Once upon a classroom (my first year), I was gonna teach my kids responsibility with my no-late-work policy. The world worked on time, and by damn, I was gonna teach ’em. Seventh graders. Twelve-year olds.

Fortunately, this faulty fad faded quickly. But I had not the wisdom to jump to where I am today (no penalties); I had to first fiddle with the full gamut of point and percentage penalties–I tried them all. And slowly but eventually, I wised to better ways, discovering commitment, not compliance was the way in the land of learning. I ask my kids to commit to our work because they find value in it, and as such I do not and never will again penalize practice. But that does not mean I have arrived. In the Project 180 classroom, there’s always a better around the bend. This morning, I took a stroll around the bend.

I will start this next as we begin the new quarter. I will ask all work to be “turned in” on the due date, so there will be no late work. Of course, this does not mean that it will all be complete work, but for the work that’s not complete, I will require a why. I will ask kids who’ve not completed the Learning tASK to provide an explanation in the private comment of the Google Doc for why they did not do/will not do/have not done the work. But doesn’t this start to move back into the realm of compliance? I don’t think so. “Why” is a commitment–for them, and for me. Who’s to know what I might learn from their why’s? Do they feel like the work is irrelevant or too easy? Do they need help? Are they in the clutches of their anxiety? Are there life circumstances that I am not aware of? Are there why’s that I haven’t even considered? Regardless, I want to know why. I can work with why, but I can’t work with empty spaces. And maybe–just maybe–the kids will come to view the work differently when they see they have to chance to regard and own their own choices. We’ll see how it goes. If it doesn’t, then I’ll just venture around the next bend.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.