Every once in a while . . .

Every once in a while there is a kid in one of my classes who is simply fabulous at doing the creative writing assignments that I give. This year, one of my junior high students always does the best job. I look forward to reading everything that he writes. It is always witty and funny and above the norm.

The other day he told me that he does not want to be a teacher, but if he was, he would love reading the creative 'stuff' that students write. I realized that he always puts so much into each assignment that he does not even know that there are students who are turning in just enough to 'get by.' I gave them the 'Me A-Z' assignment that I did on my personal blog a few days ago. I thought I would share what he wrote.

A-dventures: Stories and movies about adventures are always good. Adventure books are my favorite.

B-ananas: Bananas are the grossest fruits. They are always brown and mushy. They squeeze through my teeth and just give me the chills.

C-laustrophobia: I am very claustrophobic. Tube slides? No! Have I ever asked you if I can get in your suitcase and come with you? Did not think so!

D-ownhill dips: Near Lake Upsilon there is a dip that feels like a roller coaster. I love these bumps. They should make them on purpose.

E-agles: Eagles are simply the best. People train them to land on their arm. That is the coolest thing ever.

F-irefighter: I want to be a volunteer firefighter. My cousin is a firefighter, and he really loves it.

G-rades: Grades are not the most important thing to me. They are important, but not my main concern every day. I still get good grades anyway.

H-alo: Halo is the most ultimate video game. I am really good at it. It is not what people think it is - saving the world from aliens. Haha

I-ce cream: Ice cream is a food I eat in my own way. I let it melt into cream, then I mix it and eat it. It tastes a lot different.

J-uice Box: Juice boxes are lame. One gulp and they are gone. At carnivals, etc., they cost like a dollar.

K-ikomen: A sauce that can be found in the Chinese restaurant in a near by town. This is a sauce that has a name I just love to say and make fun of.

L-eo: He is the coolest janitor ever, and he is very mysterious. He drives this machine around to get the floors clean and that makes the school stink.

M-osquitos: No one likes them. They have no point in life. They are gross and annoying. Period.

N-eopets: Neopets are pointless. I do not even know what they are, but they sound dumb.

O-reos: Oreos are the best cookies. Dip them in milk, and they are delicious. Sadly, they run out fast in the cookie box.

P-arellel parking: Everyone makes it sound really hard. I have never done it, (besides video games) and it does not seem hard at all. It just takes practice.

Q-uarters: Quarters are very handy to have around. Whether you are at college doing laundry or at the Chicken Hut playing video games, they are useful.

R-ise Against: Rise against is one of my favorite bands. They have really good songs, and I listen to them all the times.

S-oup: I burned my leg with a pot of soup. I had blisters and everything.

T-rampolines: Trampolines are the best outdoor activity. I wish I could have one, but apparently, "Our insurance does not support that."

U-niverse: It is the most interesting thing to think about. What is really out there?

V-eternarian: I always wanted to be one growing up. I love animals (not insects).

W-ater: Water is the greatest thing to have after spending five hours outside playing kick-the-can. Ice cold water!

X-rays: Looking at broken bones by using an x-ray is the coolest doctor related thing.

Y-outube: I can spend countless hours searching random stuff. Youtube always makes my day.

Z-oos: I could visit a zoo every day and never get bored.

What makes this so good to me? It is not the sentence structure or the length. It is not the wording choice or the punctuation. It is the fact that one of my students can use the letters A-Z (it is a lot, just try it) and come up with interesting, diverse, nouns that describe him to a 't'. (I know many adults that have a hard time describing themselves in a job interview.)

This students is a fabulous musician, a talented athlete, and can easily find diverse words that sum him up. He was able to talk about his likes and his dislikes, his goals and his future, his family life and his past, and give the reader a little piece of him through his writing. That is one of my main goals for my students. I want them to be able to use writing for themselves, for their lives.

To quote 'G', "Grades are not that important to me. They are important, but not my main concern every day." He did this assignment for the sake of the activity, not just to get a grade. Perfect, in my book.

I Hate Grades.

I hate to admit this, but grades (A,B,C,D,F,I, etc) used to be the one constant in my teaching career. I would give assignments, grade the assignments, put the grades in the grade book, weight the grades to reflect the importance I placed on different kinds of assignments and tests, then determine the final grade based on a mathematical equation.

Truthfully, that is what I did, and I reveled in the certainty of it. When questioned about the English grade of a particular student, I would always refer to the grade book. (The fact that I use the term 'grade book' lets one know how long ago I started!) I would show the grades that fell into each category on my perfectly organized and documented spreadsheet. I would talk about percentages as if they were the law. I would fill in empty blocks in my perfect book the moment that the student had passed the 'allowed' time for make up work. Those zeros were non-negotiable and unquestionable in my opinion.

Slowly, and thankfully, I changed. Somewhere along my teaching path, I found new constants in my career. I learned that I was competent and effective and inspiring and compassionate. I could see learning as a process, a path, a reality that is as different for my students as the age at which babies learn to walk.

I found that my students could teach me as much as I teach them. I learned that learning is a journey that I am a part of, not the end-all-be-all leader of. I guide, I advise, I encourage, but most of all I watch and listen. I tailor what is happening in my room to make my curriculum valid for each different group and each different individual.

I absorb the newest in brain research, and I create assessments that are authentic. I ask my students to think deeper than they ever have and answer questions that there is no real answer to. I encourage them to give a response that they are unsure of. I tell them there are no 'rights' and 'wrongs' as long as their answers are tied to the text and show thought.

Then, I have to give grades. Grades are ridiculous. We have standards and benchmarks that set the goals each student should meet or exceed by the end of each school year. Yet, we have to grade each and every assignment that's sole purpose is to give students the opportunity to practice the skills they are supposed to accomplish in a school year. OK, not each and every assignment.

We do, however, need to give grades at the end of each quarter. I do not segment the standards into four separate quarters. I teach so that my students are able to use the English skills needed for competency in a coordinated manner. I want them to be able to synthesize research, reading, writing, speaking, listening, media, and language into their every day lives. Some of them may be naturally gifted in one area and need to work conscientiously on the others. I do not care how they get there or how fast, as long as they have the language skills they need to accomplish their life goals.

Yet the world continues to focus on those stupid letters. Insurance companies give discounts to students with good grades. Parents reward students who have all A's or all B's. Students ask whether or not an assignment is going to be graded, with the intention of not completing those that will not be. Grades have to be turned in at the end of every quarter. Students want to have all A's because colleges are going to look at these grades for admittance to post-secondary education.

Really? I can understand if students and parents need feedback on the 'quality and quantity of effort' being expended while working toward the year-end goals. When have we ever graded a baby who is learning to walk on the walking they are doing at the end of each nine week period? The goal is that they learn to walk. Does it really matter how fast they learn it as long as they eventually get it? True. We call and give updates to all interested parties on each and every unsteady step! We should be able to find a way to give updates on the 'progress' toward the year-end goal without the stigma attached to the A,B,C . . . system.

I have actually worked on this. I have a system for keeping track of my students' progress toward their year end goal. I can mark whether they are novice, partially proficient, proficient, or advanced in each of the benchmarked areas. And they too can decide how proficient they are in each area, and we can discuss what they need to do to do better. They can see their progress after each unit of study or each practice assignment.

How does this work? It does not. Because at the end of each quarter I have to submit the same A,B,C,D,F,I that cause all the fuss in the first place. I hate grades. I love progress and accomplishments. Grades do not show either.

Education Should Be Fair

Hello. Sorry I missed yesterday, but I was not in school yesterday. I had a day that I am only willing to 'replay' on my Out of Control Life blog!!! Yes, it was that bad. Maybe by tonight I will be far enough from the trauma that I will be able to document it. :)

Back to education.

One thing that I truly believe and always will is that education needs to be 'fair.' I know that there have been times in my own career when a lesson that I have created has been unfair to one student or another.

Sometimes I am too focused on lecturing, at the expense of my creative types.
Sometimes I am too focused on creative writing, at the expense of my technical learners.

Sometimes I am too focused on my special education students, at the expense of my high achievers.

I could continue this list, but that is not the point.

What is most important about my growth as an educator is that I recognize these 'truths' and work constantly and consistently to change my preparation and teach in a way that is fair to all.

Fair is when everyone gets the instruction they need to succeed - not when everyone gets the same instruction.

My critics will inevitably be thinking or saying that it is impossible to individualize instruction for each and every student who comes through the classroom door. I agree. It is easier for me than it is for many of my colleagues across the state and nation because my largest class is twenty-one, and my smallest is twelve. I also have the advantage of teaching the same students from the time they are in junior high until graduation.

I am only at a disadvantage in the number of levels I must prepare for each day. During a normal school year, I prepare for grades 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 daily. That is a lot of preparation, especially when small schools are notoriously understaffed in special education areas.

None of this matters. O.K., I will clarify. It does, and it does not. These factors matter in the day to day challenges each and every teacher faces. The factors do not matter when the education of students is concerned. Each of them deserves what they need to be successful. Period.

Do I have all the answers? No way. Do I have some suggestions? Yes. I cannot pretend to know what will make each and every individual teacher a success. I do know what has worked to help me improve, and I want to share.

1. Know the standards and benchmarks. Having a healthy working knowledge of the standards and benchmarks of the curriculum you teach, along with the ones above and below your grade level/levels allows for a consistent scope and sequence of curriculum. I am not saying 'memorize' them word for word. Just be able to attach one or more standards to each lesson you teach. It will keep you grounded.

2. Be open minded to new brain research and actively seek out the new discoveries. Try not to get stuck in the belief that, "If it was good 20 years ago, it is still good now." This may be true, but think of it this way. Would you want the doctor operating on your two year old child who has tragically been diagnosed with a brain tumor to use the technology and resources that were available 20 years ago, or those on the cutting edge today?

3. Try to make a connection that establishes trust and respect with each student that you teach. This is not always easy, believe me! I have learned that common kindness and courtesy go a long way. Students notice when you take the time to say "hello" every time you see them, or reexplain an assignment without any condescension or sarcasm. Study their faces. A face can show understanding, confusion, sickness, worry, fear, or satisfaction. Taking the time to understand how they are feeling on a particular day may make or break the quality and quantity of the work they will do for you. (I do know they should be doing the work for personal benefit, not 'for me,' but many of them do not see it that way.)

4. Take classes whether you need the credit or not. I began writing lesson plans that focus on different kinds of learning and personality styles only after I took 4MAT training. I love 4MAT and recommend it, but there are many different, wonderful planning strategies that can clarify and improve your teaching. Find a class that peeks your interest and take what works for you from it.

5. Work closely with the special education specialists in your school. They know where to find the information you need about your special education students. They can give you strategies to help them that are easy to implement into your daily routine. Many of the accommodations for students with special needs are useful to regular education students.

6. Use authentic assessments.

7. Find assignments that are valid for assessing students of differing levels.

I feel like I am getting long-winded. No, I KNOW I am being long-winded. It is one of my weaknesses. I have other suggestions; I have been trying to improve my teaching for at least 13 years. I have been teaching 14, but I am pretty sure the first year I just tried to survive! :) I will continue and elaborate later. For now, I am off to enjoy my family for the evening.