Dale had asked Vicki and I if we would speak to the administrative team about our work with Choice Theory in our classrooms. We were both thrilled to have the opportunity and put together a powerpoint presentation that included an informal discussion with some of our students. After giving them an overview of Choice Theory we asked 6 of our students to join us. The discussion that followed was absolutely mind blowing.
Vicki and I had met with the 6 students on Monday to go over the format and ask them some questions about our classes. That 30 minute lunch session was great. I was surprised by their openness and honesty. All six agreed that this year is much better than the previous years. They all felt that they are doing so much more "real" learning in our classes than in the past. One student said that while he wasn't sure he would ever use the chemistry we have been learning, he found it more valuable than learning about bird calls, which he had to do last year in science. He also liked the assessment process. He no longer has to memorize useless facts of information for a test, just to forget it as soon as the test is over. The rest of the students agreed with him on this point. Learning for them is more fun because they get to choose how and when they learn the information. They also like that when they ask me questions I don't give them the answer. I ask them more questions to keep them thinking. Then when they realize the answer I applaud their thinking skills and ask another question or two to make sure they really do "get it". One student referred to these as her "light bulb" moments.
They also like the fact that they really learn on topic. They don't just skim over the surface and have to use their problem solving skills to find the information. It is not just given to them to "sit and get". All of the students felt that they were more successful this year than in the past and felt that they would do OK next year at the high school in more traditional classrooms because they know how to do what needs to be done, even if it means going back to memorization and completing homework every night for a grade. More than anything, they felt that our classrooms were helping to prepare them for life long learning. They realize that once they get beyond high school no one will tell them to learn this for this test and that for that test, they will have to know how to find the necessary information and apply it, which is what they are doing right now.
Two of the students in the group were identified as gifted and talented and they were absolutely thrilled that they were being challenged without being removed from the classroom and without having to do extra work. They are free to learn about topics in depth, while others may not. They can then use their knowledge to help others. They were quick to point out that this didn't mean giving the answers, but meant giving them the chance to ask questions that would help others understand the information.
We asked them how they felt about homework and they loudly and unanimously agreed that most of it is wasted time. They particularly didn't like things like crossword puzzles, word searches, and coloring assignments (yes, they still had coloring assignments in their worlds!) They also like that they don't have to do the assignment if they already understand the concept. They can do it if they choose to, but ultimately they get to decide if they understand it well enough to demonstrate understanding to us. We also discussed my A, B, no grade policy and how they felt about it. Some admitted that at first they didn't really like it because they were used to getting A's but after working with it, they feel that when they earn an A for us they really have demonstrated "understanding" not just their ability to recall stuff for a test.
I was so impressed with my students. They were so honest and open about what is going on in my class. They also surprised me with their level of understanding of Choice Theory and my competence based classroom. I also really needed to hear it. I was beginning to wonder if what I was doing was making any difference to my students. I found out that it is and they really are learning more than they felt they had in the past. I hope that they are able to carry the lessons learned with them into high school and life.....
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Year
Learning or Schooling
It has been a very interesting start to the 2007-2008 school year. I find that I am less stressed and more concerned about my students doing quality work rather than completing homework assignments and projects. I believe this is a good change, but I know that not everyone agrees with that philosophy.
Over the holiday break I had the opportunity to spend time with my sister and her family. After dinner one night we got to talking about school. My two nieces are 16 and 13 and both are relatively good students. The younger of the two was talking about a recent assignment that she had worked on on volcanoes. In the span of three minutes she referred to getting a "grade for the grade book" 5 times. I finally asked if that was the only reason she did the work, was for a grade in the "grade book". No surprise when she said yes. I asked her what she could tell me about what makes a volcano erupt. Her reply was also not surprising...she said "well I know it has something to do with molten rock" My next question to her was "So what does the grade in the grade book really mean?" What did you actually learn? I have to admit that I was deeply saddened that neither one of them saw learning as fun or worthwhile. It was just for a grade in the grade book.
This led to a heated discussion among the adult of the importance of grades. I was in a minority when I said grades were not really that important since an A for one person may look very different than an A for another. Often times in our school systems student learning is not really a factor in the grade. Grades are based on completing homework, projects, or other daily assignments and not on real learning. My niece happily admitted that her science grade was based on the projects that she has done, not really on what she has learned. She was quite happy that she could do poorly on a test and still get an A or B in the class just by doing the project or homework. I again asked her what she had learned.
Her older sister was really excited about what I was saying. Several times during the conversation this high school sophomore said she would love to be in my class. She has seen several classmates get passing grades just because they do the homework. They can't apply what they have learned, yet they get passing grades. She didn't think that was really fair.
The adults in the conversation felt I was doing my students a huge disservice and not really giving them a good education. I asked what they thought a "good education" looked like. I really didn't get a solid answer, but I definitely got the impression that they felt I should spend my class time teaching students to memorize the periodic table of elements, the names of the bones in the human body and the classification system for living things. I asked why? Because that is what they have to know on tests. I responded that may be true of some teacher made tests, but if they needed to know what Au stood for, how would they find out. They all responded that they would go to the internet. My next question was, wouldn't you rather students were taught how to solve problems, apply knowledge to new situations, and reason things out rather than to memorize useless information for a teacher made test and forget it as soon as the test was done?
While they did agree with that, they still felt that it was imperative that students learn basic information. I agree completely. They also need to learn that the "grade" isn't the end product. Learning is. Each student has the choice to learn or not, to do work for the reward of a "grade" or not. How can we move students from the "grade" mentality to learning for learning? I often wonder what will happen to those students who consistently say "just tell me what to do" when they get out into the real world where it is up to them to know what to do and when to do it. What will happen when they look at their boss who has just outlined a project that they are to be responsible for completing and they say "just tell me what to do"?
It has been a very interesting start to the 2007-2008 school year. I find that I am less stressed and more concerned about my students doing quality work rather than completing homework assignments and projects. I believe this is a good change, but I know that not everyone agrees with that philosophy.
Over the holiday break I had the opportunity to spend time with my sister and her family. After dinner one night we got to talking about school. My two nieces are 16 and 13 and both are relatively good students. The younger of the two was talking about a recent assignment that she had worked on on volcanoes. In the span of three minutes she referred to getting a "grade for the grade book" 5 times. I finally asked if that was the only reason she did the work, was for a grade in the "grade book". No surprise when she said yes. I asked her what she could tell me about what makes a volcano erupt. Her reply was also not surprising...she said "well I know it has something to do with molten rock" My next question to her was "So what does the grade in the grade book really mean?" What did you actually learn? I have to admit that I was deeply saddened that neither one of them saw learning as fun or worthwhile. It was just for a grade in the grade book.
This led to a heated discussion among the adult of the importance of grades. I was in a minority when I said grades were not really that important since an A for one person may look very different than an A for another. Often times in our school systems student learning is not really a factor in the grade. Grades are based on completing homework, projects, or other daily assignments and not on real learning. My niece happily admitted that her science grade was based on the projects that she has done, not really on what she has learned. She was quite happy that she could do poorly on a test and still get an A or B in the class just by doing the project or homework. I again asked her what she had learned.
Her older sister was really excited about what I was saying. Several times during the conversation this high school sophomore said she would love to be in my class. She has seen several classmates get passing grades just because they do the homework. They can't apply what they have learned, yet they get passing grades. She didn't think that was really fair.
The adults in the conversation felt I was doing my students a huge disservice and not really giving them a good education. I asked what they thought a "good education" looked like. I really didn't get a solid answer, but I definitely got the impression that they felt I should spend my class time teaching students to memorize the periodic table of elements, the names of the bones in the human body and the classification system for living things. I asked why? Because that is what they have to know on tests. I responded that may be true of some teacher made tests, but if they needed to know what Au stood for, how would they find out. They all responded that they would go to the internet. My next question was, wouldn't you rather students were taught how to solve problems, apply knowledge to new situations, and reason things out rather than to memorize useless information for a teacher made test and forget it as soon as the test was done?
While they did agree with that, they still felt that it was imperative that students learn basic information. I agree completely. They also need to learn that the "grade" isn't the end product. Learning is. Each student has the choice to learn or not, to do work for the reward of a "grade" or not. How can we move students from the "grade" mentality to learning for learning? I often wonder what will happen to those students who consistently say "just tell me what to do" when they get out into the real world where it is up to them to know what to do and when to do it. What will happen when they look at their boss who has just outlined a project that they are to be responsible for completing and they say "just tell me what to do"?
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Something Wonderful
Something Wonderful
Most of the world believes that the punishment/reward control system works and works really well. In school we find that while some students are motivated by the reward of grades, many are not. If they are rewarded, the effect often doesn’t last and the reward is way more important than the learning. Choice theory is just the opposite. It holds that children should learn because it is need satisfying and a reward in itself. I was fortunate to watch that unfold in my classroom today.
Background: Every year we hold a Penny War at the middle school. The goal is to raise money for the local food pantry, which is admirable. The reward for winning the “war” is a pizza party. Over the years students have reported feeling that they are coerced, threatened, bribed and bullied into bringing in money, not because it is the right thing or the noble thing to do, but they need to win and win that pizza party for their grade level. The eighth grade has consistently won for the past 3 years.
Final Day: Today was the final day of the war and there was a big push by some to get that money in….As I was preparing to start my 6th hour lit class one of my students asked me if we had to have the pizza party if we won. I asked her what she was thinking. She replied that the pizza for the entire 8th grade probably cost $200.00 or more. She thought it would be better if we donated that money to the food pantry too and just forgot the reward. I asked why she felt that way. She replied that we should be giving because we choose to give and help, not because of the reward. I agree with her completely. We then talked about how she could go about sharing her proposal. It was decided that talking to the president of the student council would be a good beginning. She explained her thinking and asked him what he thought. After several moments he replied, there should be some reward for winning. Isn’t giving to those in need reward enough?, was the reply. By this time other students were listening to the discussion and had their own opinions to share. Many agreed that the money for pizza should go to the food pantry too. One student even suggested that we create our own reward. Again asking what she had in mind I got this response. Why can’t each of us bring in a dish of our favorite holiday food to pass and have a huge potluck where everyone can share? This was met with approval and enthusiasm. The students in my class agreed that the idea was good and if we win the war, we will have a class meeting and the three of them will share their proposal with the rest of the 8th graders.
I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I was moved to tears as they worked through their thoughts and ideas. They put others ahead of the reward. They want to start a new tradition of giving from the heart because they want to, not because of the reward at the end of the “war”.
Is this choice theory? Are they satisfying their needs? Is their quality world in balance with the real world? YES!!!
Most of the world believes that the punishment/reward control system works and works really well. In school we find that while some students are motivated by the reward of grades, many are not. If they are rewarded, the effect often doesn’t last and the reward is way more important than the learning. Choice theory is just the opposite. It holds that children should learn because it is need satisfying and a reward in itself. I was fortunate to watch that unfold in my classroom today.
Background: Every year we hold a Penny War at the middle school. The goal is to raise money for the local food pantry, which is admirable. The reward for winning the “war” is a pizza party. Over the years students have reported feeling that they are coerced, threatened, bribed and bullied into bringing in money, not because it is the right thing or the noble thing to do, but they need to win and win that pizza party for their grade level. The eighth grade has consistently won for the past 3 years.
Final Day: Today was the final day of the war and there was a big push by some to get that money in….As I was preparing to start my 6th hour lit class one of my students asked me if we had to have the pizza party if we won. I asked her what she was thinking. She replied that the pizza for the entire 8th grade probably cost $200.00 or more. She thought it would be better if we donated that money to the food pantry too and just forgot the reward. I asked why she felt that way. She replied that we should be giving because we choose to give and help, not because of the reward. I agree with her completely. We then talked about how she could go about sharing her proposal. It was decided that talking to the president of the student council would be a good beginning. She explained her thinking and asked him what he thought. After several moments he replied, there should be some reward for winning. Isn’t giving to those in need reward enough?, was the reply. By this time other students were listening to the discussion and had their own opinions to share. Many agreed that the money for pizza should go to the food pantry too. One student even suggested that we create our own reward. Again asking what she had in mind I got this response. Why can’t each of us bring in a dish of our favorite holiday food to pass and have a huge potluck where everyone can share? This was met with approval and enthusiasm. The students in my class agreed that the idea was good and if we win the war, we will have a class meeting and the three of them will share their proposal with the rest of the 8th graders.
I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I was moved to tears as they worked through their thoughts and ideas. They put others ahead of the reward. They want to start a new tradition of giving from the heart because they want to, not because of the reward at the end of the “war”.
Is this choice theory? Are they satisfying their needs? Is their quality world in balance with the real world? YES!!!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Hope
December 2, 3007
Friday was our workday following the end of the trimester. It was a quick job to post grades this trimester...I felt I really knew what my students knew. The hardest part was giving those few students who hadn't demonstrated mastery no grade. That in itself wasn't hard...but I really needed to examine why they hadn't mastered the targets. What choices did they make? What needs were they trying to satisfy? What do I have to do in order to create a more need satisfying environment for those students? Have I built enough of a bond with them?
Tough questions without quick easy answers. I will spend some time with each student talking to them and trying to find out what we can do together to get them to master the targets and hopefully value learning and helping them understand that no grade isn't the end, but rather the beginning.
During the course of the day Vicki and I also had several opportunities to share choice theory and quality classrooms with other teachers. It was great. Many are interested in my use of the A, B No Grade option. They asked how it was working, which was a bit hard to answer. While I feel it is working quite well, I am concerned about those students who didn't achieve the targets. I have a plan and we'll see where it leads. The main thing I emphasized to the other teachers was knowing what quality looks like. Teachers have to be experts in their area of expertise. They have to work with the students to make the learning targets student friendly and they have to have a clear idea of what quality looks like. They also have to know that each student in their class is starting from a different point and the expectations have to match each individual student.
In working with students, I found that my questions for some were more straight forward and knowledge based while others were of a more analytical nature. That doesn't mean that some students "got it" more than others, it just means that some were more ready to move from the concrete to the abstract than others. I learned so much more about what my students knew by talking to them than by just marking their answers either right or wrong. It takes time to do this, but while I was conferencing with one, the others were working on another aspect of chemistry. Chaos doesn't reign in my class....it does get loud at times, but the "science talk" that I hear is incredible.
The second conversation took place later in the day. That discussion centered around learning targets and possible ways to change what is currently being done in another class. This conversation was interesting. I saw myself of 2 or 3 years ago in many of the things that were said. It is so hard to give up things we as teachers enjoy teaching. We see value in it and want to share that with our students which is admirable however, it sometimes leads to curricula that are all about schooling and not about learning. We have to be willing to let go of some things in order to help our students not only reach the targets, but also learn what quality looks like and strive to get there.
I'm thrilled that others are asking about choice theory and quality classrooms. I hope that their interest continues as our success continue.
On another note...I had one student who was really struggling to understand some of the more abstract concepts. In talking with him I asked if he would be willing to work with one of his classmates who really got it. He agreed and the two spent about 20 minutes working through the material. At that point they came to me and said they were ready to talk to me. I asked a few questions and found that there were still some gaps in the students learning. They went back and worked some more. When they came back again, the concepts were mastered. Both students were beaming. When I asked the student who had received the help how he felt, he replied "great". I asked him if he had anything to say to the other student and he said yes. He then put out his hand and said "thank you. You really helped me understand this stuff" They shook hands with huge smiles on their faces. When I asked the student who did the tutoring how he felt, he said "awesome". It was one of those great teacher moments when you know something great happened.
December 2, 3007
Friday was our workday following the end of the trimester. It was a quick job to post grades this trimester...I felt I really knew what my students knew. The hardest part was giving those few students who hadn't demonstrated mastery no grade. That in itself wasn't hard...but I really needed to examine why they hadn't mastered the targets. What choices did they make? What needs were they trying to satisfy? What do I have to do in order to create a more need satisfying environment for those students? Have I built enough of a bond with them?
Tough questions without quick easy answers. I will spend some time with each student talking to them and trying to find out what we can do together to get them to master the targets and hopefully value learning and helping them understand that no grade isn't the end, but rather the beginning.
During the course of the day Vicki and I also had several opportunities to share choice theory and quality classrooms with other teachers. It was great. Many are interested in my use of the A, B No Grade option. They asked how it was working, which was a bit hard to answer. While I feel it is working quite well, I am concerned about those students who didn't achieve the targets. I have a plan and we'll see where it leads. The main thing I emphasized to the other teachers was knowing what quality looks like. Teachers have to be experts in their area of expertise. They have to work with the students to make the learning targets student friendly and they have to have a clear idea of what quality looks like. They also have to know that each student in their class is starting from a different point and the expectations have to match each individual student.
In working with students, I found that my questions for some were more straight forward and knowledge based while others were of a more analytical nature. That doesn't mean that some students "got it" more than others, it just means that some were more ready to move from the concrete to the abstract than others. I learned so much more about what my students knew by talking to them than by just marking their answers either right or wrong. It takes time to do this, but while I was conferencing with one, the others were working on another aspect of chemistry. Chaos doesn't reign in my class....it does get loud at times, but the "science talk" that I hear is incredible.
The second conversation took place later in the day. That discussion centered around learning targets and possible ways to change what is currently being done in another class. This conversation was interesting. I saw myself of 2 or 3 years ago in many of the things that were said. It is so hard to give up things we as teachers enjoy teaching. We see value in it and want to share that with our students which is admirable however, it sometimes leads to curricula that are all about schooling and not about learning. We have to be willing to let go of some things in order to help our students not only reach the targets, but also learn what quality looks like and strive to get there.
I'm thrilled that others are asking about choice theory and quality classrooms. I hope that their interest continues as our success continue.
On another note...I had one student who was really struggling to understand some of the more abstract concepts. In talking with him I asked if he would be willing to work with one of his classmates who really got it. He agreed and the two spent about 20 minutes working through the material. At that point they came to me and said they were ready to talk to me. I asked a few questions and found that there were still some gaps in the students learning. They went back and worked some more. When they came back again, the concepts were mastered. Both students were beaming. When I asked the student who had received the help how he felt, he replied "great". I asked him if he had anything to say to the other student and he said yes. He then put out his hand and said "thank you. You really helped me understand this stuff" They shook hands with huge smiles on their faces. When I asked the student who did the tutoring how he felt, he said "awesome". It was one of those great teacher moments when you know something great happened.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Grade Day
I've just finished posting my grades. I feel really good about the progress I've seen in my students. They didn't all earn A's or B's but they are all making progress. Out of all my classes I only have 4 students that are not getting a grade for this trimester. The good news is that they know that no grade doesn't mean they "failed". They know that it means that they have to work a bit more in order to master the concepts covered thus far. They know and understand that they are successful in my class and that I will continue to work with them (if they choose to) to ensure that they learn it.
The really good news is that of those 4 students, none of them feels like they have failed. They have spoken to me and have asked questions and made plans to demonstrate their understanding over the next few days. I believe that my students have learned more over the past few weeks than student have in the past. I don't have any solid quantitative data to support that statement, but I do know that the level of understanding is deeper this year than in the past. My students have always "learned" the material and achieved proficient (80% or better) grades on my tests, but this is the first time I actually believe they have learned the targets.
In the local paper over the past 2 weeks there have been articles about the chemistry of plastics and how they are affecting human life. I shared the articles with the students and the discussion that followed showed a high level of understanding for chemistry. It was also fun for me to see that they saw the value in learning about chemistry. One student commented that they never really knew that chemistry was important.
It isn't all roses though. I'm not sure if those 4 students will demonstrate understanding before I move on to the next topic. I do know that I will continue to work with them so that they feel successful and competent.
I've just finished posting my grades. I feel really good about the progress I've seen in my students. They didn't all earn A's or B's but they are all making progress. Out of all my classes I only have 4 students that are not getting a grade for this trimester. The good news is that they know that no grade doesn't mean they "failed". They know that it means that they have to work a bit more in order to master the concepts covered thus far. They know and understand that they are successful in my class and that I will continue to work with them (if they choose to) to ensure that they learn it.
The really good news is that of those 4 students, none of them feels like they have failed. They have spoken to me and have asked questions and made plans to demonstrate their understanding over the next few days. I believe that my students have learned more over the past few weeks than student have in the past. I don't have any solid quantitative data to support that statement, but I do know that the level of understanding is deeper this year than in the past. My students have always "learned" the material and achieved proficient (80% or better) grades on my tests, but this is the first time I actually believe they have learned the targets.
In the local paper over the past 2 weeks there have been articles about the chemistry of plastics and how they are affecting human life. I shared the articles with the students and the discussion that followed showed a high level of understanding for chemistry. It was also fun for me to see that they saw the value in learning about chemistry. One student commented that they never really knew that chemistry was important.
It isn't all roses though. I'm not sure if those 4 students will demonstrate understanding before I move on to the next topic. I do know that I will continue to work with them so that they feel successful and competent.
Monday, November 26, 2007
What have they really learned?
Learning vs Schooling
The end of the first trimester is Thursday.....I'm aprehensive and yet calm as I enter grades into the gradebook. Most of my students have learned a great deal of chemistry....the key word in the sentence was most. If you recall, I have tried to create a competency based quality classroom in which my students earn either an A or a B or no grade at all.
I have watched with amazement as students have worked through this first unit on Chemistry. Some have worked very hard and have demonstrated competence in their understanding of the learning targets. Others however have tried to approach my assessments the same way they approach all assignments given in school. They complete the task quickly and really do answer the questions well...often using vocabulary that isn't typically in an 8th graders spoken or written language....I'm sure they were confident that they had answered the questions competently. I however asked them to explain, give examples or further clarify the answers they had written. If they could do this, I knew they knew the material. If they couldn't, we discussed what they didn't understand and talked about what they would do to help them better understand the material.
I reminded them that they had learned a lot, but they needed to really be masters of the material. I never told them they "failed". I never held a "failing" grade over their head. I did tell them that I would like to help them understand the concepts more completely and that I was available before school, during class, at lunch and after school to help them. I watched them walk away from my desk with amazed looks on their faces after I had them come up with a plan to help them accomplish the task. They have a few more days before the end of the trimester to show me what they've learned. I'm really hopeful that all of my students will be competent.
I have seen more learning so far this year than I have in a long time. Students are helping each other understand. Questions asked show a deeper understanding than in the past. They aren't afraid to turn in their work because they know that they will have an opportunity to not only correct, but to also really learn the material. I believe that learning occurs when corrections are made and they have to explain their thinking and logic or support their responses with evidence.
The end of the first trimester is Thursday.....I'm aprehensive and yet calm as I enter grades into the gradebook. Most of my students have learned a great deal of chemistry....the key word in the sentence was most. If you recall, I have tried to create a competency based quality classroom in which my students earn either an A or a B or no grade at all.
I have watched with amazement as students have worked through this first unit on Chemistry. Some have worked very hard and have demonstrated competence in their understanding of the learning targets. Others however have tried to approach my assessments the same way they approach all assignments given in school. They complete the task quickly and really do answer the questions well...often using vocabulary that isn't typically in an 8th graders spoken or written language....I'm sure they were confident that they had answered the questions competently. I however asked them to explain, give examples or further clarify the answers they had written. If they could do this, I knew they knew the material. If they couldn't, we discussed what they didn't understand and talked about what they would do to help them better understand the material.
I reminded them that they had learned a lot, but they needed to really be masters of the material. I never told them they "failed". I never held a "failing" grade over their head. I did tell them that I would like to help them understand the concepts more completely and that I was available before school, during class, at lunch and after school to help them. I watched them walk away from my desk with amazed looks on their faces after I had them come up with a plan to help them accomplish the task. They have a few more days before the end of the trimester to show me what they've learned. I'm really hopeful that all of my students will be competent.
I have seen more learning so far this year than I have in a long time. Students are helping each other understand. Questions asked show a deeper understanding than in the past. They aren't afraid to turn in their work because they know that they will have an opportunity to not only correct, but to also really learn the material. I believe that learning occurs when corrections are made and they have to explain their thinking and logic or support their responses with evidence.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Reality Check
November 20, 2007
I thought things were going so well in my classroom until yesterday at the end of the day. It had been a long exhausting day and I was rapidly running out of patience and steam. We had discussed the 7 caring habits and agreed that they were worth working on. Not tough I thought. I had been working since July to make them a part of my world.
I had just finished explaining that I would be handing back their chemistry assessment. Many were not quite quality and I had asked questions or made comments on almost all of the papers. I also told them that I wanted them to have a chance to read my comments and questions before I conference with them to talk about their answers so that I could further assess if they understood the chemistry concepts on the assessment. Remember that I have set up my classroom as an A/B , no grade classroom where students need to be proficient and meet the learning targets for each unit I teach. I also re-explained that sometimes it is hard for me to really know if they know without talking with them.
With that said, I began to return papers. The talking started almost immediately. By the time I finished more than one student was complaining loudly. Then it happened...one student yelled I wrote the answer here in the margin! Its not wrong. I replied...I don't remember exactly what you wrote, but I must not have been sure if you really understood the concept if I asked questions about your response. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Of course the eye rolling and huffing followed. No sooner had those words left my mouth than another student yelled Of course I know what conjoined means. I was taken aback. I turned and looked at the student who loudly added "I didn't copy and paste it from the Internet". This was the point where I lost it. Rather than respecting their words, I became defensive, which in turn caused the student to become defensive. Before long I was using the deadly habits with ease to put this student back in their place. It was horrible. Choice Theory went out the window in a blink of the eye....
With 3 minutes left in the class period, I walked out into the hall to speak with students who had come into the doorway earlier to ask me a question. The bell rang while I was still in the hall. They left for the day and I felt absolutely horrible. I looked for the student and caught them just as they were walking out of the wing...they did not wish to speak to me. I couldn't blame them. Had I destroyed the relationship I had with that student? Would I be able to mend it?
Needless to say I had a miserable night. I really felt terrible. I looked for the student as soon as the first bell rang the next morning and asked if they would talk to me. They agreed and we moved into a quiet area. I started out by apologizing for my behavior. I also explained that I thought we both had knee-jerk reactions to each other. He smiled and agreed. I explained that I really didn't want to lose the relationship that we had and that I thought of them as a great student and someone I enjoyed getting to know in class. I then told them what I was willing to do to mend the fence. I asked if there was anything he could do. Happily he reported that he had talked to his dad about it and felt that he could work on being less defensive when I said I didn't understand what was meant in his writing. I ended the conversation by asking if we were still friends...With a smile on his face he said yes.
In the past, I never would have felt bad about dressing down a student. I would have justified it by complaining about their behavior and disrespect. I didn't sleep well and I was really concerned about my relationship with this student. I knew that if I destroyed my relationship, success in my classroom would be fleeting not only for that student, but for all of them that witnessed the meltdown. Respect would be gone. I wasn't willing to let that happen and I was willing to admit that my behavior was out of control and I wasn't driving my own car. Thankfully, I have developed a good relationship with my students through using Choice Theory. Choice Theory allowed me to take the steps necessary to mend the fence not only with the student but with the entire class. It has given me the tools to mend fences rather than burn bridges and perhaps loose a student to defiance, non-learning and misbehavior for the rest of the year.
It isn't always easy to do, but it is definitely worth it. The student was happy and talkative with me today in class. I also saw more work being done than I had in the past few days. I truly believe that success is directly proportional to how well the people involved get along together. Today was a much much better day!!!!
Choice Theory is work and I believe I've come a long way. I have a long way to go, but it is worth my time and effort. It isn't a one day or week idea. I do know that my students are achieving more and I see more learning than I have in the past. It is easy to fall back into old habits, but I know that it is important that I keep on the choice theory path. One day at a time...
I thought things were going so well in my classroom until yesterday at the end of the day. It had been a long exhausting day and I was rapidly running out of patience and steam. We had discussed the 7 caring habits and agreed that they were worth working on. Not tough I thought. I had been working since July to make them a part of my world.
I had just finished explaining that I would be handing back their chemistry assessment. Many were not quite quality and I had asked questions or made comments on almost all of the papers. I also told them that I wanted them to have a chance to read my comments and questions before I conference with them to talk about their answers so that I could further assess if they understood the chemistry concepts on the assessment. Remember that I have set up my classroom as an A/B , no grade classroom where students need to be proficient and meet the learning targets for each unit I teach. I also re-explained that sometimes it is hard for me to really know if they know without talking with them.
With that said, I began to return papers. The talking started almost immediately. By the time I finished more than one student was complaining loudly. Then it happened...one student yelled I wrote the answer here in the margin! Its not wrong. I replied...I don't remember exactly what you wrote, but I must not have been sure if you really understood the concept if I asked questions about your response. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Of course the eye rolling and huffing followed. No sooner had those words left my mouth than another student yelled Of course I know what conjoined means. I was taken aback. I turned and looked at the student who loudly added "I didn't copy and paste it from the Internet". This was the point where I lost it. Rather than respecting their words, I became defensive, which in turn caused the student to become defensive. Before long I was using the deadly habits with ease to put this student back in their place. It was horrible. Choice Theory went out the window in a blink of the eye....
With 3 minutes left in the class period, I walked out into the hall to speak with students who had come into the doorway earlier to ask me a question. The bell rang while I was still in the hall. They left for the day and I felt absolutely horrible. I looked for the student and caught them just as they were walking out of the wing...they did not wish to speak to me. I couldn't blame them. Had I destroyed the relationship I had with that student? Would I be able to mend it?
Needless to say I had a miserable night. I really felt terrible. I looked for the student as soon as the first bell rang the next morning and asked if they would talk to me. They agreed and we moved into a quiet area. I started out by apologizing for my behavior. I also explained that I thought we both had knee-jerk reactions to each other. He smiled and agreed. I explained that I really didn't want to lose the relationship that we had and that I thought of them as a great student and someone I enjoyed getting to know in class. I then told them what I was willing to do to mend the fence. I asked if there was anything he could do. Happily he reported that he had talked to his dad about it and felt that he could work on being less defensive when I said I didn't understand what was meant in his writing. I ended the conversation by asking if we were still friends...With a smile on his face he said yes.
In the past, I never would have felt bad about dressing down a student. I would have justified it by complaining about their behavior and disrespect. I didn't sleep well and I was really concerned about my relationship with this student. I knew that if I destroyed my relationship, success in my classroom would be fleeting not only for that student, but for all of them that witnessed the meltdown. Respect would be gone. I wasn't willing to let that happen and I was willing to admit that my behavior was out of control and I wasn't driving my own car. Thankfully, I have developed a good relationship with my students through using Choice Theory. Choice Theory allowed me to take the steps necessary to mend the fence not only with the student but with the entire class. It has given me the tools to mend fences rather than burn bridges and perhaps loose a student to defiance, non-learning and misbehavior for the rest of the year.
It isn't always easy to do, but it is definitely worth it. The student was happy and talkative with me today in class. I also saw more work being done than I had in the past few days. I truly believe that success is directly proportional to how well the people involved get along together. Today was a much much better day!!!!
Choice Theory is work and I believe I've come a long way. I have a long way to go, but it is worth my time and effort. It isn't a one day or week idea. I do know that my students are achieving more and I see more learning than I have in the past. It is easy to fall back into old habits, but I know that it is important that I keep on the choice theory path. One day at a time...
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