fact of the matter is, students will accept boredom in return for easy A's. We will forego real teaching in return for assignments easy to grade, and activities easy to plan.
The solution to this is: REAL LIFE CLASS.
This is a new concept I have been piloting over the last two years, and one I plan on making the primary focus of my twelfth grade English classes. The idea is, students enter our rooms every day with their own lives on their mind. Sometimes they are so incredibly far away from reading, and writing, and speaking mentally that they can barely stand to enter. We can all relate to this feeling. How easy is it to continue teaching after receiving a cryptic e-mail from an administrator stating "let's chat before the end of the day" or after we left the house in the morning on not-so-great terms with our spouses or children. In these situations, it is hard to stay focused, and nearly impossible to bring our "A-game." Kids are no different. Although we frequently attempt to belittle their personal dramas as "kid-stuff" - their recent breakup, or the dirty look a friend just gave, or their fight with their parents, or their outfit, or whatever is just as important to them at the time is our inability to pay our mortgage, or defaulting on a loan, or whatever serious adult stuff plagues our own minds. So... let's use this to our advantage.
With this concept, students are encouraged (not to name names or to bring any private matter to the public) to bring their "drama" into the classroom. We use this drama as the vehicle by which we teach the remainder of the class. Normally we begin with an open class discussion about the topic. Make sure the scene is properly set and we know with what we are dealing. This acts as an excellent warm up and gets the entire class talking - because who doesn't want to discuss real life? All of this is of course modeled at the beginning of the year using both the teacher's own dramas and the dramas of outgoing students who are comfortable at the onset of the year.
Once the initial discussion has taken place, the teacher gets to masterfully weave the English instruction around the topic. This is stressful in the sense that we will walk into every class without a set "plan" - but requires us to have a massive knowledge of our content area. We need to help a student understand the root of their current drama (the over-arching life theme, the motif, the conceit, the symbolism) and then we need to attach it to reading they will appreciate - reading that will help them. Meanwhile everyone is benefitting (as every day focuses on the drama of real teenage life) - everyone is learning how to share orally - everyone is collaborating - and everyone is learning how to respect each other and differing view points.
How many times have we heard students say they don't want to read what doesn't interest them and they DO want to read what does. This is the perfect way to find the perfect book for a kid. We just need to have done our homework. We need to know books - both modern and classic. We need to be voracious readers (which isn't typically a problem for English teachers). We need to be open to sharing ourselves with our students and to genuinely caring about their lives. Oh, look, we are simultaneously building strong rapport without overstepping any boundaries. As for writing instruction - so much self reflection and personal writing can come out of this. This is where we teach what poetry is REALLY about. This is where we teach memoir and creative nonfiction. This is where we teach the catharsis of fiction - and how fiction is written (even the most fantastical) to mimic real life. This is where we teach research - where we show students that they research all the time. They are constantly researching and learning what interests them. We will allow them to apply all of these interest and real life experiences to our assignments. Obviously this is also automatic differentiation and personalized learning, since every student will be reading and writing about their own lives while simultaneously improving in areas where they need to develop more skill.
The most frequently asked question is, what if nobody shares a drama of the day? Well, first of all, you don't only have to talk about the negative aspects of life - class can also be a celebration of the amazing, wonderful, positive aspects of teenage life. But, still - what if the class is just quiet one day. No one is upset, no one is jubilant, everyone is just chill. It is on these days that we can weave in some of our favorites that maybe we have missed in previous discussions. I like to have a hat with common life dramas from which students can choose the topic of the day. Or, like I said, we can just announce in these situations that today we will be examining The Kite Runner (let's say) through the feminist lens and will be analyzing (blank) to learn about (blank) life lesson.
Other skeptics fear that we will never be able to complete the entire curriculum using this style of teaching. I am guaranteeing that this is not true. The trick is always consistency and building environment and tradition. Too many teachers get bored of something too easily, or quickly change delivery styles if they think the students aren't connecting within a few days. Anything takes time to fully develop - especially something that fully changes the norms of a preset construct. In every single type of my "alternative delivery styles" I actually got the students through MORE curriculum at a deeper level than when I taught from the front of the room. Curriculum Menu allowed students to hit every single state standard at their own pace and develop until they had attained mastery, The Classroom Office allowed students to work collaboratively on the curriculum both in and out of the classroom while utilizing real world technologies, and now R.L.C. allows the students to make meaningful, real life connections with each part of the curriculum - not only "hitting" every component, but establishing meaningful bridges at each level.
Regardless of how we are delivering instruction, we have to know that our students are watching. They are paying attention. They DO know what is going on (no matter how mysteriously adulty we seem to be). And they will allow us to slack if we let them. They will accept the boredom for the easy grades just as we will accept the easy activity and scantron exam for less planning (even though we know better). Think about what your students need. Think about what you need as a teacher. And then use this summer to conduct some serious brainstorming and research. This is the year to make your classroom exactly what you have always wanted it to be. I know that I cannot wait! :-)
Brian Van Dyke @brian_van9 http://brianvandykebtb.blogspot.com/
I think I have found a major problem with school. This may be met with some resistance, but let's really think about this for just a second and be honest as we reflect about ourselves as teachers. Although we almost always have our students best interests in mind and we almost always come to school with engaging and meaningful lessons in tow, we too are human, and we make mistakes. We can fall pray to laziness, to mid-year burnout, to meetings and to paperwork. And we can sometimes use the excuse of "I am the adult and you are the kid" as the reason why we are not teaching at our 100% best effort.
The major problem though, stems from the fact that we actually believe that students can't see through our pathetic attempts. We think they don't notice when we watch movies every class, complete packet after packet, or only play "review games" and fill in the blanks on study guides. They notice. And the worst part is, they let us get away with it. And herein lies the even bigger problem. When given the option, students want to slack off too. They don't mind watching our movies, listening disengaged to our lectures, mindlessly filling in blanks, and pretending to have a BLAST playing Kahoot! because then they don't have to do anything. And there is a big difference between school fun and actual fun. The fact of the matter is, students will accept boredom in return for easy A's. We will forego real teaching in return for assignments easy to grade, and activities easy to plan.
The solution to this is: REAL LIFE CLASS.
This is a new concept I have been piloting over the last two years, and one I plan on making the primary focus of my twelfth grade English classes. The idea is, students enter our rooms every day with their own lives on their mind. Sometimes they are so incredibly far away from reading, and writing, and speaking mentally that they can barely stand to enter. We can all relate to this feeling. How easy is it to continue teaching after receiving a cryptic e-mail from an administrator stating "let's chat before the end of the day" or after we left the house in the morning on not-so-great terms with our spouses or children. In these situations, it is hard to stay focused, and nearly impossible to bring our "A-game." Kids are no different. Although we frequently attempt to belittle their personal dramas as "kid-stuff" - their recent breakup, or the dirty look a friend just gave, or their fight with their parents, or their outfit, or whatever is just as important to them at the time is our inability to pay our mortgage, or defaulting on a loan, or whatever serious adult stuff plagues our own minds. So... let's use this to our advantage.
With this concept, students are encouraged (not to name names or to bring any private matter to the public) to bring their "drama" into the classroom. We use this drama as the vehicle by which we teach the remainder of the class. Normally we begin with an open class discussion about the topic. Make sure the scene is properly set and we know with what we are dealing. This acts as an excellent warm up and gets the entire class talking - because who doesn't want to discuss real life? All of this is of course modeled at the beginning of the year using both the teacher's own dramas and the dramas of outgoing students who are comfortable at the onset of the year.
Once the initial discussion has taken place, the teacher gets to masterfully weave the English instruction around the topic. This is stressful in the sense that we will walk into every class without a set "plan" - but requires us to have a massive knowledge of our content area. We need to help a student understand the root of their current drama (the over-arching life theme, the motif, the conceit, the symbolism) and then we need to attach it to reading they will appreciate - reading that will help them. Meanwhile everyone is benefitting (as every day focuses on the drama of real teenage life) - everyone is learning how to share orally - everyone is collaborating - and everyone is learning how to respect each other and differing view points.
How many times have we heard students say they don't want to read what doesn't interest them and they DO want to read what does. This is the perfect way to find the perfect book for a kid. We just need to have done our homework. We need to know books - both modern and classic. We need to be voracious readers (which isn't typically a problem for English teachers). We need to be open to sharing ourselves with our students and to genuinely caring about their lives. Oh, look, we are simultaneously building strong rapport without overstepping any boundaries. As for writing instruction - so much self reflection and personal writing can come out of this. This is where we teach what poetry is REALLY about. This is where we teach memoir and creative nonfiction. This is where we teach the catharsis of fiction - and how fiction is written (even the most fantastical) to mimic real life. This is where we teach research - where we show students that they research all the time. They are constantly researching and learning what interests them. We will allow them to apply all of these interest and real life experiences to our assignments. Obviously this is also automatic differentiation and personalized learning, since every student will be reading and writing about their own lives while simultaneously improving in areas where they need to develop more skill.
The most frequently asked question is, what if nobody shares a drama of the day? Well, first of all, you don't only have to talk about the negative aspects of life - class can also be a celebration of the amazing, wonderful, positive aspects of teenage life. But, still - what if the class is just quiet one day. No one is upset, no one is jubilant, everyone is just chill. It is on these days that we can weave in some of our favorites that maybe we have missed in previous discussions. I like to have a hat with common life dramas from which students can choose the topic of the day. Or, like I said, we can just announce in these situations that today we will be examining The Kite Runner (let's say) through the feminist lens and will be analyzing (blank) to learn about (blank) life lesson.
Other skeptics fear that we will never be able to complete the entire curriculum using this style of teaching. I am guaranteeing that this is not true. The trick is always consistency and building environment and tradition. Too many teachers get bored of something too easily, or quickly change delivery styles if they think the students aren't connecting within a few days. Anything takes time to fully develop - especially something that fully changes the norms of a preset construct. In every single type of my "alternative delivery styles" I actually got the students through MORE curriculum at a deeper level than when I taught from the front of the room. Curriculum Menu allowed students to hit every single state standard at their own pace and develop until they had attained mastery, The Classroom Office allowed students to work collaboratively on the curriculum both in and out of the classroom while utilizing real world technologies, and now R.L.C. allows the students to make meaningful, real life connections with each part of the curriculum - not only "hitting" every component, but establishing meaningful bridges at each level.
Regardless of how we are delivering instruction, we have to know that our students are watching. They are paying attention. They DO know what is going on (no matter how mysteriously adulty we seem to be). And they will allow us to slack if we let them. They will accept the boredom for the easy grades just as we will accept the easy activity and scantron exam for less planning (even though we know better). Think about what your students need. Think about what you need as a teacher. And then use this summer to conduct some serious brainstorming and research. This is the year to make your classroom exactly what you have always wanted it to be. I know that I cannot wait! :-)
---
If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com
Bentley Chen @benjustchen18 http://bentleychenbtb.blogspot.com
Bentley Chen @benjustchen18 http://bentleychenbtb.blogspot.com
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/
Nihar Kandarpa @NKandarpa http://niharkandarpa,blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Nihar Kandarpa @NKandarpa http://niharkandarpa,blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/
Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Brian Van Dyke @brian_van9 http://brianvandykebtb.blogspot.com/
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Student Feedback (Round 2) - The Negatives
This segment continues our several rounds through the student feedback I have compiled over the course of the year. The focus will be the elements of English/LA instruction that are not resonating with students (at least the diverse group of middle and high school students with whom I have had the pleasure of conversing). Once again, none of this is earth-shattering or ground-breaking, but not all change needs to be. If we can focus on fixing the "small stuff" we can make big impacts in our classrooms and for our kids. Please join me on this succinct list of areas in which we can improve to make our classes more engaging.
1. Memorization to regurgitate. Learning to quiz:
It's been discussed over and over and over again. We have beaten this dead horse so hard, and yet, this style of teaching remains the cornerstone of so many educators. We are plagued by the idea that we have THIS MUCH MATERIAL to cover in THIS MUCH TIME and so we pace it and pack it and plug on and on and on without much thought to real learning or retention. If WE can get through everything (despite snow days, assemblies, standardized testing, and whatever other interruptions can potentially surface) we have done our job. But our "job" of course is really to meet students where they are and take them somewhere further using the curriculum as a vehicle (not the end game).
The simple reality is that preparing lecture notes and quizzing students is the easiest way to deliver material to students and check our boxes of fulfilling our requirements. But we also know it is NOT the way that the majority of our students learn. But once again, it is easy. It takes almost zero effort on our part to get up in front of kids (who we also know are not experts in our subject) and deliver our comments on writing and literature. We don't need materials, stations, students to bring anything (not even their minds), and there is nothing for us to grade until the quizzes or tests that we can likely spit through a Scantron machine.
And what happens? The best students will dutifully memorize our material, regurgitate it on a test and promptly forget the material (which has been given no context or relevance to their lives) to make room for the next onslaught of pointless material. And this is what we pass off as education.
INSTEAD: This same class can be made infinitely more interactive with class discussions and circles. These all rely on routine and regulations in order to remain effective. But this simple fix can change monotonous lecture ,into a stage where students can share their voice. Regardless of the texts we are teaching, let's have students explore their critical thinking alongside of us. This still requires very little prep time - just knowing our subject (like we do), establishing the environment where all student voices are equal, expected, and valued, and allowing the students to take control with us guiding on the side. Now students are engaged and learning real critical thinking skills that will actually help them in their real lives. And no Socratic seminars where grades are based on how often someone talks. Allow our whole class (at least in portions across the year) to be an ongoing seminar. But how do we grade? I imagine it won't take long to figure out who always participates and who is shyer. This will allow us to differentiate by improving some students analysis skills, while we develop others' oral speaking skills - both real life standards of our discipline.
2. Teach what students will use in their real life and grade based on skills
More and more we are hearing the question from our students: "when will I ever need to know this?" And it is high-time we learn how to answer this extremely relevant question. And the passe response of "it will expand your mind" is no longer working. Maybe the real answer is we need to let go of some of our favorite things to teach (that may not speak to this generation) and focus on empowering them and equipping them with the traits of people we will eventually want to work with (and take care of us and our world). The English/LA classroom should have ALWAYS been a classroom based on the acquisition of skills - not vocabulary quizzes and tests on obscure literature references. Students need to know how to READ (and not just literally but figuratively), WRITE (in a manner that clearly expresses their ideas to an authentic audience), and SPEAK in front of people (both large audiences and small) - not shoving our oral presentation units to the back-burner and suggesting "presenting is too hard for kids - after all some are shy." NO. Everyone should be scaffolded in to sharing their thoughts - what bigger life skill can be taught? Begin during class circles, bump to small group presentations, to half class, to full class, and eventually to high stakes (like maybe on stage in the auditorium, under the lights, from behind a podium, with a microphone). Oh wait, that sounds too scary, we probably shouldn't even try...
BUILD THE ABOVE IN EVERY DAY: We must ask ourselves every day. Is this genuinely making students better at the skills of READING, WRITING, and SPEAKING. I have heard of reader's workshop, I have heard of writer's workshop, but I haven't heard of speaker's workshop. Let's make these fluid. Let's show kids how these are linked. Let's teach them to read so they can be critical and informed. To do so they must know how, but they must have space to read and to discuss. They need to read what they want and they need to have people interested in their thoughts in order to have meaningful conversations. Based on what inspires them, these students need to write. Whether in response, or pastiche (in the style of), or just because they are inspired. And once again, they need to have people who care about them as a writer and want to actively engage in helping them to improve their craft. This is all about the environment we are creating as teachers. And after all of this speaking and real-world interaction, I bet these students would be less and less frightened of speaking at length about their reading and writing in front of small groups, and then medium groups, and then large groups. And guess what, since everyone loves each other anyway, kids can be gently critiquing each other's presentations - all modeled of course by an adept and masterful teacher.
3. Lose the Cookie-Cutter Rubrics and Busy Work:
Please allow me to summarize every rubric ever created ever: You receive a 4 if you ALWAYS use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 3 if you OFTEN use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 2 if you SOMETIMES use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 1 if you RARELY use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. And, of course, you receive a 0 if you NEVER use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. Did you actually just read all of that? No, your students neither. This was the format of almost every rubric I have ever seen - in an age of standardization, who can be surprised? But let's not fall into this trap. Equally troublesome are the rubrics that follow the same idea... but with language rather than numbers. You are SUPERIOR, or EXCELLENT, or GOOD, or FAIR, or POOR if you... or you are PROFICIENT, SATISFACTORY, DEVELOPING, NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, or UNSATISFACTORY if you... wait a minute... this is starting to sound a lot like teacher evaluations too. Let's cut the crap (even if it makes the assignments longer and harder for us to grade) and assess students on just a few items at a time. Hopefully, these are items that workshop diagnostics (not tests) have shown us as the teacher is an area in which our class (or individual students) is/are weak. There is no such thing as being a bad worksheet filler outter. There is no such thing as being a bad movie watching note taker. There is no such thing as being a bad packet completer. So since these are not real life skills, let's omit these entirely from our classrooms and focus on the real. Our students (at all levels) are stressed. They have two many classes and too much work (because all of us as teacher think our class is - or at least should be - the most important thing in a student's life).
INSTEAD: Let's conduct workshops like explained above where teachers use evidence from previous workshops to determine the day's agenda. Make time for mini-lessons - hopefully they are interactive and engaging. Make plenty of time for students to DO (this way they won't have homework). Encourage them to talk with each other while they DO. Give them reading circles with people of similar interests, then switch it up. Do the same with their writing groups. Instruct them in a classroom that allows and encourages a very high expectation and organized form of chaos - like a typical office place. Because how can we even put a rubric on a class like this. "Well, Johnny, today you only SOMETIMES read your book, wrote in your notebook, and spoke to your group. I am concerned because last week you were ALWAYS reading, writing, and speaking (which was so much better than two weeks ago when you were RARELY reading, writing, and speaking)." Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Yes, I think so too. But let's definitely have meaningful relationships with students. Let's always be circulating, answering questions, posing new ones, conferencing, encouraging, scaffolding, and pushing. If we're going to watch a movie, let's really analyze and dissect. Let's rip it a part and find all the deeply human elements that resonate with an audience. And let's do it together.
In the end, the more we are engaged, the more they will be too. Let's love our subject, yes, but let's love our kids even more. Truly loving them is not giving them the free A, is not allowing them to play on their phones for half the class - but it certainly also isn't giving them endless assignments because we teach a "rigorous course filled with WORK." Let's get them up and moving, working together, and acquiring skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. In doing so, we will still be able to slip in all of our favorites: "Catcher in the Rye," "Lord of the Flies," "The Great Gatsby," and Shakespeare. How could we not? Classics are classic for a reason. They are timeless. And if we teach them, students will learn. But let's be open to learning a thing or two from them as well. I truly believe that making these small changes could truly revolutionize our English/LA classrooms. :-)
This segment continues our several rounds through the student feedback I have compiled over the course of the year. The focus will be the elements of English/LA instruction that are not resonating with students (at least the diverse group of middle and high school students with whom I have had the pleasure of conversing). Once again, none of this is earth-shattering or ground-breaking, but not all change needs to be. If we can focus on fixing the "small stuff" we can make big impacts in our classrooms and for our kids. Please join me on this succinct list of areas in which we can improve to make our classes more engaging.
1. Memorization to regurgitate. Learning to quiz:
It's been discussed over and over and over again. We have beaten this dead horse so hard, and yet, this style of teaching remains the cornerstone of so many educators. We are plagued by the idea that we have THIS MUCH MATERIAL to cover in THIS MUCH TIME and so we pace it and pack it and plug on and on and on without much thought to real learning or retention. If WE can get through everything (despite snow days, assemblies, standardized testing, and whatever other interruptions can potentially surface) we have done our job. But our "job" of course is really to meet students where they are and take them somewhere further using the curriculum as a vehicle (not the end game).
The simple reality is that preparing lecture notes and quizzing students is the easiest way to deliver material to students and check our boxes of fulfilling our requirements. But we also know it is NOT the way that the majority of our students learn. But once again, it is easy. It takes almost zero effort on our part to get up in front of kids (who we also know are not experts in our subject) and deliver our comments on writing and literature. We don't need materials, stations, students to bring anything (not even their minds), and there is nothing for us to grade until the quizzes or tests that we can likely spit through a Scantron machine.
And what happens? The best students will dutifully memorize our material, regurgitate it on a test and promptly forget the material (which has been given no context or relevance to their lives) to make room for the next onslaught of pointless material. And this is what we pass off as education.
INSTEAD: This same class can be made infinitely more interactive with class discussions and circles. These all rely on routine and regulations in order to remain effective. But this simple fix can change monotonous lecture ,into a stage where students can share their voice. Regardless of the texts we are teaching, let's have students explore their critical thinking alongside of us. This still requires very little prep time - just knowing our subject (like we do), establishing the environment where all student voices are equal, expected, and valued, and allowing the students to take control with us guiding on the side. Now students are engaged and learning real critical thinking skills that will actually help them in their real lives. And no Socratic seminars where grades are based on how often someone talks. Allow our whole class (at least in portions across the year) to be an ongoing seminar. But how do we grade? I imagine it won't take long to figure out who always participates and who is shyer. This will allow us to differentiate by improving some students analysis skills, while we develop others' oral speaking skills - both real life standards of our discipline.
2. Teach what students will use in their real life and grade based on skills
More and more we are hearing the question from our students: "when will I ever need to know this?" And it is high-time we learn how to answer this extremely relevant question. And the passe response of "it will expand your mind" is no longer working. Maybe the real answer is we need to let go of some of our favorite things to teach (that may not speak to this generation) and focus on empowering them and equipping them with the traits of people we will eventually want to work with (and take care of us and our world). The English/LA classroom should have ALWAYS been a classroom based on the acquisition of skills - not vocabulary quizzes and tests on obscure literature references. Students need to know how to READ (and not just literally but figuratively), WRITE (in a manner that clearly expresses their ideas to an authentic audience), and SPEAK in front of people (both large audiences and small) - not shoving our oral presentation units to the back-burner and suggesting "presenting is too hard for kids - after all some are shy." NO. Everyone should be scaffolded in to sharing their thoughts - what bigger life skill can be taught? Begin during class circles, bump to small group presentations, to half class, to full class, and eventually to high stakes (like maybe on stage in the auditorium, under the lights, from behind a podium, with a microphone). Oh wait, that sounds too scary, we probably shouldn't even try...
BUILD THE ABOVE IN EVERY DAY: We must ask ourselves every day. Is this genuinely making students better at the skills of READING, WRITING, and SPEAKING. I have heard of reader's workshop, I have heard of writer's workshop, but I haven't heard of speaker's workshop. Let's make these fluid. Let's show kids how these are linked. Let's teach them to read so they can be critical and informed. To do so they must know how, but they must have space to read and to discuss. They need to read what they want and they need to have people interested in their thoughts in order to have meaningful conversations. Based on what inspires them, these students need to write. Whether in response, or pastiche (in the style of), or just because they are inspired. And once again, they need to have people who care about them as a writer and want to actively engage in helping them to improve their craft. This is all about the environment we are creating as teachers. And after all of this speaking and real-world interaction, I bet these students would be less and less frightened of speaking at length about their reading and writing in front of small groups, and then medium groups, and then large groups. And guess what, since everyone loves each other anyway, kids can be gently critiquing each other's presentations - all modeled of course by an adept and masterful teacher.
3. Lose the Cookie-Cutter Rubrics and Busy Work:
Please allow me to summarize every rubric ever created ever: You receive a 4 if you ALWAYS use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 3 if you OFTEN use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 2 if you SOMETIMES use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. You receive a 1 if you RARELY use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. And, of course, you receive a 0 if you NEVER use figurative language, write in grammatically correct sentences, cover the expected content, and cite your sources. Did you actually just read all of that? No, your students neither. This was the format of almost every rubric I have ever seen - in an age of standardization, who can be surprised? But let's not fall into this trap. Equally troublesome are the rubrics that follow the same idea... but with language rather than numbers. You are SUPERIOR, or EXCELLENT, or GOOD, or FAIR, or POOR if you... or you are PROFICIENT, SATISFACTORY, DEVELOPING, NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, or UNSATISFACTORY if you... wait a minute... this is starting to sound a lot like teacher evaluations too. Let's cut the crap (even if it makes the assignments longer and harder for us to grade) and assess students on just a few items at a time. Hopefully, these are items that workshop diagnostics (not tests) have shown us as the teacher is an area in which our class (or individual students) is/are weak. There is no such thing as being a bad worksheet filler outter. There is no such thing as being a bad movie watching note taker. There is no such thing as being a bad packet completer. So since these are not real life skills, let's omit these entirely from our classrooms and focus on the real. Our students (at all levels) are stressed. They have two many classes and too much work (because all of us as teacher think our class is - or at least should be - the most important thing in a student's life).
INSTEAD: Let's conduct workshops like explained above where teachers use evidence from previous workshops to determine the day's agenda. Make time for mini-lessons - hopefully they are interactive and engaging. Make plenty of time for students to DO (this way they won't have homework). Encourage them to talk with each other while they DO. Give them reading circles with people of similar interests, then switch it up. Do the same with their writing groups. Instruct them in a classroom that allows and encourages a very high expectation and organized form of chaos - like a typical office place. Because how can we even put a rubric on a class like this. "Well, Johnny, today you only SOMETIMES read your book, wrote in your notebook, and spoke to your group. I am concerned because last week you were ALWAYS reading, writing, and speaking (which was so much better than two weeks ago when you were RARELY reading, writing, and speaking)." Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Yes, I think so too. But let's definitely have meaningful relationships with students. Let's always be circulating, answering questions, posing new ones, conferencing, encouraging, scaffolding, and pushing. If we're going to watch a movie, let's really analyze and dissect. Let's rip it a part and find all the deeply human elements that resonate with an audience. And let's do it together.
In the end, the more we are engaged, the more they will be too. Let's love our subject, yes, but let's love our kids even more. Truly loving them is not giving them the free A, is not allowing them to play on their phones for half the class - but it certainly also isn't giving them endless assignments because we teach a "rigorous course filled with WORK." Let's get them up and moving, working together, and acquiring skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. In doing so, we will still be able to slip in all of our favorites: "Catcher in the Rye," "Lord of the Flies," "The Great Gatsby," and Shakespeare. How could we not? Classics are classic for a reason. They are timeless. And if we teach them, students will learn. But let's be open to learning a thing or two from them as well. I truly believe that making these small changes could truly revolutionize our English/LA classrooms. :-)
---
If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com
Bentley Chen @benjustchen18 http://bentleychenbtb.blogspot.com
Bentley Chen @benjustchen18 http://bentleychenbtb.blogspot.com
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/
Nihar Kandarpa @NKandarpa http://niharkandarpa,blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Nihar Kandarpa @NKandarpa http://niharkandarpa,blogspot.com/
Jack Michael @jackmichael776 http://bowtieboyjack.blogspot.com/
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/
Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/Christian Sporre @CSporre http://christiansporrebtb.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Student Feedback (Round 1) - READING & WRITING
After finishing the middle school spring musical, getting my travel paintball team organized, and helping my brother with his engagement over spring break, it was finally time to meet back up with students and get a pulse as to what was happening and how they were feeling in general about English classes. Recharged from break, they were ready and willing to give their feedback (even more cavalier than before - I always love how students come back from spring break AS the next grade. Meaning, if they are in my freshmen English class, they return from spring break as fully blown sophomores. I love it). Anyway, my upcoming weekly blogs will be the presentation of these ideas, directly from the mouths of a diverse assortment of freshmen and sophomore students.
1. It's spring, turn the lights on!
No more talk about snow from this bunch (and after a very mild winter for us, I thought their whining about this topic would never end). Freshly back from their Caribbean or Hawaiian or Floridian vacations, these students are just thinking about the beach. They want their classroom to reflect this newly remembered inspiration, so for someone like me who ALWAYS teaches with the lights off, this was a surprise. I am blessed with three large windows, so we always go the natural sunlight route. When challenged about this, they simply said: "give us all the light." They want sunlight, overhead light, my funky lamps' light, all of it. Maybe they think it will give them a nice base tan before June. :)
2. More time to read - SSR!
This will probably be wildly unpopular with a lot of my English teacher colleagues, but I have to admit that I have always found SSR to be a bit of a waste of instructional time. To me, students need to be up and doing. Don't get me wrong, we read every class (whether short stories, poems, song lyrics), but students don't just sit with novels and read for thirty straight minutes. It's too passive. And I know, ACTIVE reading is a thing, but not being a huge reader myself, I have never structured my class in this way. Yes, you heard correctly, I am an English teacher who doesn't LOVE reading. I just LIKE it. It's fine. Well, regardless, these students want more time to dive into their books. Freshmen year in my county is "survey" which means we read a little bit of everything and I always save the tougher lit circles for the end of the year when the students are better prepared. With students reading The Odyssey, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Of Mice & Men, I can understand why they want more time. We just acted out Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth as a class (and they really enjoyed that) so it all makes sense. With spring sports and just "the spring" in general stressing everyone out, less homework reading probably isn't a bad thing either.
3. More discussion time and less in-class office work:
We always discuss the books we read - in fact we do them in full class, and smaller group circles. I believe I detailed the logistics of these in a previous blog post, but the long story short is: we have a talking piece and that piece moves either sequentially or non-sequentially depending on the style of question. This allows every student to share their opinion and builds an excellent classroom community. Typically our class involves a mini-lesson, a quick write/poem/song analysis (that we have in circle format), and "office time" for the students to work with their departments on their weekly "company expectations." See more at: misteramistera.weebly.com But recently, students have been wanting to spend that final third of class reading/discussing the reading with their office groups and saving their other expectations as homework. Naturally, I am totally fine with them pacing and organizing their own work - this was just definitely a switch from what they wanted earlier in the year. Once again, my guess is that they have gotten the "hang" of office work and they want to dedicate more time to the more difficult texts. I suppose this experience showed me that students change their needs over the course of the year and we must give them the space to allow them to do so. I could never read in a classroom as a student (I need my bed) - so as a teacher I tend to make reading homework. But I am not my students and need to support what best addresses their needs.
4. Face to Face Writing Conferences
One of the "coolest" things about my class is that students know they can get help WHENEVER they need. I am availble via e-mail basically from 8am-10pm on any given day. Students definitely take advantage of this offer and frequently e-mail their song or poem analyses, their pieces for their writing portfolio, or ideas they have for other stories and essays. Through this method, I have been able to meet with more students on a more meaningful level about their writing than I have ever been able to do in the past. I have been utilizing these e-mail conferences with students for the past four years of my teaching career and have really liked how much I have been able to see and record how much they grow over the course of a year. However, since I began this method, this year was the first time I have had students openly admit that they would like face-to-face conferences in conjunction with e-mail. In the past, students know that they can come in during their lunch block to eat and discuss writing, but as you can imagine, this isn't wildly popular (since lunch is the only time in the day during which high schoolers can properly socialize). So, students have requested more instructional time be dedicated to in person conferences. I have decided that I can meet with students to discuss their writing while others are silent reading, discussing, or working on their office work. I was curious as to why they wanted this and several said they don't feel connected with a teacher through e-mail. They agree that it is fast and effective, but they felt like they were lacking that rapport element that we spend so much of our class time developing. This is a viewpoint I would never have considered. I assumed students wanted the quickest and easiest way to complete their work, and although they are at times in search of this efficiency, they are also just as much looking to us to be people in their lives and to interact with them as such. Not just socially, but academically.
I have to admit myself excited to see how these student changes go. To me, fourth quarter is also the perfect time to implement changes. It keeps class fresh (especially at a time when school is stale for so many students (and teachers)), allows me to gain feedback from a specific group, employ their ideas, and see what works and doesn't work (thus allowing me to reflect over the summer and come back the following year even better prepared), and by quarter four, our students are hopefully prepared to leave our class in a few weeks. This means they have learned the majority of what we have set out to teach them and we can treat them more as equals than as students. You can have more advanced discussions, read harder texts, write with more mature tones and styles, and present in front of one another completely comfortably. As I stated in my post entitled "Seasons" - quarter four is also fun for all of the traditions. Everything is coming to an end in quarter four and we can really choose to harness this emotion and properly pace instruction to have the most impact on the students. My wish is that these student-created improvements, mixed with my time-honored fourth quarter traditions will create the most inspirational, effective, and enjoyable end of the year to date! :-)
After finishing the middle school spring musical, getting my travel paintball team organized, and helping my brother with his engagement over spring break, it was finally time to meet back up with students and get a pulse as to what was happening and how they were feeling in general about English classes. Recharged from break, they were ready and willing to give their feedback (even more cavalier than before - I always love how students come back from spring break AS the next grade. Meaning, if they are in my freshmen English class, they return from spring break as fully blown sophomores. I love it). Anyway, my upcoming weekly blogs will be the presentation of these ideas, directly from the mouths of a diverse assortment of freshmen and sophomore students.
1. It's spring, turn the lights on!
No more talk about snow from this bunch (and after a very mild winter for us, I thought their whining about this topic would never end). Freshly back from their Caribbean or Hawaiian or Floridian vacations, these students are just thinking about the beach. They want their classroom to reflect this newly remembered inspiration, so for someone like me who ALWAYS teaches with the lights off, this was a surprise. I am blessed with three large windows, so we always go the natural sunlight route. When challenged about this, they simply said: "give us all the light." They want sunlight, overhead light, my funky lamps' light, all of it. Maybe they think it will give them a nice base tan before June. :)
2. More time to read - SSR!
This will probably be wildly unpopular with a lot of my English teacher colleagues, but I have to admit that I have always found SSR to be a bit of a waste of instructional time. To me, students need to be up and doing. Don't get me wrong, we read every class (whether short stories, poems, song lyrics), but students don't just sit with novels and read for thirty straight minutes. It's too passive. And I know, ACTIVE reading is a thing, but not being a huge reader myself, I have never structured my class in this way. Yes, you heard correctly, I am an English teacher who doesn't LOVE reading. I just LIKE it. It's fine. Well, regardless, these students want more time to dive into their books. Freshmen year in my county is "survey" which means we read a little bit of everything and I always save the tougher lit circles for the end of the year when the students are better prepared. With students reading The Odyssey, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Of Mice & Men, I can understand why they want more time. We just acted out Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth as a class (and they really enjoyed that) so it all makes sense. With spring sports and just "the spring" in general stressing everyone out, less homework reading probably isn't a bad thing either.
3. More discussion time and less in-class office work:
We always discuss the books we read - in fact we do them in full class, and smaller group circles. I believe I detailed the logistics of these in a previous blog post, but the long story short is: we have a talking piece and that piece moves either sequentially or non-sequentially depending on the style of question. This allows every student to share their opinion and builds an excellent classroom community. Typically our class involves a mini-lesson, a quick write/poem/song analysis (that we have in circle format), and "office time" for the students to work with their departments on their weekly "company expectations." See more at: misteramistera.weebly.com But recently, students have been wanting to spend that final third of class reading/discussing the reading with their office groups and saving their other expectations as homework. Naturally, I am totally fine with them pacing and organizing their own work - this was just definitely a switch from what they wanted earlier in the year. Once again, my guess is that they have gotten the "hang" of office work and they want to dedicate more time to the more difficult texts. I suppose this experience showed me that students change their needs over the course of the year and we must give them the space to allow them to do so. I could never read in a classroom as a student (I need my bed) - so as a teacher I tend to make reading homework. But I am not my students and need to support what best addresses their needs.
4. Face to Face Writing Conferences
One of the "coolest" things about my class is that students know they can get help WHENEVER they need. I am availble via e-mail basically from 8am-10pm on any given day. Students definitely take advantage of this offer and frequently e-mail their song or poem analyses, their pieces for their writing portfolio, or ideas they have for other stories and essays. Through this method, I have been able to meet with more students on a more meaningful level about their writing than I have ever been able to do in the past. I have been utilizing these e-mail conferences with students for the past four years of my teaching career and have really liked how much I have been able to see and record how much they grow over the course of a year. However, since I began this method, this year was the first time I have had students openly admit that they would like face-to-face conferences in conjunction with e-mail. In the past, students know that they can come in during their lunch block to eat and discuss writing, but as you can imagine, this isn't wildly popular (since lunch is the only time in the day during which high schoolers can properly socialize). So, students have requested more instructional time be dedicated to in person conferences. I have decided that I can meet with students to discuss their writing while others are silent reading, discussing, or working on their office work. I was curious as to why they wanted this and several said they don't feel connected with a teacher through e-mail. They agree that it is fast and effective, but they felt like they were lacking that rapport element that we spend so much of our class time developing. This is a viewpoint I would never have considered. I assumed students wanted the quickest and easiest way to complete their work, and although they are at times in search of this efficiency, they are also just as much looking to us to be people in their lives and to interact with them as such. Not just socially, but academically.
I have to admit myself excited to see how these student changes go. To me, fourth quarter is also the perfect time to implement changes. It keeps class fresh (especially at a time when school is stale for so many students (and teachers)), allows me to gain feedback from a specific group, employ their ideas, and see what works and doesn't work (thus allowing me to reflect over the summer and come back the following year even better prepared), and by quarter four, our students are hopefully prepared to leave our class in a few weeks. This means they have learned the majority of what we have set out to teach them and we can treat them more as equals than as students. You can have more advanced discussions, read harder texts, write with more mature tones and styles, and present in front of one another completely comfortably. As I stated in my post entitled "Seasons" - quarter four is also fun for all of the traditions. Everything is coming to an end in quarter four and we can really choose to harness this emotion and properly pace instruction to have the most impact on the students. My wish is that these student-created improvements, mixed with my time-honored fourth quarter traditions will create the most inspirational, effective, and enjoyable end of the year to date! :-)
---
If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)Thursday, April 6, 2017
RESURRECTION
School is hard and it is awkward. No matter what age of children, it can be a traumatic place. In elementary school we snatch tiny children from their families and immerse them in a world of "strangers." In high school we do the opposite, we hold them back from the real world - just as they are chomping at the bit for new experiences and broader horizons. And middle school is, well, middle school: puberty, hormones, acne, and braces. The "cringey-est" (as the kids say) time of their lives. School, if done improperly, can completely ruin a young person's life. And whether through bullying, academic stress, authoritarian teachers, weak (or overly involved) administration, lack of resources/activities/sports, or whatever, we are hearing more and more that school isn't doing its job of preparing students for the "real world."
But in order to address this issue, I feel it is important first to look at and define the "real world." The difficulty here is, it is constantly changing. So in order to properly prepare students, we must be constantly adapting - to my mind, at LEAST every year. Although it is easy, we can't be re-using and recycling the same lessons, quizzes, tests, projects, year after year. Because if we do, one day we will have the children of our former students in our classes and will feel very strange assigning them the same work we had once assigned to their parents.
I tell my students all the time: "I am only double your age. I remember exactly what freshmen year of high school was like. I can still remember conversations I had with people. I'm still with it. I get it." And then I tell them: "oh wait, when I was in high school, students didn't get cell phones until they were seniors and about to go off to college. Social media didn't exist. Our home internet was dial-up. When you wanted to talk to a friend you called them on a (does this word even still exits) landline or you knocked on their door. The point is, although only fifteen years ago. The lives of students have changed drastically. I bring up technology because it is one of the focal points where real change is so incredibly evident. With students nowadays living on their phones (whether for texting, social media, games, music, or movies), these situations didn't exist when I was in middle and high school - and I am only now finishing my sixth year of teaching.
With the lives of our students changing so rapidly, we need to make sure we are keeping up. We need to be meeting their individual needs. And we need to be ensuring that school is a positive place where students learn and grow (and in doing so) are prepared for the real world - not our real world (which will no longer exist when they reach our age) but THEIR real world. One of the real tricks in properly navigating this is our age gap with the students. In order to best understand their world, we need to get to know THEM. Several of my past blogs have discussed getting to know students on a personal level, so this one will not - but it is the most imperative first step we must be building into our teaching at the beginning, and all throughout our year.
And while we teach each year, we need to be getting to know the students in a way that is shaping our thinking for the following year. Where every summer we must be re-inventing the wheel. Every break we need to be taking major reflective time (not just R&R) to ruminate over where we have been this year, what we have learned, and what we will be changing for the future. In English, our content is always changing because books keep getting written, because no two essays are the same (unless they are plagiarized), and neither are two oral presentations (unless we do students the horrible disservice of assigning their topics). This means we can always teach new novels, new writing projects, and new styles/types of presentations.
In six years of teaching, I have changed my entire instructional delivery system three times (and from here on I guarantee it will become even more frequently than that). In my first two years I taught "traditionally." We had units, literature circles, the occasional essay, the occasional oral presentation, vocab quizzes, unit tests, etc. I taught from the front of the room, students sometimes worked in groups, sometimes played games, sometimes worked individually, sometimes engaged in workshop, etc. In years three-five, I taught through an original system I developed called "the curriculum menu" - details of which can be found in my first blog. The basic idea behind this system was, students would work at their own pace to formatively learn every state standard and would then work with me to develop their own summative products to prove mastery of concepts. And this year, along with my colleague across the hall, I ran a classroom office (check it out at misteramistera.weebly.com - you can use the links on each tab to navigate through student work spanning the entire school year).
Next year I plan to teach my classes (I hope to be teaching freshmen and seniors) like graduate school methods courses. I have decided that I want to teach my students how to be teachers themselves - and in doing so, our English work will be woven through the experience. My thought process behind this is: if students know how to teach, they will be able to help themselves in any of their classes. I hope in doing so that they will know how to organize and prioritize work, how to study, how to get the most out of their homework and assignments, etc. I know from working with my #bowtieboys that giving them the textbooks I read in graduate school has given them a whole new understanding and appreciation for their teachers and school as a whole. They have also learned a ton of valuable "English" skills including tips/tricks for reading, writing, and presenting. I want to make this #bowtieboys experience broader next year. Rather than an elite group, I want all students to get to experience what these fine young men have been able to achieve.
This idea was born out of listening to my students and getting to know them. I like to talk to them when they are stressed - when school isn't going well, sports are monopolizing their time, they're having trouble with friends or family, and just nothing seems to be going right. In those moments, it is easy for them to talk about their stress. It is clear. One of their major fountains of stress (if not the number one) is obviously academics. They don't know how to organize, prioritize, manage their time, study effectively, visualize goals, step back, take efficient breathers, work truly collaboratively with groups. If they learn these skills in our class, they can always be practicing. They can immediately apply the information they are learning to THEIR real life. My hope is this will greatly reduce their stress because they will know "the secrets" we now know as adults. I remember thinking when I was a senior in high school (as many seniors do) "man, I wish I could go back to freshmen year and do it all over - I would ACE it the second time around." Let's give our students the opportunity to ACE it the first time around. Let's pinpoint their specific needs and make our classes the places where we address these needs (not make them more glaring).
Too often I hear about students hating school, whether due to the monotony, the never-ending workload, social problems left unchecked, or other issues - there are plenty. It is important to ensure our classes are safe havens for our students - and not just a place where they can "chill" - but a place where they can get prepared. Not for some mysterious future (that won't be the same when they arrive) but for the here and now. If students are having academic issues, let's address that in our classes and help them to solve. If the issues are extra-curricular, let's address that in our classes and help them to solve. If the issues are social (friends, family, relationships, etc) let's address that in our classes and help them to solve.
I haven't blogged in a while because I had the two production weeks of my musical at the end of March (and then needed to catch up on some end of the quarter grading). But our program (which has several won national awards many shows over) is one that helps students to love school. Every show, every year, I am humbled to listen to the voices of these middle schoolers (as they cry in front of each other during "circle") and discuss how musical is the place where they finally found their "peeps." They finally found the place where they belong. I am so happy our program can be that for them. And we work very hard to ensure we live up to their standards year after year. I know sports programs that do the same thing. I know classes that do the same thing. After school clubs etc. If we can all commit to listening to our students, learning from them, and actively shaping the places (over which we hold control) in our buildings to meet these diverse needs, maybe school won't have to be so hard and awkward for many. Many school can be a call to action, a resurrection, a benefit to all.
School is hard and it is awkward. No matter what age of children, it can be a traumatic place. In elementary school we snatch tiny children from their families and immerse them in a world of "strangers." In high school we do the opposite, we hold them back from the real world - just as they are chomping at the bit for new experiences and broader horizons. And middle school is, well, middle school: puberty, hormones, acne, and braces. The "cringey-est" (as the kids say) time of their lives. School, if done improperly, can completely ruin a young person's life. And whether through bullying, academic stress, authoritarian teachers, weak (or overly involved) administration, lack of resources/activities/sports, or whatever, we are hearing more and more that school isn't doing its job of preparing students for the "real world."
But in order to address this issue, I feel it is important first to look at and define the "real world." The difficulty here is, it is constantly changing. So in order to properly prepare students, we must be constantly adapting - to my mind, at LEAST every year. Although it is easy, we can't be re-using and recycling the same lessons, quizzes, tests, projects, year after year. Because if we do, one day we will have the children of our former students in our classes and will feel very strange assigning them the same work we had once assigned to their parents.
I tell my students all the time: "I am only double your age. I remember exactly what freshmen year of high school was like. I can still remember conversations I had with people. I'm still with it. I get it." And then I tell them: "oh wait, when I was in high school, students didn't get cell phones until they were seniors and about to go off to college. Social media didn't exist. Our home internet was dial-up. When you wanted to talk to a friend you called them on a (does this word even still exits) landline or you knocked on their door. The point is, although only fifteen years ago. The lives of students have changed drastically. I bring up technology because it is one of the focal points where real change is so incredibly evident. With students nowadays living on their phones (whether for texting, social media, games, music, or movies), these situations didn't exist when I was in middle and high school - and I am only now finishing my sixth year of teaching.
With the lives of our students changing so rapidly, we need to make sure we are keeping up. We need to be meeting their individual needs. And we need to be ensuring that school is a positive place where students learn and grow (and in doing so) are prepared for the real world - not our real world (which will no longer exist when they reach our age) but THEIR real world. One of the real tricks in properly navigating this is our age gap with the students. In order to best understand their world, we need to get to know THEM. Several of my past blogs have discussed getting to know students on a personal level, so this one will not - but it is the most imperative first step we must be building into our teaching at the beginning, and all throughout our year.
And while we teach each year, we need to be getting to know the students in a way that is shaping our thinking for the following year. Where every summer we must be re-inventing the wheel. Every break we need to be taking major reflective time (not just R&R) to ruminate over where we have been this year, what we have learned, and what we will be changing for the future. In English, our content is always changing because books keep getting written, because no two essays are the same (unless they are plagiarized), and neither are two oral presentations (unless we do students the horrible disservice of assigning their topics). This means we can always teach new novels, new writing projects, and new styles/types of presentations.
In six years of teaching, I have changed my entire instructional delivery system three times (and from here on I guarantee it will become even more frequently than that). In my first two years I taught "traditionally." We had units, literature circles, the occasional essay, the occasional oral presentation, vocab quizzes, unit tests, etc. I taught from the front of the room, students sometimes worked in groups, sometimes played games, sometimes worked individually, sometimes engaged in workshop, etc. In years three-five, I taught through an original system I developed called "the curriculum menu" - details of which can be found in my first blog. The basic idea behind this system was, students would work at their own pace to formatively learn every state standard and would then work with me to develop their own summative products to prove mastery of concepts. And this year, along with my colleague across the hall, I ran a classroom office (check it out at misteramistera.weebly.com - you can use the links on each tab to navigate through student work spanning the entire school year).
Next year I plan to teach my classes (I hope to be teaching freshmen and seniors) like graduate school methods courses. I have decided that I want to teach my students how to be teachers themselves - and in doing so, our English work will be woven through the experience. My thought process behind this is: if students know how to teach, they will be able to help themselves in any of their classes. I hope in doing so that they will know how to organize and prioritize work, how to study, how to get the most out of their homework and assignments, etc. I know from working with my #bowtieboys that giving them the textbooks I read in graduate school has given them a whole new understanding and appreciation for their teachers and school as a whole. They have also learned a ton of valuable "English" skills including tips/tricks for reading, writing, and presenting. I want to make this #bowtieboys experience broader next year. Rather than an elite group, I want all students to get to experience what these fine young men have been able to achieve.
This idea was born out of listening to my students and getting to know them. I like to talk to them when they are stressed - when school isn't going well, sports are monopolizing their time, they're having trouble with friends or family, and just nothing seems to be going right. In those moments, it is easy for them to talk about their stress. It is clear. One of their major fountains of stress (if not the number one) is obviously academics. They don't know how to organize, prioritize, manage their time, study effectively, visualize goals, step back, take efficient breathers, work truly collaboratively with groups. If they learn these skills in our class, they can always be practicing. They can immediately apply the information they are learning to THEIR real life. My hope is this will greatly reduce their stress because they will know "the secrets" we now know as adults. I remember thinking when I was a senior in high school (as many seniors do) "man, I wish I could go back to freshmen year and do it all over - I would ACE it the second time around." Let's give our students the opportunity to ACE it the first time around. Let's pinpoint their specific needs and make our classes the places where we address these needs (not make them more glaring).
Too often I hear about students hating school, whether due to the monotony, the never-ending workload, social problems left unchecked, or other issues - there are plenty. It is important to ensure our classes are safe havens for our students - and not just a place where they can "chill" - but a place where they can get prepared. Not for some mysterious future (that won't be the same when they arrive) but for the here and now. If students are having academic issues, let's address that in our classes and help them to solve. If the issues are extra-curricular, let's address that in our classes and help them to solve. If the issues are social (friends, family, relationships, etc) let's address that in our classes and help them to solve.
I haven't blogged in a while because I had the two production weeks of my musical at the end of March (and then needed to catch up on some end of the quarter grading). But our program (which has several won national awards many shows over) is one that helps students to love school. Every show, every year, I am humbled to listen to the voices of these middle schoolers (as they cry in front of each other during "circle") and discuss how musical is the place where they finally found their "peeps." They finally found the place where they belong. I am so happy our program can be that for them. And we work very hard to ensure we live up to their standards year after year. I know sports programs that do the same thing. I know classes that do the same thing. After school clubs etc. If we can all commit to listening to our students, learning from them, and actively shaping the places (over which we hold control) in our buildings to meet these diverse needs, maybe school won't have to be so hard and awkward for many. Many school can be a call to action, a resurrection, a benefit to all.
---
If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)Sunday, March 19, 2017
REVENGE
Think across times in your career when you encountered "those students." This individual sucks all of your time from the other students in your class. Whether a behavioral problem, or a student who under-performs academically, we come across these children relatively frequently in our careers. Some of you may be laughing thinking "I have one in every class" - or "one!? I have many!" Regardless of how many you might have, my question to ponder this week is: do we ever truly get to know these specific children?
I am involved in several extra-curricular activities within my community and school system. I direct the neighboring middle school's musicals, coach tournament paintball, co-sponsor our Freshmen class, co-sponsor our PEER program (Positive Experiences in Educational Relations), and of course, run the #bowtieboys. I say this because I am privileged to frequently interact with students outside of the classroom setting. And, just like we have "those kids" in our classrooms, I have them in my out-of-school activities as well. However, the purpose of this blog is not to ridicule them - but rather, to raise them up. I know this isn't much of a novel idea, but I have been absolutely floored by several of "those kids" when I have interacted with them outside of their "typical" environment.
Ever since the beginning of my career teaching seventh grade, I have used paintball as a motivator for my students. They are well aware each year that I play competitively and are always eager to join in the fun. In fact, the travel team I now coach was born (largely) out of former seventh graders who got into the sport after a few fun outings. But every month in seventh grade, I would ask students to raise their hands if they were interested in playing paintball one of the Saturday's of the month. Several boys and girls would raise their hands in each class, I would contact their parents, and take about fourteen students per trip. We met at the paintball field, played the day, and parents picked them up. In offering this fun weekend activity, I immediately noticed that their performance on the field translated to that within the classroom. I never put restrictions on play. I never took "only the straight A students" or "only those students without any discipline referrals." All were welcome, and a wide variety attended. It always struck me as intriguing how the same student who never completed homework was the child I always wanted on my team, or the overachiever was the biggest crybaby. Of course I am overgeneralizing, but the point was driven home that students are so much more than who they appear to be in class.
As teachers it is so easy for us to get lost in our lessons, our assessments, our due dates, and our projects and forget that students have lives outside of our classes. I know I certainly remember the teachers who monopolized all of my free time: the classes with endless busy work, the never ending exams, the five hundred point group projects, etc. But these students have enormous and varied lives outside of our doors. They are not just students but family members, friends, cultures, athletes, artists, mathematicians, scientists, historians, and no much more. It is easy, but wrong to take students for who they are in our classes. If our true aim is to inspire them to be productive and engaged students, we can certainly first do them the courtesy of engaging WITH them. A previous post entitled "Seasons" discusses how to develop rapport within the classroom, here are a few ideas for how to do so outside of the classroom:
1. Go to your students' sporting events and activities. I try to make a point to see each sporting event one time per season. It doesn't always work out, but students know I do this, so they invite me. So far this year I have been to freshman and varsity football, freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity basketball, hockey, and in a few weeks I will be seeing junior varsity and varsity baseball games. As you can see, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, track & field, wrestling, and I'm sure a few others are missing from this list. But I do the best I can without showing favoritism. The sports I choose have nothing to do with the students who play them and everything to do with what fits in to my busy calendar. The kids know I will make their games when I can. Just like it was on the paintball field, it is always incredible to me to watch students shine in areas other than English. In going to their games I also suggest forming relationships with their coaches. Discuss strategies of what motivates and doesn't motivate a student, learn more about their background and home life, evaluate how they interact with teammates, etc. Concordantly, supporting your artistic/theatrical/musical students will also offer windows into a student's heart. Because I direct musicals, I make a point to visit the other local schools' drama departments. This way I get to support and learn about art from all over the county. I attend band, orchestra, and chorus concerts as well and try to develop as many relationships as I can within the greater community. This allows me to draw from a wide applicant pool when I direct summer stock programs for high school students across the entire county. There are many valuable lessons that can be learned by attending a sporting event or extra-curricular activity. Students really appreciate when they see we have taken our free time to support them, and in my opinion, it is the absolute least we can do after taking up so much of their free time with our homework and projects. School may be a student's "job" but their activity is often times their "soul" and if we want them to have respect for us and our passions, we must first demonstrate it for theirs.
2. Offer fun "class bonding" activities for your classes. Paintball, like I mentioned above was always very positive with my middle schoolers. They also enjoyed when we would organize class "movie nights" to see a movie version of a book. I have taken students to see every Hunger Games movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ender's Game, and more. Invite their parents to come along of course, everyone meets at the theatre and pays their way, but contacting the theatre ahead will sometimes allow for discounts, private showings, etc. These are not field trips as we host such activities on the weekend. They have nothing to do with the school system and I make this clear to parents. Aside from sports activities and movies, I have taken students out for meals (especially at casual restaurants like iHop, TGIF, Buffalo Wild Wings, and CiCi's Pizza). Students again bring their own money, sometimes bring a parent, and sit with their friends at big tables in one section of the restaurant. We adults typically create tables of our own in another section and are only summoned when the checks come around. Other activities with smaller groups can include: miniature golf, ropes courses, and bowling. No matter the activity, the focus should be on creating an environment for students to bond and for parents to get to know us better. Parents are often a forgotten or "unwelcome" factor of the classroom. But they are in fact our biggest allies and can also be our biggest cheerleaders and supporters. I know I said to give up weekend time, but I promise it will be time well spent.
3. Open the classroom during lunch, "flex," or study hall periods. Even though this technically takes place in school (and likely in our classroom), I have found one of the most powerful ways to develop rapport is to invite students in for lunch. I never make this mandatory or punitive, but just every now and then announce that students are always welcome to come in for lunch, flex (free period), or study hall. In middle school, students lined up by the dozens to have study hall in my classroom. This wasn't because we hung out and did no work (quite the opposite), but they knew they would be allowed to talk, collaborate, and chat about their days, their interests, their friends, whatever. In high school, study hall time is much more precious so I actually have a lot more students who come in during their lunch blocks. Sometimes they come in for extra help, sometimes to practice an oral presentation, sometimes to complete homework (even not for my class), but most of the time just to sit and talk. It is always nice connecting with current students and re-connecting with former students who stop by. I have found that making myself open and welcoming has allowed me to develop rapports that transcend any behavioral or academic deficiency a student may "supposedly" have. Many of my #bowtieboys come in for their lunch blocks, students bring friends, and we just talk about life. Sometimes it's serious, other times low-key, it's frequently comical, and always fun and productive. In fact, I have enjoyed these lunches so much, I plan to embed this into my teaching next year. The hope is that I will be able to meet with each of my 125 students in the first five weeks of school (last week of August to the last week of September). With four lunch blocks a day, I believe this will be possible. Coupled with the ideas I presented in "Seasons," I hope this will render the best student relationships I have experienced to date.
Sometimes the only way to engage a student, especially a difficult behavioral or academic case, can be through bonding outside of the classroom setting. When we create these opportunities and environments, we are showing out students that we care about them as more than just names on a roster or percentages in a grade book. They are more than lexile scores, behaviors, intrinsic motivation, whatever. Students appreciate and respect the teachers that go out of their way for them. And in my experience, these students (including "those students") will go out of the way for us in return. It is for these reasons I truly believe that the best REVENGE we can take on the students who "suck our time away from us" is to just give them even more. More and more and more and more and before we know it, there won't be any more my time and their time, but our time. Every time.
Think across times in your career when you encountered "those students." This individual sucks all of your time from the other students in your class. Whether a behavioral problem, or a student who under-performs academically, we come across these children relatively frequently in our careers. Some of you may be laughing thinking "I have one in every class" - or "one!? I have many!" Regardless of how many you might have, my question to ponder this week is: do we ever truly get to know these specific children?
I am involved in several extra-curricular activities within my community and school system. I direct the neighboring middle school's musicals, coach tournament paintball, co-sponsor our Freshmen class, co-sponsor our PEER program (Positive Experiences in Educational Relations), and of course, run the #bowtieboys. I say this because I am privileged to frequently interact with students outside of the classroom setting. And, just like we have "those kids" in our classrooms, I have them in my out-of-school activities as well. However, the purpose of this blog is not to ridicule them - but rather, to raise them up. I know this isn't much of a novel idea, but I have been absolutely floored by several of "those kids" when I have interacted with them outside of their "typical" environment.
Ever since the beginning of my career teaching seventh grade, I have used paintball as a motivator for my students. They are well aware each year that I play competitively and are always eager to join in the fun. In fact, the travel team I now coach was born (largely) out of former seventh graders who got into the sport after a few fun outings. But every month in seventh grade, I would ask students to raise their hands if they were interested in playing paintball one of the Saturday's of the month. Several boys and girls would raise their hands in each class, I would contact their parents, and take about fourteen students per trip. We met at the paintball field, played the day, and parents picked them up. In offering this fun weekend activity, I immediately noticed that their performance on the field translated to that within the classroom. I never put restrictions on play. I never took "only the straight A students" or "only those students without any discipline referrals." All were welcome, and a wide variety attended. It always struck me as intriguing how the same student who never completed homework was the child I always wanted on my team, or the overachiever was the biggest crybaby. Of course I am overgeneralizing, but the point was driven home that students are so much more than who they appear to be in class.
As teachers it is so easy for us to get lost in our lessons, our assessments, our due dates, and our projects and forget that students have lives outside of our classes. I know I certainly remember the teachers who monopolized all of my free time: the classes with endless busy work, the never ending exams, the five hundred point group projects, etc. But these students have enormous and varied lives outside of our doors. They are not just students but family members, friends, cultures, athletes, artists, mathematicians, scientists, historians, and no much more. It is easy, but wrong to take students for who they are in our classes. If our true aim is to inspire them to be productive and engaged students, we can certainly first do them the courtesy of engaging WITH them. A previous post entitled "Seasons" discusses how to develop rapport within the classroom, here are a few ideas for how to do so outside of the classroom:
1. Go to your students' sporting events and activities. I try to make a point to see each sporting event one time per season. It doesn't always work out, but students know I do this, so they invite me. So far this year I have been to freshman and varsity football, freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity basketball, hockey, and in a few weeks I will be seeing junior varsity and varsity baseball games. As you can see, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, track & field, wrestling, and I'm sure a few others are missing from this list. But I do the best I can without showing favoritism. The sports I choose have nothing to do with the students who play them and everything to do with what fits in to my busy calendar. The kids know I will make their games when I can. Just like it was on the paintball field, it is always incredible to me to watch students shine in areas other than English. In going to their games I also suggest forming relationships with their coaches. Discuss strategies of what motivates and doesn't motivate a student, learn more about their background and home life, evaluate how they interact with teammates, etc. Concordantly, supporting your artistic/theatrical/musical students will also offer windows into a student's heart. Because I direct musicals, I make a point to visit the other local schools' drama departments. This way I get to support and learn about art from all over the county. I attend band, orchestra, and chorus concerts as well and try to develop as many relationships as I can within the greater community. This allows me to draw from a wide applicant pool when I direct summer stock programs for high school students across the entire county. There are many valuable lessons that can be learned by attending a sporting event or extra-curricular activity. Students really appreciate when they see we have taken our free time to support them, and in my opinion, it is the absolute least we can do after taking up so much of their free time with our homework and projects. School may be a student's "job" but their activity is often times their "soul" and if we want them to have respect for us and our passions, we must first demonstrate it for theirs.
2. Offer fun "class bonding" activities for your classes. Paintball, like I mentioned above was always very positive with my middle schoolers. They also enjoyed when we would organize class "movie nights" to see a movie version of a book. I have taken students to see every Hunger Games movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Ender's Game, and more. Invite their parents to come along of course, everyone meets at the theatre and pays their way, but contacting the theatre ahead will sometimes allow for discounts, private showings, etc. These are not field trips as we host such activities on the weekend. They have nothing to do with the school system and I make this clear to parents. Aside from sports activities and movies, I have taken students out for meals (especially at casual restaurants like iHop, TGIF, Buffalo Wild Wings, and CiCi's Pizza). Students again bring their own money, sometimes bring a parent, and sit with their friends at big tables in one section of the restaurant. We adults typically create tables of our own in another section and are only summoned when the checks come around. Other activities with smaller groups can include: miniature golf, ropes courses, and bowling. No matter the activity, the focus should be on creating an environment for students to bond and for parents to get to know us better. Parents are often a forgotten or "unwelcome" factor of the classroom. But they are in fact our biggest allies and can also be our biggest cheerleaders and supporters. I know I said to give up weekend time, but I promise it will be time well spent.
3. Open the classroom during lunch, "flex," or study hall periods. Even though this technically takes place in school (and likely in our classroom), I have found one of the most powerful ways to develop rapport is to invite students in for lunch. I never make this mandatory or punitive, but just every now and then announce that students are always welcome to come in for lunch, flex (free period), or study hall. In middle school, students lined up by the dozens to have study hall in my classroom. This wasn't because we hung out and did no work (quite the opposite), but they knew they would be allowed to talk, collaborate, and chat about their days, their interests, their friends, whatever. In high school, study hall time is much more precious so I actually have a lot more students who come in during their lunch blocks. Sometimes they come in for extra help, sometimes to practice an oral presentation, sometimes to complete homework (even not for my class), but most of the time just to sit and talk. It is always nice connecting with current students and re-connecting with former students who stop by. I have found that making myself open and welcoming has allowed me to develop rapports that transcend any behavioral or academic deficiency a student may "supposedly" have. Many of my #bowtieboys come in for their lunch blocks, students bring friends, and we just talk about life. Sometimes it's serious, other times low-key, it's frequently comical, and always fun and productive. In fact, I have enjoyed these lunches so much, I plan to embed this into my teaching next year. The hope is that I will be able to meet with each of my 125 students in the first five weeks of school (last week of August to the last week of September). With four lunch blocks a day, I believe this will be possible. Coupled with the ideas I presented in "Seasons," I hope this will render the best student relationships I have experienced to date.
Sometimes the only way to engage a student, especially a difficult behavioral or academic case, can be through bonding outside of the classroom setting. When we create these opportunities and environments, we are showing out students that we care about them as more than just names on a roster or percentages in a grade book. They are more than lexile scores, behaviors, intrinsic motivation, whatever. Students appreciate and respect the teachers that go out of their way for them. And in my experience, these students (including "those students") will go out of the way for us in return. It is for these reasons I truly believe that the best REVENGE we can take on the students who "suck our time away from us" is to just give them even more. More and more and more and more and before we know it, there won't be any more my time and their time, but our time. Every time.
---
If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
CURSE
Teaching is ancient and elemental. It is as Gaelic as the night of Samhain and as Celtic as St. Stephen’s Day. It is a very particular art form. It is not a science. No matter what anyone says, one cannot become a teacher by “studying hard.” No amount of reading, writing, or practice lesson-planning, creating units, grading, or designing bulletin boards will make someone a good teacher. They may know a lot about their discipline, but the very nature of teaching hinges on one individual’s ability to transmit that information effectively to another. It relies on what the teacher brings to the collective story. Yes, read widely and diversely – both entertaining and professional texts. Yes study, share your voice, your lessons, your units, your successes and failures. But know all the while that there is a big difference between a teacher who teaches English and a teacher who teaches students. When asked, “what do you teach?” I always try to answer, “freshmen.” And although the way we answer a simple question does not dictate our quality of teaching, our mindset behind our answer does.
It is my assertion that someone who loves their content more than they love their kids can never truly be a great teacher. Maybe a good teacher, but not a great teacher. If our mission is to turn kids on to the discipline we love, we must first show them more esteem than we do our precious books and journals. Too many teachers are still operating under the archaic notion that students should enter our classrooms offering their unwavering respect, ready to absorb every genius sentence that escapes our lips. We prepare our lectures and lessons in a vacuum (or in a group of other adults) and assume we know what is best for the kids sitting in our rooms. We assume the novels we have lined up, the essays and projects we plan to assign, the oral presentations, and the activities will prepare them for the next grade and eventually the world beyond our walls. But how often do we consult students in this process? Does choice exist in our classrooms? Are students leaders? Are we “guides on the side” or “sages on the stage?” Is every class the same: a warm-up, lecture/notes, and an activity… a few days later a review game…and then a quiz or test? And the biggest question: do our classes teach a discipline or a human? Because our classes should be impacting people, not grades. And because of this, incorporating student opinion (not choice within a carefully pre-prescribed structure) and authentic relationship building must be primary foci of our classrooms.
In speaking with a plethora of students of grades spanning sixth through twelfth, I have come up with a simple list of DON’Ts for any English classroom. Now of course, it is most important to sit down and speak openly with your own students to best assess their needs. But to get the conversation started, here are some prevalent “hot topics:”
1. Focus on rote memorization: Students widely admit that when asked to just “memorize” information, they do so long enough to perform well on the assessment and then promptly forget the information to make room for the new. This is why we spend so much time at the beginning of every year virtually re-teaching the grade that came before. If we focused our efforts higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy, we can achieve longer lasting results. I do realize that Analysis, Synthesis, and Creation take more class time than Memorizing and Understanding, but I side with the argument: I would rather my students fully understand 75% of the “required material” than have a cursory overview of 100% of the material. Let’s take the time to analyze, synthesize, and create with our students. Doing so will also eliminate the question “why do we ever need to know this?” Because applying literary terms to analyze or synthesize a difficult text will come in handy long before matching literary terms to their definitions. And switch it up, bounce back and forth from those three highest levels of learning so class does not become static. Although students do enjoy routine, because they like knowing what to expect and where they are going, they quickly grow weary of the formula indicated above: warm-up, notes, video, review, assessment, repeat. Let’s get them up and moving, interacting with the material and each other in a manner we best believe will simulate real life situations.
2. Strict management over the things that don’t matter: My kids get up, grab the pass, and go use the bathroom whenever they want. I don’t have rules about when students can and cannot use the bathroom, because that doesn’t matter. Students are allowed to use their phones whenever they want because they have lives and I refuse to be a hypocrite. If I receive a text or e-mail during a faculty meeting, I answer it And you do too. I can do this because I AM focused on what my principal is saying, and because I am, I can also multi-task. There is no magical button bestowed on humans once they reach the age of twenty-one that finally allows for this ability. Kids can, believe it or not, still be paying attention in our class, and answer a quick text from a friend or their parents. So “taking phones” or posting huge signs that say “ELECTRONIC FREE ZONE” are highly counter-productive. Students aren’t allowed to eat or drink in our rooms, so I don’t either. Students notice when teachers break their own rules and it is a rapport-killer. What kind of respect does it show that our own rules don’t apply to us? Manage all behavior in house. Unless a major altercation occurs, I never send students to administration. This signals that I am not in control of my own classroom and need external assistance to keep students under control. Not really the vibe we want to set for teens and tweens.
3. Avoid favoritism at all costs: The amount of students who tell me their teachers are sexist (only like the girls or only like the boys) or have favorites (coaches that favor their players, or athletes in general, directors who favor their actors or fine arts students over others, teachers who favor former students over current, etc.), or who label kids early in the year and hold grudges (whether based on effort, work quality, appearance, older siblings, anything) is astronomical. And even if these perceptions of us are unfair – they are our students’ versions of reality. We need to be very careful to call on all students, to give all students equal amounts of criticism and praise (even the “star students” mess up and even the “slackers” rise to the occasion), and to show genuine interest in each student as an individual. Nothing worse than having a full conversation with the kid who is giving the play-by-play of last night’s sporting event and then shrugging off the student who wants to discuss the latest video-game release. Or visa-versa. When disciplining, do so evenly. Be careful not to label certain students as the “bad kids” and then constantly hound them OR allow your “star students” to break occasionally break rules because “they usually have their act together.” Students pick up on this quickly and it can be toxic to your environment. Never single kids out or reprimand individuals in front of the whole class.
4. Stop giving school work and start giving life work: This applies to all content areas and disciplines, but in regards to English, this could look like: no more grammar quizzes and no more tests on reading. Students should learn grammar in the context of their real writing – situational lessons that apply to the focus of the assignment. Need more writing assignments to do so? Replace the reading tests with essays. Give students interesting prompts that connects their real lives to the reading. Look for essential questions and themes that apply to individual lives and have students explore these issues through their writing (while simultaneously mastering diverse grammar concepts).
5. Treat students appropriate to their age: I know that high school students love being treated like adults. In fact, when I direct my middle school plays, I tell my actors that I plan to treat them like I treat adults too. I create an environment in which they can be themselves, be leaders, develop positive relationships, work hard towards a common goal, and have fun doing so. None of us like the administrator who micro-manages our class. We certainly don’t like the politicians who tell us how to teach. So why do we do it to our students. We assume (like some administrators and politicians assume towards teachers) that students cannot be trusted and if left to their own devices will only disappoint us. I do not patronize kids. I do not talk down to them. I talk to them like they are my peers and I hold them to high expectations. Students know that when they work with me, we will be producing something incredible – whether in class, a nationally awarded musical, a winning paintball team, whatever – and with that reputation, I am able to expect a lot. Talk to any coach, and I guarantee they don’t tell their players “well I can’t hand you that bat because you might hit someone” or “if I give you this ball, will you throw it through a window?” They give them the environment, teach them how to use the equipment, hold them to high expectations, and let them go. And students perform. When they know we believe in them – they believe in themselves and produce at levels not previously thought possible. Don’t treat elementary schoolers like they’re babies, middle schoolers like they are elementary schoolers, or high schoolers like middle schoolers. It is the same philosophy I have in regards to “banning books.” Rather than banning books (or technology), preemptively assuming students won’t be able to handle it, teach them HOW to use and handle it in the most beneficial and productive manner possible.
Teaching is an art form. It is full of finesse – little dramas and fires to put out and every moment of every day. We can significantly cut down on these dramas by holding students to high expectations and treating them as equals. Ensure the classroom is a welcoming and safe space, where ALL students are treated equally and where rules are applied not only to the students but ourselves. Avoid silly rules that have nothing to do with developing relationships and everything to do with establishing dominance and control. Students don’t want to feel dominated – they want to feel appreciated. When designing instruction, make sure students are up and doing – not memorizing, but analyzing, synthesizing, and creating. Link these analyses, syntheses, and creations to real life problems/obstacles for the students to overcome. These are simple steps, spelled out by middle and high school students that can drastically change the classroom environment without completely changing a teacher’s style/pedagogy. Teaching is ancient and elemental and it is our gift (or curse ;-) ) to properly wield this power – not just for the benefit of our students, but for our own enjoyment and increased longevity. Let’s love kids, not content. :-)
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If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Friday, March 3, 2017
SEASONS
I love the crisp air and the moments when evening hangs suspended – almost limitless before it fades to darkness. I love the smell of firewood burning in the distance (whether from a family pit or a pep rally bonfire) – because you know you can always locate that smell outdoors in autumn. I love the feel of new materials – everything is clean and new on the inside of the schoolhouse, which ironically juxtaposes the beginnings of death occurring in the outside world. Similar to most teachers (I would assume), the fall just feels like “school” to me. And this is probably why it is my all-time favorite season.
I would also argue it is the most important season of the school year. And unless you coach fall sports or activities, I do realize it is NOT the busiest time, but it certainly sets the tone for what will either be a successful or miserable year for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Teachers play a major role in this reality and we must wield out power appropriately. Having close connections with the majority of our greater community, I hear first time all the stress that goes into receiving one’s yearly schedule (at both the student and parent level). Parents have been talking and know which teachers they think they want their student to have for certain courses, students have been talking and know with which friends they hope to share specific classes. Then the reality of the schedule hits, and there is inevitable relief and disappointment. Maybe a student and all of their friends got the “teacher with a bad reputation” or a student is alone in the class of a teacher revered by the community. Maybe both. Maybe neither.
But we as teachers are far more than the perception. And although I agree that for many people, perception is reality. We need to be constantly reflecting and re-inventing ourselves to meet the needs of our clientele within a given year. The fall is the time to establish reality and separate from perception. All three administrators for whom I have worked have told their faculties to some effect when discussing Back to School Night that “likely, this evening will be the only time you see a student’s parent in person. So make a good impression so that it isn’t necessary to have to see that parent in person again.”
Although I agree with making good impressions with parents in person when they meet us, I know for a fact that the best impression we can make is through the eyes of their child. Any previous perception will fly straight out the window when a student comes home day after day raving about how excited they are to be learning in your class. Students admit all the time that they work harder for the teachers they like. Teachers that are able to connect school learning with the real world while making meaningful relationships with their students will experience very low classroom management issues and very high academic gains over the course of the year. They will also enjoy their job more – and when that happens, the happiness is almost transferred through diffusion to the students.
Fall is the time to establish these “musts.” And a teacher needs to get started before students even enter the room. In speaking almost daily with students of the middle and high school levels, I have learned several tricks I would like to share. None of these are exceptionally groundbreaking or something that will drastically change your personal pedagogy/style, but they may just help you build the strong rapport you and your students are seeking.
IN THE FALL:
1. Before students even arrive, be sure you have designed your classroom in a manner that will grab their attention. Remember, like my principal said in regards to parents, first impressions are everything. Think, “what are my students seeing when they enter my room?” The room should boast color, the bulletin boards should be purposeful and complete, the multiple white boards should be designed with their purposes in mind, the desks should be arranged in an a-typical manner – a fashion that shows students “this is going to be a different kind of class.” The setup of the desks should foster collaborative small and large group work simultaneously. There should be no “front of the room.” It is my personal preference to rid my room of all “teacher furniture” that demonstrates the idea of hierarchy. All of my students have rolling chairs (and half of which are cushioned teacher’s chairs I found in a school closet). I have no desk, no special chair, no area in which students are forbidden from entering. My room has a couch, tons of stuffed animals (even though my students are high schoolers), three bookshelves filled to bust, a technology center with laptops for group use, and a coffee bar boasting four Keurig machines (one that is my own and three that have been since donated by parents). I have rugs and roundtables, standards desks and non, my walls are covered in colorful posters and pennants, and my glade plug-in emits smells of “apple-cinnamon,” “fresh linen,” “lavender,” or “the tropics” depending on the season. I have an iPod dock and students almost always enter to the sounds of eclectic music. In doing all of this, I have hit all five of their senses as soon as they enter the room. They leave bragging to their friends that “my teacher has a couch and coffee machines” or “my teacher was playing “X” song when I entered the room” or “my teacher has comfy rolling chairs and crazy desks.” And of course, my class is far more than that – and like I tell the parents at Back to School Night. All of those items were simply to hook their attention. The reality is, my class pushes students outside of their box and demands quality work. Best to get them on my side before I introduce them to that set of realities. Because by the time I do, they are excited for the challenge, because they see I have taken the time to work hard for them first. As the adult in the room, if we want students’ respect, we need to show it first. It doesn’t work the other way around. Not anymore. And I’m not even convinced it ever did.
2. Spend however long you need establishing classroom environment and real relationships with your students. This is NOT a waste of instructional time. In fact, I will argue to anyone who disagrees that I get FAR MORE accomplished when I have taken the time to respect my students and learn about their lives (and encourage them to do the same with one another) than I do having to deal with year-long classroom management issues. My students sit in a large circle, split into four sections (bisected both horizontally and vertically) – each quadrant is a small group (which changes every quarter) but the whole class can also speak to each other easily in a large group situation. We use talking pieces (the stuffed animals) to share basic information with each other in a sequential circle. We pass the pieces non-sequentially to students who wish to tell longer stories. We encourage students to share their phone numbers and social media with members of their small groups so the community we establish can extend beyond the reaches of our classroom. Any student who doesn’t quite “buy-in” from the start soon realizes that they will be in the minority if they choose to act disrespectfully. Empower the students to be kind and open with one another and allow them to manage the classroom behavior for you. They will do so with ease. Once community is established, weave instruction into that community. I never said to have a “lax” class where there are no expectations. The expectations of my classroom are sky high – and every year students reach and exceed because they know they have the support (on a human level) from both myself and their peers.
3. Be firm in your expectations and be organized with your calendar. Plan your quarter – but not in a way that doesn’t allow for flexibility. Just definitely be certain you are building student learning towards something. Too many teachers “fly by the seat of their pants” which is fine from the standpoint of always keeping class interesting, but not from the standpoint of explaining how students’ learning connects and expands to the real world. I am found that when I am organized and my planning is tight, I can run my classroom much more like a reading and writing workshop with open plenty of student work time before deadlines. On average, my students have a month between deadlines in which they know they have to have read a minimum of one novel and have produced a minimum of two different pieces of writing (creative and analytical/research). Being transparent with students about due dates and offering constant reminders allows me to receive ALL assignments on time (I do not deal with late work from virtually any student) – and out of respect, I block out my evenings immediately following their due dates to ensure I can turn around their papers within the same week. If we have hard and fast due dates for them, I believe we should have hard and fast due dates for ourselves. It is not fair to claim that “our real adult lives got in the way” if students are not allowed to claim that their “very real student lives got in theirs.”
IN THE WINTER:
1. The second quarter (fall into winter) is when students really start to slack off. I remember doing the same thing as a kid. December can become a virtually wasted month if you’re not careful. Nestled between Thanksgiving break and winter break – the only thing on anyone’s minds is break. Compounded by the possibility of early snow, this part of the year has the potential to completely derail a class. My biggest suggestion is to once again set the expectations up front. Have a plan. Have a backup plan in case of snow. At my school, the second quarter begins the day after Election Day and proceeds to the end of January. If we allow students to be distracted from their work for November and December, we have robbed them of half a quarter of instruction. Rather than a time for slacking, this time should be used to introduce new and exciting principals of the discipline and expand on previously learned skills. I like to incorporate novels that make students think about how lucky they are to live in the wealthy suburbs of Washington D.C. We watch some films in second quarter and students hold discussions analyzing films. Others write formal analyses on the movies we watch. Films introduce new material, allow students to relax, and still expand their critical thinking abilities to include diverse texts. This is an excellent time to explore critical lenses as well – which students in my class always find fascinating. They typically love analyzing problems from the eyes of diverse characters/people – and can further comment on our films, novels, poems, and songs from these unique perspectives.
2. Use the emotion of the holidays to build deep rapport with your students. It is at this time of the year I enjoy getting a little heartfelt and sentimental. We engage in activities that celebrate students as individuals and humans. We do a lot of full class and small group work to keep kids feeling connected and safe. I tell my classes every year that they have no idea what goes on in the homes of their fellow classmates and need to be approaching every person with this understanding. Despite our wealthy area, not every child will go home to a happy and loving Thanksgiving dinner or a winter break spent in the tropics, being showered in gifts by their many admirers. I try to ensure every student leaves my class before going onto those breaks knowing that (if no where else) they are loved and wanted and needed in our classroom. One specific activity I have sharing with my students since my first year of teaching is the “T-shirt ritual.” From the moment they return from Thanksgiving break, I tell my students that they must acquire a plain white t-shirt that fits them. This should be a Hanes style undershirt, not an Abercrombie V-neck. On the class cycle before winter break, students wear these shirts to school, unsure of their necessity. Armed with Sharpie markers, the students spend class silently circling the room with Sigur Ros’s Hopipolla playing in the background (look it up – it’s the perfect song, with an equally perfect music video for a class period like this). They write notes on each other’s white t-shirts. Notes of encouragement. Notes of kindness. This isn’t the space to write “you’re cool” or “you’re nice” or “you’re funny.” This is the space to anonymously and openheartedly share feelings between classmates. Once again, they are not allowed to talk when they do this. Once they get home and finally take their shirt off, they are able to see all of the wonderful things their classmates have to say about them. Now, no matter what kind of break these students have, they know their English class is a place in which they are loved and respected – and the proof is there in their hands. Do you think that is a waste of instructional time? I think not.
3. Finally, and I know this is probably going to get some hate from other teachers out there, but don’t publicly pray for snow days. I have to admit that is one of my biggest pet peeves. I know I am unpopular for saying this, but posting all over your social media about how you “hope it snows for the whole month of January” – although widely accepted in our profession, gives off the wrong vibes. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with the occasional snow day (although, honestly, I would rather be in school) – but I do have a problem with saying to students and their parents “I hope I don’t have to see you/your kid again for a very long time.” That to me doesn’t inspire the kind of rapport we should be seeking to have with our students and families. We should be the ones pumping the kids up in January. If it snows now and then, we keep them on track in between. If it never snows, we keep their spirits up with plenty of excitement and engagement in school. And if it DOES snow, we celebrate it as an opportunity for our frequently overworked and stressed out students to receive a much-needed surprise vacation. If we need snow days every now and then to recharge, they do too.
IN THE SPRING:
1. Once the snow has melted, quarters two and three are over, and April has come around, it is time to finish the year strong. I tell the students every year that quarter four is my favorite, and NOT because we are almost out of school (because once again, what kind of message would that send). We do not do countdowns in our room or talk about how “we’re not going to do anything in June.” We talk about how the end of the year is most epic time we have together. We discuss how now, finally, they have the skills to really have fun in class. I save my absolute best novels, poems, and songs for analysis for fourth quarter. The themes of these pieces have notions of finality – this is when we read works like “To an Athlete Dying Young” (Houseman) or “To the Virgins to Make Much of Time.” (Herrick) We listen to songs like “The Flame” by Cheap Trick, “Pianoman” by Billy Joel, “American Pie” by Don Mclean, and “You Learn” by Alanis Morissette. We read big hard hitting novels like To Kill A Mockingbird by Lee and Of Mice & Men by Steinbeck. Our class discussions and small group work are at their finest. Students are pulling in their own research, reading nonfiction texts outside of school as supplement for our debates and discussions. Everything we do inches closer to the last time we will ever do it, and I play upon those emotions with the kids. We discuss next year, the rest of high school, their hopes and dreams, and their real lives. At this point we are more of a tight-knit team or family than a class. And although they are excited for summer vacation (what kid isn’t excited to leave school), they always cry on the last day of class. Boys, girls, middle schoolers or high schoolers, they cry. And so do I. It never really hits me until I am standing by the door on the last day, shaking hands and giving hugs, that I will never teach this group of kids again. They are off to bigger and better things and they know all I had to teach them. They are ready to take on tenth grade and whatever other challenges life throws their way. My final tie to the group that leaves is their notebooks. Students submit their five subject notebook, filled with their work and thoughts of the year on the last day of school. Over the summer I read each one, write comments, and return them on their first day of the next school year. It’s a tradition now. Former students know “fall orientation” also means “see Mr. A. for last year’s notebook.” Reading these is the ultimate assessment of my own teaching, and allows me to spend the summer planning and reflecting – ready to come back in the fall with the plan for the greatest year yet!
2. Which brings me to my final point. We have teacher workdays after the last day of school. Just as it is important to establish environment on day one, it is equally important to maintain the environment to the very last minute. Students all the time talk about “the teacher who packed up their room on June 1st” – even though the school year ends on June 15th. Like I mentioned before, it is my suggestion to savor the final moments, and use these last two weeks of classes to reward the students for all the hard work they have done over the course of the year. We have plenty of time to pack up on those final days – in fact, students usually come back on their first days of summer to help me do so. I always tease them saying “we set you free and the first place you go is back here?” They laugh and help me pack my bookshelves and remove posters from my walls. We clean and stack the desks and chairs, put the coffee and technology items into storage, and load my car with the notebooks and personals I will be taking home over the summer. I think a big reason so many come back is because of the emotion of the last class. I like to make our final block together a “best of” the year. We analyze a poem and a song, we engage in quick writes, we discuss and share things about ourselves, and we read “Oh the Places You’ll Go by: Dr. Seuss one final time. Kids share their testimonials and I share mine. And when the final bell rings, there is not a dry eye in the room. But we are all happy. Happy and thankful for the time we had to share and learn together.
And just as fall has many underlying sensory feelings/emotions for me – so does summer. Not only a time to reflect and recharge, summer is a time to enjoy other elements of my life. I coach paintball camps and play with my travel team in east coast tournaments, I get to work with high schoolers and middle schoolers in my two summer stock theatre programs. I get to visit my brother at his gorgeous home in South Carolina, travel, and visit a few amusement parks (to get my annual rollercoaster fix). And before I know it, we are back in room 1609 and students of varying years are unpacking the books, setting the desks into a circle, hanging posters on the walls, unpacking coffee machines, plugging in the technology, and asking to look at my new rosters so they can see who will be in my class for the upcoming year. And the cycle continues. And just as everything begins to die outside, everything begins to come alive in our room.
And that’s not to say we last forever – scenery or not. I hold dear the famous quote by Nikos Kazantzakis: “True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.” But let us also remember that students will never learn to create bridges on their own if we haven’t first fully become the bridge of which he speaks. We must be the epitome of that bridge. No more scenery. No more glances. Rather the detailed, nuanced, and careful bridge over that water.
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If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
WATER
I was recently dining in one of my favorite fancy restaurants when an odd and compelling thought struck me. Sitting in a high-backed cushion chair, absorbing the blue light that cascaded down the modern-grey floor to ceiling drapes, and leaning my right forearm against the crisp linen of the white tablecloth, I peered left out the large fifth story window. As I looked out onto the numerous crisscrossing highways of Tyson’s Corner, watching the many cars, matchbox-sized blurs of white and red zip into infinite directions, I realized that other people’s lives are merely just our scenery.
In each of the cars that passed my window, were lives. Lives in states of happiness, turmoil, great success and despair. Lives on their way home from work or on their way to fun in the city. Lives in great rushes and lives unfolding at their own pace. And yet, through the gargantuan windows of this high-rise easting establishment, those cars, that web of roads, and the lit and silhouetted buildings of the darkening horizon were nothing more than my entertainment. An ongoing story through a large glass screen, playing on endless loop should I happen to glance left and need something on which to focus my thoughtless glances.
This realization made me instantly cognizant again (or perhaps for the first time) of my immediate surroundings. Blue notes reverberated gently from the walls and appropriately-volumed conversations threatened to carefully envelop me. Small traces of cognac hinted towards my nostrils from the cup of lobster bisque that had been placed in front of me with the all familiar warning “careful, the bowl is hot.” And decadent bread crumbs met my wandering tongue and were thus liberated from the small gaps between my teeth, meeting with saliva, before escaping down my esophagus in a fashion faintly reminiscent of walking back to the pew from communion.
And although surrounded by friends and literally a packed restaurant of people and friendly wait-staff, it was easy to feel alone. I brought this idea of “scenery” up to the group and they considered my thoughts. We discussed how the strangers around us contributed to the “vibe” – a place with only a few patrons (or none aside from one’s party) would seem much different. Likewise, décor centering around paintings, knick-knacks, and dressings gives off a much different feel than quite literally a wall of windows overlooking busy thoroughfares paralleled by tanks of live fish juxtaposed by racks of wine. We, in this place, were surrounded by life… and yet when do we ever stop to truly appreciate this fact?
As with any bizarre life epiphany I have (and they happen surprisingly often), I always try to apply the lesson to my students and my teaching. I wanted to look at this simple idea of “being someone else’s scenery” from both lenses and here is what I think:
1. From a student’s perspective, we teachers (at the secondary level) are just one of many adults with whom they interact in a given day. They likely have a total of six to eight different teachers, a handful of coaches/directors/club leaders, not to mention administration, family, adult friends, etc… so we can easily become just “scenery” in their lives. However, we also have the potential to become more than “scenery.”
2. From a teacher’s perspective, students can easily become the mere “scenery” of our lives. With so many other forces campaigning for our time, it can be easy to look at a group of kids and just forever remember them as “year 6” – completely ignoring the specific qualities they possess as unique individuals. Some years, I suppose, we just don’t have the bandwidth to elevate them any further than pieces of our setting – but these are human beings, not props.
So the task remains, how do we share our lives in ways that constitute something more than faceless mortals shuffling past each other, checking the boxes (that I mentioned in my previous post), and moving on with our lives? Critics may ask the problem with this scenario. After all, these students are not our REAL children. And in a teacher’s career, we seek to encounter upwards of 6,000 students in our classrooms alone – surely we cannot make a resounding difference in each of their lives… can we? Although, perhaps naïve, I would like to think: yes, we can!
And as with so many other facets of education, I believe it is the teacher’s responsibility to model this behavior if they wish for it to be mirrored by students. Meaning, we must address the above “issue 2” before we can properly attack “issue 1.” To do so, let’s bring some humanity and fun back into what we do every day. I am well aware of the elements of our day that can weigh us down and distract from our central goal of helping and teaching children. There are endless e-mails, faculty meetings, paperwork, different people pulling us in all directions who desperately need our time… not to mention: lesson planning, grading, collaborating with colleagues, tutoring, coaching, oh, and actually teaching. But, in having to be so good at multi-tasking, and having to check so many “boxes” in a given day – let’s really not lose sight of why we are there in the first place: the kids. Make students the focal point of your day, all day, every day, and I promise the other items will fall into line. Make paperwork your scenery. Make e-mails your scenery. Make meetings your scenery. Do not make a child’s unique, brave, strong, beautiful, unafraid, challenging, brilliant, and individual life your scenery.
I know this sounds good on paper and is much harder to practice. Trust me, I’ve come off of NCTE high before. And if you have been to a conference, you know exactly what I mean. You go to an epic city for four (or more) days, surrounded my inspired and inspirational educators who do important work in the name of children every day. You converse with these people, share success stories and secrets, you talk books, have meals, attend breakout sessions and major keynotes. You engage in interactive activities, take notes on the latest emerging technologies, and quote the gurus you can’t believe you just heard speak (and who you can’t believe were approachable enough to take a picture with you). And then you return to the real world: your home school: and realize just how different your day to day is.
The best of us remember small slivers of what we learned and attempt to apply it amidst a sea of standards and a curriculum that kills creativity and the acquisition of real life skills. The inspiration and energy we feel from the November conference would be lucky to last us until winter break. And after that, it is back to the bleakness of winter without a break in sight. WAIT! But there we are…focusing on the wrong things again. Make students the center part of your day. Develop real rapport – and allow each day to bring about an extension to that rapport – a chance to grow closer. A chance to truly share your life as fellow people – rather than to pass each other by as scenery.
I remember telling my students when I taught middle school, “I am your one and only seventh grade language arts teacher – the only one you will ever have. That’s a pretty big and important job to have.” Now that I teach freshmen, I feel the same way. I am well aware that I set the tone for their English instruction (and maybe high school career in general) for their remaining years. I always love teaching first block freshmen because we get to share their first day of high school together. It is for this reason I also hope to teach seniors during last block next year – so we can share their very last public school moments together too. These are monumental ideas (they are ideas to cry about – and ideas many students and parents DO cry about) – but it seems like we only remember these moments at times like a commencement ceremony or graduation party. This phenomenon can almost be likened to a tragedy or disaster. We all know in the midst of heartbreak, humankind is excellent at coming together and supporting one another – but we also know how quickly we “forget” and resume “business as usual.”
But instead, putting students at the center will simultaneously resolve aforementioned issues 1 and 2 simultaneously. Here are the simple steps I take every day to put students first:
1. I get involved in other areas of the school aside from teaching content. I direct the neighboring middle school’s (where I used to teach) musicals. Through directing, I get to know students outside of an academic setting and the rapport we are able to create almost always translates to a positive rapport later in my high school English classroom.
2. I go support my students in their various activities that I am not associated with. Since I have a background in fine arts and see plenty of kids in that capacity, I make it a point to watch my students play sports. I go to as many football, basketball, hockey, soccer, baseball, lacrosse games as I can. As soon as I find out I have a student that is super dedicated to their sport, I ask them for a schedule, and let them know when I will be able to come see a game. After all, we expect them to care about our content – can’t we repay the favor by caring about theirs?
3. In class I have established an environment where students understand that everyone’s voice is both necessary and desired. Take the time at the beginning of the year to establish these norms. In doing so I never have to deal with classroom management. Create fun traditions that kids can look forward to. Students in my class respect me and each other, and it is because I model a deep respect for them from the moment they first enter our classroom. English lends itself nicely to group discussions so my desks are shaped in a circle and students pass a talking piece to share (more on this in a future blog). The students in my classes know each other’s names, know each other’s levels of comfort, strengths and weaknesses, and use these data points to their advantage when collaborating and completing group tasks.
4. I am completely transparent with my students. I frame my teaching and explain to students how the lessons will apply directly to their real life. I teach skills rather than standards and give students the opportunity to be authentic leaders in my classroom. Not only do I have the #bowtieboys , our high school also has an enormous National Honors Society program, a PEER (Positive Experiences in Educational Relationships) team, a PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) team, a student lesson-planning committee, a student council, and many more. Make students leaders in your classrooms, your teams, your casts, your activities, and allow them to have experiences that will help them to be productive members of adult society.
5. Spend time with the students outside of class. I like to invite students in during their lunch blocks to practice oral presentations, to conference their writing, and to discuss the current books they are reading. Sometimes students come in “just to chill” and we talk about anything. Sometimes students come in large groups and sometimes the groups are smaller. When I see that a student wants to connect, I almost always drop what I am doing in order to meet with that student.
What I am suggesting in these five points is not anything revolutionary or groundbreaking – they are just key components to the success I have found in nurturing real rapport with my students. Students are human, just like we are human – and I think the best way to connect is to make each other aware of that humanity. Too often, school creates this automatic and forced relationship between these two parties – and students can tell when teachers are “faking it” – just as astutely as we can tell when a student plagiarizes a paper. Let us practice what we preach and be good human models for our students as we seek to ensure true connection rather than temporary scenery in each others’ lives.
Returning to that restaurant, I think of how different a public experience like dining out could be if it was socially acceptable to make connections with the people surrounding you. Some times of course call for privacy, and when such intimacy is necessary, I can see need to fend off the advancements of strangers attempting to encroach on your dinner conversation. However, looking around at how many people will sit across from each other anymore, both parties attached to their phone, eyes glued to their screens, I think upsetting the natural order could be vital.
Taking a look back at a classroom, I think of how many students sit at their desks before class begins, looking down, typing away on their electronics – whether texting, snapchatting, or playing a game, and I can’t help but feel them begging for the "green light" to connect with others. Let us make our classrooms spaces that foster this kind of growth. Let us convince our students that we are not merely water rushing by in the stream of their life – but something steadfast, and someone who is truly seeking to help them develop into the best individual they can become. Let us turn their attention away from their phones and towards their neighbors. Let us get students up and moving, collaborating and talking. They don’t like sitting any more than we do at our faculty meetings. They don’t like worksheets any more than we like paperwork. They don’t like busy and poorly planned technology integration any more than we enjoy answering the onslaught of e-mails pestering our inboxes. So let’s bring in some fun. Let’s create some environment. Let’s model what it means to be human.
And that’s not to say we last forever – scenery or not. I hold dear the famous quote by Nikos Kazantzakis: “True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own.” But let us also remember that students will never learn to create bridges on their own if we haven’t first fully become the bridge of which he speaks. We must be the epitome of that bridge. No more scenery. No more glances. Rather the detailed, nuanced, and careful bridge over that water.
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If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
RETURNS
I feel like human beings (in today’s society especially) are obsessed with looking forward. Whether planning our next vacation, our weeks, or even our next meal – it is surprisingly difficult to focus on the ‘now.’ I am guilty of checking these boxes and plugging along too, as I am an enormous planner. In fact, I plan everything. I can tell you what I will be doing from 7am-11pm every single day for the remainder of this calendar year (and I can also tell you what I will be wearing on that day). Okay, so the degree to which I plan is a bit obsessive-compulsive, but it is by this plan that I live.
I’ll never forget learning the concept of ‘entropy’ in physics during my junior year of high school. Entropy, or the disorder/chaos that surrounds us, is what I try to avoid at all costs. I like everything I do to have a reason, to be working towards something, to be neat and orderly. This way I can multi-task in several meaningful ways at a time. For example, planning out the clothes I wear ensures that I wear all clothing equally. As this may seem useless, the process has actually allowed me to keep my clothes looking brand new (since I don’t overwear anything and typically only repeat a shirt once or twice a year). So, when I wear a button down shirt I bought in high school, it appears to be brand new (as I have likely only worn it twenty to thirty times in my life). Also, knowing what I will wear each day eliminates huge stress in the morning. I can just grab and go. I use this method to pack my lunches, to grocery shop, and to plan my days.
On any given weekday, it can be assumed that I will be teaching from 8:45-3:45, will be engaged in an after school activity (whether musical from December-April) or another (extra help/tutoring) until about 6:00, and will be catching up over dinner with a friend (for business or pleasure) for the rest of the evening. On the weekends, I coach paintball from April-December (because during musical season it is too cold to play and I am busy on those weekends holding rehearsals, building and painting sets, and presenting the finished productions). In the summer, June is my month to travel, coach paintball camps, and/or teach writing seminars. I spend fourth of July with my brother in Charleston, the following three weeks of July directing my high school summer stock theatre program, and the first three weeks of August directing my middle school summer stock theatre program. These traditions will continue until some kind of large change occurs in my life.
When planning lessons, however, this style can be dangerous. I feel like we as teachers get trapped in our plans far too often – sacrificing real student learning and engagement for checking our boxes and plowing through our curriculum. I was recently talking to colleagues from another school who work in social studies and asked, “how long does it take for you to get through ___ unit?” Their response was, “I’m not sure because I’ve always taught it with several snow days in between.” With the mild winter we have had in Virginia this year, we are on a bit of a different schedule. But has that changed our plans?
To me, a common problem in teaching English is the idea of “the unit.” One of my #bowtieboys, Sean Pettit is famous for saying “units encourage forgetting” – and I’d have to agree. We are really good at delivering information to students (especially in the upper grades). We can do so quickly and efficiently… but how much are they actually retaining? How much are they actually LEARNING?
We remember for our own school days. We would take notes in class, engage in some kind of review activity the day before the test, cram what we could the night before, survive the test the next day, and promptly forget everything to make room for the next topic the following week. This is why we spend so much time at the beginning of every year “reminding” students about what they were supposed to have learned in previous grades. You never have to do that to someone who has learned how to drive or ride a bike. I haven’t ridden a bike in probably a decade and I am completely confident I could get on and pedal away into the sunset with no problem. Ask me now to take a test on sinusoidal waves and asymptotes from trigonometry. The results would be disastrous. So why do we still teach this way?
To me, a unit says, we need to know X material for Y amount of time before we move on to Z. Within this style are several inherent flaws. Let’s pretend I am teaching parts of speech to middle schoolers. I may say we learn nouns on Monday, verbs on Tuesday, adjectives on Wednesday, others (like an introduction to Adverbs, Conjunctions, Interjections, Prepositions on Thursday), and quiz on Friday. In doing so I have made a lot of assumptions. I am plugging along with a plan, and am likely staying paced with some arbitrary curriculum guide, but I am assuming my students will KNOW nouns after Monday, verbs after Tuesday, and so on. Simultaneously, I am assuming no one knows anything about these before they enter my class. What happens to the poor students who have known parts of speech since first or second grade? They are doomed to my busy work as we continue our “one-size-fits-all” pace. This could leave those students struggling with these concepts in the dust, and students who are not, bored and unengaged. This, as we well know, is a recipe for classroom management issues galore.
But units allow us to plan our quarters, our semesters, our school years. It is so nice to look at a calendar (especially for someone like me) and say: quarter one is content writing and reading nonfiction, quarter two is media literacy and grammar, quarter three is reading fiction and poetry while studying vocabulary, and quarter four is research and oral presentations. In doing so, I have packed the entire ninth grade Virginia English curriculum into the school year. Regardless of snow days, we are going to get this finished! The same problem can arise when pacing class novels. This is especially tricky because there must be pacing to ensure everyone is (forgive the pun) on the same page for Socratic seminars, fishbowl discussions, essays, and projects. But what if the inauthentic pace of the teacher is slowing down the fast readers while moving too quickly for the slower readers? My solution to all of this is to allow each individual student in a class to set his or her own pace.
As mentioned last week, we are piloting this idea in my current sophomore level English class. My freshmen are still plugging away at their office work (mentioned in my first post) – but class wasn’t going as well with the tenth graders. I knew mid-year I had to throw out my perfect calendar (and being planner extraordinaire – this was extremely difficult) because “reading” And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and Animal Farm by George Orwell and “rushing” Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and 1984 by Orwell were very different experiences. My original plan was to give each novel a month of class time – this way my students would be sure to have read all eight sophomore level texts. Reading the first two books within their months felt authentic, but rushing the other two into their month’s time was a miserable and challenging task through which the students suffered. We were analyzing songs and poems simultaneously and due to the brevity of these pieces, THAT aspect was going okay… and the students enjoyed the ensuing discussions, but there were still other elements of the class to fix.
Students did not like the way we were instructing vocabulary – having different units per week, working through the book, studying, and taking quizzes. The scores were always dismal and students admitted that they barely glanced at the words because they didn’t believe they would need them in their real lives. Being an English teacher, and having to re-familiarize a few of their words myself, I could see where they were coming from. Because we still have to teach vocabulary, we decided to ditch the workbook and to pull vocabulary from our current class novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Now, rather than taking tests and filling in blanks, students are learning the skills of deciphering complex vocabulary in context – a skill they agree will definitely come in handy in the real world.
We have also created more of a writer’s workshop model for teaching writing. Rather than forcing the students to write analyses of the songs and poems we analyze together in class, students are now able to dabble in a myriad forms. Some are creative writing, others are writing presentations, some are researching, and some have decided to continue composing analyses. During these class workshops, I have time to circulate and meet with each student, and in the mean time they are working with each other, asking for opinions to improve their writing from their classmates. This new method is much more enjoyable for the students and is producing much more authentic results. Not only is the writing quality higher, it is more passionate – because students are writing what they want. It always comes down to choice.
I truly believe we will be better served in letting going of the schedules to which we so desperately cling and allowing the students to dictate the pace of the class. This, once again, cannot be done in a “one-size-fits-all” manner – but in a way that reflects true student choice: creating an environment in which each student has the space to learn at his or her own pace. Cynics discuss how students will take advantage of this style – choosing to work slowly in order to complete the least amount of work. In my experience, I have found that boredom trumps all. Eventually, that student spending a month writing a haiku will get tired of their own game and seek to move on, especially when the culture of the class is to move as quickly as one can (while actually learning the material) to ensure the greatest amount of coverage. I know that at the end of the year, I would rather have an entire class truly understand 75% of the prescribed curriculum than have been exposed to 100% of the curriculum with less than 50% retention.
Within this choice, be sure to build in “doing.” This isn’t about students choosing which lectures you deliver, but students choosing in which hands-on activities they plan to engage. English is a content of skills. Students should be READING, WRITING, and SPEAKING – not studying the rhetoric of these disciplines. With the proper amount of time to work and struggle in each, students will see how these concepts apply to their real lives and why it is important that we study English. This will be the kind of class that brings us the biggest “returns” for our efforts: returns in student growth, returns in mastery of concept, and returns in an overarching appreciation for a class that is otherwise commonly loathed by its population of students. Otherwise, we may be able to follow our calendars and check our boxes, cover our curriculums and manage our snow days… but we will spend our Septembers re-teaching the grade before and wondering when we will finally see the returns we desire. When we finally witness the fruits of our collective labor.
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If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
STARTING TO SHIFT
In high school, things were a little different than I was used to in middle school. A couple of students who were close to me through our extra-curricular activities started to let slip that “everyone was talking about how no one wanted to have me as their teacher in high school.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. When I inquired what they meant, they simply stated it was the way I taught. They assured me that kids liked me, but they hated all the work I assigned. They were looking for an “easy teacher” who would give them an “easy A.” They had college admissions, not learning on their mind.
It was hard to not take this personally. I reflected back to being a student myself - I was almost never excited to have the rigorous demanding teacher when I was a teenager, which just meant more homework and less time with my friends. And certainly that was what my class had become – and although students had enjoyed it in seventh grade, it was clear they didn’t want to have to “live through it again when it really counted in high school.” I knew I had to make a change, but I was torn. This was a class and style of instruction that I was proud of. It was work “worth doing.” For the first time as a teacher, I was at a loss for ideas.
Four years into my career, I was used to being a “favorite” teacher among the students and parents of our area. I was (am) young and energetic – and teaching seventh grade, that really helped me connect with my students. I was heavily involved in extra-curriculars: directing our middle school’s nationally award-winning musicals, co-directing our equally rated show choir, coaching travel tournament paintball (it’s a thing) – anything I could do to connect with kids and create an environment of high expectations and unrivaled engagement. At the beginning of every school year, parents would flood our guidance office with requests that their student be placed into my language arts classroom. At orientation, students would rush into my room proclaiming, “Mr. A. I got you! I’m going to be in your class this year!”
Then, in my fifth year, I had the opportunity to teach freshmen at the brand new high school in the same neighborhood – the new school my former middle schoolers would attend. I couldn’t have been more thrilled. We had had such a positive experience in our time during seventh grade – especially engaging in my original instructional style: The Curriculum Menu. In this model, students would pick two of the eight Virginia Standards of Learning to master per quarter and complete self-created and self-paced formative and summative assessments to demonstrate mastery of the content. Students seemed connected to their learning, were achieving high scores on the state standardized tests, and were happier than ever to be in my class. I had changed the classroom environment: swapping desks for couches, long tables for coffee tables, institutional tile for decorative shag rugs, and fluorescents for dim mood lighting. I spoke about these paradigm shifts at NCTE in Boston, Washington D.C., and Minneapolis. I felt as though I had created the perfect English classroom. And then those decorative rugs were ripped right out from under me.
I talked to a slew of the parent friends I had made in the community, especially after I had heard from some of my “sources” that parents were even willing to go as far as to request from the guidance office that their child NOT be put in my class. I was more than wobbled – I was crushed.
But, I still believed in the work I was doing because I knew it yielded results, despite the intense work, students WERE learning and WERE enjoying it – whether they admitted/remembered it or not. I spent the summer doing some major reflecting.
In that reflection I came up with some core instructional beliefs and began re-constructing my delivery. I believed that students should have autonomy in their pacing, that they should learn skills rather than content that their work should be applicable to their real life and be shared with authentic audiences, and that they should be utilizing the same technology adults use in the work force.
It was this last thought that proved to be my entry point into the curriculum. I wondered what would happen if I could make my classroom feel more like the real world work force? And then the idea came to me, I would run my English class like a business. We would be a classroom office.
In speaking with a long time colleague who teaches across the hall from me, we decided to both use the office model this year and he had the idea of conducting our “business” online. He had experienced great success in having students analyze songs, poems, and conduct online discussions in middle school and thought we could make these ideas major elements of our business. Using the tool, Weebly, he showed how we could mix my ideas for a business model and students working in departments with elements of English instruction he had proven to be both engaging and successful.
In speaking with a long time colleague who teaches across the hall from me, we decided to both use the office model this year and he had the idea of conducting our “business” online. He had experienced great success in having students analyze songs, poems, and conduct online discussions in middle school and thought we could make these ideas major elements of our business. Using the tool, Weebly, he showed how we could mix my ideas for a business model and students working in departments with elements of English instruction he had proven to be both engaging and successful.
This year when students entered my room for orientation, they slumped into their seats, gave me a few tragic nods of recognition, and allowed me to begin my welcome. I introduced myself and discussed a few of the necessary supplies – all to pained looks. I could see their minds churning: how were they going to get out of all this work? And then I put them out of their misery, “Oh and we’re not doing the Curriculum Menu this year.”
I wish I was poetic enough to describe to you the palpable energy that overcame the room – but mortal words cannot adequately do the moment justice. And it just got better when I started to explain what we WOULD be doing in its place.
I was transparent with them. I told them I wanted to keep everything that had made the Curriculum Menu successful, while ridding the class of all the homework and stress the system had created. I told them they would be working in different “departments” each quarter – some in charge of weekly discussion boards about the texts we were studying, others leading professional development for the class – yes, actually designing instruction and teaching what THEY loved about English. There would be a department that analyzed everything from our quick writes to the work students in other English classes were completing, and finally a group that created weekly newsletters for our stockholders, the parents, detailing what we had learned that week and what Virginia standards we had covered in doing so. It was the perfect storm of teamwork and innovative ideas.
Additionally, I added four Keurig machines to the back of the classroom and told the kids “All these needs are your K-cups and travel mugs” We had our very own break room – a space for kids to relax and mingle amidst the serious “office work” they were completing.
Those students left that orientation all smiles – smiles mirrored by their parents that evening at their orientation. Kids were once again excited to learn, and I was proud of the work we were doing together. Ever since that orientation, these kids haven’t slowed down. In just a semester of instruction, they have fully analyzed twelve serious poems (I’m talking: Longfellow, Millay, etc.), twelve songs of multiple genres, four full novels and are starting their fifth, have engaged in numerous quick writes, have held twelve online discussions and professional development sessions, have sent newsletters home to parents in a myriad forms and have conversed with students in other classes about their learning. Most importantly, they are actively engaged, they are collaborating, creating authentic products and using real world skills. They have the autonomy offered to adults and can see how what they are learning is applicable to their individual lives.
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If you are interested in hearing from these students yourself - please follow their blogs/twitters as well. Even more shifts are taking place - and I can't wait to keep you in the loop of all there is to come. It is our belief that shifting the classroom paradigm to a 50-50 partnership between student and teacher will be the key in making learning engaging, enjoyable, and accessible to all. We seek to support teachers as well as students in this identity shift - all from the daily thoughts of teachers and high school students themselves. :-)
Jason Augustowski, M.Ed. @misteramistera http://jasonaugustowskibtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated weekly beginning 1/31)
Ryan Beaver @RBeaver05 http://ryanbeaverbtb.blogspot.com (Blogs updated Mondays beginning 2/6)
Sam Fremin @thesammer88 http://samfreminbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Fridays beginning 2/3)
Spencer Hill @spencerhill99 http://spencerbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Tuesdays beginning 2/7)
Ryan Hur @RyanHur09 http://ryanhurbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Joe O'Such @Joe_Osuch http://bowtieboyjoe.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
Sean Pettit @seanpettit9 http://seanpettitbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Sundays beginning 2/5)
Kellen Pluntke @kellenpluntke http://kellenbowtieboy.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Saturdays beginning 2/4)
Jack Selman @jacksel6 http://jackselmanbtb.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Wednesdays beginning 2/1)
Dawson Unger @dawsonunger http://btb-dawson.blogspot.com/ (Blogs updated Thursdays beginning 2/2)
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