“Sy, okay. I know this is crazy, but hear me out.”

“Okay, Kat, shoot. What ya got?”

“Well. I want to start over.”

“On your speech?”

“Yeah.”

“Not feeling it?”

“Nope. Not anymore. I keep reading it, and I am boring myself. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

“Okay. What ya got in mind.”

“I have no idea.”

Yesterday was the last in-class day for periods 1, 3, 5 to work on their Be a Voice speeches (we’re on a block schedule for testing). Kat’s in my 5th period class, and she was essentially done with her speech on the affordability (unaffordability) of college, which was well-researched and written, relevant and timely. and minus a few polishes here and there, done. She was done, and so I was a bit surprised that after all that she has put into it, she wanted to abandon it.And so, I–flexible to a fault–let her.

One and most important, it’s her work, her voice, and if she’s not feeling it, then it is not my place to stand in her way. Two, she does the work, and I know that even at this late hour, she will dig in and get the work done. She was even willing to again go through the performance/feedback checkpoints, willing to do it all. But I told her no. She’s already demonstrated that she can meet the required standards. I am not going to make her go through the steps again just to go through the steps. I told her just to go for it, to trust her instincts, and to come to me if she needed help. With that, she and I nodded and smiled our agreement, and she went back to her desk. Within five minutes, she announced her new topic, and by the end of the last hour, she had drafted her next speech. Her new topic? The horror of homework. Can’t wait to hear it.

What I love about this interaction with Kat is that in the end it was not about getting done. It was about creating something that she was happy with, something that she was proud of, something that she did because she wanted to, not because she had to. So many of our kids’ experiences in school are just about completing the transaction. But learning should, learning can be so much more. We have to move beyond done. Done is a place of compliance. It’s the doing that measures the commitment, that fosters the growth. And while not all of my kids have moved beyond done as Kat has, I want to believe that many have, for they have had the freedom and the responsibility to do so all year long. Man, I am gonna miss this group of learners next year.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…wrap up speech work.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

 

Good morning, all. Late start on the blog this morning, so I am just going to share a bit of miscellany. Just finished an online interview with a young lady from Bored Panda, an online arts magazine with impressive reach. They were moved by Meg’s story, and reached out to me for more information. Still crazy that one tweet has reached so far and resonated with so many. That said, had a guy from Denmark tweet something in Danish (see below).

All that aside, the most important news to share, and I am truly sorry that I do not have a way to share the video, is the news about Abby’s jaw-dropping, we-begged-for-an-encore performance of her Passion Paper, which was a song that she had written for her recently deceased grandmother. It was amazing. The kids have done some remarkable things with their Passion Papers this semester. Can’t wait till Friday when more kids will share.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…work on speeches.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Wednesday, all. Sorry for the random post this morning. Have an awesome day.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

I know less than more, but one of my “places of knowing,” especially as I have experimented with grading over the last several years, is that we have to move away from the one-and-done approach to learning as we rush through too much content, moving from unit to unit, test to test, calling this learning, labeling and sorting kids as winners and losers.

 

Funny how many R’s there are in education. For years, long before I was a teacher, I remember hearing the three R’s: reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. And for those years, long before I was a teacher, these seemed to prevail as the core to an educational experience, and even today they prevail as the targeted areas for annual yearly progress (AYP) as evidenced in standardized testing requirements. In Washington, kids have to pass the math and ELA tests to graduate. But there are other R’s that matter. And though it doesn’t start with an “R,” it passes the sound test. Art. My wife, the art teacher, reminds me of its importance all the time, but it doesn’t take much reminding; she’s right. Art matters. A lot. Another R that matters a lot, maybe more than all, is relationships. It is the “R” that I push the most, for it, I believe, is as close to being the magic key in education as anything. All my success and/or failure in the classroom has come from the relationships I have–or don’t have–with my kids. Relationships matter most, so I push them. But I also push another R, at least I am going to today. Retakes.

I believe we have to re-imagine learning. I have said numerous times and in numerous ways that we have a lot to learn about learning. That said, I know less than more, but one of my “places of knowing,” especially as I have experimented with grading over the last several years, is that we have to move away from the one-and-done approach to learning as we rush through too much content, moving from unit to unit, test to test, calling this learning, labeling and sorting kids as winners and losers. This weekend inspired in part by what some of my kids shared with our guest Rachael Kettner-Thompson (Tweep and fellow ed rebel), I tweeted a thread on the importance of allowing retakes. See below.

I believe that this is yet again, despite myriad factors outside our rooms and control, something that we CAN do in OUR rooms. As you reflect on this year and think ahead to next, please consider adding another R to your repertoire. Give the kids a try again button. Let them retake assessments. Little to lose. Possibly much to gain.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…begin the final wrap up of our speeches and Passion Papers.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday ….er, Tuesday, all. Sure feels like a Monday.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.

Crashed. Hard. Been riding high for a week, caught up in the crazy of a tweet gone viral, still trying to process how it all happened and what it all means. It’d be disingenuous for me to suggest that there has not been a measure of giddy excitement as new and more articles and newscasts come out about Meg’s story. I got caught up in it, excitedly sharing and discussing the news with friends, family, colleagues, Tweeps, and my students. It was exciting. But it was also exhausting. And I should have been better prepared for the crash to come because it did. Of course it did.

But I did it to myself. I know better. I know how big a wuss I am when I don’t get enough sleep, and I also know that tripling my caffeine intake will only make the crash harder when it comes. I know that my introversion can only handle so much noise, and I also know that my trying to sing along only makes more noise. I know that attention leads to introspection, and I also know that introspection and the second-guessing that comes with it leads to doubt and insecurity. I think some may call it “impostor syndrome.” And while I do not feel the impostor, I do feel the human and the frailty that comes with it. And today, I feel decidedly human.

And even though I was on my tip-toes atop a chair with my wife holding on to me as I dismantled every smoke alarm in the house at 2:00 AM this morning to stop an alarming beep only to discover it was the carbon monoxide detector with a dead battery, I am on my third LARGE cup of coffee, running late, hoping to write something appealing to my readers, feeling anxious about opening my classroom to Twitter friend and neighbor Rachael Kettner-Thompson who is visiting my class this morning, worrying about meeting her expectations, and…well, I am back at it again.

I am not sure why I am sharing this this morning, my first-world problem: poor Monte’s gotten too much attention. Maybe it’s because I needed to process all that’s happened. Maybe it’s because I am afraid of what will now be expected. Maybe it’s that I wanted to let my readers know that I am just me beneath it all. I don’t know. But I don’t have time to figure it out now.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…choose a community champ.

…begin sharing our Passion Papers.

…engage in a Q&A discussion with Rachael.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all. Thank you for being here. Matters. A lot.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

 

Monte the moron…

Obviously he is not a good teacher.

Fire the teacher…

 

Above all, I was hoping to start a conversation. Two and half years ago, I started this blog, and I called it Let’s Change Education. Then, as now, I believed that it started and continued with a conversation. And, since then, I have been working hard to initiate and sustain conversations around changing education, particularly in the manner of challenging the status quo. As many know, I made such a challenge last Thursday when I tweeted out my reflection on Meg’s falling asleep in class. Consequently, most of my blog posts and tweets are reflections that often project an aspect of education that I believe needs examination, that I believe warrants some conversation. And that is where I was coming from last Thursday as I found myself moved by a moment with Meg. Little did I know that in a week’s time the thread would explode and go viral, resulting in news coverage both locally and nationally, resulting in a conversation about what happened–about what is happening in America’s classrooms. The conversation has begun. And yesterday it gained even more traction and continues with Yahoo’s Maggie Parker’s article.

She contacted me via Twitter and asked if I’d be willing to do an email interview on a lifestyle piece about sleepy, stressed students. I told her I would have to check with Meg and her family. I did and they consented. Maggie and I completed the interview yesterday afternoon, so I was surprised when a former student from nearly twenty years ago brought it to my attention, exclaiming it was on Yahoo.

I expected it to be out some time next week. And so I was caught off-guard a bit by CJ’s news, and I scrambled to link to the article, hoping that my words and their message, their intent made the final cut. And they did. Maggie did a fantastic job of presenting the issue and my position. I am so grateful that she provided this national platform to help continue the conversation. Of course some conversations are more easily had and more productive than others. Not sure how to engage people who call me a moron, judge me incompetent, and call for my termination–not exactly the conversation I had in mind.

But a conversation is a conversation, I guess. A week ago no one was talking about this. Today, from all and any sides (some of the comments are absurd) people are having a lot of conversations about our kids and our schools. And that’s all I’ve wanted all along. Some think I did this for attention. I did. But not for me. I did it to bring attention to things that need attention. Kids. Schools. This was never about Meg. This was never about me. It was about–always about–starting a conversation. Thank you to all who have chimed in (even the haters) and advanced the conversation. I hope it’s not done. I am not. Not by a long shot.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…engage in an impromptu speaking activity.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Thursday, all. Let’s keep the conversation going. Change can happen.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

They tell my students that mistakes are a part of teaching, that teaching like learning is growing.

 

Last night I hosted a teacher panel for my college students. I do it every quarter. I ask some of my high school colleagues to join us for an hour, asking them to share their words of wisdom with my wide-eyed, soon-to-be teachers. It is the highlight of the quarter for many reasons, but I think most of all, it gives my just-entering-the-ed-program students a glimpse of the human side of teachers. This may sound a bit odd, but these kids’ experiences have only been from the student side of the room, with generally only their K-12 experiences and two years of college. And though some certainly have had some significant relationships with their teachers along the way, they still have only seen, only known them as teachers. But each quarter as my awesome colleagues sit down with them as fellow educators, they get a hint of what the human side of teaching looks like, and last night was no exception.

The discussion begins with the teachers introducing themselves, sharing their names, what they teach, how long they have been teaching, and what they wish they had known when they started teaching. From there, we open it to questions, and for the next hour a rich discussion about teaching ensues. And while there certainly are some nuts and bolts to the conversation–it is a course on classroom management, there are also questions about how to take care of yourself as a teacher: time/stress management, burnout avoidance, isolation, etc. And of all the things my colleagues share, I think this part of the discussion always sets my students’ minds at ease the most, for my colleagues reveal their human sides.

They tell my students that they cannot do it all. They tell my students to make time for themselves. They tell my students to leave it at school. They tell my students they don’t have to grade everything. They tell my students they don’t have to know everything. They tell my students that mistakes are a part of teaching, that teaching like learning is growing. They tell my students that real teachers don’t do EdTPA lesson planning (that’s only in college). They tell my students to surround themselves with like-minded, passionate colleagues who will support them. In the end, the gist of what they tell my students is that teachers need teachers.

And we do. We need others who understand the insanely impossible but richly rewarding job we do all day, every day. For we never really leave it at school. Just because we left that stack of essays at school does not mean that we are not wondering and worrying over our students, recalling and reflecting on our many mistakes, and dreaming and scheming about our next kick-ass lesson. It is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week calling for which there is no hanging up. We are on call. We are teachers. And if we did not have each other, we could not make it. I need those colleagues who shared themselves with my students last night. They are my witnesses. They are my supporters. They are my confidants. They are my shoulders to cry on and my bellies to laugh with. They are my teachers, and I need them. Teachers need teachers. And I am grateful that my students heard this message last night.

I have been thinking a lot about this with my recent, thread-gone-viral experience, wondering why it has resonated with so many across the nation, especially teachers. Especially teachers. And I wonder if perhaps what’s at play is that it served as a common connection and reminder that it is okay–that it is necessary–for us to treat our kids with kindness and compassion, that our instincts matter, that we teach kids before content, that we can find comfort in knowing that others know and do what we do, that we are not alone–we are not alone, that there others out there–everywhere, who get it, who do it. Every single moment of every single day. I am glad you are out there. I am glad that I am not alone. Thank you.

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…keep working on writing and speaking.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme

Happy Wednesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

 

It was about the reality of our kids who daily struggle in a system, in a society that is not as compassionate as it should be.

 

I imagine everyone is getting tired of hearing about it. I thought it was finally dying down, but it seems the cover’s not quite closed on Meg’s story. Yesterday, I was contacted by KHQ, one of our local news stations, about my recent Twitter thread that had gotten some attention, and they wanted to talk to me, so they came out and interviewed me at lunch. And shortly after KHQ contacted me, KREM 2, another local news station, set up an interview after school. So much for my “it-is-dying-down” and “we-can-just-ease-into-our-Monday” feeling that started my day yesterday. Meg’s story is not quite done, and I still cannot believe that my viral moment, my “15 minutes” as a teacher is coming from a kid falling asleep in my class. Can’t they fire me for that?

But it was never really about Meg sleeping. And while some on social media criticized both my letting her sleep and my “cashing in on it,” it was never about my letting a kid fall asleep in my class or my patting myself on the back for being a good guy. It was about the reality of our kids who daily struggle in a system, in a society that is not as compassionate as it should be. That is why I shared the thread. If Meg had not emailed me her essay at 9:00 PM that night, if I had not run into her at the grocery store the next morning at 6:45 AM, then I never would have tweeted what I did. I was moved. I was moved by this kid who, despite all the things that she is juggling in her life, makes it work. No, she does not do it in the most efficient or exemplary manner, but who does? I don’t. I can barely manage my life, and I, like Meg, can benefit from a little grace now and then. That is why I wrote the thread. I was simply moved by a moment. And I shared it.

Here are the links to the interviews

http://www.khq.com/clip/14365113/cheney-teachers-tweet-goes-viral

 

https://www.krem.com/article/news/education/cheney-hs-teachers-story-about-letting-exhausted-student-sleep-goes-viral/293-556704217

Todays’ Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns

…keep grinding towards the end with our Passion Papers and Speeches.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme

Happy Tuesday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Though I stand firmly behind the assertion that everything in the classroom depends on relationships, I think it’s important to acknowledge that one cannot simply chant “Relationships. Relationships. Relationships,” and expect everything to magically fall into place, like “Ta Da!” Of course, when talking about my own classroom and the successes–and failures–I’ve had, I have offered the relationship chant. In fact, I catch myself doing it all the time, and while there is certainly something to it, it stops short of presenting the reality of relationships in the classroom: relationships are work. All relationships are, even our best and most important ones. And just as my relationships with my wife, Mom, best friend, children, and the list goes on require constant attention and effort, so do my relationships with my students.

And though I beat my drum to this all the time–and will continue to do so, it all begins with how we want people to feel. I stand by that. I live by that, for it is the feelings from that “connectedness” that foster the relationships we have with those around us. How I make you feel will ultimately determine the nature and strength of our relationship. So, when I think about the kinds of relationships I want with my students, I consider how I want and need them to feel to create the classroom culture that I desire.

In my classroom, I want you to feel…

Connected

Empowered

Respected

Valued

Challenged

Supported

 

I have shared these before. And I will likely share them again, for they are my standards; they are how I judge my success. And while I daily reflect on my meeting–or not meeting–these standards, there is a lot of preparatory, behind-the-scenes planning and front loading that goes into creating the culture of “my room.” Below are the rights and routines that I handed the kids at the beginning of the year. I want them to feel valued and connected, so I refer to them as members of our learning community. I don’t call them “rules.” I want them to feel respected, I call them rights and responsibilities. Further, I want them to feel empowered by the notion that they have rights, that they have the right to expect certain things from their education, and they can and should call me out when their needs are not being met. I could continue my analysis, but here’s my point: I am very intentional about creating culture, about developing real relationships with my kids. It’s so much more than chanting “relationships!”

I do have great relationships with my kids, but it is a lot of hard and consistent work. I have had a number of people recently inquiring about my entry task, Smiles and Frowns. And I am thrilled by their interest in my approach, but I would gently caution that it’s not just a sideshow or cute activity, it’s a deeply embedded routine that fits the full scheme of my desired classroom culture. Of all that I have committed to this year to bring about student success in my room, it has been the top priority from day one. I decided 163 days ago that my kids’ feeling connected would get prioritized over everything, and I best do that with Smiles and Frowns. Recently, in my end of the year evaluation, I was pleased that my supervisor noted and complimented my work.

 

Component 1.3: Understanding Students’ Interests and Backgrounds

The teacher builds positive relationships with students by understanding students’ interests and background.

Thank you for taking the time to do smiles and frowns. I know it is difficult to take time away from “academics,” but I know you are well aware of the value of getting to know about student’s lives outside of class. It’s strange, because I’ve had moments during weeks when I’ve thought to myself, “I could share that during smile and frowns.” This practice gives you a quick reference for how a student might be acting in class. When they are having an “off” day, you’re aware of that before class begins. Nice job keeping the pace quick so that this is helpful, but doesn’t overtake class. 

 

I am pleased that she sees the value in my taking time to be connected to my kids. It is not an accident. It is an investment. And it has paid dividends this year. Relationships and all the work that goes into them have the power to impact student success, academically and behaviorally. Not arrogantly–yes, kids like my class; yes, I am popular. Yes, my class looks and feels different from a traditional classroom. And I think some teachers begrudge that and think that I am only doing it to be popular among the kids, but I think they misunderstand, and I think they don’t really see or know what goes on in my classroom. I have written zero referrals this year, and once again over 90% of my kids met or exceeded proficiency standards on the Smarter Balanced Assessment. The latter, I don’t really care about, but some do–likely the same some who think that Smiles and Frowns is akin to sitting in a circle singing Kumbaya. I am sorry that they do not see. I am sorry that they do not see the impact that relationships can have on student success. We don’t need rules and rigidity to create success. We just need to connect with kids on a human level. I think it is that simple. Truly.

Rights

As a member of this community, you have the following rights.

I have the right to feel safe.

I have the right to learn.

I have the right to ask as many questions as I want.

I have the right to make mistakes and not fear penalty.

I have the right to “prove” my learning in various ways.

I have the right to feedback as an essential part of my learning.

I have the right to access my teacher for help whenever possible.

I have the right to eat and drink in class.

I have the right to express that my rights are not being granted or protected.

 

Responsibilities

Beyond your rights, you will also have responsibilities as a member of our learning community.

I have a responsibility to get to class on time. If I am late, I will not disrupt the class. I will quietly apologize and sit down. I understand that if my being late becomes a habit, my teacher and I will have to find a solution.

I have a responsibility to know and honor the routines of this class.

I have a responsibility of monitoring my behavior so I do not disrupt the learning of my community members.

I have a responsibility to self-regulate my use of electronic devices in this room. I will keep my device stored out of sight until the Brain Break or when I have been given permission to use it as a tool. I understand that if I cannot self-regulate, my teacher will ask me to keep my device on her desk during class. I may have it back during Brain Break. I will also have future opportunities to prove I can self-regulate.

I have a responsibility to be a great listener. This means, I will not talk while others are talking; I will visually track/connect with the speaker; and I will use gestures to demonstrate that I am listening.

I have a responsibility to self-regulate my leaving the room. I may go to the bathroom when I need to, but I need to work at keeping my leaving to a minimum.

I have a responsibility to take ownership for my learning. It is my learning.

I have a responsibility to be sensitive to and respectful of others’ viewpoints. In short, I have a responsibility to be kind.

I have a responsibility to clean my space before I leave for the day.

 

Interventions for when I do not meet the obligations of my responsibilities.

Reminder(s)

Conversation(s)

Parent Contact

Office Referral (It is unlikely that I will ever get to this point.)

 

Today’s Trail

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…write our conclusions for our Be a Voice speeches.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Monday, all. Sorry for the long post. Have a splendid day.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

Our voices make real our vision, our work, and work wants witness.

And when our work has witness it has the potential, it has the power to better the world.

And just as the book bears no meaning until its words are lifted by the eyes of the reader.

Our work, our vision cannot better the world until it reaches the world.

It is not real until it is received.

And so we have to deliver it.

And we can.

 

 

The past 48 hours have been a crazy coaster ride: overwhelming, gratifying, affirming, humbling, inspiring. Yesterday, I shared Meg’s story and how much activity it had created in the Twitterverse, marveling that my thread had made over 40,000 impressions. I was inspired that some tweets about showing a young lady some grace resonated with so many, giving me hope for the humanization of education. I was grateful to find so many others out there who understood the human side of things. So many others. But I had no idea how many. No idea at all. Turns out yesterday’s response was but a foothill to the massive mountain that was to come.

 

 

I had no idea. But now that I know better, I am inspired to do better. I am inspired more than ever to use my voice to help elevate the notion of humanization in education, especially in this current era of standardization. I am empowered to know that there are so many others out there who “get it” and “live it” with their students every day. Above, I shared a passage from my recent post, The World Waits, because I wanted to reiterate the importance of connecting our work with the world, for when we are connected, we can do great things. Of course, sharing my work has come primarily from my daily blog posts from the last two-and-a-half years (557 posts to date), which I will continue in earnest to do, but I find it a bit funny that, after all that, a simple tweet about a simple teacher and a simple student in a simple town in Washington State carried so far. Who’d have thought?

I didn’t, and I am humbled by those who have been witness, by those who believe and do as I. Thank you for all that you do for kids. Thank you for letting me know that I am not alone. We are not alone. And together we can better the world.

Today’s Trail 

Along today’s trail we will…

…begin with Smiles and Frowns.

…continue our work with Project Be a Voice.

…end with a Sappy Sy Rhyme.

Happy Friday, all.

Do. Reflect. Do Better. 

She is not the first kid to fall asleep in my class. And she likely won’t be the last, but she is the most recent, and something about her two slumber two days ago caught my attention, and I was inspired to share her story with the world, so I did.  Here is the Twitter thread I shared yesterday morning because Meg slept.

I just wanted to capture a moment and share it with some of the educators with whom I am connected on Twitter, and while I expected a few likes from some of my closer Tweeps, I did not expect the staggering outpouring of support from around the country as educators, parents, and others lit up my feed all day long with likes, retweets, and comments. I don’t think it even comes close to qualifying as trending or going viral, but in the last twenty-four hours this thread has made over 40,000 impressions and the number is still rising. I am not sharing that from a place of arrogance. I am sharing that from a place of hope. It tells me that there are many out there who come from a place of compassion and empathy in education. It tells me that there are many out there who understand that we are not producing products in our classrooms; we are helping humans grow. It tells me that there are many out there who believe that trusting our instincts and going against the grain when it benefits our kids is okay. It tells me that I am not alone. I am glad that I am not alone. I now know that more than ever. And it’s all because Meg slept.

Today’s Trail

I will not be at school today. My son has his piano adjudication, and I will be spending the day with him. Catch up with everyone tomorrow. Happy Thursday.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.