Just One Day - an Activity
Cross posted on the Teaching with Primary Sources Teachers Network
I was looking around for a New Year's Eve relevant image and this front page from 1936 jumped out at me. One day of news from any old random day can provide so many avenues for questioning and research. I would love to give this page to a room of 11th graders and see what they could figure out in 30 minutes.
What happened to Dr. Mattson and his son? Was this related to any other prominent kidnappings?
What regulations existed in 1936 that made a 5 day work week not the norm? Who was involved in this endeavor? What happened to it?
Robert Cuse seems to be quite a player in international arms dealing - what ended up happening to him and his business?
Why is it news where Mrs. Wallis Simpson is staying?
What were the United Dry Forces?
What happened to Sen. Burke's plan to limit the President to one 6 year term? How far did this idea get?
If I were still in the classroom I think I might get a randomizer that gives us a date and a year between 1890-1960 - and send the students into Chronicling America to see what the country was talking about that day. Students could look to local papers, regional ones, more nationally focused... You could have categories for most random story, biggest national impact, strangest reporting, a story about something still relevant today, a story about something completely irrelevant today, something connected to a topic studied, something/someone you've never heard about before, etc.
The ability to practice research skills, questioning and expand understanding of the past is vast. The resources of the LOC make something like this so possible, engaging and relevant. Join us for more ideas and discussions about primary sources in the classroom - https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/
AI Skepticism - History Wrongs
An early mention of artificial intelligence in the The Evening Star, Sept. 22nd, 1961. This was part of a classified ad from RCA Data Systems Division.
(Cross posted on the Teaching with Primary Sources Teachers Network)
I keep a list of ‘history wrongs’ that include stories like this:
Black students were cast as slaves in New York teacher's mock 'auctions,' state finds
D.C. Third Graders Reportedly Told To Reenact Graphic Scenes From The Holocaust
Teacher Placed on Leave Over ‘Mock Slave Auction’ in Classroom
I am so so so very skeptical of role playing activities in general because they are often handled without the deep reflection and consideration needed. More often than not, I see instances that place students in roles to be traumatized or traumatize others - which these above mentioned activities most certainly do.
So, last week when TeacherServer (feel free to look it up on your own) was shared on bluesky, I decided to kick the tires and see what resulted. Two of the first options were Historical Event Perspective Generator and Historical Figure Interview Simulator. Oof. I suspected my investigation was not going to go well - at all. For the Historical Event Perspective Generator I asked for 7th grade, Civil War, 1860-1865, Perspective of an enslaved person. Here is an excerpt of what it produced:
The historical inaccuracy jumped out at me and took me out of the whole thing. The rest of it was *fine* but in my estimation wholly unnecessary. What is this providing that a primary source doesn’t? How about a vetted secondary source? Why would we use a silly amount of computing resources to produce what already exists in a more factually accurate form?
Then I moved onto the Historical Figure Interview Simulator and went with the most potentially troubling person - Hitler. I’ll spare you the result - as I find it wildly inappropriate ‘creative’ exercise. I will share that I’ve tried to report my concerns with this output through the site and both times I’ve received this response.
When you come across these AI based tools, please be extremely skeptical of their use in history. While there may be some valuable tools in there, simulators like those above have the potential for harm. Additionally, the outputs in this particular tool are not all that interesting, but rather a march through factual’ish information in a narrative or interview fashion. Far more accurate and potentially instructive sources exist throughout the primary source landscape.
Resource Roundup - Sixteenth Street Church Bombing
Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
Crossposted from the TPS Teacher Network
This morning I was scanning through social media and saw a number of folks reacting to this piece by Kevin Kruse - "Who's Really Guilty?" - focused on the 60th anniversary of the Sixteenth Baptist Church in Birmingham. This is one of those moments in history that I am familiar with but not in any comprehensive or complete way. As I read, I was struck, once again, about how little ‘we’ know or think we know about a subject. That heinous day in 1963 did kill those four girls - but there were so many lives shattered and altered on that day, the way people reacted, the connected violence throughout the day. At the end of the piece there is a video of Charles Morgan’s speech, A Time to Speak that he delivered on September 16th, 1963. It is hard to listen to and not hear the echoes of the same issues that plagued 1963 still hanging on in 2023.
LOC Resources for Further Investigation
Fred Stewart and Tyler Collins / Dawoud Bey. and Mathes Manafree and Cassandra Griffin / Dawoud Bey.
These resources didn’t have a ton of detail listed but I was curious, so I sought out the original work. It is a fascinating concept and I could imagine would spark a number of classroom conversations.
Dawoud Bey's Poignant "The Birmingham Project" on View at National Gallery of Art, September 12, 2018, through April 22, 2019
Not an easy photo to use as it is small and not able to be made larger, which led me to think, what else was in the news about this bombing so I went to Chronicling America - I used the victims’ names to narrow the search
Several articles on this first edition after the bombing. Summary of the bombing, Presidential response and an article interviewing the pastor of Sixteenth Street.
Later in the same edition - Evening star. [volume], September 16, 1963, Page A-7, Image 7
There is a ton happening on that page and could be used as a serious window into life in 1963… polio, desegregation, bombings, leaders not following the law, presidential campaign, dedication of a jail as a Mormon Shrine.
There are three separate pieces on this front page detailing different aspects of the coverage - A review of action taking place in Alabama, a protest at the White House and an essay from the editor of the Atlanta Constitution titled A Flower for the Graves.
Coverage of the funerals, Funeral Fails to Close Void and note the article at the bottom of the page, Church Ends Belair Bid, Blames Racial Policy.
An editorial bit from David Lawrence titled Kennedy Should Have Day of Mourning for White as well as Negro Victims of Racial Disturbances - There a lot to unpack in that piece, but again, you hear echoes of it today as well.
The article adjacent, again an interesting peek into the time… Idea that Sixth Grade Education if Proof of Literacy is Nonsense - it didn’t do where I thought the title implied.
Other Newspaper accounts
Jackson Advocate on Sept. 28, 1963 - article related to request for federal troops
Similar topic in the Minneapolis Spokesman on Sept. 19, 1963 - NAACP, Negro Leaders Urge US Martial Law in Birmingham
And possibly the most direct opening of an article from the Lexington Advertiser on Sept. 19, 1963 - Church Bombing in Birmingham - begins, “There must be a special place in hell for anyone who bombs a church.”
A number of legislative actions to recognize for four of the victims
Questions to pursue with this content
Can you hear similar rhetoric today in America?
Is there an equivalent to this violence today?
What was unexpected in the newspaper articles?
What questions do you have about Alabama in 1963?
What is happening today in Birmingham?
What do the survivors of the bombing have to say about the world today?
What could we have done or learned from the heinous act - that might have impacted our word for the better, today? Why didn’t we do it or learn it?
History in the News - Environmental Protection
Group picture of governors at White House Conference, copyright Harris & Ewing, 1908, Washington / Harris and Ewing
(Crossposted from the Teaching with Primary Sources Teacher Network)
There are three different pieces of writing/reporting to cross my screen in the past month
When American Governors and Moguls Came Together to Prevent Environmental Catastrophe
Excerpt - At the turn of the 20th century, floods, fires, and waste plagued the United States. Industries burned through resources and blew toxins into the air, with few restrictions. States and federal governments were only beginning to approach questions of the environment and did so in piecemeal ways.
In 1907, responding to the need to improve transportation, President Theodore Roosevelt tasked the Inland Waterways Commission with studying how to better manage rivers. The commissioners recognized a need for interstate coordination in this effort. Two in particular—Gifford Pinchot and William John “WJ” McGee—went further. They asked Roosevelt to invite all the country’s governors to Washington to discuss the pressing issues of water and natural resources.
Related LOC Primary Source Documents
This is the publication of the Conference of Governors held in the White House May 13-15, 1908 under the sponsorship of President Theodore Roosevelt.
The first National Conservation Congress of 1909 grew out of the 1908 Conference of Governors on the conservation of natural resources convened at the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot.
Young environmental activists prevail in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana
Excerpt - Young environmental activists scored what experts described as a ground-breaking legal victory Monday when a Montana judge said state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development.
The ruling in this first-of-its- kind trial in the U.S. adds to a small number of legal decisions around the world that have established a government duty to protect citizens from climate change.
Related LOC Resource
Guide to Law Online: U.S. Montana
A new tool in the fight to save the planet? A 6th-century Roman doctrine.
Excerpt - This might be a long shot. But many democracies do, in theory, guarantee their citizens the right to clean air, water, farmland, forests and other natural resources. The idea of getting judges to enforce this guarantee in more places is not unreasonable. Governments would merely be held to promises they’ve already made. The Montana ruling, for instance, rests on an explicit promise in the state’s constitution.
Each of these pieces focuses on the importance of government taking action to protect the environment - some through state government, federal government, business and the courts. The bit that stuck out to me the most is not just that the last two articles were written, it is (once again) that super interesting historical realization that we have been here before as per the first article. History is cyclical in many ways and there are hard edge turning points in there as well - I feel like we are in one of those liminal spaces where the echo of the past and a hard edge of modern times are converging.
Ways to use these concepts or articles in a history classroom
Use the Governors/Moguls article to gather information on what happened as a result of that 1908 Conference of Governors.
Did real change occur? Why did it or didn’t it happen?
Can we see the impact of any changes in our lives today?
Using the next two articles -
What is the role of young people to preserve a livable environment? What did the Romans believe?
Why if it was so important to the Romans so long ago, is it so hard to bring about change today?
Do a survey of each of the pieces - propose a local plan to address an issue related to the right to clean air, water, farmland, forests and other natural resources. Identify what governmental agency would be able to work on your plan and propose your ideas. Use the historical connections offered in each of the articles to bolster your argument.
What other environmental challenges have challenged America over the years and how has the country addressed them? (DDT, burning rivers, smog)
History in the News - Native American Boarding Schools
This is not new information to anyone that is in this group - however, I share this gift link (PDF version) to the New York Times article ‘War Against the Children’ for a few reasons. The NYT has a broad reach and everytime an institution takes the time to do long form reporting on this topic a larger audience will be made aware of the atrocities. The article uses an effective blend of maps, primary sources and narratives to elucidate the systematic approach to exploit and forcibly assimilate Native children all over the United States.
I could see using an article like this for a number of approaches in a classroom.
It is very long and could be chunked for different students reading different sections.
Identify LOC resources that further expound on the evidence and resources
I could see this being used to spark student investigations into the schools closest to your student’s location.
Look to state and local historical sites for resources
I could see using this as a way to contrast with what is happening to the children of Ukraine in Russia.
The boarding school idea was unfortunately a tool in the colonialism toolbox and also devastated indigenous communities in Australia and Canada (among others). There are tons of resources about those communities.
You could have students look for violations from the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
After some parsing of the text and the historical artifacts, some questions to grapple with…
How did the American government justify its actions in light of basic protections in the Bill of Rights and Constitution?
What did Canada and Australia do to reckon with their past abuses of indigenous people?
Other than outrage, what are actionable moves that US citizens can take, now that they know this information?
History in the News - 'Racial Brain Collection' and the overwhelmingly grim work of Alex Hrdlicka
This story showed up in my feed and social media several times over the last week or so with kind of tenuous connections and I finally took the time today to dig into the story more. Deep breath.
Here and Here Washpo articles - Revealing the Smithsonian’s ‘Racial Brain Collection’ (large number of documents and evidence included in the article)
Which then led to this article connecting the Washpo information …
Here - Searching for Maura (visual storytelling)
Maura came to St. Louis from the Philippines to be put on display at the 1904 World’s Fair. Records suggest that, after her death, a Smithsonian anthropologist took part of her brain.
…to this post from Peter Pappas in the Network
Here - How the St. Louis World’s Fair Celebrated America by Dehumanizing Others
A post in the Network from Peter Pappas (for folks outside the TPS Teachers Network, it can be found here)
The person I would like to highlight in all of this is named Alex Hrdlicka. From the Washpo Article
In 1903, Ales Hrdlicka (hurd-lich-kuh), an anthropologist and curator for the U.S. National Museum, the predecessor to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, started what he referred to as the “racial brain collection.” Hrdlicka believed that White people were superior and collected body parts to further now-debunked theories about anatomical differences between races.
He was widely viewed as an expert on race, evolution and human variation and believed that collecting body parts would help with the discovery of the origins of people in the Americas. He was featured in newspapers frequently, and his beliefs influenced U.S. government policies on race.
It continues
Over the 40 years in which Hrdlicka led the physical anthropology division at the Smithsonian, he recruited and built an international network of anthropologists, scientists, doctors and professors to collect body parts on his behalf, records show. Hrdlicka and the Smithsonian sometimes purchased the remains, or reimbursed donors for the cost of shipping body parts to Washington, records show.
Of the more than 30,700 human remains that the museum still holds in storage, more than 19,000 — or about 62 percent — were collected while Hrdlicka was head of the physical anthropology division, according to a Post analysis.
I’m not going to go into more detail than this here but I encourage you to read through the information and (unfortunately) get a glimpse into a very dark chapter of history.
Museums are holding onto a vast collection of body parts that were taken, often, under less than reputable conditions. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is one example of how important it is for accountability to be brought to bear but it is disheartening to know that although the law is in place, institutions are not proceeding with all due speed to comply with the law.
There is much reflection and correction needed in the world pertaining to the legacy of a man like Hrdlicka and the institutions that supported his work.
Where you will see Alex Hrdlicka in loc.gov
The Daily Alaska empire (Juneau, Alaska), May 19, 1936, Page 7
Curator and Four Other Scientists on Yukon Bound Westward will travel aboard the Coast Chelan for a cruise to the Western Aleutians Excavation Site. The remains being excavated on Kodiak Island, discovered by Dr.Hrdlicka in 1931 while traveling from the Bristol Bay and Iliamna regions, comprise a village occupying about four acres of area with "outskirts" covering an additional four acres.
The Daily Alaska empire (Juneau, Alaska), May 25, 1937
Dr. Hrdlicka Arrives on Northland Leaves Soon on Expedition
Working against time in an effort to retrieve that which the ages have both preserved and destroyed. Dr. Alex Hrdlicka has arrived in Juneau and leaves soon, commencing a scientific survey trip encompassing various historic points in the Territory.
The Wilmington morning star (Wilmington, N.C.), September 6, 1943, (FINAL EDITION)
World-Famous Anthropologist Was 74 Years Of Age - WASHINGTON, Sept. 5
Dr. Alex Hrdlicka, famous anthropologist died today at his home. He was 74. Dr. Hrdlicka was a native of Bohemia and came to this country at the age of 13 and became one of the world’s most noted authorities on mankind's history and development.
Almost all of the LOC search returns related to him are in newspaper accounts of his work.
There’s a ton to unpack here and my mind is honestly reeling to get around some of it - but here are some initial questions.
What is the connection between NAGPRA, the ‘Racial Brain Collection’ and the story of Henrietta Lacks?
Why does it seem to take *so long* to hold institutions accountable for past bad acts?
What action would be appropriate to deal with the mess of the Smithsonian collection?
Are there safeguards now in place to prevent these types of exploitation and theft? If so, what? If not, what are some recommendations?
More than a good idea...
As I type this, the first graduating class of SLA@Beeber is crossing the stage, seven years to the day from when SLA-Center City graduated its first class in 2010. This grand plan was kicked around for years while I worked at SLA-Center City and then after I left the classroom, momentum for opening a second campus caught some speed. A rundown of that part of the story can be read here.
There was a moment about 3 weeks before the opening and some really challenging issues were mounting... when Chris Lehmann looks at me across his desk and says... "Do you think this was a good idea?" I paused a full deep breath and said, "Chris, we are not at reflection yet... the answer is irrelevant because it's happening." Internally, I nearly lost my mind because questioning something as big as a school opening so close to the actual open of doors seemed ludicrous. But Lehmann is a reflective kind of guy and he wasn't asking because he thought it was a bad idea, but challenging because the timeline was so condensed and looking back, more time would have been helpful. But we did it anyway.
So, four years later, I can say, unequivocally, that this was more than a good idea. The blood, sweat and tears that the staff have poured into their school is evident in the smiles I see them wearing in all the photos flooding social media. That first graduating class is where you learn many of the hard lessons, form bonds that only come from pioneering/creating something new, and worry about what is the next thing you will need to do for the first time. After today, that staff will have done it all. A complete 4 year run with the founding class. I hope all of them have a really stellar summer plan that includes very little school work. They have earned a really relaxing summer break, ten times over.
To the students, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see your cap and gown photos all over my social media feed. So. Many. Congratulations. Being the first is hard, you have to break in all the new teachers, accept that there will never be a year quite like that first one and blaze a trail for the rising classes, hot on your heels. Know that you can always go home again, the network you have with your teachers and alum can be called on long after graduation.
For me, it's the culmination of a project that dominated my work life in the early years of Inquiry Schools and then less so as they found their legs. This style of project is heavy lifting in the early days and then gradually stepping away as they carry the project forward on their own steam. There is almost nothing better than a project like this not needing you anymore. And I've never been more proud to not be needed.
To all of the humans that worked hard to create this really special place, thank you. The world needs more schools built from a place of care, that value student curiosity and genuinely seek to create meaning with their students. This year the world welcomes 250 SLA grads into their mix. I'm not sure the world is ready for them... but I'm positive they are ready for the world.
The 5th Floor...
The first time I walked onto the 5th floor of SLA was August of 2008 with Chris Lehmann on a tour of the new space and to pick out my classroom. We opened all the doors and chatted about space, but when we got to room 504 I knew that was the room for me. Gigantic wall of windows and overlooking the rail lines which meant that there was some space for sunlight to fill the room.Over the years we watched the staging of the 2008 Phillies World Series Championship parade, on a lazy Sunday of grading I watched the motorcade for President Obama head for 30th St. station on JFK, there were advisory parties that included all manner of snack, there were hilariously pitched projects, in depth discussions, tough parent conferences, passionate disagreements, hushed conversations about what to do after high school, there was the moment when one of my first advisees found out that she won the Gates Millenium scholarship and we all cried. It was my favorite teaching space ... just out of the way enough to focus, sharing the hallway with Larissa and Brad, light that flooded the room.Since I left that space in June of 2012, I've rarely stepped foot back on the 5th floor. I convinced myself that it was because I always had limited minutes while I was in the building and it was more efficient to stay centrally located in the office. But the real reason that hit me straight in the feels last week was that I almost can't bear to be up there. Larissa and I needed to chat and it was much easier for me to come to her than for her to haul down to the office. I came around the corner and I had to catch myself. Like a punch to the gut, I don't go to the 5th floor because its a too visceral reminder that I am not a teacher anymore.On my way to school that day I had read a post from my former colleague and general all around fabulous human, Zac Chase that said, "“While I love what I’ve gotten to do since leaving the classroom and the experiences it has afforded me, nothing has been or will ever be as amazing as what I got to do in the classroom.” Being in that place, in that space is just a reminder of the loss of that part of my life. I miss teaching kids.
EduCon 2.8 Conversation - Silver Bullets, Panaceas and Elixirs: The False Prophets of Educational Reform
I was fortunate to be a conversation leader, an active attendee and support staff for the 9th convening of EduCon at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia from January 29-31st, 2016. I've been at all the EduCon's, even before I was hired to be a teacher at SLA. The format mimics the classroom methods that fuel the day to day experience at SLA and must be why I always feel so at home leading sessions in those big rooms with all the spectacular sunlight.This year, after a last minute cancellation, I was able to jump in and co-lead a session with Katrina Stevens, Deputy Director of the Office of Educational Technology, on the #GoOpen initiative, which was a treat. I hope to write more about that in the near future.My 'planned' session was titled "Silver Bullets, Elixirs and Panaceas: The False Prophets of Educational Reform". I throw some air quotes around planned because I don't do such a great job at planning for EduCon sessions. Its more that I have ideas, a general jumping off point and then feed off the energy, direction and flow of the conversation participants to move us along a path. I say all of this to call attention to fact that the people in the room were as much a part of what unfolded as I was. All of this was done super low tech and on stickies with lots of chatter and discussion throughout.Premise: There have been a gagillion propositions for what one thing will 'fix' American education. None of them are 'it'.
- Step One: Name all the silver bullets that have been pitched as the saviors of American education. Talk up at your tables.
- Step Two: Identify which ones are junk and which ones are useful - Useful ones are those that might be a productive tool to have in the toolbox, but not 'the' singular answer.
- Step Three: Add in other concepts, approaches, methods that you feel are important to have in the toolbox for a modern classroom/school/district.
- Step Four: As a table decide on the top ten items that are must haves. Results from the tables are below.
Wrap up: If you would have told me three years ago as I sat and listened to Michelle Rhee at the Free Library in Philadelphia that we would no longer have her voice dominating the educational reform scene, I wouldn't have believed you. The loud, definitive voices claiming that 'the' answer for educational reform is found in standardization, testing, accountability and tough talk for teachers... seem to be retreating. After surviving the decade+ slog through failed reforms, we have a proverbial PhD in what doesn't work in educational reform. There is space opening up in our conversations, circles, PLNs and policy talks for new ideas, for a different approach.We hold a particularly powerful position; we know what doesn't work, from experience, and also what tactics we've been using all along to mitigate the pain and frustration associated with the failed reforms. We know what is needed. If in this moment, where there is space to have a new conversation, make a turn, course correct... we stand by and wait for someone else to fill the space... it will once again fill with the newest silver bullets, panaceas and elixirs of educational reform.We MUST, in this moment, assert an affirmative position of change that resonates with our professional experience. We MUST not allow that space to be taken from us. We are 3.5 million strong. There are more of us than any other entity that is going to try and fill that space with their newest, flawed silver bullet.Please take time to write about what those top 10 items on your list are.Please take time to reengage your local community in what kinds of schools they want to create for their children.Please take time to assert your professional expertise to guide the narrative around how to make our schools relevant and meaningful.No one is coming to save us. We're it.Get loud, teachers, get loud.
Getting It Right - Levi P. Dodge Middle School, Farmington, MN
I miss the working with kids. While I am infinitely entertained by my 7 nieces and nephews, they tire of being 'in my class' as I try to recreate a little classroom magic when they come to hang out. So when Brianna Fleetham emailed me in early December sharing that she and her colleagues were working through a unit that was similar to the Power of One unit that I did with my middle schoolers in Flagstaff (10 years ago, oh man), I was interested in hearing more about her project, thrilled to answer questions and definitely worked to get myself invited to school to chat with the kids.Yesterday, that visit came to fruition. For the entire day, I was able work with the students of Levi P. Dodge Middle School in Farmington, MN to talk about my experiences working with kids and the Power of One, what it was like to hear Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) speak and what it was like to meet him. But the better part of the day was listening to the students discuss their ideas about what makes someone an 'upstander' (opposite of bystander) like Paul, who they think exemplifies that descriptor and in general what resonates with them about the story. There were all kinds of little moments where I could see kids start to think about what matters to them, what they think and how to take those ideas and start asking more questions.I could not have had a better day. While I enjoy the work that I do now, that it is relevant 
and meaningful... I will always contend that a room full of students, buzzing with questions, excited to investigate those questions, ready to create from what they discover... That is a magical thing. Thanks to the teachers at Levi P. Dodge Middle School for opening your doors to me. I cannot wait to see what the students create!
When your friends write an amazing book...
... you write the foreward! Here is an excerpt from the foreward kicking off Building School 2.0: How to Create the Schools We Need by my long time friends and colleagues, Zac Chase and Chris Lehmann. (spoiler alert: I think this is a fabulous book that you all need to read)
During my four years there (SLA), I spent countless hours with Zac and Chris taking care of the administration and long-term planning for the school. Our work flow was definitely unusual. We spent (too) many late nights working around Chris’ desk, cycling between watching West Wing clips on YouTube, sharing thought provoking blog posts, quoting pithy tweets, being full on ridiculous and cranking out the work. I could tell you that we were efficient, but I’d be lying. Effective, yes, but efficient, no. Though the two of them may tell you that I was the ‘least fun’ one, always trying to keep us on task, I stretched myself greatly while I was there with them. The farm kid born of efficiency had to stop and question not just whether the work was getting done, but whether our work honored the people we were working and learning with along the way. We were the model of distracted productivity, and it was grand. Building School 2.0 is born of that distracted productivity, a blend of humanity and scholarly inquiry that fuels the daily dialogue at SLA. When we had a particularly challenging stretch, we truly would search to find the value of each school day. When we started taking ourselves a little too seriously, we reminded each other that humility matters and to not become ego-invested in our work. On those really amazing days, when the teaching and learning flowed ever so smoothly, we reveled in how lucky we were to be teachers. And on almost a daily basis, we would be silly--and I mean really silly, the kind that left you teary-eyed and with sore abs. The chapters of this book capture so much of what we cherish in that school environment, so much of what we are all still working to sustain at SLA and create in new learning environments.
Please pick this up, start the conversation in your community and really dig into the work of creating the schools we need.
A Prepositional Shift
One of the most simple and straightforward challenges I have been posing to teachers this summer is to change one of their classroom practices through a prepositional shift. If you want a teacher to shift to more inquiry, more student driven, then at the core of this switch is going to be how we prepositionally define the space between the teacher and student. Simply put, what are you currently doing to and for students that needs to be by and with students.
Choose a classroom routine or procedure, or a teaching method, or a unit and work to apply a new lens to shift one of them from 'teacher does to and for the student', to 'the work of the classroom is done by and with the students as the primary agent of their own education'.While this is not particularly complex, I have found it illuminating for teachers struggling to see how to shift toward a student directed educational space.
A lovely Art teacher in Wisconsin commented that after 20 years of teaching, it occurred to her that the seniors can plan all of their own field trips and that she will no longer take that on, for them. The idea that the experience will be more meaningful if they plan it as well as seeing the importance of the skills included in planning and executing a group trip. As you prep to step back into a classroom, or stand in front of your faculty or work with teachers in a less structured way... ask them to shift something that they currently do to and for, to by and with. The lens is helpful and one that I internally checked myself with throughout my years in the classroom.
The Organizing Object
Since I started my career, I have been fascinated with master schedules. I know it is not the most glamorous part of school, but I see the potential in a master schedule to serve so many purposes in a school. The math of it all is a nice little challenge, trying to take the priorities of a school and match that up with their full time teacher allotment, finding possibilities for common prep - all of these factors are interesting to me. Economy, efficiency, balance, equity were all considerations in the dance of getting the master to 'make'. One of the underlying assumptions of every master schedule I have ever helped to craft is that the classroom is the organizing object.I've been working with some schools in Henry County, Georgia and we have started trying to craft a master schedule that uses the student as the organizing object. As I was sitting around the table with the team of teachers and admin, it occurred to me that the organizing object of the master schedule is another one of those structures that needs to be re-evaluated in modern schools, not just a rethink of the minutes and blocks of time.This weekend I am going to lead a conversation at EduCon 2.7 titled, Personalized, not Individualized. I plan to spend a bit of time around this idea of the organizing object of schools as a part of that conversation. I think there are such interesting ways to make our schools and the learning more personal to the students. Can't wait to kick off the conversation!
School Transformation Thoughts
I am working with several schools on transforming the school structures, culture and instruction from a traditional model to a more modern version. Each of the schools has their own take on the outcomes that qualify it as more modern. PBL, personalization/student-centered and technology play a part in each of them. As each of these schools move toward change there are a variety of administrative supports and mandates that make the whole endeavor more dynamic.If you are in a position to walk the path of transformation I would like to offer a few words of observation and possibly advice, that I have encountered as I do this work.
- Allow for breathing room - the people who are walking the path need support, but be careful not to micromanage. Once a plan is in place, check in on progress but leave some room for the project to breathe, get up to running speed, a watched pot never boils... evoke whatever analogy you want. This matters.
- Play the long game - when the change process begins there is often a push to change it all right now, flip the thing over, disrupt. I would caution that to do so often alienates your core team, leaves the changes at a superficial level, and does not lay the ground work for the core changes that you want to see cement themselves into your school ecosystem. Its easy to drop new machines in a building and much more complex to bring that technology in to serve the pedagogy powerfully. Being thoughtful in scaffolding the process will set up the pathways of success for the team in ways that cannot be manufactured in any other way.
- Pay attention to critical indicators - I often joke that if none of the students are doing the homework, it is not a problem with the students - it is a problem with the homework. Similarly, if a critical mass of the teachers in a transformation school are not on board, its time to evaluate that push back. It is important to listen to what the criticisms are and attend to the information. Ignoring it will only lead to massive staff turnover, year after year, which is a death knell to meaningful change. Change requires a school to reevaluate all its systems and structures. This is uncomfortable. Help people move through that space rather than ignore the issues.
- Celebrate successes - Celebrate often, celebrate loudly, celebrate in the classrooms/school/community. Invite the community in, send the teachers and students out to meet with the community. It is important for the greater community to see the work of the students and start to see the transformation not just as a school initiative, but as a community effort.
These are just a few thoughts on my first 'real' day back at work this year. Working at the school level to support the teachers and admin through the process is exciting and exhausting. The people that have chosen to walk this path have their heads down, working as hard as they can to do right by the kids in their charge. I am honored to be on the path with them. Here's to all of you out there working to bring a more modern and meaningful version of school into the lives of kids, keep bringing it.
A Week in the Life
Many people that I meet ask me (what used to be) innocuous small talk questions like, where do you live and what do you do? For most of my life I have had incredibly direct and simple answers, Teacher from WI/KS/AZ/PA. Now I find myself using the phrase, I don't maintain a home and I am an educational consultant. Both of those phrases beg even more questions, that I gladly answer and love the opportunity to talk about the work I do, but it occurred to me that perhaps it would be worth a little plane time to type of a week from my schedule.Monday: Turn in rental car (Mustang, what a car) in Flagstaff, AZ. Fly to Milwaukee by way of a connecting flight in Phoenix. Spend most of the flight getting remotely caught up on the feedback for the grad class I teach with the University of Minnesota. Pick up the rental car (Chevy Cruze) in Milwaukee, head out to the CESA#1 Convening where I would keynote on Tuesday morning. Work on getting my slide deck, links and materials ready for the keynote and two followup sessions.Tuesday: Lead the conference attendees through my Building Systems and Structures for Modern Learning keynote at a conference concerned with Navigating the Path to Personalized Learning. Lead a follow up conversation with a smaller room of attendees on the ideas presented in the keynote. Conduct so many side conversations with so many excited and energized teachers as I made my way between the different conference spaces. Visit with Tammy Lind for a few minutes. Lead a conversation on Embracing Failure with a breakout session to close the conference. Head back to the MKE airport, turn in 2nd rental car of the week. Score a massive win by getting out of my delayed connecting flight and onto a direct flight to Philadelphia. Take the train to 30th St. Station in Center City Philadelphia to pick up the 3rd rental car (Chevy Sonic) of the week. Crash at Caitlin Thompson's house (one of the most gracious hosts for my stays in Philadelphia).Wednesday: Stop by SLA to get some blank checks from the Inquiry Schools accountant. Drive to SLA@Beeber and have a meeting with Chris Lehmann and Chris Johnson. Chat with SLA@Beeber's founding English teacher,Luke Zeller, about the path of professional development in the building for the next few weeks. Clean up the Canvas and SLATE databases. Remind all the teachers that we are going shopping for the new Maker Space with our afternoon Prof Dev time (we were awarded a generous grant from the StateFarm Youth Advisory Board). Head to Lowe's to meet up with Alex Gilliam and the Public Workshop crew and do a staff/student tool shopping scavenger hunt. Chris Johnson, Chris Pilla and I talk with the powers that be at Lowe's about our project and ways to effectively partner. Watch the glowing faces of teachers and students as they run around to locate all kinds of new and awesome tools for the school. Run the credit card on nearly $4000 worth of materials. Head to SLA in Center City to lead a meeting with some SLA teachers about potential summer work with Inquiry Schools. Meet with the Inquiry Schools accountant and Chris Lehmann to discuss finances and future projects.Thursday: Pack bags back into rental car. Head up to SLA@Beeber to work with Chris Johnson on some administrivia related to the grant projects. Roster a new student into their classes and walk her around to meet everyone. Work with Ann Leaness to clean up the rostering data. Brainstorm with Chris Alfano on how to streamline some of the database systems that we use. Talk up the teachers on how the year is going. Turn in the rental car. Meet Marcie Hull for a glass of wine at 30 St. Station before my train. Board the Amtrak to Union Station in Washington, DC. Work all the way down to DC on my workshop materials for Friday. Take the Metro to Zac Chase's neighborhood to have dinner.Friday: Borrow Zac's car (Ford Escape) to get over to St. Pat's Episcopal Day School in DC. Spend the entire morning working with an incredibly motivated and thoughtful group of educators. Return Zac's car and walk his sweet little pup, Daisy. Grab the Metro to meet up with Sam Chaltain for a late lunch. Spend the entire afternoon talking shop with Sam before heading to the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting for Talks @ Pulitzer: Not Your Mama's Drama–A Philadelphia Story where I was able to catch up with Nathalie Applewhite and Mark Schulte about their work. Dinner with Zac and a colleague...Saturday: Up early to cram all my stuff back in the suitcase, walk to the Metro check in at Reagan National. Head to San Diego by way of Phoenix.In a few hours I will pick up the 5th different car (hoping for another Mustang) for the week and check into a beach house that I have rented for the next 6 days as I catch up on sleep, work and get ready to return for a third year to work with the lovely Adina Sullivan and the San Marcos School District.This is a week - working directly with teachers, admin, thinkers, students, community partners - lots of email, digital collaboration, in person meetings, large keynotes, small sessions, balancing budgets, booking travel, strategic planning - I am not bored. As in my last post I will once again state, I love the variety and flexibility that my work affords. I am incredibly fortunate to have all these incredible opportunities, but thought it might be worth some time trying to actually plunk out a post that provides a little window into what I am up to.
Where do I live - everywhere. What do I do - so many things.
Moments of Clarity – Fall Edition
Since Monday, I have been in three different time zones, rented three different cars, flown through too many cities while working with some amazing educators in Wisconsin, Philadelphia and tomorrow in Washington, DC. I truly enjoy the work that I am doing. I am not bored, completely challenged and can choose the work I want to be engaged in. It is an extremely fortunate space to inhabit. I am grateful everyday.Last night I was offered some interesting work in California. I checked my calendar and it was smack dab in the middle of a potential 8-day river trip with the students that I long termed subbed with last year. I texted the AZ teacher that I’ve been on school river trips since 2002 to say, hey, I might take some work instead of going on the river. I let the text sit there overnight and he responded, we would love to have you, but make whatever choice is best for you, we totally understand.And as I sit at a table in the Amtrak café cart headed from Philly to DC, prepping to work with another amazing crew of teachers tomorrow… I had a moment of clarity. There was no way I was giving up the chance to go downriver with this group of kids. The overworking, cautious Midwesterner kicked in for a moment and I had to kick her back to the curb where she belongs.Let it be known… that working hard is something that I value deeply, engage in even when there is no money involved and feel compelled to do more than is probably wise. However, let it also be known that choosing to be on that trip with those kids will mean more to me than a year’s worth of paying work. This might be the last group of kids I have that student/teacher relationship with, for some time. I have chosen to be out of the classroom for the time being, it is something I actively choose but it doesn’t mean that I don’t miss it every. single. day.Today I reminded myself that when the choice is more work (albeit, interesting and meaningful work) and kids. I choose kids, definitely kids.
Passionate Learners by Pernille Ripp
Last year Pernille asked me to write the foreword to her first book, Passionate Learners: Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students. Although I am a reluctant writer, I was both humbled and honored to write for such an amazing educator (and human being, let's face it, she really is pretty spectacular all the way around).A little of what I didn't write in that foreword is that I first met her at dinner in Madison, WI in October 2012. It was a rare moment when Will Richardson and I were presenting at different schools about a half an hour from Madison, on the same day. When John Pederson caught wind of this, he arranged a dinner for me, Will, Curt Rees, Pernille, Stuart Ciske (and if I am forgetting anyone I am a terrible human being). What continues to be interesting when your digital world meets in person, is that it isn't strange. It should be strange, these are people you don't 'know', but there you are trading jokes and sarcasm and stories like you're old friends. Pernille was pretty quiet that night, but I was lucky to create some time to sit with her and Jen Wagner at ICE in February of 2013 and again at the Bammy's last fall. That was when I was able to get the full appreciation for how fired up she is for teaching, committed to the work and incredibly thoughtful.The way in which these relationships are created and fostered continues to intrigue me... Digital connections, made stronger by just enough in person chats over tea or a meal. I consider myself thankful for having the opportunity to be a part of her network and am thrilled to have had the chance to be play a tiny role in this wonderful publication. Congratulations, Pernille! (now go pick up your copy, it really is quite good)Here are a few of my thoughts as I read through the early copy -
Passionate Learners is an important read for all people connected to teaching and learning. The narrative Pernille weaves is that of student, teacher and mother. Specifically, she makes transparent her own process of transformation as a teacher and lets us into the day to day life of a professional educator. While I believe all members of the educational ecology can benefit from reading Passionate Learners, this book holds a special power for the practicing teacher who looks at the faces of students every day, determined to create an engaging and caring learning environment.
Passionate Learners asks incredibly important questions of teachers. One of the most difficult pieces of the profession today is keeping up with the pace of change and adjusting classroom methods to reflect the tools and resources available now. Early on, the reader is challenged to consider one of the most important questions any teacher can be asked: Would you like being a student in your own classroom? Pernille’s own answer to this question cracked open the space to approach her students and the minutes of the day very differently. Her honesty and willingness to be changed is refreshing.
Passionate Learners also takes up the critical discussion about giving student voice a prominent role in the classroom. The days of students quietly sitting in rows and listening as the teacher talks are over. Pernille lays out exactly why and how a teacher must approach this important topic. She offers her reasoning for this necessary shift and provides practical examples and suggestions for achieving this goal of giving the classroom back to the students.
Giving up our total control of learning continues to be one of the toughest teacher conversations to have. Pernille has blazed a clear trail for us as we seek to honor student voice and choice and bring it into balance with our own classroom responsibilities.
Passionate Learners also considers the role of relationships with students as an integral part of any robust and healthy classroom. She recounts her own struggles to shift from teacher as lawgiver to teacher as relationship builder. This is not an easy transition and she heart-warmingly tells about her own journey, with its twists and turns, and how she found her way to a more caring and thoughtful environment.
Pernille does not pretend that these transitions are easy; instead, she inspires us by laying bare the struggles that led her to a better place in her teaching practice AND how that professional transformation impacted the students in her care.
What is glaringly apparent in Passionate Learners is the paramount importance that Pernille places on reflection as a core part of her professional growth. In each chapter, she invites us into her own thought processes and revelations as she considers her learning journey thus far. None of the work she has done over the past six years would have been possible without this deep and intentional reflection.
This book provides a framework to begin reflecting on our own classroom practices. It is complete with heartfelt stories, helpful suggestions for shifting our own practice, and the wisdom of an in-service teacher who recognizes the importance of sharing, connection and reflection as she continues to develop into a master educator.
We need more teachers in the world like Pernille, who question, challenge and sometimes break the rules – pushing all of us to be better versions of ourselves. She is a force to be reckoned with, and this book will give readers a close-up look at the energy and thoughtfulness she brings to all facets of her life.
Art.
I taught art for a year in the 2000-2001 school year (as one of those, 20% of your job is something you are not certified in, but do it anyway kind of staffing situations) and I gained an enormous amount of teacher insight from the experience, but at no point would I call myself artistic or identify as an art teacher. But, there I found myself once again, in charge of leading an art activity while we were on our week at Camp Colton with the Alpine 7th graders. I will admit to being 100% surly about the situation as the event neared. It was a combination of exhaustion, not wanting to try something new and reeling from the 10 item supplies list that included ink, brushes, cups, tape, markers, clipboards, etc... and we were hiking with all that. Blerg.
My very good friend Megan tried to be super helpful in that moment when she sensed that I was not dealing with the prep for my art lesson very well. How I dealt with that was not my finest hour. But, I loaded up all the stuff, corralled the students and hiked to the top of this awesome spot that overlooked the San Francisco Peaks.First of all, the lesson that was created for me was awesome. It was elaborate and a little unwieldy for outside, but it was a thing of beauty. First activity, ask the students to spend 3-5 minutes focusing on just one sense and then write about what they heard after the time was up. Discuss. Guess what... the 7th graders were totally down with that activity and got it. Woo! On to the second part of the lesson, lead a discussion about what this area looked like 100 years ago - they had really good insights - fewer trees, different trees, no ski report, etc. Then they spent about 15 minutes drawing what they think the area will look like in 100 years. Another success! They were all about it. Next up, use India ink/watercolor to create an artistic interpretation of one part of the scenery. 
This is when I started having flashbacks to my Art teacher experience. First of all, I didn't need to be able to be the artist in this moment, I needed to create the space for them to be the artist. Second of all, I was being asked to do something in which I wasn't sure I could be 100% successful and it made me uncomfortable... welcome to almost everyday at school for the 7th grader. Finally, I know these things, but is it so important for me to stop in these moments and remind myself not to be so caught up in the 'stress' of it. Because as we sat there listening to the wind pick up through the tall grass, stress faded away... replaced by a little bit of awe, wonder and creativity. I laughed at myself after this. Straight up lol'ed at how ridiculous I had been leading up to the activity. Luckily, I was able to take a second group out the next day to repeat the activity with a much better attitude. Art. Nature. Kids. Watercolors. #sogood
