Days 53 & 54 - A Lot to Do

Tuesday and Wednesday, May 5 & 6, 2020

Yup. I skipped a day of blogging. I was doing to do this EVERY day for posterity. For primary documents. Yesterday I was crashing from four hours in the classroom, and I decided it was better for my health if I skipped the blog post.

Yesterday I went to school for my four-hour slot, and I'm actually surprised I used the entire time. Half an hour was spent taking student binders off of our shelves and labeling them on the outside with tape and then putting them in alphabetical order. I then put these in a huge garbage bin which I took down to the gym. On my way there, it fell over. Ugh.

Once at the gym, I had to open each bag for each student's binder to be put in. This took a full hour. Some bags had twist ties (that we used to close them the day prior) that were breaking or twisted oddly, and some bags that were tied were very difficult to open. My back was aching. I felt like crud not writing a letter in each binder, but I didn't think of it ahead of time, and my slot to head into the classroom was early on in the month. Big sighs. This is when I feel I'm not doing "enough."

It was odd being in the classroom, but not too odd. I was actually happy when I threw out the seating charts, the questionnaires I gave students as to where they'd LIKE to sit, the sign out sheets, and homeroom papers we never got to. I was elated when I found a note from my students tucked away:

The front... Mr. Ron is a substitute/guest teacher.

The back...

I was able to share it with them on the video I made for them today. Then I got an email from one of the three on the front that said, "Did you like my note?" Yes. Yes, I did.

Today students are sharing their Genius Hour projects on our padlet!! I'm soooo excited to see engagement!! I guess the brainstorming the last few Wednesdays hasn't been their cup of tea, but it looks like it worked out for most of them so far!

I'm exhausted (for what reason, really?!) and Hubby and I were talking about how, if there wasn't a stay at home order, we'd be camping at the Taft campus. I looked at the time and thought about where we'd be. I'd be finishing dinner with 150 students and 20 or so staff, ready to go on our next activity, where we'd stay until snack time and night hike, or campfire and smore's. Until 10:00pm. Or later. I would NOT survive the first day of our Taft trip if I had to be there today.

Troublemakers

Labels irk the heck out of me.

The fact that we label students as "troublemakers" really irritates me, even though I've done it myself.

I've been waiting (why have I been waiting?) to read this one for a bit, and it did not disappoint, as I read it in two days...

The canary and cage on the front have two meanings. The most obvious is from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," and the less obvious is the one that distressed me the most. Miners used to take canaries down in the mines with them, as they served as warnings about the air quality. If a canary were to die, the miners had to get out. When a child is singing loudly, we need to heed that as a warning that something is wrong in this classroom. Most likely, it's the imbalance of power.

Most of what Carla Shalaby shares is about a child's need to feel free - to feel as if they're in some sort of control - to feel HUMAN.

The four students the author chose to focus on were in what seemed to me GREAT schools. She asked the principal to share two teachers of high caliber. And to those teachers, she asked, "Who of your students is the most troublesome?" These are the four she shadowed for a bit - at school, and when possible, at home. What I found kind of amusing and kind of sad is that the behaviors these four first graders exhibited were some of the very same behaviors I see in some seventh graders.

I can see and understand the messages she shares about the young black students not having any adults at school to look to for models. I can see how schools are conforming students to ... basically act white. When I think of my own students, the ones that I lose sleep over happen to be white. My school has a high white population (and I, too, am white). The author is upset about students' exclusion to a different part of the room or a different room altogether. I do not worry about physically excluding students, but I may exclude them unintentionally if I call them out on something in front of the entire class.

What I was really struck by was the conformity we expect of our students.

The author points out that educators want compliance because that's what's expected in schools. That's how we can get our lessons across, and that's how the school culture simply IS.

While she was sharing the stories of the four seven-year-olds, I couldn't help but think of my own students, and I was reminded of a few things:

• Students really don't have much control at school, especially compared to at home. No matter how much we think we have student-directed learning or choice or voice, this book forced me to consider how much I actually control, and how much the school culture actually dictates.
• Many students learn that the culture of school is to listen and obey.
• Some students are simply just being themselves. Their personalities may differ from those of the majority of the class, or else the majority has figured out it's safer to hide or squash their true personalities at school.
• "Different" is often perceived as causing trouble.
• Many (most?) children have a natural tendency to want to learn. What do we do at school that dissolves that initiative? We have a curriculum to teach. I wonder how many times our curriculum is not something each child would choose to learn each day...
• Teachers often pigeonhole children into doing what we do, and doing it how we do it.
• We may have 25 students in class. We don't always make the time to help answer questions from inquisitive minds, and yet we encourage them to be inquisitive. We want them to think for themselves, and when they do, it can cause a disturbance. We want them to be independent, but only under our parameters.
• We need to listen to individual students.
• We need to get to know our students even more.
• We need to let them know when we are proud of them.
• We need to notice and name the good they do.
• We need to see them (or imagine them) outside of school - how does what they're doing in school look like outside of school? Might what they're doing actually help them somehow outside of the school setting?
• Stop labeling students! Making trouble is a verb - not a noun. It's not something to fix. It's something to explore.
• Just because a student is a "good student" does not mean that he or she will succeed outside of school. Compliance does not always equal success. We put so many limits on students in school - how will they succeed when they're left on their own? We want children to find their identities, to figure out their strengths, to be confident, to have a voice in decisions... We need to give them the room to do so - without fear of punishment, or worse, exclusion.

At the end of the book, I still wanted MORE. I wish I could copy the entire conclusion and her note to teachers here. Instead, this will be your advertisement to read this book if you have not yet. The author does not solve our problems with these so-called "troublemakers." She leaves it to us and our students. I have a tiny idea of what I can do when I return to school after this two-week break, and yet I know my students will have to help me figure it out. They have many more ideas than I ever will, and maybe we can get to the root of what they need from me.

My favorite quote: 

How stressful it must be to be a young person in our schools! How unsafe and frightening it must be to wonder - as you witness the next punishment and rejection of one of your peers - if you will be next. That kind of conditional acceptance, subjective belonging, contingent care, must feel terribly threatening to children, whom we know are biologically wired to make illogical choices as their brains continue to develop. They make mistakes and they make bad decisions - don't we all? Especially when we are stressed, feeling unsafe, and suffering?

They Just Sat There

Our first few days of school are built around getting to know each other, and establishing some sort of routine. The first day I have students goes way too fast! We read First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg, and I share that the first day of school is nerve-wracking for me, too.

The second day of school, I read to them part of The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. We discuss the "most important thing about an apple" before we read that page. At the beginning of chapter two in Shift This, I explain why I read this book to my scholars...

This year, I found myself going one step further. I went back to the page in the book where the author says that the "most important thing about snow is that it is white." WHITE?! I looked at my new seventh graders, and said, "You just sat there. You didn't say anything. Your faces didn't even give me any hint that you disagreed. You just SAT there. Is the most important thing about snow that it is white??" They immediately shook their heads and provided some of their own answers, which included wet, cold, falls from the sky, makes us have to shovel, great for sleds, for making snowballs, etc....

I nodded and repeated their ideas and then I felt myself getting agitated. I added something along the lines of, "Still. You just sat there. I think years of school have done this to you. Years of being asked to sit quietly and listen. To comply. For sure, I want you to hear my words - I feel as if I do have some wisdom to impart, but I also want you to ask questions - to share your opinions - politely, of course. When we are reading something you disagree with, I hope you ask us to stop for a moment and consider your thoughts and ideas, and we will, in turn, listen and respond to you."

I went on and on (rambling, ironically, as they sat there listening) until finally I said, "Thank you for listening and considering what this year could be like. I'll get off my soap box now."

As I reflected on it this weekend, it hit me - THIS is why my classroom management skills are lacking! THIS is why I have never gotten "distinguished" as a whole on the Danielson framework! I've been okay with it in the past - knowing I have tons still to work on, but now I know one giant reason why. I want my students to (eventually) run the class. It's messy!

I set the tone at the beginning of the year that I'm here to listen to students, and respond to their ideas. I'm here as a guide... a facilitator. I'll give them lots of time to practice, make mistakes, and practice again. I'm okay with the extra bit of noise or transition time if what we were working on was valuable to their learning or improving. Although I don't make working on my classroom management a priority, there's no doubt I'll continue to brush up on my classroom management skills year after year. However, that word "manage" may always strike a sore spot with me, due to personal reasons. I don't feel as if I need to earn "distinguished" in that realm. My students just sat there when I said the "most important thing about snow is that it is white." I don't want that. I want them to speak up when they think I'm wrong. I want them to stand up for something they believe in. I want to hear their ideas, and know that they're thinking - not just consuming.

I get many comments via Twitter. I'd LOVE to read your comments down below - keeping the comments all in one spot helps me when I revisit this idea. Please help me understand my position and help me grow by leaving me YOUR thoughts, ideas, and stories about this subject!

Recording Booth

All too often we want students to record in class. How can this be done without asking them to work in the (busy) hallway not under supervision? It's time to make a recording booth for INSIDE the classroom! My husband is the man in my life who can make (and fix) ANYthing. Thank you, Bob, for helping make this small dream come true for our 7th graders!

Materials:

• 5 pieces of acoustic tile, 12 inches square (I found 6 pieces for $16.99 on ebay.)
• Thick cardboard (Bob has ours saved in the attic from the washing machine back in 2014.)
• Box cutter
• Packing Tape

Create:

• Design it so it's 12 inches tall and deep, and 16 inches wide, with the front (12 x 16) open. (Easier said than done, I know. Bob is the expert I go to.)
• Cut, bend, and tape.
• Stuff in acoustic tile.
• Place an iPad in it.
• Begin recording!

Voila! Half an hour's work in the living room on a Saturday! As Ryan O'Donnell pointed out to me in a tweet, it will reduce ambient noise, provide personal space, and give a sense of professionalism.  I'm excited that the scholars in room 239 will be able to use this recording booth for book talks, reflections, movie making, and more!

Tracking Student Behavior in a Non-Threatening Way

I've recently read the Kindle version of Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School, by Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez. (Thank you for the free copy, A.J. Juliani, Mark and Jennifer!) There are ten ideas in this book that many people can implement fairly quickly. I feel as if I've already tapped into many of them, so I'm writing about a new one (to me) that I had to run with right away.

I wanted to begin the idea of "Track Records" the minute I read about them. (I actually DID implement them the very next week!)

Background information... There are times when I KNOW - for SURE - that (we'll call her) Glinda was speaking the ENTIRE period with her friends. I know that on the days I am having a hard time, she must be speaking even MORE with her friends. I know I have biases, and I've always wondered how I could keep track of this - to see if it was really happening.

Another idea I've implemented the past two years is good emails home to parents. Sometimes it's easy to find something students do that make your (or another student's) day. Other times it's difficult to remember what happened in class once the students leave the room.

The idea of "Track Records" caught my eye. I created one, then another, and then tweaked it again. Finally, I settled on the format shown here. Behaviors that are distracting (or pet peeves, perhaps) can go on the left side of each day, and the positives can go on the right. I had my math brain going when I thought this - as on a graph, the left of the y axis is negative, and to the right is positive. I also created codes for certain behaviors. Here's what my own track records look like (this month - nothing is constant when you are reflective):

Click on this link to see the codes, then make a copy of the document to edit your own version.

This chart could also include tardy to class and late or missing work. These are behaviors that do NOT belong in a student's grade. Grades are meant to reflect achievement, not behavior.

Instead of shaming students...
     You can pull up their track record. You can see just how many times Glinda really is speaking when she should be listening. You can quietly pull the student aside and explain to him or her what you notice. Perhaps certain days are tougher on you (or her), and you can have this conversation about the data - not necessarily about the student. There is no need to shame students by pointing out disruptive behaviors in front of the class.

Celebrate successes...
     You can see who really contributes to class, and who you can rely on for their energy or optimism. Maybe one student has a TON of energy, and it can be redirected to help the class instead of hinder it. Use the chart to make sure you get in that positive word to students every day. Use it to send home positive notes to parents on the weekends. Use it to show students you CARE.

Great reflection and transparency...
     Try not to make this a surprise to students. Let them know that you keep track of behaviors - not to judge, but to have further conversations. We are all human, and we are all growing. Reflection is a huge part of this simple chart. This chart allows for the conversation to happen.

8/2/17 Added on to this post... I just caught this blog post from Jennie Tidwell... Maybe a Google Form would work better than paper on a clipboard??

8/3/17 Added this video to explain this idea in a video to @SFecich to her adult students...
It eludes to another post as well - Have the Discussion.

Our "Classroom Crib" for 2015

Here we go... I'm excited to welcome 7th graders tomorrow. All of the neck pain / headaches / sciatic pain will be worth it (and may just disappear!??!) once they arrive.

This is the updated version of our "classroom crib" video I made last year, and it just doesn't look right without students. They will bring the life with their inquiries, wonders, stories, and struggles. For my 21st year, it's my plan that this will be the best yet!