15 Minutes of Fame

On Monday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal published an article about Choice Theory, Competence Based Learning and their impact on student learning. The article was wonderful and came about as a result of the Waukesha reporter reading Dale's blog. She then contacted him and gathered some preliminary information. Her next step was to contact Vicki and I and attend the parent meeting that we held in early February. It was at that meeting that she asked me if it would be alright if she came in and observed my classroom. I explained that it probably wouldn't really look any different than any other classroom, but she was welcome to come in. A day and time were agreed upon and I actually forgot about it and never even mentioned it to my classes. When some of my peers found out that I had agreed to this, they were very vocal about their concerns...Is it going to be positive? Are you going to have a chance to preview it and approve it before it runs...Are you totally nuts? To be honest, none of those thoughts really crossed my mind and I wasn't nervous or concerned until they brought it up.

She arrived at school just as my second hour class was ending, so I really didn't have much opportunity to explain what was going on that day since my third hour class was coming in and very curious as to why there was a photographer in my room. It was at that point that I let them know that our visitors were from the paper and that an article might be written about us.
We then went about our class as if it were just another day...at least that's the way it appeared. My students were absolutely awesome, just as they normally are. They handled the visitors as if they weren't there. We had a great discussion (I was actually assessing their learning, but they didn't know that) and I was really impressed with the learning and sharing that went on. I think what surprised me even more was the fact that when the bell rang and the students left I asked Amy (the reporter) if she had any questions...she looked at me and said "you were assessing their learning weren't you?" I was surprised but happy that she understood that without creating anxiety and stress by handing out a "pass or fail test" I still know what each of them knows and understands. I was an opportunity to clarify and expand their thinking and see the connections they are making rather than make a right/wrong judgment. It gave me the chance to facilitate rather than "tell them this is exactly what you should learn."

Vicki came in and joined us for the next 45 minutes and we continued our discussion of the benefits we have seen in student learning. The final part of the process came a few days later when she came in a spoke to some of the students in our classes. Again things went well and the students shared their feelings with her. As I said in the beginning, the article was very good and very accurate.

In reflecting on everything that has been said by staff, students, and parents about my classroom and my expectations I think the hardest thing for me to deal with is the idea that everyone has to learn the material at exactly the same time, in exactly the same way and to the exact same level. At what point in our educational system does this become part of our thinking. We accept that infants and toddlers will learn to roll, crawl, walk and talk when they are ready. We also accept the fact that children will learn to read when they are ready, but somewhere along the way educators and parents decide that they all must learn math, science, social studies and health at the same time, in the same way and to the exact same level. Why????? Why is it OK to practice the skills necessary to be good at a sport for a long time, but not OK to practice the skills necessary to be a good student. Why do we judge children based on a once and done paradigm.....

How many of us would be driving today if we didn't get a second or third chance to take our drivers tests? How many would be in the professions we are in if we didnt' have the chance to practice taking the ACT, SAT, MCAT, or LSAT tests in order to achieve the highest score possible? In the "real world" we are given many opportunities to learn and grow and many opportunities to show others what we have learned....isn't it time to give our children the same opportunity to learn and grow and achieve all that they can achieve without stressing them out?

Quality far out weighs quantity.