Doing "Hard" Things

Do hard things is a book. I know this to be true. I haven't read it yet, but I absolutely cant wait to. --Dear Amazon, please hurry my kindle here-- I know this isnt normally how I start a blog but I feel it will make a point later.

I had a fabulous discussion with a colleague at the end of the day today about what students consider "hard" work in a class. She told me about a students comments regarding what he thought was a difficult class and his views that all classes should be hard like the class he mentioned. Now, I say this not to offend anyone, and i feel safe discussing it as I can say the course was not taught by a teacher at our school, but what the students considered hard was having to make work "perfect" in terms of grammar and spelling, having to "know so many things" and the importance of remembering "details" from readings. As we discussed this we talked about how easy students tend to think our classes are.

According to the student's definition value, I could make class harder and better if I simply made them know more. In other words If i adjust ID paragraphs to require 18-20 pieces of information instead of 16-18 I am now a better teacher. In that case... 24-26! More students would fail, exceptional students would continue to succeed. This may seem hard and would make the extremely successful feel better than in a class where many students achieve highly buy let me be honest... It wouldn't be better. I am a believer that difficulty is not equal to value. Rigor isnt achieved by adding more. Knowing isnt the same as thinking... I can know what a book is about, know events from history, know definitions but it isnt the same as thinking about them. I guess the point I am making is don't necessarily do hard things, do valuable things. Grow.

What I would ask of students is, demand to think. If there is ever a day at which I haven't forced you to consider things, make connections, assess value, create, pick apart, problem solve or answer why then I haven't gotten my job done. Now, I don't think I "know it all" and I most certainly don't look at myself as a good teacher; I think I am a work in progress but I certainly want to get there. I see myself as a learner and a thinker, at least thats what I want to be and its all I ask of students.

Today was one of, what I would consider, the best days of my young career because I saw top to bottom, left to right critical, detailed, creative, connective thinking. Got to see discussion and writing that gave me evidence of the high level of thought, AND got data that students had analyzed a primary source in 2 different class periods yesterday and today. Four periods on one paragraph? GREAT!

So students, do things that matter, make yourself think, assess value on what really matters. Don't be a quantitative being, be qualitative.

Team Teach

What a fantastic day! I really think the lesson Mrs. Coursen and I have put together, really the unit as a whole, will be the best of my career. Today students read a primary source by William Bradford. Following their analysis and the completion of a graphic organizer detailing what they know as concrete fact, what they think they know through reasoning and any conclusions they feel they can draw. Students also are listing any data they lack that prevents them from making conclusions they want to make. They are now comparing social changes made by puritans in a time of distress with Marxist ideals. Tomorrow they will discuss and write as they analyze a new source they will receive. The ultimate goal of the unit is that Mrs. Coursen and I make ourselves unnecessary in students analysis of primary sources. In other words, students ought to be capable of analysis of sources without our guidance. I cannot elaborate more as students following the blog need to make discoveries themselves. Needless to say I am quite excited about the direction we are going.

Review

Free Writing, Examination Station and Kashmir

Decent free writing- Students, higher order thinking is ultimately the one trait that will make or break you as a student.  If you develop it, everything is do-able.  How????? Where do i get this?????  Reading, responding, THINKING!  So far I am seeing it, i really am; at the same time I have to say the extended free-writes so far have been average-ish, not the quality I am hoping to see in your writing this year.  I mean they are good... just not great!  REDO!!!! We wont have class time for it but please-please-please take advantage of ABC Not Yet! Im collecting them today, should grade them within 2 days and have them back to you.

Tomorrow is the exam, I expect 100% across the board.

Kashmir - We begin discussion of Kashmir, we will research, write and get deep... I cant wait to see how they do.

Questions???

World History-- Any questions comments or concerns regarding your essays?  Post them here for responses.  They seem to be getting started very well and i am extremely excited to read them!

Writing Day

Well, writing is commencing and I cant wait to read it!  I really hope you all find yourself in possession of a good plan for how to answer your question. Remember juniors this is a brief essay, just a few pages! Dont worry about being incredibly formal, just be strong in terms of style, focus, content, organization and conventions.  Have a good philosophical voice and be comfortable spewing out quality deep thought with support.  Dont feel bad taking the ideas of great thinkers.  Great thinkers "stand on the shoulders of giants"they only get where they are because of those who came before.  Think about your math class, do you think those polished formulas chalked up on the board have always looked like that?  How much trial, error, effort, collaboration(talk to each other), life, death, tears and blood(maybe not so much in math) went into those numbers.

Stress, relief, preparation

Well, I have to admit, I woke up stressed and nervous... Missing Thursday meant I had not been to the school in four days.  I had been made aware things didn't go swimmingly on thursday in my absence and new we needed to gain ground and get the course righted.  I was relieved to find that by and large reports of the lack of work on Thursday were largely exaggerated and students seemed quite prepared.  I am pumped for the test next tuesday, I think we will do swimmingly.  Geography went okay 10th period, I was much better 11th.  In both classes we got results but formatively, I think they were better eleventh.

I was reading some other teacher and administrator blogs today and started to think about myself as an educator and what I really bring to the table along with what has got me to where I am today.  As I reflected I began to think about what is different today from 2 years ago, the year i would consider my worst as a professional. At the end of that year I reflected and thought that my biggest failure was a lack in my ability to motivate those juniors to fulfill their potential in any way shape or form.  Since then I have set my teaching personality, my pedagogy and my class design to keep that going.  Today I feel that passion and motivation have become my biggest strengths; I hope students agree.  I want to know what weaknesses I possess and address them as long as they do not take away from my strengths. My challenge to students and peers is the same, be critical of yourself; locate your flaws and address them as best you can.  You are a human being and, as such, can change everything about yourself on a whim.