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
The important role relationships play.
Earlier this year, I posted about my current teaching gig and the struggle I was/am in to know the students better. Out of 180 days of school this year, I will have been their teacher for 97 of those days. And to make it extra awesome, those 97 days were not contiguous. To say I've struggled to get to know the kids, set learning routines, get them to trust me would be an understatement. But today, after days of promising that their current project was really about them investigating and creating a project that is meaningful to them, engaging their audience and is interesting (non-boring)... I watched them start to understand that I was not the 'boss', that their classmates were as good of a reference as I was with online tools and that they were in the driver's seat of their learning, that they could play with the ideas a little.Good thing there are only 9 instructional days left, eh?It was an uphill climb all year to get to this point. What sticks with me, what I have been saying for years and what I will continue to tell anyone that will listen is... If we really want kids to take academic risks, try new things, be an agent in their own education - relationships where trust and respect must form the bedrock of the experience. If you want their best, they have to trust that you are there as a support system. I think I finally got there with this group of students. There is almost nothing more important.
Speed Learning: A Classroom Activity
When I explain speed learning to the students, it is inevitable that one of them will say... is this like the learning version of speed dating, and the answer is, Yes! One of the issues that I try to address in the classroom is to have each student talking with the other students about their academic work. If you have students in groups, some will dominate and some will play wall flower. With speed learning, students are challenged to have several one on one conversations with the other students. I communicate a defined outcome as well as a time limit to help focus the discussions.Steps for using the method in class:
- Use speed learning in cases where each student has something unique to share, it could be workshopping their project ideas or sharing a news article they were asked to being in.
- Students arrange themselves so that each person is sitting across from one other person. I often teach with tables and it is easy to just have an 'inside' side and and 'outside' side to the tables.
- Place a visible countdown timer so that students are able to manage their time well.
- Use a graphic organizer to focus the listener and facilitate active participation. (Example from History of Anything project)
- Have the students switch 3-5 times depending on the desired outcome of the activity. In my experience, less than three is not enough, more than 5 and the students start to tire of the activity.
- Provide time for the students to process the questions they heard and the feedback they received.
Outcomes of such an activity include: students become more conversational with their topics, students become more conversational with their classmates (on academic topics), an increased probability of connection with others and their learning, foster a more robust 'thinking' process with their own work and every voice is heard.There aren't too many downsides to this type of activity, in my experience. While it is a loud activity with a ton of movement, I consider those all bonus moments for a dynamic learning environment.
History of Anything: Part One
First of all, credit to SLA teacher, Doug Herman for planting this idea in my head over the years at SLA. Here are the basics:
Brainstorm three topics that the student is interested in knowing more about, that fit with the goal of historical investigation.
Write three investigation questions for each of the topics and seek out the answers
Choose one of the three topics is the one that the student would like to hone in on for their research
Construct a minimum of a 10 item timeline of the major events for the chosen topic
Identify at least 5 people that are connected to the historical narrative for the chosen topic
Use that information to conduct a day of speed-learning - each student sharing what they have learned about the topic and answering/asking questions of each other. (more about speed-learning here)
"thinking homework" - How do you think that the story you are investigating would be most effectively told? What format will you evidence your learning?
Complete the contract that outlines the major pieces of the project, including challenges, format and resources needed
To be continued...
That is where we are right now in the process... I am choosing to do this project in a spiraling fashion, meaning that we ebb and flow between this project and an investigation of local history topics. The shared investigation of the local history topics provides an opportunity to practice and build skills that will then be evidenced in the History of Anything project. Also, I believe strongly, that projects like this need time to marinate and breathe, with opportunities for ideas to form, float, be tried and improved upon, hence the long timeline for the accompanying unit plan.
Moments of Clarity: Coaching
I started coaching in 1994. Basically, I showed up at a parochial school near where I was going to college to get more information about a possible coaching position. When I arrived, the man in charge handed me a clip board, a whistle and a group of 6th grade girls. There was no walking away once they told me their names. I coached that same set of girls, all through my college years, in volleyball and basketball and we were fierce. We rarely lost, in fact, I think we might have been undefeated for years. I'm lucky enough to still be facebook friends with one of the girls, who is now 32, married and has a lovely life.
The job was unpaid with terrible hours, but I could not have been more committed to that group of kids. When one is in college, it is easy to become consumed in the most self-absorbed lifestyle. This connection to these girls and their families was an anchor. Form that point on, I was hooked and continued coaching sports in Kansas and Arizona until 2008. When I moved to SLA and Philly, there were already coaches in place and I found myself doing a coaching of a different sort, and I built the Debate program at SLA. I enjoyed it, it was definitely coaching, we were a force to be reckoned with, but it wasn't the same thing.
When I started this long term sub job at Alpine in Flagstaff, I tried to tell myself that I wouldn't get too entangled, over committed, over involved, as is my nature. I needed to balance out the work I was committed to outside of Flagstaff while doing a good job in Flagstaff. Who was I kidding? Within the first few weeks I found myself agreeing to be a basketball coach. Now I won't go on a rant here about being busy, but let's just say that my dance card has been overfull for awhile. But there I was, saying yes to this. I enlisted the student teacher, who was in the classroom next to mine, to be a co-coach, so at least I had a partner to work with and balance the time commitment.
Coaching is a thing unto itself. It is not the same as playing... or teaching, what works on the court can translate in the classroom, but not in the ways that I think many people assume. The rapport that can be built amongst the players and then between the players and the coaches is unique in its quickness and effectiveness. The day after the first game, I had 15 boys in my classroom wanting to talk about their games... not just my own players, but the other boys. They wanted to make a connection over a shared experience, that had nothing to do with Social Studies. However, when I asked those boys to get back to work after some shenanigans in my classroom, they responded in a way that was different than before. The connection, the shared experience matters.
I know I've written this many times before, but the strong relationships that can be built between the people in the classroom are paramount. Every time I coach a team, I remember just how powerful that dynamic is. I could not be more thrilled that the student teacher I am working with, is getting it as well. We were both a little giddy after our win on Friday. I could see that she had caught the coaching bug. Between the two of us we have played/coached for something like 40 years... and we still can't get enough.
Chris Lehmann started coaching, again, after a hiatus while he got SLA up and running. I'll admit, I was a little frustrated with this decision because he didn't have the time for it. He was too busy. After his first few practices and games, I stopped being frustrated because I could see how much the experience was a value add to his day to day existence. Truth be told, when the email came out asking for coaches in Flagstaff, I wanted that same value add in my day to day life again. I'm glad that I've been able to steal a little bit of that awesomeness while I am in Flagstaff. Here's to knowing that being busy isn't a reason to ignore the things that make us more human, more fulfilled and engaged in living a life.
Audience Matters.
For the past 2 years I have been, predominantly, out of the classroom. However, in the past 6 months, I have been full time (long term sub) teaching in Flagstaff, AZ. Additionally, I teach (occasionally) online for the University of MN and I've been writing professional development curriculum modules for a district. Finally, I've started a project with the SLA teachers to bring their curriculum to the web in a searchable and meaningful way. To say that I work in curriculum would be an understatement. My work stretches from grade 6-inservice teachers. It is a range that, at times, feels gigantic. It is hard for me to prep for more than two of those things on any given night, as if I can't seem to spin up 7th grade lessons AND teacher PD modules at the same time.
So, here's the thing I've been realizing and this is not incredibly surprising, but it struck me about why some of this work comes easier to me. Right now, I can write the heck out of some middle school units and projects, but the PD modules are not going well. I've been asked to write up some articles about teaching and learning and I feel like I could crank that out right now, whereas 8 months ago I would have said no. The difference in all of this for me is audience. I can easily write middle school curriculum right now, because I am teaching middle schoolers. I can write about teaching, meaningfully, because I am teaching. I am having trouble with the PD module work because I am seriously disconnected from my audience.
I always try to use these moments of revelation (which I realize isn't earth shattering, but right now is very obvious and present) and think about the students. I imagine that this is what the students feel like when they are asked to create without an audience in mind. But to just *do* the work, because. I feel it every time I sit down to try and write the PD modules. I know generally who I am writing for, but I have no real connection to that community, I feel out of sync with their verbiage, flow and lingo.
My mind wants to create for the space where I have a connection. I need to always keep that thought handy when I work with the students and ask them to create... finding the connection to the work and the audience matters.
20 Years after the Rwandan Genocide
All weekend, I have been listening to NPR while I enter grades and work... and many people are talking about the Rwandan genocide. Most recently, I heard an interview with Paul Rusesabagina, the man featured in Hotel Rwanda and it sent me looking back on a pivotal moment in my teaching career. I was able to take a group of middle school students to hear Mr. Rusesabagina speak in Flagstaff during the 2006-2007 school year. This was also right around the time when I first started blogging, and I must say that I am grateful that I wrote down the process of our learning and my thinking at that time, it is important to be able to look back on it. Here are some snippets from the series of reflections I had while teaching The Power of One unit with 7th and 8th grade students.
In Never Again, I wrote, "This is a new topic for me, and uncharted territory… I have faith that this will be a meaningful story to tell and path to take with the students"
Then as the unit progressed, I wrote Telling the Story..., "The story is powerful in the written word, becomes vivid with the audio, transforms to mesmerizing with video… the kids get this in a way that I cannot ‘tell’ the story of 200 years ago. The capability to bring this digital information to the students revolutionizes the way I teach, transforms the way they learn and transcends any bubble test the ‘powers that be’ come up with.... Starting on Monday the students will begin to tell their stories and I look forward to the challenge that this will bring for all of us."
and toward the end of the unit, I wrote Transcending the Bubble, which is probably the first time I wrote down my frustrations with how we were trending way too hard toward testing and said, "I wish that the field that I worked in is concerned with more than the ability of a child to bubble. The conversation in mass media education is too focused on hurdling a low bar of expectations, while we fail to see the potential of all kids to transcend not only the bar... but also the bubble. What will it take to turn the conversation from one of certainty to one of untold possibility?"
The class was also featured in the local newspaper, The Power of One Inspires middle schoolers.
What I didn't have a chance to write was about meeting Mr. Rusesabagina. I found my way into the event with the students by offering to drive the van. Mr. Rusesabagina spent the entire lunch talking with the students while the adults all had lunch together. It was perfect, he was there for the kids and I could not have been more thrilled with the amount of time that those students had to spend with him. At the end of the lunch all of the adults were introduced to Mr. Rusesabagina and I don't think I have ever seen a person more focused on both an intro and then a thoughtful comment. He was totally present, listening and appreciating the work of the teachers. While I know he must meet thousands of people each year, when he shook my hand, he was totally present. To this day, it stays with me, his capacity to be present in the moment of not only sharing his story but listening to learn the stories of others. It was quite a day.
The project we worked through is called The Power of One and was the first time I chose to let go a bit and really empower students to make choices about their learning, and what they felt strongly about researching. The resulting videos are rough, technically (another example, and another), but for me it signaled a shift in how I saw my role as a teacher. Students stepped up in a way that was new and invigorated. This unit was incredibly important from a content standpoint, but for me it was also a turning point in my career. While I do not blog nearly as much as others, I am so glad that I was moved to document this unit. Looking back on this over the years has been instructive in my own development and for that I am grateful.
Japanese Internment
Below is the assignment we were working on today... we acquired an iPad cart and for reasons that I do not really understand... all published and public googlesites are not accessible through the filter. I had to punt, as I had used sites with the students before, on the laptops, and it worked. So then I went to gdocs, blocked. Then I moved onto my blog, blocked. Then I was stumped for a bit... I started just piecing together the links, one by one, which was exactly not what I wanted to do with 7th graders on the first day with the iPads. Finally, it occurred to me to post it to my old, old, old... pbworks site. That worked. Man, that was a bit exhausting. The fact that the filter treats devices differently is exasperating. The fact that it blocks anything google, exasperating. Using tech is something that I think allows for more inquiry, which is a good thing. Today, most of that inquiry was my own... trying to find work arounds on the filter. Blerg.
To start off, please read this introduction:
1. What are you initial thoughts? Questions?
Next Read Executive Order 9066
2. Who orders the internment and who is directed to carry out the order?
Then, choose 5 documents in this archive to determine what it was like to live in the camps using these documents.
3. Document One - Title - Describe what the document communicates.
4. Document Two - Title - Describe what the document communicates.
5. Document Three - Title - Describe what the document communicates.
6. Document Four - Title - Describe what the document communicates.
7. Document Five - Title - Describe what the document communicates.
Finally, read this speech.
8. Imagine you are in the audience as a Japanese American, choose three sentences in the speech and tell me how you would have felt and why. Write out the sentence and your opinion.