Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students [3 ed.] 9781032361703, 9781032361482, 9781003330578

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Passionate Learners

Would you want to be a student in your own classroom? In this bestselling book, Pernille Ripp invites both novice and seasoned teachers to co-create a positive, interactive learning environment with students. Based on honest reflections on her own teaching experience, Pernille offers a wide variety of ideas for sharing control, developing your intuition, learning how to fail, giving yourself grace, building community and trust, creating more choice, allowing time for student expertise, and letting go of the punish, behave, and reward cycle so that intrinsic motivation can thrive. This fully enhanced new edition is chock full of additional strategies and tools on topics such as centering students’ identities, overcoming barriers when creating student-centered lessons to emphasize ownership of the learning cycle, shoring up boundaries to manage your time and stop the intense prep work, changing homework habits to reduce your load and give students more time, deemphasizing grades, and much more. With Pernille’s heartfelt stories and practical strategies, you’ll feel inspired to give your classroom back to your students and foster a community of truly passionate learners! Since Pernille Ripp was a child growing up in Denmark, she knew she wanted to work with kids. She has loved being a fourth, fifth, and then seventh grade teacher in the American public school system, as well as an educational coach for adults. In her co-created teaching spaces, students’ identities are at the center of the explorations that they do, as is considering how to fight for change. Recently, Pernille moved home to Denmark, where she is expanding her knowledge of children’s development and needs through her work in early childhood education.

Also Available from Routledge Eye On Education (www.routledge.com/k-12)

Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child Pernille Ripp Identity Affirming Classrooms: Spaces that Center Humanity Erica Buchanan-Rivera Creating Inclusive Writing Environments in the K-12 Classroom: Reluctance, Resistance, and Strategies that Make a Difference Angela Stockman Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels: Fun and Engaging Strategies to Improve Close Reading and Critical Thinking in Every Classroom Tim Smyth Movie Magic in the Classroom: Ready-to-Use Guide for Teaching SEL Amber Chandler

Passionate Learners How to Engage and Empower Your Students Third Edition

Pernille Ripp

Designed cover image: © Thinkstock Third edition published 2023 by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 and by Routledge 4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2023 Taylor & Francis The right of Pernille Ripp to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. The purchase of this copyright material confers the right on the purchasing institution to photocopy or download pages which bear the support material icon. No other parts of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. First edition published by Powerful Learning Press 2014 Second edition published by Routledge 2016 ISBN: 978-1-032-36170-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-032-36148-2 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-33057-8 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578 Typeset in Optima by Apex CoVantage, LLC Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9781032361482

Support Material

The rubrics and unit map framework from the book are also available on our website so you can print them for your own use. They are indicated by the following icon To download those items, go to the book product page, www.routledge. com/books/details/9781032361482. Then, click on the tab that says, “Support Material,” and select the files you’d like to download.

To Brandon, whose words pushed me when I had no direction and whose love will always be home to me. And to my mom, Nete, who taught me how to raise my voice, to be brave, and that love will always be the most important thing.

Contents

Foreword by Diana Laufenberg About the Author Acknowledgments

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Introduction Rediscovering the Teacher You Set Out to Be: Taking the Steps to Change Would You Like Being a Student in Your Own Classroom? Creating Conditions for Shared Power Shoring Up Boundaries: Protecting Your Time and Yourself It’s Not How Your Classroom Looks: Creating Classroom Spaces Where All Children Can Thrive Cultivating a Passionate Learning Environment: Ways to Build Community and Trust Giving the Classroom Back: Getting Started With StudentCentered Learning and Overcoming Barriers Letting Go of the Punish, Behave, Reward Cycle: Building Conditions for Better Intrinsic Motivation Centering Standards and Identities: Planning Units and Lessons That Center Children Free to Have a Life: Changing Your Homework and Worksheet Routine Grading Destroys Curiosity: Moving to Authentic Assessments Final Thoughts: Making the Changes That Matter

x xii xiv 1 5 18 37 57 72 88 113 136 157 171 194

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Diana Laufenberg Whenever I meet with Pernille, she gives me a sense that I am sitting with a kindred spirit. We met online ages ago. It is how I’ve met many of the teachers I admire. While the past few years have made meeting up with her in person challenging, I continue to marvel at her work and impact from this side of a screen. She is tireless, committed, and calls it like she sees it. This third edition of Passionate Learners is a testament to her continued impact and resonance with teachers from many different spaces and places. Passionate Learners is an important book for all people connected to teaching and learning. The narrative that Pernille weaves is that of student, teacher, and mother. Specifically, she makes transparent her own process of transformation as a teacher and lets us into the day-to-day life of a professional educator. While I believe all members of the educational ecosystem can benefit from reading Passionate Learners, this book holds a special power for the in-service teacher who looks at the faces of students every day, determined to create a robust and caring learning environment. Passionate Learners asks incredibly important questions of teachers. One of the most difficult pieces of the profession today is adjusting to the shifting landscape and finding effective classroom methods to reflect the tools and resources of the day. Early on, the reader is challenged to consider one of the most important questions any teacher can be asked, “Would you like being a student in your own classroom?” Pernille’s own answer cracks open the space to approach her students and the minutes of the day very differently. Her honesty and willingness to be changed is refreshing. Passionate Learners also takes up the critical discussion about giving student voice a prominent role in the classroom. The days of sitting quietly in rows and listening are over, and Pernille lays out exactly why and how a teacher must approach this important topic. She offers the reasoning for this necessary shift and suggests practical examples and suggestions for achieving this goal of giving the classroom back to the students. Giving up control, which is required x

FOREWORD

to accomplish this, continues to be one of the toughest teacher conversations to have, and Pernille offers a clear path to moving in a direction that honors the student’s voice and choice as much as the teacher’s in the classroom. Passionate Learners also takes up the role of relationships with the students as an integral part of any robust and healthy classroom. She recounts her own struggles to shift from teacher as lawgiver to teacher as relationship builder. This is not an easy transition, and she heartwarmingly tells of her own path and how she found her way to a more caring and thoughtful environment. Pernille does not treat these transitions as easy but rather lays bare how the struggle led her to a different place in her development as a teacher AND how that professional transformation impacted the students in her care. What is glaringly apparent in Passionate Learners is the paramount importance that Pernille places on reflection as a core part of her professional practice. In each chapter, she invites us into her own thought processes and revelations as she looks back on what type of learning environment she is working to create with her students. None of the work she has done over her career would have been possible without this deep and intentional reflection. Our current educational landscape requires frequent and robust reflection to keep finding effective and relevant paths forward. This book provides a framework to begin reflecting on our own classroom practices. It is complete with heartfelt stories, helpful suggestions for shifting our own practice, and the wisdom of an in-service teacher that recognized the importance of sharing, connection, and reflection as she developed into a master teacher. We need more teachers in the world like Pernille, who question, challenge, and push those around her to be better versions of themselves. She is a force to be reckoned with, and this book will give readers a window into the energy and thoughtfulness that she brings to all facets of her life. We have never needed this book more than we do right now. Diana Laufenberg is a farm kid from Alma Center, Wisconsin. For the past two decades, Diana has been a secondary social studies teacher in Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. She most recently taught at the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) in Philadelphia, an inquiry-driven, project-based high school focused on modern learning. Her practice has deep roots in experiential education, taking students from the classroom to the real world and back again. Diana was featured on TED.com for her “How to Learn? From Mistakes” and recognized for earning a National Board Certification. In 2013, Laufenberg partnered with Chris Lehmann to start Inquiry Schools, a non-profit working to create and support learning environments that are inquiry-driven and project-based and that utilize modern technology. She currently serves as the Executive Director for Inquiry Schools (www.inquiryschools.org/). xi

About the Author

Pernille Ripp is deeply invested in the development of engaging classroom communities around the world, as well as in her own co-created spaces. She is a former fourth, fifth, and seventh grade teacher and an author, speaker, and passionate advocate for education. She dedicates her research and practice to developing engaged and empowered students and communities across the globe. She is a recipient of the 2015 WEMTA Making IT Happen Award, the 2015 ISTE Award for Innovation in Global Collaboration, and the 2022 WCTE Award for Diversity and Inclusion. Pernille’s current research interest is in creating passionate literacy environments to help students fall in love with literacy again. She is the author of three other books besides this one, Empowered Schools, Empowered Students (Corwin), Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration (Solution Tree), and Passionate Readers (Routledge), focusing on creating learning spaces and communities where students thrive and all stakeholders are empowered and passionate about learning. Her work has also been featured by many print and online journals, including The New York Times, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, Literacy Today, Entersekt, Educational Leadership, and MiddleWeb. Pernille’s classroom has been a model classroom where school districts around the world send staff to see how literacy can be taught. Pernille is also a sought-after global speaker. Over the past many years, she has spoken to educators around the world, inspiring the work of more than 10K educators per year. Organizations who have hired Pernille include the East Asia Regional Council of Schools, the International Society for Technology in Schools (ISTE), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the International Literacy Association (ILA), and Scholastic’s Reading Summits. She is also the founder of The Global Read Aloud (http://theglobalreadaloud. com). Started in 2010, this free global literacy initiative began with a simple goal: one book to connect the world. Currently, over 1 million students across 85 different countries participate every year, with thousands more joining each

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year. This community of passionate educators is on the cutting edge of practices led by Pernille’s vision for better literacy practices around the world. These days, Pernille calls Naestved, Denmark, home. When she is not teaching, writing, or learning, you can find her surrounded by her four energetic kids and lovely husband, and with a book in her hand.

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Acknowledgments

I never dreamt I would be an author, that my name would grace the cover of a book. Those dreams are left to those who know how to write, surely, and not a girl from a small town in Denmark who never thought she wanted to be a teacher. Yet, this book proves me wrong once again. It is not the first time I have been proven wrong, nor is it the last, I hope. Many people told me I should write, and to them I owe my gratitude. This journey is one I continue as the times shift and the demands on educators to just “fix it” increase. I never thought my words would be read and used by others, but I am grateful that the experiences I have had, the wisdom shared by my students, and the hardest lessons I have learned can potentially make the path a less bumpy one for others on it. I could not do this work alone, and I don’t, so thank you to all who have helped me. To my children, the four I get to come home to every night, Theo, Ida, Oskar, and Augustine, who have given me the best title in the world, mom, and to all those whom I have taught: it is for you that I try to change education. It is your voices I am fighting for. Thank you for making me a passionate teacher.

xiv

Introduction Learning to Break the Rules I wasn’t born a rule breaker. In my hometown of Bjerringbro, Denmark (population 7,390), I did not strive to be a rebel without a cause. In fact, I was your average tomboy, a middle of the roader, the “if only she tried” child that we now strive not to label in our own classrooms. I followed the rules set forth because that is what I was told to do. Society has expectations, and even the smallest child tunes into them rather quickly. Of course, there were small rebellions—coming home a few minutes late or “forgetting” to do my spelling words—yet my childhood was not an adventurous one, and my adult life seemed to be kind of middle-of-the-road as well. That is, until I became a teacher in an American public elementary school. My journey into education was nothing awe-inspiring. I did not dream of becoming a teacher all my life but instead felt myself drawn to it as I hit my early 20s. I knew I wanted to reach children, help them grow in meaningful ways, inspire them, and, above all, listen to them. And yet, once I had the diploma and teaching job in hand, I followed the rules. Good teachers graded, good teachers rewarded, good teachers told students that if their homework was not done, then there would be consequences. Good teachers talked and talked, hoping that they could talk their students into listening to them. I was that kind of good teacher. In my gut, I knew something was wrong—and yet these were the rules. By signing up to teach, I had signed up for the rules, right? I never stopped to question those rules because I did not see anything wrong with them. Why should I? They had been presented to me by well-meaning college faculty, enforced by some practicum teachers, and written about in the fancy education books I devoured for inspiration. If the rules so obviously worked for others, why not for me? So, I taught like I thought I should. I scolded, waved fingers, told kids to sit still and listen, and, above all, I wielded my grades—not as proof of great learning, but as tools for compliance. A few years in, my class was a mixed bag of emotions with various big personalities that needed a lot of love and a lot of patience at times. I started every

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-1

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INTRODUCTION

year the same way: detailing how to get an A, how to earn a class party, how to get on the Awesome Board. Basically, how to be the best students they could possibly be. Yet, really all I did was tell them the rules and then tell them what punishment there would be for breaking those rules. How is that for inspiring the youth of America? At the end of that year, I was ready to quit, and not in the “aah, summer” kind of way but in the “I quit because I hate teaching” kind of way. I would be sad to see the students go, but even more sad about how I had failed them. I did not feel that I had changed a single kid for the better; I had not inspired, I had not made a difference. Instead, I had given them more of the same: punishment, grades, plenty of homework. And I had definitely ruled my room with an iron fist. I was the center of attention because I held all the knowledge, and the students had to listen to me!

We May Have to Break the Rules That summer, disillusioned with whom I had become and how far I had gotten from my dreams about teaching, I knew something had to change. Since I could not change my students, I had to change the way I taught. I had to break the rules. Breaking the rules is terrifying within the public school system, no matter how few or how many years you have taught. We are so indoctrinated with how a traditional classroom should look—from our college years and sometimes years of experience—that when we bring new ideas, or even just trust our instincts, we often think that what we want to try will never really work. Pressure from the historical ideation of what education should be, from districts to conform, from the government to test, and sometimes even from colleagues to just stay the same, doesn’t help as we think about changing our practice. Sometimes, we give up before we even make the attempt, thinking that the barriers and pushback will be insurmountable. But that summer, I was so close to quitting that I found the courage to break some rules. And what I discovered was this: even the smallest changes can make monumental differences. Trusting yourself and your students, and sharing the power of the classroom with them, can lead to great teaching and learning, even within the boundaries of our confining standards, testing obsessions, and mandatory curriculums. We can change education from within. We can help our students protect their worth within the confinement of a system that was never meant to protect all kids, but we must take the first step. We can do this whether we are

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experienced teachers or novices just starting out. In this new edition, so many years after the previous edition, I see how much our educational landscape has changed but also how stagnant it has continued to be. Our predictable patterns of success and failure have not been overhauled—yet so many children still see no value in what we spend large parts of our lives planning, and the worth of educators continues to drop, not just in America but also in Denmark, where I currently live.

Why I Wrote a New Edition I went back to my original words and considered how these years have changed me. I marveled at how the core of my work has not changed, but how my continued learning from children and adults has made me louder in my mission. How my voice has only become more insistent that change is possible as my eyes have been opened wider. How there are still so many small things that can make the biggest differences if only we believe in our own bravery, as Amanda Gorman reminded the world in her poem The Hill We Climb, “For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Education does not have to be the way it is; there are so many pathways to change. And so, I wrote about what I know now, fourteen years into a career that has pushed me harder than anything else I have ever done. I wrote about the importance of co-creating spaces with our students that give them permission to show up the way they are. I wrote about what happens when you try to give up homework completely but can’t, or when those who are supposed to support you don’t. I wrote with more nuance and experience than I had in the first edition, and I wrote with my husband Brandon, a new teacher himself, asking me the hardest questions about my practice. I wrote so I could pull out all the cogs of the machine and try to present them to others so they may also change the way they teach. I wrote honestly and openly, because this journey is one I am still figuring out. Whether you are just beginning or well on your way, I hope this book helps you along your journey toward a classroom filled with passionate learners. At the very least, it will let you know that you are not alone—that there really are better ways to teach and that there are others like you who believe the same thing. I believed that there was one way to do school to kids. Now I know that school needs to change, and we must change it from within. Part of that change means including the voices of our students. School can no longer be done to

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our kids; school needs to be the place they cultivate and nourish who they see themselves as. If you are a teacher reading this book, chances are, you’re thinking about change. But whether you need to change and what you need to change are entirely up to you. Here’s what I know: if I had not changed the way I taught and affected my students, I still would have been just fine. Just fine—not great, not inspiring, not life-touching, as we hope to be. A just fine teacher. But really, at the end of the day, who wants to be just fine? And don’t our children deserve so much more?

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Rediscovering the Teacher You Set Out to Be Taking the Steps to Change

“I wish all teachers knew that we don’t think like them.” —Justin R.

I never dreamt of being a teacher. As a child growing up, I made vague statements about working with children, attending university in some capacity, but teaching? No, not for me. After all, I came from a long line of dedicated teachers, I had seen the job up close throughout my childhood, and I had no interest in being the next teacher in our family. So, I enrolled in college, quickly dropped out, and then worked a long line of jobs that meant little to me. It was not until my boyfriend, who would later become my husband, asked me as I was bartending what I wanted to do with my life, that I realized that perhaps there needed to be more than living paycheck to paycheck, and that perhaps the very thing I had so famously declared I would never be was perhaps what I needed to be. So, at the age of 22, I returned part-time in the evening to college to pursue this idea of becoming an educator. I was unsure of what that really meant, but if it meant working with children, then I was all in. As an adult student, attending college in all my seriousness, I was eager to learn everything there was to know about how to be a teacher, and luckily, all of the teachers who came before me were eager to impart their knowledge. I wanted to be good, great even, and I studied, I planned my fictitious lessons, and I reflected with all my might because that was what the syllabus said was required to be a great teacher. I had my doubts about my own capacity to teach, one would be a fool not to, and I wrestled with the knowledge as I did my practicums and student teaching that I was not prepared. But perhaps, I thought foolishly, I would feel ready as soon as I had my first job. After all, wasn’t that what a teaching degree was supposed to do?

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-2

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I graduated, found my first teaching job, and then got to work preparing for my very first year as a teacher of 9- and 10-year-olds, hoping that my thorough preparation would lead to more confidence. After all, the teachers I had learned from seemed to have it all together. However, with the days ticking down, and that very first orientation day on the horizon, I realized that I had very little idea of what it meant really to be a teacher. And that it was up to me to figure it out because that is what I had been hired to do.

Questions I wish I had asked myself as I started to plan for my first year: • • • •

How do you hope students will feel in your space? AND, how will you know how they feel? How will students share the control over curriculum and the creation of your community from day one? How will students have choice in their learning beyond the obvious? How will you protect your own time? When will you know something is good enough in order for you to rest?

Then: Just Listen to the Experts “I wish all teachers knew that we’re trying as hard as we can.” —Dillon R.

The one realization that grounded me as a first-year teacher was that I knew I had a lot to learn. I clamored for advice, expertise, some source of information (if not inspiration) to tell me what I did not know, and through my search I found Harry and Rosemary Wong, or rather the Wongs found me as their book was thrust into the hands of every first-year teacher in my first district. “This book,” they said, “will give you all of the answers.” I was relieved; all I had to do to be a good teacher was to follow their advice. The dog-eared pages and the creases in the spine showed my devotion to their best-selling guide for new teachers— The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. In fact, I loved this book so much that I referenced it, highlighted my favorite gems, and yes, gave it to other new teachers as the book that would make sense of it all.

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Armed with a confidence built upon the Wongs, I was the teacher who did the first weeks of school just like they said. After all, their philosophy fit perfectly with what I had been taught in college: rules, routines, expectations. Tell, show, practice, repeat. I spent a whole preparation day in my classroom meticulously making a poster detailing what to do if you needed to sharpen your pencil, go to the bathroom, or ask a question. I laminated it and put it center stage in my classroom—ready for the first day of school. When I felt lost, the advice of the Wongs saved my self-esteem and graciously showed me a path forward, even if I was not certain that their path was the path I desired to be on. After all, the rigidity of some of the advice I had been given by them and other teachers did not speak to the type of environment I had hoped to co-create. And yet I soldiered on, deciding to ignore my own instinct to follow expertise from others.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • • • •

Whose expertise do you value most? Do you trust your own instinct? How often do you dismiss it in favor of others’ ideas? How often do you pivot in your instruction because something feels amiss? Is there space for the input of all students to create the direction of your classroom? What have you been wanting to change in your instruction but have not had the courage, time, or tools to change? Who can you learn from now that does not mirror your own identity?

Creating Our First Community That first week was a blur of building community using ice breakers. Never mind that I was the only one the kids did not know—most of them had been at our school since kindergarten after all—but I figured we were going to get to know each other even better. Bingo, find a friend, and many other games tied our days together as the students waited for real school to begin, and I felt like the ringmaster of a slightly untrained circus.

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I was their teacher; I expected to be their center of attention, as I was the holder of all knowledge, and I could not wait to have them be the model students I knew they could all be. So, we practiced how to walk in the hallway. Never mind that the kids did it just fine with minimal instruction and just needed a simple reminder occasionally. I had been taught to practice repeatedly even after the smallest infractions, so we left the room early and came back late from specials. This offered me a sliver of full control over the students, something that I knew was what good teachers had. Even if I felt like I was on shaky ground most of the day, this was a thing we could master; we would be perfect, silent hall-walkers, the role models for the rest of the school. I could show others that even if I still had much to learn, controlling hallway behavior was something that I had already mastered. Now I wonder how often this desire for control breeds classroom management that does not nurture but instead chokes the individuals in our care. How often are time and resources spent on measures to control rather than to discuss how we can share power with the kids in our care? And we set up our classroom rules. Except, we didn’t really set them up; I had predetermined them but led the kids to believe that I was coming up with them by paraphrasing their ideas, another tip passed on by my new teacher handbook. The kids were invested, prepared, and ready to learn because I had followed all of the steps. Once routines were set, I followed the curriculum that had been taught the year before me, much like so many new teachers do. I read the lesson plans, followed suit, and did exactly what was expected. I joked with the students, tried to win them over with my charm while I wagged my finger at their smallest infractions and punished them into behaving. I managed those kids every which way but loosely because that is what I was there to do. After all, this was the epitome of classroom management. Reflecting on my first year as a teacher now, so many years later, I am no longer baffled by how the students acquiesced. They never questioned the inane things that I made them do or even attempted to ask why I did them. Already by fourth grade, most of these students knew how to fit into the system of school, knew what was expected of them—how to do school right and to get that A. Or, at the very least, they knew not to question my authority to my face, because nothing productive would come of it. But I wonder now what they really thought. After all, here was a brand-new teacher, teaching them in much the same way as teachers had taught kids for decades. Did any of those fourth graders wonder why school today was more of the same? Or why this new teacher seemed so focused on using punishment to control behavior?

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WHERE THE ADVICE WAS RIGHT •

•

•

•

Eye contact: Not to demand it, but to give it to those who seek it. This is one of the biggest tools we have as teachers to establish trust, community, and respect. If you want to tell children that they matter, look at them when they speak with you. Stop and be present whenever you can, rather than multitasking. The task can wait for the most part; the child cannot. This does not mean that we assume disrespect if a child does not make eye contact with us; eye contact is often based on cultural norms and traditions, as well as power dynamics. I do not demand that students look at me; we figure out how to best communicate as we get to know one another. Be ready: The Wongs compare teaching to a restaurant, and, in a sense, they are right. We should be as ready as we can be when the students enter our classrooms. However, that does not mean that everything should be planned out. Leave room for student input and creativity. Be aware of your body language: Record yourself! We often have no idea what our body language conveys to our students, so take a video of yourself or have a student do it for you and look at your nonverbal cues. Have an exploration ready as they enter: Build the routine so that they know what to do right away, whether it is reading independently, doing a check-in, or some sort of learning opportunity. Invite them in to begin the learning through a soft start such as the ones discussed by Sara Ahmed and Smoky Daniels in Upstanders and by Sara Ahmed again in her book Being the Change. A soft start is the idea that students get to slowly roll into work rather than being jolted into it by the bell. It allows students to check in with the teacher and each other, and to get started on whatever has been determined to be their exploration. Not only does it invite students into school in a gentler way, but it also allows them to manage their time, which is something they need to do in order to leave schoolwork at school at the end of the day.

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Now: Trusting Yourself “I wish all teachers would be good to students and have patience.” —Ben S.

I once believed college gave me the foundation I needed to become a great teacher. Now I know that college only gives you enough courage to get you into your job; it will never be able to prepare you for what you face as a teacher. And while many education programs do their very best to prepare you, when you fully adapt someone else’s program, you easily lose your direction and the heart of your work: the kids. Borrow ideas from others, from the veteran teachers you are surrounded by, from any teaching book that is handed to you, even this one. Borrow both locally and globally. Find resources to see what teachers are doing around the world. But more importantly than relying on any other teacher, make space for the voices of the children in your care; they are, after all, the most important professional development you will ever have. Find inspiration in others, but do not lose yourself or the dreams that you had when you envisioned your future as a teacher. If your gut tells you some strategy is not for you, then trust your gut. And if your students tell you something is not working, please listen to them as well. As I began my first year of teaching, I realized quickly how little I was prepared to teach. I realized quickly that what I didn’t learn in college was really quite a lot. I didn’t learn how to gain my students’ trust, interest, or even attention in a genuine way. Instead, I learned systems of control, of management, of planning that would force students to listen. I didn’t learn how to teach a child that consistently gets five hours of sleep every night because they are home alone scared, or a child who “borrows” snacks to feed their siblings, or even a child with too much energy who seems to create trouble at every turn. What I had learned (unfortunately) was that these children were in my classroom to pay attention to me because that is what children are supposed to do. I didn’t learn how to care about my students and their wellbeing in a healthy way; this quality was meant to be a given, taken for granted, and not something we continually developed alongside the community we created. I didn’t learn how to strip away all the layers and show the true meaning of the lessons being taught. I didn’t learn to adapt on the fly, at the start of a tantrum or the twist toward an interesting conversation. I didn’t learn to love them all, to approach them from a lens of unconditional, positive regard, as coined by Carl

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Rogers, regardless of the way they presented themselves or how their demeanor changed throughout our time together (Cherry, 2020b). I was expected never to be a finished product, but I was not shown the path to learn from broad experiences rather than the same old, white men who have dominated educational philosophy for decades. I didn’t learn that there are at least five different ways to explain something—or in my classroom, at least 28, because every student explains it in their own perfect way. I didn’t learn that often the simplest idea, lesson, or decision can make for the most meaningful moments. I didn’t learn how to be great, or even how to be good. How to step away, how to protect myself and the kids in my care, or how to unlearn the things I thought I knew. I was given vague directions in how to find resources and ask for help, but not who the best people were to ask, or how those people change depending on your purpose. I learned how to plan for the fictitious children presented in case studies and broken down in statistics but not the children that actually showed up. There are many things I didn’t learn in college, and while part of the blame for my lack of a broader understanding of developmental needs can certainly be placed on the college experience most educators have, the educational system also sets us up this way; can you really learn these things before you stand in your own teaching experience and realize how little you know? Teaching must be experienced to be learned, not just read about, discussed, and debated. A great teacher is not something you are just taught to be in college, pushed to be through test scores, or coached to become through observations. It is something you become through your experience and your reflection—by paying attention to your everyday teaching life and by paying attention to the continual messages that the children in your care are giving you. I wish I had been taught that in college. How to be contemplative and assessment-minded in the most personal sense—how to trust myself to learn from my (inevitable) mistakes. How to discuss our mistakes openly to use as examples of our own growth, or lack thereof, as case studies, not to shy away from that but instead embrace it as a full learning experience. I was not taught these things in college, and chances are you were not either. Perhaps if we speak out about what we wish we would have known, colleges will listen. Perhaps, if we ever teach pre-service teachers ourselves, we will prepare them better for the unplannable. We will teach them to ask the students how they want to be taught. We will teach them to ask the students what else they might need and then find ways to co-create learning experiences with them.

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Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “I wish all teachers knew that not all students are alike, and most will never be.” —Carolyn G.

Create a Process for Reflection Whether you are a brand-new teacher clamoring for advice like I was or a veteran teacher searching for new ideas, there are many things you can do to change your teaching. The first step, though, is the hardest: facing yourself and deciding what you need to change, and then being okay with the realization that you have room for improvement. We all do, and there is nothing shameful in that. When I started to reflect on what I was doing to my students, and how I was running my classroom, I was ashamed, embarrassed, and astounded that my students had not rebelled more than they had. I found comfort in the notion that I must have done something right because the students had learned; they had progressed, as evidenced in our data meetings. But not as much as I wanted them to, and certainly not in the way I had envisioned when I set out to be a teacher. They had gathered more knowledge because I had taught them, but they had not been given the opportunity to grow their individual curiosity, nor to trust their own voice, two components of our classroom now that I could not imagine being without.

Recognize What You Have Space For One thing that I did do right, though, early on as a new teacher, was realizing that the path I was on was unsustainable and that I was getting lost on it. Once I knew I needed to change, it was a matter of choosing what to focus on, which in and of itself can be overwhelming. As a new teacher, or even when I have switched to a new grade level, school, or district, there is so much to do that we often don’t find space for the things that need to be done to create a classroom grounded in the well-being of students and the teacher, as well as opportunities for students to lead the learning. Looking back, I was able to see that there were things I wanted to address—things I wished I had done or been able to do in my first couple of years, and things I wish I had heard earlier on in my career. Had I been more mindful of maintaining boundaries within my

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teaching/home balance, I could have decided more specifically what to focus on now and what to focus on later. While time is a luxury that we seem never to have enough of, I now know there are many things that steal our time when we let them.

Stress Less Over Your Classroom Décor In this age of visual social media, it is hard not to feel inadequate when scrolling through stunning pictures and videos of other people’s classrooms. And while I have nothing but respect for those who do manage to pull off such a feat, for me, I need more time to be spent on planning so that I can try to leave school at school. I spent so much energy worrying about the look of my classroom those first few years where I should have spent it learning, changing lessons, and taking risks with my students. Yet, it makes sense for me to have spent so much time on our environment—that felt controllable, whereas telling my students to find an inquiry question and pursue it did not. Now I know that my limited time off should be spent recharging, learning, reflecting, and becoming invigorated to teach again. To be doing something that will make you feel better, not stressing over the placement of posters, bulletin boards, or classroom design themes—unless that brings you joy; then, by all means, have at it. The kids will hardly notice your meticulous placement anyway, and neither will the home adults, so give yourself a break. Even if it sometimes feels like a competition to outdo each other in the hallway bulletin boards, it is not. Remember, it is not how your classroom looks, it is how it feels (see Chapter 4 for more on this).

Ask More Questions Whether you are a novice teacher or one who has been teaching for many years, when you start to change the way you teach, it is not the time to be timid or shy. Ask questions at every turn and ask whomever you think will give you the best answer. This includes students (see Chapter 6 for more discussion on including students in your team of experts). The people you are connected to offer up a wealth of untapped knowledge, but they may not know you could use it if you don’t find the courage to ask more questions. This is one of the qualities we lose very rapidly in teaching, as we assume that others may see it as weakness when we do ask. This is a dangerous slope to be on, as schools should be places brimming with questions at every turn, with knowledge shared between all, and not places where the act of asking is seen as a sign of ineptitude. Ask what works for others; borrow their ideas

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but make them your own. And do not be afraid to ask the same question more than once. You will never have all the answers, even if you are a veteran. Being curious is not a weakness; it should be encouraged and celebrated.

Listen to Your Intuition Feel that little tingle in your stomach? While it may be nervous butterflies, it could also be your intuition trying to get your attention. Are you daring to think there might be a better way? Listen to it. Give yourself the gift of trust. No need to panic; go ahead and use some of the same lessons, unit maps, and learning targets as everyone else, but then spend some time listening to your intuition as well. Take one step and then another as you adapt your classroom to the needs of your students and the needs of you—not a fuzzy copy of someone else’s.

Allow Yourself to Fail One of the hardest lessons for me was to realize that I did not possess every answer and that there were many, many things to learn. This continues to be one of the hardest, continual realizations; while we know that with years of teaching comes further expertise, every new set of children welcomes us with a unique set of challenges, and I have as much to unlearn as I do to learn. While I may have more tools in my toolbox for teaching new children, I still must realize every day that I do not have every answer. Make yourself a model of how to try and fail with grace. Our students love it when we fail because it shows that we are human and that we are learners alongside them. Co-workers love our admissions of failure because it builds trust when we show vulnerability, and it shows that we are also resilient. To be a great teacher, you must be able to try again and again and always make it better. And be transparent as you do.

Give Yourself Grace Not everything will be perfect, no matter how good your intentions are, no matter how many hours you spent planning, no matter how many experts you consulted with. Some days will be amazing, others will not. Every veteran teacher knows this from experience. What matters is that you take the time to reflect on what happened, even if just for a moment, and never just move

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on, chalking it up to a bad day or another sign of your imminent failure as a teacher. Instead, take a moment and recognize what went wrong and consider new paths to follow. Invite the students into the conversation, and then recognize that you did the best you could that day and that some days, that must be good enough, even if we don’t feel like it was. There will always be more of the good than of the bad days, but the bad days will always loom larger. This is due to negativity bias, which is our wiring that is adapted to register negative stimuli more readily and to stay with these events for a longer amount of time (Cherry, 2020a). So, when those bad days or bad moments come around, and they always will, trust me, give yourself a break. You will face enough people trying to tear you down; don’t join in the fun yourself. Smile, love, laugh, share, think, reflect, question. Be kind. Be brave. Be you. And find your people—those people who will surround you and support you, who will question you and reflect with you and invite you to do the same for them. Find them and cultivate the friendships. Those people may talk you off the ledge one day and admire or inspire you the next. We are stronger together as teachers who collaborate, not compete.

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Chapter 1 Reflection and Further Planning for Taking Steps to Change What is one tangible change you can make right now? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: There are many things we can actively change in the way we teach, but many of the decisions we make are often spontaneous and do not form well-thought-out habits; instead, they become part of the everyday without a recognition of all that they impact. Creating an awareness of the change you would like to see helps you conserve your energy and sort out which results you are hoping for. What is a larger change that you would like to make next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: Be mindful of what you can take on; your own mental health is important in a profession where change is a constant. It is also important to think of the future and plan for the type of change you want to see, so thinking of what you would like to take on and recognizing what conditions need to be in place for that to happen are critical to sustained success. Be careful to not get caught up in the search for perfect conditions; they don’t exist and can often block us from taking on any kind of change. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: Recognizing that this is a journey meant for collaboration can ensure sustained success. Who can you include in your process of change? How can the students be involved? What about colleagues? Note that

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even if you think others may not be interested in making changes, they might be; sometimes, our assumptions about what others are willing to do in education limit us in unforeseen ways. Approach your colleagues the same way you might students; explain what you are doing, offer them a part, and speak of how collaboration could work.

References Cherry, K. (2020a, April 29). Why our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. Verywell Mind. Retrieved July 9, 2022, from http://www.verywellmind.com/negativebias-4589618#:~:text=The%20negative%20bias%20is%20our,feel%20the%20 joy%20of%20praise.&text=Recall%20insults%20better%20than%20praise Cherry, K. (2020b, May 10). Why therapists use unconditional positive regard with their patients. Verywell Mind. Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.verywellmind. com/what-is-unconditional-positive-regard-2796005

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2

Would You Like Being a Student in Your Own Classroom? Creating Conditions for Shared Power

“Students should have a chance to decide what they are learning because if they don’t like what they are learning about, they will not be engaged in the classroom learning.” —Annabelle B.

On the first day of my second year of teaching, I felt a tiny bit more prepared than I had the previous year. I had learned many lessons that first year; I had many new ideas, and I finally felt that I stood on some steady ground, giving me a chance to take on changes because I wanted to, rather than just out of necessity or even desperation. I made it through my first of three planned open house presentations and was packing up for the day when in walked an adult with their child. After a hasty introduction, the mother informed me that she was not quite sure what to do with her child anymore—after all, school was not his strength—and that they, the grown-ups, had done everything in their power to try to motivate him but that nothing seemed to work, not even punishment. She wished me luck and shared that his younger sibling would come along in a few years, and she was so much better than the child standing in front of me. I remember seeing the words land on the shoulders of that child. How I thought to myself that together we would prove those words wrong. That together we would make school a place where he could thrive, where his own home adults would not be able to even recognize the child he had become. We would transform together because this would be the year where he would feel safe and valued and realize that what we did mattered. Isn’t that the promise we secretly—or not so secretly—make every year to the children in our care, that with us they will be safe? That they will get to be their full selves, free of judgment; that this will be a year they look back on with

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DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-3

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positivity because together we became more than what we were? And so, I made that silent promise, eager to start the journey to prove to the home adults just how wrong they were about their own child. I would show them just what success could look like. Except, I didn’t. Very quickly, that child started doing all the things they had forewarned me about. Homework was incomplete, time was not used appropriately, fights and arguments trailed him from our classroom to recess and back again. He was rapidly isolated from classmates who didn’t see much value in a child that chose to misbehave rather than conform, despite my best intentions and interventions. I tried all the tricks I had been taught to transform his commitment to our community, to try to motivate the student to fit into the grand plan of change I had envisioned, focusing on relationships to forge a connection. I assigned seating so there would be no distractions, and even spoke to classmates privately to help them extend invitations into their circles of trust. Yet many traditions of how to manage behavior were also enforced by me; if he didn’t do his homework, I kept him from recess for one-on-one time. When he defied the meticulously dictated rules for how to behave in my space, he was sent to the principal’s office. He marched proudly up to the front of the board when I told him to write his name on the board as a sign of misbehavior. And I kept trying; I kept pushing, wanting him to acquiesce and fit the mold of what I thought it meant to be a good student, what it meant to be a good child, without recognizing how the child was exactly who he needed to be at that moment and that my rigid system was a part of the problem, not the solution. As Audre Lorde said, “in our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction” (Lorde & Hall, 2004). I did not nourish that child’s independent spirit, I did not see how his difference was a part of his strength, I did not celebrate it. Instead, I strengthened my resolve to reach compliance, and the student withered in my care. It was during this year that it became painfully clear how much knowledge and experience I lacked to help my students thrive. How much I needed to move away from the rigidity of the tradition-bound classroom I had been led to and willingly created. By the year’s end, when that child as well as others had not had a chance to be fully accepted as they showed up, I left my classroom feeling defeated; I knew I had to change or give up teaching because the community I had spent so much time cultivating was not really a community at all. It was a carefully constructed replica of what I thought a “good” classroom looked like, not the learning space that so many kids deserved, not a place where their voices were heard and their needs were met. My heart told me to stay in education, but everything else told me I had to change. Change, of course, can go in many directions, and when we start looking seriously for new

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ways to do things, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. After all, then, it becomes yet another thing to do in our already overfull schedules. But change is necessary for growth; complacency and exhaustion leave us rooted in places we never imagined we would inhabit, and even the best teaching practices need to be carefully interrogated throughout the years. I wondered: perhaps another resource book would help me change? After all, they had not failed me yet. Yet this time, when I was tempted by another thick volume filled with all the supposed answers, I listened instead to that tiny voice telling me that it was time to carve my own path, separate from what the experts in the books said. I needed to reflect, not just read. I needed to ask questions, not rapidly jump to conclusions. I needed to listen, rather than speak. I thought about how I was as a student growing up—slightly rebellious, often bored, and yet wanting to please so very badly. I thought about what I’d loved about school—the hands-on projects, exploration, choice, critical thinking, and discussion; I was a fierce competitor in debate. Then I thought about what I’d hated, and yes, I know that “hate” is a strong word to use, but there were days from primary school through college when I wanted to walk right out the door, never to return, after the teacher had presented the lesson. Indeed, there were days that I did leave, finding an excuse to hurry out before I fell asleep or exploded. I hated feeling like I had to be a certain way to be fully embraced; I hated being told what to do down to the smallest detail. As I cleaned up my classroom, I was deep in thought. Looking at the remnants of the school year, I no longer recognized myself as a teacher or a person. It was time for some deep-cutting honesty.

Then: I Am the Sun. You Are Mere Satellites. Welcome to My Universe “I wish all teachers knew what it feels like to be a student/kid nowadays.” —Kiley J. I started with a simple question: “would I like being a student in my own classroom?” It stopped me cold. With the students gone, the classroom cleaned, and the last-day-of-school exhaustion fading away, I stood in that silent room

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and faced an ugly reality. No, I would not like being a student here. No, I would not run joyously into my classroom, eagerly looking forward to whatever was planned, whatever my classmates would share, whatever I would accomplish. It was that all-too-typical classroom where any group work is forced, and homework is turned in “on the dot” or points are deducted. Where you ask permission to sit somewhere else, and all pencils are sharpened during designated sharpening time. Where bathroom usage is regulated, and the teacher is at the head of every decision. That was the classroom I had created after two years of teaching, and, honestly, it was exhausting. In college, my professors had loved my meticulously planned lessons for fictitious children. They had raved about my well-planned intentions to connect with all kids. I graduated with a big heart and a big head. I was going to save the world. I would be different. I would listen and be in tune with all my students. And yet, something didn’t transfer from the dreamer I was in college to the teacher me. Once I was inside my classroom with the door closed, I would scold my class when I lost their interest, not realizing that it was partially my doing. The truth was that what I was saying was not always that important. It often isn’t when we get past a certain point of talking. They could have read it or, better yet, figured it out together. And the test didn’t matter, really, they were 9- and 10-year-olds, and they could see no connection to their outside life—and grades in primary school do not matter for college, as a child pointed out. Still, I droned on, frustrated that their inattention meant I had to repeat directions, frustrated that they were obviously dozing or daydreaming during my lecture, frustrated that their test scores did not show how hard I had worked on preparing them to take it. What I had failed to reflect on was fundamental: who was the center of attention in the room? The classroom experience was not supposed to be this unequal. But somewhere in my quest to become an impactful educator, I had confused engaged learning with paying rapt attention to the teacher. I had confused silence with understanding. I had confused a well-functioning classroom with one where the teacher always stood at the helm of the learning ship, surveying and barking orders at the crew. When we teachers talk a lot (and most teachers love to talk), students learn to silence their own curiosity and questioning to become passive consumers. Instead of creating opportunities for them to explore the content, discover their own interests, and understand how learning fits into their vision of themselves and the world, we talk and talk and talk so that we can cover all the curriculum and get them ready for The Assessment. We talk to get them ready to learn, and then we talk about the learning they are doing, and then we talk about what they’ve just learned. I had never considered that being quiet might help them learn more, better, and faster.

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I never used to be quiet. My classroom was filled with noise from the moment the students arrived until they left. Whether it was me lecturing, me giving out directions, me keeping them on track, or even a soundtrack of music to keep them motivated, we just didn’t do quiet. We were loud, we were active, and there was always chatter. One night, as I yelled at my husband to turn off his music so that I could concentrate on writing, it dawned on me. Perhaps my students didn’t always need more noise; perhaps they needed more quiet, or at the very least a more controlled sense of what types of noise we all needed to function in. Perhaps I needed to stop talking. Perhaps I needed to stop playing the music. Perhaps I needed to embrace the quiet and let it speak for itself. Perhaps I needed to be quiet so my students could be heard in a whole new way. As Kate Murphy writes in her book You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters, “What is love but listening to and wanting to be a part of another person’s evolving story?” (Murphy, 2020, p.  151). When we silence ourselves and our need to control the interactions between listening and speaking, we show our students just how much we trust them to be themselves in our spaces. Now, we are quiet when we need to be. During independent reading, we are mostly silent; during writing, you will hear hushed conversations at times, sometimes silence, sometimes loud discussion. I keep my own discussions short, punctuated by students speaking throughout. I try to pull my voice out of the conversation so that my students can figure it out among themselves. When children face me with a problem, I think with them, trying to come up with a solution. When children are the most unruly and angry, my lower voice, care for them, sense of humor, and quiet words often diffuse the situation better than any punishment ever could. Sure, there is noise, but the quiet now emphasizes it. As John Hattie writes, “If you are talking all of the time, how can you hear the impact of your teaching?” (as cited in Gewertz, 2020). No longer do I feel the need constantly to yell over the noise. No longer do I feel the need to bark out orders. Students guide the need for quiet, I offer my input, and together we create the learning volume. Sure, there are instructions being given, but there is also quiet so they can figure it out. Quiet so they can think. Quiet so they can just be.

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Mine was simply not the type of classroom I would have thrived in as a child. I should have known better from my own schooling experience. I had been in many classrooms just like this one—rooms where all eyes are always on the teacher, where students sit in rows, or grouped in tables, silently awaiting their turn to speak. The realization hit me like a sucker punch, and I felt ashamed; how had I not seen the disconnect between my dream and the reality I had carefully constructed? This immediate shame when discovering our past mistakes (or current ones) is a powerful method for keeping us stagnant; after all, it is easier to hide from what may make us feel shame than to dive into it. But if we do not get the opportunity really to slow ourselves down and consider the educator we are, how will we grow? What a gift it is to our future selves when we allow ourselves to sit in a moment and truly feel something to spark reflection, what strength that shows us about ourselves. As Tom Newkirk writes in his book Embarrassment, “Self-generosity is a voice that reminds us that there is no shame in seeking help” (Newkirk, 2017, p.  189). And there is no shame in recognizing that we still have so much to learn. All these early summer thoughts were propelling me toward a breaking point. My pending teacher crisis really gathered steam when I picked up a parent magazine in which this question was posed: “My child dreads going back to school. What should I do?” The answer? “Remind them that they will see their friends and how much fun they will have during recess, art, and music class.” Recess? Art? Music? What about writing, reading, math? What about all the time they spent with me in my room? Would my next set of students be kids who dreaded our time together, watching the minutes tick by until they could get to the fun part of school? I had to do something.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • •

Who speaks the most in your learning space? Who speaks the least? What does engaged learning look and sound like to you? How do students get to shape the learning noise? How does the fear of judgment from others stop you from making changes, even if you think they are better for kids?

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Now: Really, Students—It Is All About You “I wish teachers knew that they don’t have to talk at us the whole time.” —Aliya M.

I believed that I knew exactly what the students needed, if only they would let me give them the knowledge. Now I know that a classroom must be safe for students to invest their time and effort into it, but also that we do not know what safety means for children unless we discuss and co-create conditions with them. As Matthew R. Kay writes in his book Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, “. . . for most students, a teacher’s safe space designation doesn’t mean much” (Kay, 2018, p. 15). We cannot just declare our classrooms safe spaces, just like we cannot force children to learn, not even with the harshest punishments. Instead, we must offer them continued invitations into the learning happening, along with support, room for trial and error, and a large helping of patience as we navigate inviting many different children into our spaces. This, I believe, is vital to the survival of a child’s curiosity and necessary to even attempt to create a safe space for all kids. And we must continuously learn from our previous mistakes, no matter how embarrassing it can be to say them out loud. To learn something new, we must be publicly awkward, and there is nothing “natural” about wanting to be revealed this way. Anxiety is our lot as humans, as learners, and it takes a complex range of supports to deal with it. (Newkirk, 2017, p. 186)

So how do we embrace our own embarrassment and see it as an opportunity for growth rather than something to hide? One child I had taught my first year was obsessed with making movies. This was in 2008, before much of the easy movie making software was available. Yet he had taken the time to figure out how to make elaborate Lego stop-motion movies that he loved sharing with his classmates. He had asked me if he could make a movie for each monthly book report I required. Instead of enthusiastically giving him permission to further his craft while fulfilling my requirements, I told him no. He needed to expand his skills and create other ways to report on the book, I said.

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I cringe at the memory of just how easily I dismissed him. He had a passion and a gift for telling stories through movies, and yet I shut it down because it did not meet my narrow book report guidelines. I am sure he would have made quite magnificent movies if the one he was allowed to make was any sign of what he could do, but my own sense of fairness and wanting to expose him to something beyond his own interests stopped his further exploration. The first thing I had to do, then and now, is to nurture, protect, and safeguard my commitment to sharing control and, I hope, power with my students. While this sounds easy to say, I believe it is a scary proposition to many of us. Sharing power and giving back the space to students within an educational system that seems determined to meticulously snuff out any kind of pushback against its rigidity is daunting. It can often seem as if one person cannot make a difference, as if the very system will swallow us if we lose our foothold in tradition. The very notion of it brings visions of disruption, of manipulation, of lost learning. Of becoming an outcast teacher within my own school and district. Even now, more than a decade into co-creating learning spaces with my students, those visions still haunt me as the first day of school nears, as the months pass by. Perhaps the notion of change working after all of these years has just been a happy fluke? After all, holding the power and being in control of kids is touted as one of the most fundamental tenets of education and markers of being a “good” teacher. Without control of our students, we are lost. Yet this static and outdated notion of power and control is not one that leaves space for the children in our care. Rigidity, not to be confused with routine, smothers curiosity; it teaches children that the way to gain favor is to be let themselves be controlled. To be quiet, compliant, and subservient, no matter the conditions we face them with, no matter the injustices we face them with. The definition of what control should look like is one that is too narrow. This is not the vision of our future I want our school system to promote, nor our society. Instead, every decision I make is meant to facilitate a space where we share the control over decisions, where students see that they also have power and that with that power comes a shared responsibility of success in learning. That our path to learning will change throughout the year because we change. Easy to write, harder to implement, but I promise it is worth it. Every year I am reminded by my students that my trust in them is not misplaced, nor is it too much to expect. When I started to share the power with my students, what happened could not have been further from my fears. The students reveled in the notion that they had a say. Cautiously at first, afraid that I did not really mean it, they

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approached me to ask permission for very simple things. Could they sit on the carpet and work? Could they work with a partner? Could they show me mastery of a concept in a different way? Yes, they could. And I encouraged them to think deeper and to see what else they could control. Their level of trust grew day by day, even though the old me occasionally reared her ever-so-domineering head. It was a battle to give up some of the power, and yes, there are days where it still is. After all, no one, no matter how experienced, makes the right choice every single time.

Areas to create or protect choice in: • • • • • • • • • •

Partnerships and peer groups Placement around the room How they enter and leave the space How they move their bodies How they access extra support How they start a learning process How they showcase learning How they share Your own new ideas And be open to ideas students have

But rethinking your decision making and co-facilitating a space that is fueled by exploration rather than compliance is only one step on the journey. The next one is to reconsider how often your own voice needs to be heard. Brain research in general tell us that students pay proper attention for “two to three minutes per year of their age” (Brain Balance, n.d.). If I am teaching 10-year-olds, I get between 20 to 30 minutes of their time. Now, in a seventh-grade classroom, that means 24 to 36 precious minutes if the conditions are right. That’s it. If I continue to talk, even the most awake or most compliant students will not be able to sustain their attention. Also consider that the length of time noted is how they can attend if something is high-interest, high-engagement, and high-investment; most lectures by adults do not fall into this category. So how much time do we really get? It varies, on the day, on the mood, on the task, and knowing this means that we can plan accordingly. Pivot when needed when the lack of interest becomes apparent; don’t take it personally but instead point out what you see and ask how the experience needs to change. Allowing yourself to recognize that a learning experience is 26

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not working is one step toward making it better. Without recognizing that, there can be no better experience. But allowing for more choice and student voice, along with my own ideas of what an engaged learner acted like, meant letting go of my own ego. I had to not just realize but also to believe that all students bring inherent knowledge and curiosity with them into the room and that I am there to facilitate and help them grow as people, not just as students. The best way for students to learn is to have the time to explore, try, fail, or succeed, and then explore some more as a community. They must have time to talk and think aloud. They must have time to learn how to pursue questions and run into problems, only to solve them together. They should be given a framework that they can operate within and build their own capacity as human beings, yet still reach our codetermined end goal. School is not about me or the knowledge I am going to impart. It is about them, the students. I have already had my turn in school; now it is their turn. And I want to make it better than my own.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “If a teacher is not sympathetic, they should at least understand what is going on in the student’s life. (Not only that, but it is okay to laugh really hard in the middle of class).” —Sophie N.

Once again, reflection is where we begin. Ask yourself, and be honest, would you like being a student in your own classroom? And if you are not sure, why don’t you ask your former or current students? Perhaps there are elements to your learning experience that you thoroughly enjoy, but look closely and deeply; how is the whole year experienced by your students? How much do you talk? How many rules do you have? What are the routines? How do students communicate their connection or disconnection to your time together? And most importantly, what do you do with what they communicate? All these things are clues to what you perhaps need to change. Starting with the questions is always the hardest part. But be honest, otherwise change will not be permanent or meaningful. If you have children of your own, extend the question: would you want your own child to be a student in your room? How would your children function within your current teaching style? 27

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Evaluate Your Room What does it signal? Can students move around freely, or is it all dictated by you? Can furniture be moved around, or is it enough to tell students that they may sit wherever they like? I go into more detail about what our classrooms signal in Chapter 4.

Film Yourself Teaching I did this, albeit not for this purpose. The results were educational, to say the least. I talked too much and did not notice one student nodding off, another student poking a neighbor with his pencil, and many other students squirming in their seats. It was clear to me by watching the film that they were uninvested, and yet in the moment I had not noticed. I had been too focused on getting to the point of the lesson. So set up a video camera and let it record. It doesn’t matter what lesson you are doing, just be prepared to critique yourself honestly. Or have a trusted a colleague watch you teach. While observations can feel punitive at times, inviting others into your space for the purpose of growth is a strong step toward better self-reflection. No educator has finished the journey of self-education, and if we teach with that in mind, then recognizing areas for change becomes easier.

Have Students Time Your Lessons I have done this to hilarious yet telling results. I ask the students to tell me when my time is up, so they set the timer for 10 or 15 minutes depending on our overall time block minutes, and when it goes off, I am done talking. They hold me to it as well. The students feel in control, and I learn to get to the point faster and more efficiently. We then do something else, student-suggested, or at the very least interactive, and later I am allowed to speak again for another 10 minutes if I need to. Yet most days I have discovered that our mini-lesson, the foundation that they need to explore, can be covered within those 10–15 minutes; everything else can be shared through small group or individual conversations. The students know that I hope for their attention so that they can work the rest of the time. On those days where I need more time, I tell the students up front that I will be speaking for a longer time and why. I treat them the same way

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I would an audience of adults because they deserve to know our purpose. Even the most tired students will perk up if they know there is an end to the speaking coming. Extreme, perhaps, but it forces me to realize that I cannot drone on without having the students lose interest. However, it is also about realizing that most teaching should be a dialogue and not a monologue. That it is not about telling them what to think but creating opportunities for them to decide on their own. To create learning opportunities where we learn from each other by responding to the learning and questions at hand, and not just following one set path.

Give Time for Student Expertise I had never taken the time to figure out who knew what in my room, so I did not know that I had a civil war expert, a geology expert, or a watercolor expert hidden away. If you take the time to find out what your students are passionate about, you can then facilitate opportunities for them to share their expertise. This has come in handy for me many times as I have looked for students to take the lead on various projects. The easiest ways for me to figure out expertise have been through conversations with the students, surveys, and specific projects that ask them to share their skills, such as their how-to speeches, a speech project where they teach their peers how to do something either live or through a video. However, I don’t expect students to share; I invite them to share, and there is a big difference within that. Expecting all students to share real answers about whatever you ask does not share any kind of power with them, but instead asserts you as the ultimate authority. I see this play out when educators get frustrated that a child does not complete a reflection or a survey to their liking. Perhaps this is another way the children are trying to tell us that we have not earned their words? That just because we ask does not mean they trust us or even see us as deserving of their trust. We, the adults, expect kids to share because we ask them to, without recognizing that sharing takes trust. That sharing takes relationships. And that it is up to us to prove that kids can trust us, not the other way around. I have seen too many kids get dismissed by an adult for supposedly lacking buy-in, where, instead, that same adult should recognize a need to slow down, cultivate relationships, and trust the process. Sometimes connections happen on the first day; sometimes they take weeks or months. Sometimes they never happen, and then we still need to figure out a way for that child to feel welcome in our space. While I start with a survey at the beginning of the year, that is merely a springboard into broader

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conversations. It is the beginning, not the destination. I make it a point to know them not just as the students in my care but as human beings, on their terms.

Stop Answering All of Their Questions (Or at Least Some of Them) Not answering student questions can be just as helpful as answering them, if not even more helpful. Not only will this signal your new role as facilitator rather than supreme knowledge giver, but it will also encourage students to develop strategies to learn without you. What a gift that is! When we become adults, it’s something we must be able to do as we self-direct our personal and professional growth. Yet, how do you do this without sounding like you just do not want to answer? Relationship and tone are vital. I ask a question back rather than refuse an answer, so if students ask me to give an answer for something, I might ask them, “How will you find out?” The first time, they inevitably will say by asking a teacher, which then prompts the follow-up question from me, “How else can you find out?” Students quickly catch on and start to problemsolve, either by themselves or with a classmate, to find the needed solution. Now, I do not do this for every single question, but I do it for many, even for those we seem to get every day: When is this due? Do you have a pencil? Where is this sheet? And so on. My principal pointed out to me how she could see that students were becoming self-sufficient because during an observation when a student asked when something was due, another student pointed to the board for the answer. I was no longer the only person with the knowledge, and that is a great achievement.

Have Frank Conversations With Your Students While this can feel abrasive to us if we have clung to traditional notions of authority, power, and control, letting students evaluate the experiences and then brainstorm solutions offers another layer of autonomy and ownership. While it requires a trusting community, admitting our mistakes as teachers is one memorable way to get all of us on the path to a new kind of classroom. I have told my students what I did not like about my classroom or teaching in a round-circle meeting and then asked them their opinion. Usually, only one or two students will share at first, so your reaction is key—thank them and ask further questions but withhold all judgment. They want to share their honest

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answers with you, but they will not if they are going to get punished for it. I also believe in an honesty policy that may be extreme: if I go home thinking a lesson was a flop, I typically mention it to the students the next day, not so I can reteach it, but rather so they can tell me what went wrong. I have had more student buy-in from my fourth graders and from my seventh graders because of my willingness to admit that I am not a perfect teacher but instead am someone who is trying to create the best possible learning environment. These conversations do not take up much time, but even if they did, the long-term investment in community and the pushback on my teaching is completely worth it.

Create Opportunities for Feedback I know we would all like to think that we are naturally open to feedback, but teaching is a very personal endeavor and being told by children that what you are doing is boring, harmful, or not very good can hurt. Of course it can. After all, we put so much of ourselves into the learning experiences we try to create. And yet putting yourself in a position to receive honest feedback is a marker of growth. Yes, coming from kids, the feedback may be critical. Being told that your lessons are boring is never easy, but it certainly does make you think about what you are doing as a teacher. If students are willing to share their honest opinion, then please be open to listening to it without getting defensive. After all, this is a learning opportunity for them and for you. What good is student feedback if no one is willing to listen to it or act upon in it? Students watch us to see how we will take their advice and will quickly learn to stop giving it if our reaction is ambivalence, ignorance, or punishment. I am often asked when feedback should be solicited, but the truth is, it depends. I always start the year off with a big survey; I ask them for their honesty so that I can be the best teacher possible for them. The survey asks questions not just about their reading and writing habits, but also about who they are as people. What are their fears and dreams? We start this on the first day of school, which lets the students know right away that I want to know more about them and that their answers matter to me. Doing a beginning of the year survey should not be a way to force students to share information too soon; it should be framed as an invitation for them to share about themselves if they want to. I know we all want to get to know our students as rapidly as possible, but forcing children to answer questions they are not comfortable with is not okay. So, offer an opportunity for them to give the answers they would like to and use their willingness or reluctance to share as another relationship indicator.

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Questions to ask on a beginning-of-the-year survey: • • • • • • •

What is important for us to know about you? What are you really good at in school or out of school? How has school been for you in the past? What are your favorite things to do when not in school? What does a typical afternoon after school look like for you? What do you wish adults/your new teachers would notice about you? How reliable is your internet?

Complete the sentence: • • • •

When I get frustrated, I . . . The best teachers for me are teachers who . . . I may need help with . . . I wish all teachers would . . .

Throughout the year, feedback is solicited before we plan units, during the unit, and at the end. This is the chance I need to hear what needs to be changed from a student perspective and not just what I have seen needs to change. Often, this type of feedback is gathered through a survey if needed. Students can do them anonymously if they choose, but most do not. Yet, feedback can be given in short conversations as well. It does not always have to be something meticulously planned for but can be a brief conversation to start or end class. What matters most about feedback is that we ask for, listen to, and then act upon it. How we get it depends on how we operate.

Don’t Stop Asking Yourself Hard Questions Every year I reevaluate: Would I still like being a student in my classroom, or have I slipped backwards? Would I want my own child to be a part of this classroom? I also keep in mind the makeup of my students and their specific learning needs, and then I do my best to adapt my room to fit their needs. Every year, I trust that there will be changes needed and that I must find ways to include the voices of students to help them facilitate or navigate those changes. It is also vital that you trust yourself and your ability to create a better environment for all the learners who come to us. Keep pushing yourself forward so that you do not

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become stuck in a new routine, even if it is a better one. Our students change every year and so should the finetuning of our approach. Much like you are holding on to the things that have worked well in the past, hold on to some of the new, but explore further every year. Just because something is a better way does not make it the best way.

Give It Time and Have Patience Change can happen quickly, but it may not produce the results you were hoping for right away. Students have long been taught how to “do” school. For us to suddenly ask them to change how they are as learners can be startling. The shift requires time and commitment from you and all the students. And be patient. Sometimes kids are not interested in changing the way school is done because they have figured out how to have success in your old routines and traditions. Make space for what has worked for them as well and be gentle, not just with them but also with yourself. We are often quick to assume that yet another idea we have tried has failed because we do not see immediate results, yet often that is not the case. Perhaps a tuning of the idea is needed, or other small tweaks. Pause and work through the idea to see if you can figure out why it doesn’t feel successful and then ask the students and take direction from their ideas. Often the smallest changes can create large results if we commit to them, so start with small changes. Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small.

Take a Breather! Go ahead—close this book! Or at least feel free to put it down whenever you want. This book is meant to make you reflect and find things you can change. So please do not feel the need to read it all at once, but instead take the time to read it in whichever way makes sense to you. That can mean jumping around in chapters or skipping entire sections. Use it the way that will be most beneficial to you—this is, after all, your learning journey. Also, not every idea presented in this book may make sense for you; that is perfectly alright. This book is not meant to be another book telling you how to teach but rather a book that inspires you to change in a way that works for you and your students. Do not lose yourself in the change; after all, you are the reason you became a teacher.

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Chapter 2 Reflection and Further Planning for Control What is one tangible change you can make right now when it comes to sharing control with your students? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: Even if we feel powerless in our current situation, there are many ways we still hold power. What are the little things that you get to have a say in when students are with you and where can that say be shared? A great place to start is by asking students what they wish to have control over or choice in and then work through ideas together. What is one larger change you can make right now when it comes to sharing control with your students? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: Larger changes sometimes take time to implement, and that is okay. So often, we are under the impression that if we don’t change everything all at once then the changes we make are not enough, but that is unsustainable. There is nothing wrong with holding off on a larger change until you feel more surefooted; just don’t let your need for stability overrule the need for change. Create a plan and hold yourself accountable to it. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? How can you implement them?

Consider this: I have had many colleagues question my decisions, my ideas, and my motivation for change, and those negative voices can lead to doubt, anxiety, and unnecessary worry. It is in our nature to desire to be liked, and so when we feel that we are not, it is easier to question ourselves

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than to question the system. Therefore, partnering with others is vital as you critically examine your practice and also when you seek change, so who else believes in the value of freedom for students? Who else sees the power in sharing control with students and can help you work through obstacles and worries? Students should also be partnered with; that is at the center of this book. Working on changes as a group, one important aspect to consider is how students can have more control over their entire school experience and not just in your space. 

Would I Like Being a Student in My Own Classroom—A Teacher Tool for Reflection • • • • • • • • •

How is each child welcomed into your space? Do all children hear their name in a positive way at least once in a lesson or in your day together? How well do you know all the children outside of their academics? Who are the children you should try to get to know better? What is your approach when a child seems off-balance? How do you give your attention to the children in your care? Who gets most of your attention and how does that impact them? Can students state their opinions/give unsolicited feedback without a fear of you getting upset or retaliating in some way? Do the children in your care trust you? How do you know? As you reflect on these questions, what stands out?

Which answers make you proud, and what are the areas you may want to focus on for change? Start there.

References Brain Balance. (n.d.). Normal attention span expectations by age. Brain Balance Achievement Centers. Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.brainbalancecenters. com/blog/normal-attention-span-expectations-by-age

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Gewertz, C. (2020, December 3). How much should teachers talk in the classroom? Much less, some say. Education Week. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www. edweek.org/leadership/how-much-should-teachers-talk-in-the-classroom-muchless-some-say/2019/12 Kay, M. R. (2018). Not light, but fire: How to lead meaningful race conversations in the classroom. Stenhouse Publishers. Lorde, A., & Hall, J. W. (2004). Conversations with Audre Lorde. University Press of Mississippi. Murphy, K. (2020). You’re not listening: What you’re missing and why it matters. Celadon Books. Newkirk, T. (2017). Embarrassment: And the emotional underlife of learning. Heinemann.

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Shoring Up Boundaries

3

Protecting Your Time and Yourself

“My advice for new teachers is to not take it extremely easy on us because they may be new, but we are not.” —Kiley J.

For years, I took great pride in the notion that I was relentless. That I worked beyond contract hours, that I was one of the first to volunteer for anything, that if something needed to get done, I was a go-to person. I got to my classroom before 6:30 AM, left only because I needed to pick up my own kids, and then worked most nights after they went to bed, sometimes before. At least one day every weekend was also wrapped up in work, and if I wasn’t physically working, then I was surely thinking about it. Time passed, my own kids grew, and slowly my health was impacted—relentless headaches, weight gain, and repeated bronchitis and pneumonia became frequent companions. But I worked through it all, hanging on to the age-old adage that it was harder to write sub plans than it was to be out sick. That if I just worked a little bit longer, I would get caught up. That my students deserved the very best, even as my own kids wanted and deserved my attention but did not get it fully. I ignored every gentle—and not so gentle—reminder of the toll it was taking on me, and so my body continued to carry the weight of my pace. The stress built, and my blood pressure rose, until I was having panic attacks whenever something unexpected entered my life. And then the world shut down as we were overcome by a global pandemic, and I continued the pace, until one night, my husband closed my computer at 10 PM and said “Enough.” And for some reason, I listened. I wasn’t indestructible after all; my body had screamed this at me for years, that work could not consume me in this way. And yet working less meant feeling further guilt for not doing enough, not being ready enough, not being enough. I was a product of the education system and its expectations for

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-4

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teachers. We are indoctrinated with the notion that everything we do “is for the kids,” and so saying no, creating boundaries, and protecting our outsideof-school life can seem at odds with that. not only are we taught it, but it is reinforced every time we are asked to work beyond contract hours, every time we are asked to do more without pay increases, every time we volunteer because someone needs to show up for the kids. And the system spits us out when we reach our breaking points, rapidly replacing us with new candidates who have not learned how to say no, who also believe that self-sacrifice is what is best for kids and that to be a great educator you must always be an educator. That you cannot turn it off because that somehow makes you less than, and kids deserve more than that. It is hard to set boundaries within a system that teaches us that nothing is more important than the children we teach, including ourselves. What if we taught new educators and ourselves that setting boundaries “is for the kids”? That saying no “is for the kids”? That having a well-maintained work/life balance “is for the kids”? What if we actively worked against the antiquated and harmful notion that to be a great teacher, one must sacrifice everything, and instead created sustainable systems, upkept by administration, that center on good enough? Perhaps then, more educators would want to stay as teachers? Perhaps then, children would benefit from all of the years of experience we otherwise lose when yet another teacher quits due to unsustainable work expectations? Perhaps we can find and maintain ways to be a long-term part of a system that otherwise seems set on breaking us at a rapid pace?

Then: Just Follow the Plan “My advice for new teachers is to be fun yet stern. Make sure there are some fun days and to mix it up.” —Connor F.

I hope people get into this job because they believe they can make a difference, and so many do. Yet as a new teacher, both when I had never taught and also when I switched districts and grade levels, the responsibility of my new classroom and the role of custodian for the dreams of my students was a crushing weight. Sure, I had people I could turn to, and perhaps even some trusted strategies, but I still felt overwhelmed. Even though I felt that I had a direction to

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head in, the nagging feeling that perhaps I really had no idea what I was doing haunted me. It still does at times. And so I did what so many educators do; I went to work. I put in relentless hours in pursuit of as many answers as I could get, led by a notion that I could out-plan my doubts and insecurities. That if I just asked enough questions, collected enough answers, and worked enough hours, I too would be the teacher kids needed and deserved. I wish I would have realized that often the answers I received were not the answers I needed, not because they were wrong, but because they didn’t fit my philosophy, my personality, or even the kids in my care. Teaching is inherently personal, even when we try to align curriculum, so the answers we give others seeking advice inevitably end up being personal as well; they’re tied in with individually held beliefs wrapped in unspoken biases based on the personalities of the kids in our care and where our own boundaries lie. That very first year I provided the best start I could with the knowledge that I had, like so many have done before me. I made connections with my new colleagues, who were warm and welcoming. I set up my room just so, thinking it accurately reflected me as a person and simultaneously defined for the students who was in charge. I came up with my very own rewards system: pizza parties for those who did not find themselves inscribed in my “Book of names.” I created a board called “The Awesome Board” where all work that received an A would be displayed. I laminated my punishment posters, my expectations, and my directions. The room was clean, orderly, and all desks faced the whiteboard where I would be the center of our learning. And I believed that there was one right way to teach well; all I had to do was follow the path of those who came before me, the ones written about in some of the new-teacher books, taught in college classes, or passed down from one teacher generation to the next. If I worked enough hours following their footsteps, then I too would someday be a great teacher. I didn’t question the system because the system had seemingly worked for so long; instead, I questioned my doubts and worked further hours to be more than what I was. no one stopped me, no administrator questioned my 12-hour work days while pregnant, no colleague showed me ways to set boundaries, and district administration never told us to balance our work lives. In fact, the only one who ever tried to help me stop working was our custodian, who told me to go home at 6 PM one night and shook his head when I told him I had so much to do. The easy path into extended days is not the only symptom of a system set up for exploitation, it is just an easy one to point out; there are so many other myths that sustain the system and continue the inequities that run through everything.

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Now: We Can Change the World! “I wish all teachers knew that we are not going to be perfect all of the time.” —rachel J.

In my process of becoming a teacher, I was repeatedly taught well-meaning guidelines and expectations for me to be fully inducted into a system that has centered on clear power structures and expectations for many years. The traditions passed on ensured that I would follow in the same path as many before me, that the system would continue to be fully in place as a way to continue the status quo, despite years of research telling us that the status quo does not work for all of the children in our care and that there are very predictable patterns of who succeed and who don’t, even when they have educators who care for them. In 2022, gallup released a poll showing that the burnout rate for educators was the highest in any industry in the United States, with 44% of those polled saying they “always” or “very often” feel burned out at work (Agrawal, 2022) and the US is not alone in this; even Denmark, where I currently live, has an incredibly high burnout rate among educators, despite being the second happiest nation in the world. But I didn’t know to question that; no college class or veteran teacher ever pulled the curtain back and asked me not just to learn but to unlearn what I thought I knew about success and expectations, and I didn’t make the time to ask those questions. I am, quite frankly, not sure I would have known what to even ask or where to even start; I was so focused on simply making it through the day in a grueling new job. now, in hindsight, the harm in some of those traditions passed on to maintain school as an institution is so obvious. And so, the myths that bled into traditions that ruled before me were traditions I silently upheld as well; perhaps you have too?

Myth: As a Teacher, You Should Never Use Administration to Navigate Student Behavior Because It Shows Weakness and Inexperience reality: Your administrators should be your liaisons, so use them when needed. It takes strength to know when you need help rather than being paralyzed by your own fear of inadequacy. Do realize, though, that when you do send a

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student to others, then the outcome of the situation is no longer your choice. So, if you want to be included as a thought partner, engage administrators in a conversation with the child rather than just doing a referral. Make it clear to students that involving others does not mean that they are no longer welcome in your space, but instead that you need help facilitating a conversation that allows you both time to think rather than escalate a situation.

Myth: Try to Never Ask for Help, But If You Must, Do So in Private reality: Always ask for help, big or small. My first year, I was petrified that people would think my hiring was a mistake because I did not have all the answers. Well, guess what? no one does. When you approach someone and ask for help, you are showing trust and interest, and through trust you build community; it also upholds the narrative that we all still have something to learn. That sense of community can carry you through many situations and years of teaching. And neither should you stop asking just because you have been there a few years; every year, new challenges face us, so ask the questions that will help you face them. Consider who may have a fresh take on your situation rather than always heading to the same people. hopefully, some day you will be the one to whom new teachers come for help. And don’t just ask for help within your school; get connected on social media and get involved with the thriving teacher community there. There are many ways to be connected, and there are many people gladly sharing. This journey can be hard enough on your own, but it does not have to be that way.

Myth: Listen, But Do Not Speak, During Meetings reality: I am a perpetual hand-raiser (there, I admit it). I am also guilty of thinking aloud and most likely having an opinion. While I do not recommend turning staff meetings into your one-person show, if you have a question, or perhaps even an opinion, please share it, especially if you know you will be sharing your opinions after the meeting. You may be surprised by the discussion that ensues because of something you said. Successful staff meetings and collaboration rely on discussion, so become a partner in that, not just a fly on the wall or a behind-the-scenes critic. It is okay for you to have a voice in your very first year; it is okay for you to have a voice in your twentieth. The right to speak up is not something earned; it is something taken.

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Myth: Forget About Your Own Professional Development reality: College is hard. I worked almost full-time while I went to school fulltime. It was tough! The first year of teaching can be even tougher, and so it can be easy to eliminate your own professional development. After all, when your new job demands you work way beyond contract hours, how can you find any time for learning? While I love going to conferences, taking classes, and being a part of collaborative opportunities, I do not have a lot of time during the school year to access those opportunities. So instead, I rely on a lot of micro-PD: small bursts of professional development through videos, articles, or other social media posts that invite me to reflect on my practice and push my own growth. In fact, this is one of my preferred ways to use Instagram, where accounts such as Antiracist Education now!, Teach and Transform, We need Diverse Books, and Illuminative all offer up daily or weekly posts that push my thinking. So, what can you find online to benefit from? Another professional development opportunity to investigate is whether your school or district offers up curriculum hours that you could use to learn alongside colleagues. That way, the book you are reading, the curriculum you are creating, or the discussions you are having can be counted as part of your professional development requirements and not just done on your own time. While many times you will have professional development pre-set for you, especially when you are brand new, it is important that you also check out opportunities that fit the direction you have for yourself. Using social media, get connected to others who are sharing their practices and use it on your own terms. Simply being a teacher can feel so incredibly overwhelming; having others to learn from can be a lifesaver.

Myth: If You Put in Enough Hours, You Will Get It “Right” reality: Being an educator means constantly having to adapt to change, whether it is change in our students, in ourselves, in our teaching style, in our curriculum, or in the world; change is a constant. And that means that the hours of work it takes to prepare great lessons can swallow you up if you let them, especially if you are comparing your own lessons to those of veterans who have many years’ experience, or people who share their lessons on a larger scale and make it look easy. So often the illusion of perfection being just within our grasp if we just work a little longer keeps us in school or up at night much longer than it should. Continually working beyond contract hours is a recipe

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for burnout, as well as a continuation of the exploitation that many educational systems rely on. One major lesson I have had to learn is to find peace with my lessons being as ready as I can get them within a certain time frame and then stepping away. It has been a long journey and one that I wish I had started on much sooner, but working extended hours does not serve you or your students better; as they say, you cannot pour from an empty cup. Sometimes it is not your choice; sometimes the system you are working within, or the administrators who hold power, force you into unsustainable expectations when it comes to the demands of teaching. It is hard to push back, and it can feel awful to raise your voice, but sometimes we have to practice being brave even if we don’t feel like we are. however, I also know that this is easy to say but hard to do when we are a part of a system that demands our free labor in the name of the children we serve. For me, stepping away, shoring up boundaries, and still feeling like I did enough is a constant battle. And while I have advice, I will also fully admit that there are days, weeks, or sometimes months where I don’t take my own advice, and I burn myself out, still.

IDEAS TO TRY TO LESSEN YOUR WORKLOAD The initial pandemic lockdown in 2020 made it painfully clear that I had few boundaries when it came to my work and non-work time. After countless nights of working long past my own bedtime, my husband gently shut my computer and told me that this was not working for any of us. That when my eyes were focused on my screen, I missed most of what our children needed. And he was right. But how do you undo years of bad habits upheld by a system that does not promote a healthy work-life balance? how do you set better boundaries when the world feels like it is on fire and you are part of the team that sets it right again? Idea 1: Set your own time frame and limits, and then stick to them. Since preparing for teaching is a job that is never complete, how much are you willing to work beyond your hours? Put a post-it note up detailing how many free hours you are willing to donate to your job a day or a week, and then keep it visible. We often forget just how much extra time we are putting in; having a visual reminder of it can help us find more of a balance.

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Idea 2: Set up firm boundaries for your availability. It is so easy to be plugged in to work at all times. There is always work to be done; there are always emails to answer, lessons to tweak, or new ideas to find, but often what we assume will only take a small amount of time does not when we add up all the extra minutes we use “just checking.” So set guilt-free boundaries for your own availability and for when you will do work over the evenings/weekend. As a result of clear boundaries, I have strict email guidelines for myself: no work email on my phone, no checking email after 8 PM on weeknights, no checking it on Friday evenings or all of Sunday at all. I also have clear boundaries for when I will work during my weekend: Saturday morning only, and only if I absolutely must. Sundays are a day of rest, relaxation, and doing things that bring me joy, especially Sunday nights. Idea 3: Work when you are most productive. I am a morning person and have been since the arrival of our oldest child. I work best when it is still dark out and everyone is still asleep. So, when I have a lot of work to do, my extra hours are placed early in the morning. I think more quickly, I have more energy, and my optimism is still sky-high; this allows me to do my best work rather than waiting until evening where I am tired and long for sleep. Know yourself and your own energy times and try to plan your work time then. Allow yourself to get the rest you need rather than working beyond those hours. Often it takes a lot longer to finish tasks when you are working during your unproductive time. Idea 4: First task: Always be ready for the very next day. This is the simplest yet most effective idea I have that I shared with my own new teacher husband who was working late into the night every night for months trying to keep up. While we often get pulled into grading, answering emails, and planning entire units before we prepare, I have flipped the order of my tasks: now I start with the preparation of the very next day before I take on the bigger work I need to do. When I walk out for the night, my classroom is ready for the very next day, including materials, lessons plans, and the space itself. That means I can choose to not work in the evening because I know I am ready for tomorrow and that allows me space to be with my family, to read, and to do whatever I want to do that is not work-related.

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Idea 5: Plan out your prep time. This idea was graciously handed to me by a colleague who first got me clued in to setting better boundaries. So often our prep time gets consumed by quick check-ins with colleagues, copies, classroom cleanup, or all the millions of other small things that crop up in our day. Instead of leaving things to chance when I make my daily to-do list, I plan out what I will use my prep time for, specifically, so I have my list prioritized. Often the first thing is to be fully ready to teach tomorrow, then run any errands around the building I need to take care of, and then grade after that. I tend not to stop by colleagues’ classrooms unless I have extra time to talk; a quick email or phone call to ask them a question is always my preferred way to get answers. This also helps me be more cognizant of other people’s time, as I don’t want to take up more of their time than I need to. Idea 6: Cut back on extra work. I spent an extraordinary amount of time laminating my first few years as a teacher, as well as changing out bulletin boards. now, I hardly ever do because I don’t see the need. If I need to change a bulletin board, I ask students for their help, and not many items deserve to be laminated. What are your extra tasks that suck up your time? Idea 7: Do a time inventory. While this takes time upfront, it can save you time in the long run. Shadow yourself for a day or a week and notice what is taking up your time, both while you are teaching and when you are in preparation mode. Is everything that you are doing needed? Where are you spending more time than needed? What brings you joy that you want to preserve? When are you unproductive and when are you not? Studying your own patterns can help you see areas where you can be more efficient within the time constraint given. Idea 8: All the other little things. how else can you save time? •

Create form emails and comments that you can re-use from child to child when it comes to communicating needs and successes; have them saved somewhere accessible.

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• • •

•

•

•

•

•

Leave comments on your lesson plans as you teach them, so you know what needs to be fixed/reworked/cut out if you use them again. Embrace using your ideas again for lessons but rework them and adapt them to the needs of your current students. Involve students in making anchor charts, classroom study guides, and self-assessment (more on that in Chapter 8), and make these tools live with the students rather than after class. Consider what really needs to be given feedback or assessed (more on that in Chapter 10) and consider how much of that feedback can be spoken in the moment rather than written after the fact. Shut your classroom door during your prep time. While an open door often means “Come on in!” a shut door will often cause people to pause before they enter. It signals that you would like to be left to work rather than chat. Stop volunteering yourself for everything. I have the hardest time saying no when it comes to anything for children, and yet I purposefully do not reply at first to any emails that ask for volunteers unless I am excited about the opportunity. Often my volunteering was not because I wanted to but because I felt I should, so step away from that request and give it some real thought before you answer. Share ownership with students wherever you can. I often spent time on my prep and at the end of the day cleaning up our learning space, but now if the classroom is in disarray, I dismiss kids by table once it is cleaned up. I make sure we have enough time to clean up, so they are not late to their next class. Create a list of what really needs to be done: should do, can do, and would like to do some day. If you ever have extra time, refer to the list and see what you can tackle.

Myth: Work Through Your Breaks to Show You Are Serious reality: There is nothing more serious than a new teacher—always rushing about, eating lunch in the hallway while running to the copier, or stealing a snack while helping students during lunch. I did it, and I still do sometimes, but give up your breaks in moderation. I always have kids who hate going out

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to recess or need help with homework who ask to stay in. It is okay to say no sometimes and let them know they should take their break as well. going to the teacher’s lounge or a colleague’s room may seem like a frivolous use of your break time, or perhaps you have been warned that it is nothing but a room for burned-out teachers to spew their negativity. In reality, going to the teacher’s lounge or being in the company of other professionals is where I have had some of my most meaningful conversations and developed friendships with other teachers.

Myth: Don’t Try Too Many New Things reality: I am an idea person. I see inspiration in random places and get so excited to do/share/tell them that I am about to burst. Yet as a new teacher, I was told repeatedly not to put too much on my plate. I was too afraid to try some of my “crazy” ideas, and so I went with the book. It may have worked for others, but not for me. I’m begging you—don’t be afraid to try new things, even if it is your first year. After all, you are trying to discover who you are as a teacher, not just becoming a really good copy of someone else. Start small if you want to, pick one thing to try, but do try something even if you fail at it. now is the time to continue to uncover who you are as a teacher; do not wait for the next year to start that exploration.

Myth: Model/Scaffold/Show Everything You Will Expect Students to Do reality: I am not against modeling, scaffolding, or showing. But I have found that students often like a challenge. Instead of showing them the whole process, try telling them the goal, give them a beginning, and let them discover. Learning is, after all, about the journey of discovery and not just the end of the trip. Trust them to try things and fail and watch them grow as independent learners. If this scares you, start with a small project and give students some freedom there.

Myth: You Must Always Be/Act Happy, or the “Go in There and Win the Oscar” Myth reality: Students respond to humanness and, in particular, genuine human beings. While our moods have a major effect on the moods of our students, that

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does not mean we have to pretend away our quieter days. It is okay to lower the pitch, perhaps even offering up an explanation for your mood. What is not okay is using your emotional state as a way to have limited patience with students or take your “bad day” out on them (Consiglio-Missouri, 2020). research indicates a direct correlation between teacher burnout and an increase in student discipline; when teachers are under duress, that trickles down into the classroom environment, leading to student stress as well. It’s not enough to know how much we impact student wellbeing through our own emotional stance, but it is vital that we act on it. This is also why the often shared “don’t smile until December” advice given to new teachers is nonsensical. We know that students respond directly or indirectly to our moods, so why would we ever withhold happiness, comfort, and caring from them to come across as more in control? As my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, I knew there were days where news of its progression would knock me off course. Some days, I took time off, while others I came to school and shared in small ways with my students what had happened. Every time, my students embraced me in whatever state I was in, knowing at times that my usual endless optimism might be a bit dimmer. It was not that I needed them to carry me, that should never be the job of children, but I felt it was important that they understood why I might show up more subdued than normal. By allowing my own vulnerability to show, we strengthened our community. This is yet another way meaningful connections can be made. You show them that you care enough to trust them with your real life. Maybe they will trust you too.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today Whenever a new year approaches, I always get so excited. new kids! It beckons me with the possibility of great connections and deep exploration. It also prompts me to remember what it felt like that first year or after those big changes—how it felt like I had a clean slate, a new map to create alongside students, one that ended in new possibilities. And so, every year, I try to remind myself what I would tell new teacher or new job me: have tangible ideas and paths to follow to create not just a powerful experience, but also a sustainable one.

Get to Know Your Community Spend time where you will teach, feel the vibe of the community outside of school, and discover its values. You may be navigating difficult conversations depending on what your community holds dear, so knowing where you stand

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in your own personal beliefs as compared to those of the community that surrounds your school is important. In a time where many things in school are politicized by outsiders, this is also part of your own protection plan. And do this before you apply for the job; it is a not a guarantee that your district will protect you depending on your identity and which values they hold.

Stop With the Intense Prep Work I made so many copies and spent so much time laminating everything my first year. I spent days trying to decorate my classroom to make it look cute within my meager budget. Why? Because that was something I could control versus the unknown of what was to come when the kids walked in that first day. But decorating, copying, laminating, and doing all those tangible things kept me from diving into curriculum and crafting deeper learning experiences for the kids who would be in my care. Crazy, really. So figure out what is important to you, take stock of what you will be doing in your prep time, and ask yourself, “Does my supply list really need to be laminated?” Start the year with boundaries firmly in place and try to stick to them. It is a lot easier to maintain a worklife balance than it is to create one after bad habits have formed or the system has sucked you in.

Do Your Homework Discover whatever you can on your own first. Things like curriculum, team structures, school board visions, and other major district decisions can usually be found through a quick website search. And while I highly encourage you to research any potential employer before you agree to an interview, there is usually more to discover after you take the job. That way you can save your 911 calls for those things that are a little more complicated.

Reach Out and Ask Questions remember that interview team you sat across from trying to connect with? Well, now is the time to make the actual connection. So email them, find them on social media if you can and want—do something, and reach out. Set up a time to meet, whether formally or informally, to establish your new network.

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Don’t wait until the first day of school; there will be so many others to connect with at that point. When you reach out, have a list of questions prepared or email them ahead of time. Know that some things may not be answerable until you are in the midst of teaching. I like to ask questions about curriculum, about philosophy and work being done in regard to equity work, about how students are cared for on a day-to-day basis, how relationships are built and maintained with home adults, and any kind of school quirks. Truly there is no such thing as a dumb question in this situation. I still remember my long list and just how gracious my team members were to me.

Ask for Resources and Build Connections Do not reinvent the wheel. I created so much of my own curriculum that first summer, only to find out my team already had much of it made, often better than my own. Bring your ideas to the table but also ask to use some of theirs. There will be plenty of tasks to do on your own. Again, this is where an online educator network can also be incredibly handy, so take it beyond google and swap ideas through Twitter, Instagram, or other networking tools. And find people to collaborate and connect with who can help you throughout the year, who will be your go-to people for questions. Often, districts have specific mentors set up, but if your district doesn’t, look for a mentor yourself. Don’t just ask them for help with curriculum, though; also ask about how they maintain a work-life balance and what their timesaving tips are.

Find Out About Necessary PD Classes Again, this may be something a teammate tells you, but check to see if there are classes you need to take. Every year, districts seem to implement some new program or approach, and new teammates often only know this if they are told. So, in case someone forgets to tell you, do the research, and then sign up for the classes. You do not want to start the year already behind in professional development.

Reflect now that you have the job, what is your primary goal for your first year? (And while simply surviving it is, indeed, a tangible goal, hopefully that is not your only one.)

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how do you hope to shape the year with the kids in your care? how changed do you hope to be by the end of it? Where do you want to see yourself next year? Make a tentative plan for what type of teacher you would like to be and work toward it. Be ready to modify or abandon it, if need be, but start out with a dream at least.

We have all been in this situation, it seems: surrounded by negative people whose only joy in life seems to be finding something to complain about. Those teachers who cannot wait to share how terrible a child is, those teachers who cannot wait to discuss how awful a new initiative will be, or even just how overwhelmed they feel. And you know what, at some point we have probably all been one of those teachers. I know I was! And we usually don’t even know it. So what can we do if we find ourselves surrounded by the negative? how do you move beyond it, inspire change, but not look like you are complaining yourself? The first idea is to reflect: are you adding to the negative? Are you getting sucked into the conversations? Are you adding fuel to the fire? Misery loves company. It is so easy to get wrapped up in a juicy story about a demanding parent or how there was another stupid idea proposed. If you are even a little bit guilty of participating in these conversations, reflect. Catch yourself in the act and consider what you are getting out of it. Are you letting off steam in a tough situation, or are you influencing others to change an otherwise positive relationship? Would it be more helpful to change your narrative and share the positive? reflecting on your need to share the negative doesn’t mean you cannot discuss hard situations—in fact, our educational system is mired in toxic positivity—but it does mean recognizing when your words and actions are causing further negativity in an unproductive way rather than in a way that perhaps provides a way forward or leads to bigger discussions about systems that need to change. Second idea: change the immediate conversation. If someone is a serial complainer and does not appear interested in taking or considering steps for change, see if you can spin it in a positive way. If a child is being discussed, highlight something positive. If you see a conversation turning into something that will not benefit you and you cannot change it, you also have the right to walk away. Even if you like the person speaking, nothing says you have to be a part of it if it will negatively impact your mental health. Sometimes our actions speak louder than words.

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Third idea: acknowledge the negative and then try to problem-solve. If the negative continues to surround you, acknowledge it because sometimes people don’t even know they are doing it. This doesn’t mean calling them out or chastising them, but merely acknowledging that what they are saying seems to be bothering them and ask if they are looking for someone to problem-solve with. We all have days where we need to release some of the energy that seems to be haunting us; sometimes discussing it is our way of reaching out to work through it. So offer to be that person, withhold judgment, and try to alleviate the negative. Fourth idea: look for the positive. Sometimes our own perception makes people seem much more negative than they really are. Are you seeing them as whole persons or just people who complain? Make sure your own thoughts and biases aren’t clouding a situation. Fifth idea: get to know them more. We don’t always know what is going on in someone’s life. Sometimes when someone complains about seemingly small things, it may be an indicator that that person’s life outside of school is stressful right now. I know I have a much lower tolerance for anything when I am overwhelmed or not sleeping well because of stress. So if someone seems to take a turn toward the worse, see if you can find out what is going on. Express your concern, be there as a friend, and remember to see your colleague as a human being. We all have bad days. We all have moments where we are at our lowest. no one comes to work meaning to be the negative force; no one walks into a social situation hoping to change it into a vent fest. Sometimes it just happens. Sometimes stress gets the better of us, and we don’t know that we are “that” person. When all else fails, you just have to shrug it off. Continue to be a positive force for good; continue to keep yourself in check; continue to be aware of what you put out in the world. We are not able to change other people, but in small ways, we can change the environment we teach in. What do you do to diffuse the negative? Or how do you use the negative to fuel your fight for change?

Enjoy! There is no time like the one you are in, and every day offers us a chance to look for the good. Allow yourself to trust yourself. Allow yourself to feel like you have something valuable to add. Allow yourself to say no, set up boundaries, and maintain them knowing that you are doing the best you can with the

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time you have. And finally, allow yourself to be just a little bit freaked out. You cannot prepare for everything, but you got the job because you are capable. Trust that. If you are an administrator reading this book, think of the systems in place, officially or unofficially, that prop up the harmful expectations for staff. how can you lead the way in regaining or maintaining a work-life balance? how do you question the established systems and push back to sustain yourself and your school or district? And not just with work hours, but anything that causes harm to kids and or adults? And for all of you veteran teachers who, much like myself, chose to start anew later in your career, I offer you the following words as you begin a new and sometimes frightening journey. Be fearless. I know you may be having nightmares, the one where the kids won’t settle in, where a team of unknown administrators show up to assess you, and you are not even sure you know where you are or what you are teaching. That is not how it is going to be. So let it go if you can and believe that although a new year, or even a year filled with changes you want to take on, may be filled with scary, it will also be filled with new. A new chance for you to spread your passion for the kids you teach. A new chance for you to build connections, to be a part of a team, to work for a common vision. A new chance for you to continue to pursue whatever changes you are passionate about. How often do we get to say that we get to start over again and really mean it? Meaningful change can’t happen when we are burned out, so protect yourself to protect the experience of the kids in your care as well. So have goals. Be brave. It is okay to present new ideas that you might not have thought out completely, but that you know in your gut will probably work. It is okay to try something and then have it fail. It is okay not to have every answer. It is okay to show the students that you are nervous like them, that this is a new adventure for you too. It is okay to show your weakness when you embrace it as a strength. Be true to you. You have a vision for how your classroom should feel, but don’t forget to include the vision of the children in your care as well. So make it work—not just for you, but for all those kids who come to you with their curiosity, their fears, their dreams. They should feel safe in your room, much like you hope to feel safe with them. Don’t ever think your words don’t matter. Words matter more than you will ever know, and you might never be able to reach them all—but the trick with teaching is that you don’t know whom you are reaching at what time. So don’t give up on any of them; keep trying for all of them. Even when you are sure they could not possibly push you any harder.

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Don’t lose yourself in the job. Yes, teaching is this all-consuming, amazing experience that we can live and breathe. But you are only as good a teacher as you are a person outside of school. You may have kids at home who need their days listened to, their curiosity protected, who need time with just you. not you and your computer. not you and your teaching ideas. So be fully present when you are at school, but then leave it behind when you drive home; allow your brain to rest and your soul to be nourished. You are a better teacher when you have a life you love outside of school. Say yes to as much as you want to. Say yes to what scares you in a good way. We only grow when we push ourselves. But don’t say yes so much that you cannot find the time to breathe. There may be more opportunities than ever coming your way and so many things you would like to do. But just don’t. Allow yourself the luxury of saying “no, thank you;” allow yourself the luxury of not volunteering for everything. Embrace the life you have and say yes to the things that matter the most. Don’t be ashamed of being you. You may not always have the best advice. You may not always be an expert. You may not always know what you are doing, but you still have worth. Your ideas still matter. You still matter. Your excitement can spread. Your newness may be an advantage at times. Your energy and curiosity will help you. So don’t stand in your own way. A new year will always be an adventure—you already know that—but a new year is just another year. Even on your worst days, it will only be a day. The tide will always turn. There will always be more good than bad. More success than failure. You can only do your best; you can only bring whatever you have; you can only do so much. There will be much outside of your control, but how you feel about it is in your hands; don’t forget that. One thing about teaching is that I can feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the problems within the systems but also find power within the creativity of the solutions. Set those boundaries and do the best to maintain them. Don’t allow the system to do its job by swallowing you up. Smile, laugh, think, reflect, reach out, be you, be kind, be honest, wonder, and try. Yes, a new job when we have grown so comfortable in our old will be scary at first, but anything amazing always is. I have a feeling it will be just fine; you just have to believe it yourself.

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Chapter 3 Reflection and Further Planning for Boundaries and Starting Anew What is one tangible change you can make right now when it comes to protecting your work and home boundaries? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: Doing a time audit to see what takes up unnecessary time is a powerful way really to see how much time is spent being an educator. Be honest and real; there are so many small moments where it is easy just to do a little thing that quickly adds up to a lot of time without us even realizing it. Do you have times where you are truly not thinking or doing work related to your job? how long are those stretches? What small promises can you make to yourself in regard to when your day is done? What needs to happen for you to keep those promises? Small changes to consider: •

• • • •

Stop checking email or responding after a certain time, and communicate this to home adults and/or students so they know when they can expect a reply. Plan when you want to work on the weekend if needed and stick to that. reuse, reformat, and collaborate with others to cut down on time spent lesson planning. Consider what can be created live with students versus during your preparation time. Shut your door and stop unnecessary conversations before they begin; communicate what a shut door means and make it a team or school policy.

What is a larger change you would like to make next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

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Consider this: Larger changes within our boundaries and work habits often start from all of the small changes we can make. realizing where time is spent in a manner that is unnecessary or inflated is a good way to decide what large changes need to be made. Larger changes to consider: •

•

•

What needs to be in place for you to be able to walk away on Friday afternoon knowing you are ready for Monday? One idea shared with me was never to start new units on Monday but always to start them in the middle of the week; that way, the prep work does not accidentally fall during the weekend but instead during actual preparation time. Untangle yourself from volunteer work. have you agreed to work that requires a much larger time commitment than you are willing to give? how can your involvement be replaced? Check in with administrators in regard to expectations for old initiatives. Often, expectations change, and work is replaced, but it is not communicated clearly enough. Are there old practices, work plans, or expectations that are no longer part of the plan?

What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

Consider this: having someone with whom you can do a time-accountability journey is a powerful tool for change. Is there anyone who can help you shut things off or find ways to make them more manageable? how can you reward each other for stepping away? What does “good enough” look like on a broader scale?

References Agrawal, S. and Marken, S. (2022, June 8). K-12 workers have highest burnout rate in U.S. Gallup.com. retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://news.gallup.com/ poll/393500/workers-highest-burnout-rate.aspx Consiglio-Missouri, B. (2020, September 17). When teachers are stressed, students face more discipline. Futurity. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.futurity.org/ teachers-stress-suspensions-2440362-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_ campaign=teachers-stress-suspensions-2440362-2

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4

Creating Classroom Spaces Where All Children Can Thrive

“A classroom should be set up to where students always have the opportunity to say whatever they want as long as it’s on topic.” —Isabel O.

Then: Did You Get Permission to Touch That? During my college studies of classroom management, a visiting elementary teacher told us: “. . . and if you walk into our room, you may be surprised at the noise and the mess, but to me that means the students are engaged.” I was horrified. noise? Mess? not this teacher! how could anyone possibly learn in noise or out of their desks? I was going to run my classroom like a well-oiled machine, with everything just so. I cringe now at that memory. I look around my classroom, thinking back to that elementary teacher’s comment, and realize we are that room! We’re the class you can hear coming down the hallway, the one where students are splayed out on the floor, discussing, laughing, and, gosh golly, sharpening their pencils whenever they like. Yet, we are also the room where students are so quietly focused on their books or writing that it’s almost eerie, where students sometimes groan when I tell them time is up, and class is almost over, where students have a purpose and enough sense to know we must get to work and therefore stay mostly focused. We are a room that changes with our learning—and that change often comes from the students. There are no laminated rule posters (other than the district-mandated one), no reminders of how to get your stuff done or how to enter the classroom, no sticks to move or stars to give and receive. We don’t need those things in a learning space being run with and by the students.

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-5

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It’s a classroom in which we all have our rightful place, and our routines change based on our needs of the moment. To the untrained eye it may seem chaotic at times—after all, students crave routine—but if you look closer, you will notice that the patterns of established expectations are there. Students get to work, and they stay focused at their own pace; they treat each other with respect for the most part, and they take care of the physical space and know that it is their room as well as mine. Yes, even in my seventh-grade classroom. I wish this had been my classroom the first few years of my teaching career—a place shared by all of us, and not just Mrs. ripp’s space. Instead, my room felt like a marine barrack, and I like a slightly kinder drill sergeant. I dictated how we walked down the hallway, how we got our jackets and backpacks, how we acted when others came into the classroom, how we borrowed books from the classroom library, how we asked for supplies. Don’t answer the phone; don’t sit in my chair; don’t eat your food now. Don’t, don’t, don’t. Everything had a protocol. I was so busy keeping track of all my check-out sheets and reminders that I forgot just to enjoy what I was doing with the students. I was so wrapped up in managing the physicality of my space that I lost focus on what was important in that space: the students. Instead, I wasted time getting upset when my system wasn’t followed. It was time-consuming, overcomplicated, and ridiculous, based on rigid ideas of what respect looks like stemming from Eurocentric traditions. Every infraction was viewed through a lens of disrespect, rather than age-appropriate child behavior. If you would like to dive further into considering where our measures of success and respect evolved from, I highly recommend diving into the work of Dr. Deena Simmons and Dr. Erica Buchanan-rivera. While my thoughts are absolutely centered in the teachings of equity leaders, I know I have much to learn and much to unlearn, so considering the origin of the traditions that our school communities uphold is one place to start to go deeper into creating equitable spaces for all kids. now, as a veteran teacher, I approach space in an entirely different way than I did when I first started out. The space we learn in is not just the size of our rooms, or the wall displays, layout, or furniture; it is also the space that surrounds us, the air itself that we travel through. It is the way in which our values create the unseen boundaries and invitations into learning; it can exclude some and simultaneously welcome others. It is the way we use our voices to make room for or remove value from others. This idea of tangible space and how we want it to feel for all kids is something that I consider often, not just at the beginning of the year. how does our furniture invite kids not just to sit together but to communicate, to collaborate, to hold space for one another? how do the posters on the wall not just set the tone but ask us to live their words? Anyone can buy an inspirational poster and not mean it; it takes work to live the value of the words we choose to display. how does my tone, the authority of my rules, my 58

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rigidity invite or exclude the students in my care when it comes to functioning within our space? I won’t know unless continuous opportunities are provided for the students to express their respect, needs, and sense of belonging. I don’t imagine there are many new teachers who achieve a sense of shared classroom ownership in their first years. It requires a deep level of trust in yourself as a teacher and facilitator and in the students to guide you, as well as learning from what hasn’t worked. But I certainly think it’s possible to begin your career with ideas for shared ownership. I simply never had anyone encouraging me to trust my instincts and move away from measuring our teaching and learning worth in how silent and compliant my students were. So here it is: trust yourself! Whether you are a new teacher or one who’s more experienced but teaching in a more traditionally minded place, the most important thing for you to do is figure out who you are, who the kids in your care are, and how your space can function for all of you. Pursue what you believe are the best teaching practices—then start to question them as part of your regular reflection and have the students question alongside you. That shared questioning and dialogue is sure to open new venues for you to explore as you think of the functionality of your learning space and who traditionally gets to be successful in the space you are a part of. If you are in the United States, then Propublica’s Miseducation website, which presents data on racial inequality, is eye opening. You can search your own district, as well as other districts across the country. But don’t just look at the data; use it. how will your space and your decisions disrupt the harmful experiences happening particularly to children of color? The website can be found at: https://projects.propublica.org/miseducation/ Of course, you will change certain aspects as you go along—modifying this, rejecting that. But you will be using your own judgment and the input from kids to shape your evolution as a teacher. You will decide what outside advice is worth listening to as you and your students shape the teaching and learning space.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • •

What does a successful classroom look like? Sound like? Feel like? Whose ideas have shaped your classroom setup? What traditions shape this, and where do those traditions come from? how does your classroom setup share power and control with students? how is your room design centered around freedom and space to experiment in?

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Now: This Is Our Room, Our World “Kids should be able to sit where they want in the room and have a say in moving things such as desks and chairs.” —Jumana T.

I once believed that the classroom had to revolve around my needs in order for it to function well, and that students were temporary visitors granted gracious permission to exist in my universe. now, I believe that the room is ours and that they own it as much as I do. In the early years, I reduced the possibilities of our classroom space down to two: my contrived systems or chaos. My fear of chaos fed the growth of my control systems to the point where I got so lost, I didn’t know the teacher I was anymore. So, I stopped the endless power moves. I “let” students borrow books from my library and take them home. Yes, I may lose more books, but I also do not spend hours trying to manage a library with thousands of titles in it. I show the students where I keep all the supplies, and they grab what they need. When I taught younger students, they would unpack and enter the classroom in a way that suited them best; some needed one trip, some needed more. I stopped obsessing over systems and started emphasizing choices, knowing our own needs, and working within our structures to have those needs met. And the result? not chaos as I had feared, but ownership and calm. It turned out that these students knew, for the most part, exactly how to take care of our space and were a lot more invested in the learning real estate when they felt it was theirs. They no longer ask permission to use a stapler or some tape; they just do it. They settle into our rocking chair and use pencils when they need them. They welcome others to our room, answer the phone with their name, and commandeer space when they need it. I don’t manage their microtransactions within our space but instead focus on our learning and help them build the skills they need as responsible human beings. This all may seem minor; after all, changing your teaching is often focused on what you teach rather than the space that you do it in. Yet the space that we function in becomes an outward lens of what we value. If we value freedom, then there should be freedom embedded within our space for all students, not just those who have earned it through artificial measures. Inequity plays out in so many ways in our educational system, even within the space that we create for our students. Centering your changes on the idea of our learning spaces as

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places emboldened with choice not only allows you to think further about what else your room signals but also gives a natural invitation to students to experiment with their learning to grow beyond what they already are. Giving the classroom back to your students is more than just changing your mindset; it is also about physically changing the room to signal the change. The setup, the flow patterns, even what hangs on your walls all mirror your expectations. It shows who gets to have power within this space and who doesn’t. I’m always asking myself: does the space allow all students to belong on their terms? As Alex Shevrin Venet writes in her book, Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education, “When designing something new, I ask myself: Is this predictable? Is this flexible? Does it foster empowerment? Does it foster connection?” (Venet, 2021, p. 77). These are excellent questions as you dig deeper into your classroom design choices. With every year, and with every room move or even school move, I cannot help but dream of what is to come. I think it is one of the most magical things about being a teacher—the “what will happen?” of the new year. Therefore, every year, I ask myself these questions: Tables or desks? I have had both small desks and large tables. While I have loved having large tables for the ease of collaboration and movement, it is always educational to see how kids shape the learning space no matter the components. While I often group the tables in the room, kids move them and move away from them when needed. rarely do I ask them to stay in place. And I can tell by this simple measure of trust they have taken more ownership over the room. They make it work for their needs rather than fitting their needs around our room. What is on our walls? I used to plaster my walls with those posters with brightly colored animals saying cute motivational things. My theory? Wherever you looked, you would be motivated to hang in there, work hard, and make great decisions. I took them down many years ago. I asked one group of students what they thought about the motivational posters, and one replied: “Oh those. I always start to read those whenever I am bored.” If I had ever needed more reason to remove them, her honest response had just handed it to me. now, I think of whose voices are centered, whose images the kids can see. Thanks to projects like those coming from Amplifier.org, which invite you to study current activists and changemakers, our posters mirror the broader world; wall additions are made in conjunction with our learning. Are you in the room? My students become part of my family, so I have framed pictures of my family and drawings from my own kids for the classroom. I also happen to be a comic book lover, and so a few pieces of comic

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book art hang on our walls as well. The pieces that I hang are intentional and make me happy. The students often ask questions about the pictures, but I don’t take over the room. I don’t need a room that feels like my room. I need a room that will welcome in all children, even if I don’t teach them. So, I purposefully do not overdecorate, nor do I have a theme—unless you can count an obsession for books as my theme. I do not ever want any children to feel excluded from a space because there was no room for their identity to be a part of it. I also want to be very mindful of overstimulation, as I teach kids with additional learning needs and an overly decorated room can be overwhelming for some students. In a study run by Carnegie Mellon, it was found that “children in highly decorated classrooms were more distracted, spent more time off-task and demonstrated smaller learning gains than when the decorations were removed” (granata, n.d.). This doesn’t mean that our classroom needs to be devoid of decorations, but I do urge mindfulness in what we ask our students to pay attention to on top of what we are already asking them to attend to. Who gets to move the furniture? My former students told me they didn’t want to face the Smartboard but rather the whiteboard because we used that much more. So, I told them to rearrange themselves as they saw fit. I don’t need to be the center of attention, so the desks don’t need to face me either. Allowing student ownership over such small things can make a bigger difference than we think, particularly if you teach in a school where students do not have a homeroom. Students still need to feel at home, and they won’t be able to if they cannot leave their mark on our classrooms, even if it means something as simple as being able to move furniture around. Where else can they learn? Are there places for the students to work that don’t include their desks? Are there spaces that feel safer in case a student feels overwhelmed or dysregulated? I have bean bags, a large carpet, and even a small attached extra room that students use to get more comfortable. I have dreams for more moveable furniture and more spaces for them to work, but we work with what we have. I don’t ask questions as to how students use the extra things we have in the room; if they need them, they use them, and I just ask them to be mindful of how items are used to increase their longevity. In fact, when I asked my students what they wanted in a perfect classroom, most of them answered that they wanted extra places to work that were not their tables. So, I make sure that there is space for them to work away from their desk. I provide them with access to clipboards, lap desks, and other surfaces to use. What might your students hope for?

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Can students get what they need? I used to hide all my extra supplies and would get really upset if students dared ask for a pencil; after all, showing up without a pencil was careless behavior and did not show maturity or responsibility. now, I have bins and drawers of stuff they may need that they can grab, and they know just to ask if they need something that isn’t out. My goodness, who hasn’t ever needed an eraser? Pencils are a hot commodity as well, and so those are easily accessible. I don’t mean just easy access within the classroom but also after students leave. My students know they can come at any time to borrow a book, snag a pencil, grab a clipboard, or leave me a note. If I am teaching, they walk in quietly, take care of what they need to do, and then leave—no harm done. A few years ago, I also adopted the idea of a personal care cart, an idea I saw shared by Julie Jee on Twitter. This eight-drawer plastic cart holds things that a person may need throughout the day to function and removes the need for them to ask permission to attend to basic needs. In the care cart, kids (and adults) can find writing utensils, hair tools, gum, wipes, menstrual products, band-aids, lotion, snacks (these run out quickly, so I refill as I see fit), various office supplies, and other small items (read more about it on my blog, https://pernillesripp.com/2020/01/15/ meet-our-emergency-stash-cart). I introduce the cart as needed in the first week of school, and kids use it as they see fit. I am grateful for this additional way to create a safer space for all kids to learn. home adults send in extra supplies, or I get them from the school. I try to limit how much I fund it, as it is unreasonable to always depend on the goodwill of teachers to fund classroom supplies. Where are those rules? Anyone who walks in will notice that there is no class constitution, no rules, no “what happens when . . .” posters in our room. Expectations are discussed by the students and changed as needed. With only 20% of the walls available for use due to fire code, I am not wasting any space on rules. Technology in moderation. I am fortunate to work in a one-to-one district, which means that all students have a device and access to internet when at school; however, not all my students have internet when they go home, by choice or circumstance. Our room is cell phone–free and has been for years; this decision came from a need to give kids a break from potentially being filmed or photographed without their consent and has lowered anxiety for many kids. We use our Chromebooks or other technology as needed, but I also plan for a lot of technology-free time. I think we all benefit from stepping away from screens and focusing on a piece of paper, a discussion, or a book that is right in front of us.

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For many years, I was truly thankful for the power of “bring your own device,” or BYOD. Working in schools that didn’t have the capital needed to provide Chromebooks or other computers for easy access to all, BYOD was a game changer. We could take pictures, film videos, search things, and connect with the world. A few years ago, as Chromebooks slowly increased in quantity and social media usage became more dominant amongst kids, I started to notice a trend in the way phones were being used in our school. While it wasn’t so much that they were used during class—after all, most students were engaged most of the time—it was more that the minute someone screwed up, which inevitably happens often for 12- to 14-year-olds, there was a device out to record it. To share it, to tag it, to make sure that everyone who was not present now had a front seat. And its effects showed. Our students started taking fewer risks, afraid that someone would film them. Afraid that the world would know of their mistakes rather than their attempts at success. Anxiety went up, and social interaction went down. I started to pay attention to my own phone habits, how my world seemed to be ruled more by notifications and interactions with people far away than by the life that was happening right within my reach. Digging into the research surrounding anxiety (www.anxiety.org/smartphone-useand-its-relationship-to-anxiety-and-depression), the presence of phones proved to be eye opening. While there are many benefits to the connectivity of phones, the noted increase in mental health related issues could not be dismissed. how was our connectivity and the ever-present cell phone causing our students and our community anguish? And so, we did an experiment. We took a term off from our phones in class, me included, and we waited to see what would happen. It was eye opening but also anti-climactic. Many kids reported that it was no big deal, that they were fine without their phones, they didn’t miss them, we didn’t need them because we had the privilege of having enough technology at our fingertips that didn’t require students to have their phones. A few kids grumbled; these were often the kids who were less engaged and more prone to use social media during class. And for some kids, getting rid of phones made a huge difference. These were the ones that reported that they finally felt safe in our classroom. The ones that told us how they had realized that they were constantly checking their phone for fear of missing out and hadn’t realized how much time it took up. The ones that appreciated how people seemed more present, less worried.

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As I have had visitors come and see our classroom, they have asked about our noticeable lack of phones. And I have been asked how our students feel about it. So, I asked all my students to give me the honest truth: how does it affect them to be phone-free at their school? Are they missing out since this seems to be a major discussion point in the phone or no phone debate? Are we doing them a disservice by not embracing the tool and teaching them how to use it well? Their answers were enlightening. While most of my students own a phone, a few don’t, reporting everything from cost prohibitions to no desire to own one as reasons why. This led me to think of the equity aspect of expecting all kids to have a phone. not every family can afford one, and not all families want to provide one to their child, so when we assume that all students have a phone and then base our instructional experiences around using them, we are creating a noticeable gap between students that may lead to tension and awkwardness in the classroom. As one student said, "Sure, I could just use a Chromebook, but that still makes me stand out and look different than the rest, and that can be embarrassing.” I asked my students whether they cared about lack of access to their phones. Overwhelmingly, they reported that it wasn’t a big deal, that they didn’t feel they needed them. That, sure, they would love to have them, but that they were not missing out on any educational opportunity in their eyes. I am not saying that phones can’t be used for amazing things, but in this case, the students didn’t report that. In fact, it was interesting to see how many students who did want their phones also reported that they would only use them for social media and texting if they had them, nothing else. A few reported wanting to use them as calculators or to look up words. Many students reported that not having their phones caused them to speak more to their friends. That while they missed out on some conversations that would take place on social media, they were more likely to have conversations with those around them. One student wrote, I honestly enjoy it because it annoys me how often people (or my friends) are distracted by social media. I know social media is for “socializing,” but you have people around you to socialize with. Even if you are not on social media and playing games instead, it still frustrates me. Another point often brought up in the cell phone debate is that we should be teaching students how to use their phones well; that much like

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all the other tools the world has introduced us to, phones should now be a part of the school experience so that kids can use them well. I am not sure about this point. While I agree that as educators, we adapt our curriculum to face the modern construct, I wonder whether the responsibility of teaching students how to use their phone well should fall on us. Should that not fall on those who provide the tool? That doesn’t mean that it can’t be supplemented in school, but I am not sure the main responsibility starts with educators. As I scanned through the students’ responses, what really stood out to me was one common thread: they wish they could have their phones in case “something bad happened.” A major reason for why they wish to have their phones is in case of an emergency. Think about that for a moment. Our students don’t always feel safe at school, perhaps now more than ever, and so they see their phones as a lifeline to get help. It shook me to the core because, of course, I feel the same way; I need my phone in case something bad happens. But to hear it repeated from seventh graders was startling. And so, we will continue to be cell phone–free for now. We will continue to ask students to leave them in their lockers, backpacks, or pockets so that we can be together. So we can be more present and think of the technology opportunities kids do have to connect and become more than we were as human beings. Does this mean that phones in schools are bad or should never be there? no, it just means that for us, for the learning experience we have right now, it makes sense to be cell phone–free. It means that we have seen less phone-related anxiety and stress. We have seen less drama due to kids being filmed or ridiculed when they should have been safe in our classrooms. It means that we have been more thoughtful when we do bring out devices. I share this to start a conversation, to perhaps plant a seed for others to explore within their own learning communities. not to dismiss the power of technology, nor the power of what can happen when we connect with others. But as someone who knows the anxiety that a phone can produce, I think it is valid to have these discussions. Often in our eagerness to embrace technology, we forget about the mental health impact that technology and how it is used can have. Sometimes when we bring in more devices, it traps our students rather than frees them, and that is not something easily to dismiss.

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Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “It should look and feel like a safe and fun place to learn in.” —Emily S.

Whether you are a new teacher or a veteran, there are things that you can do right away to change the feel of your classroom. Pick and choose those that make sense to you and come up with your own as well. My list of questions is merely a start.

Who Is Centered in Your Space? Whose identities are featured in your book displays, posters, and anything that visually surrounds the students? Who gets an outward reminder of the power that their identity holds? This also includes what we display as notable work from the students themselves. Do they get to choose whether to share something or not? Do they get to pick what we showcase? how static are your displays? Do they change with the kids and with your curriculum?

How Much Space Do You Take Up? Is every space yours, or is it open for student use? Do you have so many things out that you may need more bins to keep it all contained? I try to keep my stuff in cabinets, leaving impromptu work areas for the kids. It sends the message that I am not the most important person—that this is our space, and they have as much claim to the counter tops and shelves as I do.

What Is the Classroom Flow Like? Can students move, or will they constantly have to ask someone else to push a chair out of the way? This is often out of our hands, but we can work out the best overall flow before the students get there. Can kids access the highfrequency areas such as cabinets, supplies, and the reading corner, or will they have to squeeze by, take a strange route, or get stuck in random places? Can

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the students “breathe” in the room, or is it filled to the brim with all of your “treasures”? Ask the students and watch their patterns those first few weeks of school; I don’t think a year has gone by where we haven’t changed something within the first few weeks.

How Often Do They Need to Ask Permission? In my first year, I was obsessed with keeping things in their place. If that particular reading chair belonged in the reading corner, then that is where it belonged; no permissions to move it were granted. now, students take the movable furniture wherever they need it, and at the end of the day or end of class, we put it all out of the way. Back in my drill sergeant days, I even dictated their desk supplies. I told them exactly what they had to have in their pencil cups (no, seriously, I did), and then patrolled to see if they followed my orders. now they oversee their supplies, and I have extras of what they forgot. Of course, this means that there are some kids who always use all our supplies, and while my district has the funding to provide supplies for those who need them, school funding is not equitable in the US. This means it is easy for me to say that I will provide any kinds of supplies for kids when they need them. It shouldn’t fall on educators to fund supplies, though, and this is a fight we all should take on. While I will never remove access to basic needs from a child, I will always raise my voice when it comes to education issues, whether locally or federally. Also consider: • • • • •

What is considered a proper way to enter the classroom space? Whose identity does that limit? Whose identity does that support? Who gets unlimited access to supplies, and who doesn’t? how do kids have to “prove” that they can manage their own bodies? how do we police their bodies unnecessarily throughout our space? how are students able to have movement within the space? What else do you need to change physically to signify the philosophical change you are experiencing?

My list of suggestions is just that—a place to get started with. Do not let it limit you. The best place to start if you are not sure how to approach your classroom redesign is once again the students, creating a venue for them to have shared ownership over the environment. That does not mean that your views and ideas should be removed from the overall feel of the room but that your ideas should work alongside those of the students. While this may seem easier to do

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in a single classroom setting, such as the ones we see in younger age groups, I have found this also to work in my job as a middle school teacher. I may have more than 75 students who use my room every single day, but because we have movable furniture, they can easily adapt their surroundings to fit their needs. And so, while I dream of beautiful new furniture that would include all types of workspaces for students, I make things work with what I have: small tables, an assortment of bookcases, and some beat-up bean bags. It is not so much what we put into our room physically but rather how our room feels to those that use it. And right now, our room invites students to come in, be their full selves, share their opinions, discuss their lives, find a book, and start to read.

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Chapter 4 Reflection and Further Planning for Centering Your Classroom Space in Student Needs What is one tangible change you can make right now when it comes to creating a space that signals shared power? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: Often, shared power is confused with lack of control, but that is not true. Shared power means recognizing that we have a unique opportunity to provide a safe environment for children to develop schemas for school that can then be transferred to other social interactions. When we provide them with choice and power over how they may want to manipulate the space they are in, we are teaching them to recognize the power they have within many environments and to develop their critical analysis skills. What is a larger change you would like to make next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: Larger changes within our own management plans can seem overwhelming and even unnecessary, and yet diving into the traditions that underlie many of the day-to-day snap decisions we make as far as how our space is manipulated is sorely needed and eye-opening. Why do we expect respect to look a certain way? Whose identities and traditions are our beliefs based upon? how do we interrogate even our most “common sense” advice that we pass on to new teachers or even the kids themselves? Even using the word “management” is something worth considering; is it child management we want to accomplish, or is it instead the act of co-creating learning conditions that work for each individual and the group as a whole? Managing means running or being in charge of, but it does not speak to the many nuances needed in order to create environments that can be considered safe for kids whose identities do not intersect with yours.

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What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

Consider this: System-wide changes can create incredible learning environments, but it takes a team dedicated to uncovering what needs to change, and children need to be at the center of that conversation. We cannot possibly assume our way through systemic changes without including those whose voices are so often left behind. So, consider who you need to invite into this transformation, and be ready to be vulnerable; we often steer away from conversations that may potentially shed a negative light on our past actions or even our present thinking, and yet, that is what learning is, a chance to grow in ways we couldn’t even imagine. Is it hard to admit that what you thought was best for children isn’t? Absolutely, but what a powerful realization that can be if you let it. Too many teaching traditions have been held in place by shame; too many children have been disenfranchised because we were too proud to admit that the system, and we as an extension of it, needed to undergo fundamental change.

References Fisher, A. V., godwin, K. E., & Seltman, h. (2014). Visual environment, attention allocation, and learning in young children. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1362–1370. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614533801 granata, K. (n.d.). Overly-decorated classrooms disrupt student learning, study finds. Overly-Decorated Classrooms Disrupt Student Learning, Study Finds Education World. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.educationworld.com/a_news/ overly-decorated-classrooms-disrupt-student-learning-study-finds-450546252 Venet, A. S. (2021). Equity-centered trauma-informed education. W.W. norton & Company.

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Cultivating a Passionate Learning Environment Ways to Build Community and Trust

“Don’t just teach us it; we won’t listen, so do something that will make it stick more in our brains.” —Carlie M.

no teacher begins a teaching career with ill intentions. Yet, most of us, whether we are brand-new or veteran teachers, make our biggest mistake during our very first days in the classroom. I was no different many years ago. I chose to do everything the way I saw others doing it rather than exploring how I felt it needed to be done. Once I had cemented what to do, I never veered off that chosen path; after all, if I could only figure out the best way to control the students to create a successful learning experience for all, then, my teaching would be a success.

Then: Don’t Smile Until December “how can teachers make learning more interesting? Be more fun, make jokes, and smile.” —Carson K.

Sure, I laughed with the students and referred to building “class community.” But as the all-important first week of school progressed, I dictated rules and expectations, firmly established who was in control, and set tight boundaries for the year. As a result, I lost the opportunity to create the kind of relationship with my students that leads not only to broader wellbeing and genuine 72

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-6

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motivation and engagement but also to real ownership of learning and, ultimately, greater growth as students and as human beings. I made my very first misstep on orientation day. I was so nervous meeting all the home adults that I barely focused on the students. It was those home adults I wanted to impress, particularly since this was my first year. I did not want any adults to feel their child might be at a disadvantage by being with the new teacher. The day went smoothly, with no hard questions. I remember thinking I must have passed the test. The very next day, I stood eagerly by my door shaking the hands of all the fourth-grade students entering my room. I had already laid out activities for them to do, and I was eager to start our very first conversation about how to enter the classroom. As all the students took their assigned seats, I asked them for their attention and proceeded to show them exactly how I wanted them to enter the room, what they needed, and what the consequences would be for entering unprepared. Students nodded along. We moved on to the next important conversation: my rules, and the consequences for breaking them. here is where I relied on another new-teacher staple, The First Six Weeks of School by Paula Denton and roxann Kriete. The authors pose the enticing idea of making it appear that your students themselves are coming up with the classroom rules and procedures, thus facilitating buy-in as you steer them to the inevitable conclusion. In fact, I had the rules typed up in advance: “respect each other, take care of yourself, and take care of our property.” My intentions were noble. I wanted my students to feel like they were part of the management of the classroom. But I was building our community on an exercise of fraudulently shared power. I had no intention of letting them set the rules. I knew from all my training and reading that my number-one job was to be the leader of this learning space. And leaders make the rules. The rest of that first week of school was an actual blur. Most teachers (veteran and new) are dazed by the end of the first week, caught up in the anxiousness to get started with curriculum but also busy figuring out who their students are and how they will manage them throughout the year. And can we forget just how exhausted we are? I was in awe of the kindness my kids had shown to me, but also very tightly gripping the reins of control for all our learning. now was not the time to appear too weak or too friendly. I’d staged numerous ice-breaking activities, and I thought we had gotten to know each other well. In fact, I knew very little about each student, nothing that could guide me in my teaching. I didn’t know who their favorite authors were, what they struggled with, or what their hopes for fourth grade were. I figured those things would come later (and sometimes they did), but I had 73

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completely missed the first opportunity I would have truly to get to know my students. In essence, I was fearful that if I did not firmly assert my authority from the very first day of school, the rest of the year would be out of control. So, assert I did—that year and for several years after. We did okay. I taught. My students learned. But I could sense so much wasted opportunity beneath my iron grip.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • •

how do you want students to feel after the first day of school? What do your pre-planned activities signal about who you are as a person and the learning experience you hope to have? how can you use choice to create freedom in your initial interactions? What is the most important thing for you to know about the kids in your care? What is the most important thing for them to know about you?

Now: What I Can’t Wait to Do in the First Week! “how can teachers make learning more fun? By getting advice from the students.” —Athena r. now, I know that what we do in the first week of school—through communication, creation, listening, and genuine interest—sets the tone for the rest of the year more deliberately than any set of rules or expectations ever will. I have also realized that while the first day is important (first impressions always are), it is really what comes after that matters more. Students expect an exciting first day, or at the very least, a day that makes them feel welcome. They are often nervous and filled with energy, ready to see their friends, ready to hear what the year will hold, ready to meet their teacher.

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That energy bubbles into our classroom and often sustains it for a day. We do fun things, we set the tone, we explain and explore, and I always end with a challenge. At the end of the day, I am exhausted and exhilarated, ready for an amazing year. And I hope my students go home and tell their home adults that this year will be an incredible adventure. Yet for me, it is the next several days that set the true tenor for the year. When the initial excitement fades, it begins to dawn on the students that vacation is over and school is back. Some have found that they are more nervous than they thought they would be. Some may even begin to realize that their teacher is not quite who they thought they would be on that first day of school. Some have decided that school will simply be more of what they already know and will therefore be ready to check out on us. Some already have. This is when we start to make our lasting impression. When we no longer have time to do the fun beginning-of-the year activities, when we start to feel the pressure of everything we must get done, when students start to show their real personalities—that is when our students begin to discover who we really are and how we really will be as teachers. Anyone can fool kids for a day. But no one can fool kids for a whole year. So, ask yourself: what are you doing the rest of the week? The rest of the month? The rest of the year? And how might the kids in your care feel because of these decisions? What comes after, when the realities of another year of school have settled in and the students no longer are excited to come? That is where we should be focusing our efforts for a year of passionate learning. As I look back at the first weeks of that very first year, I am amazed again at the resilience of 9-year-olds. Many of those students still tell me that our year together was their favorite year, while I wonder how I ever convinced them that I was doing right by them. I made so many mistakes, but they never lost their faith—they searched for the bright spots and simply trudged through all the boring routine. We so often tell kids to foster more resilience and forget about the resilience they already have that allows them to adapt and deal with whatever decisions the adults in charge make. Even if the decisions made go against what they need to feel safe, valued, or included. As I began to think seriously about change, I first called upon my own expertise. I was now a master at setting up the first week of school to assert my authority and control. So, I decided to imagine the blueprint for the worst possible school year from a powerless student’s point of view. Behold.

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My Blueprint for an Awful School Year • •

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Step 1: Start with that very first meeting. Lay down a big heaping of The Law. You are the teacher and have the degree to prove it. Step 2: Make sure they know their place. Label it. Carefully designate the area where they can spread out—their desk or their assigned seat. Mark off your own territory using the furniture provided. Think of it as a fortress to be penetrated only by the most fearless of students. Step 3: When they ask to go to the bathroom, tell them they will have to wait for the designated bathroom break time. Watch them squirm. After all, we adults must learn how to hold it, and school is all about preparing students for the real world. Step 4: hydration is overrated. no water breaks until their designated bathroom breaks. Snacks are for recess; we do not need any crumbs to invade our learning space. Step 5: If they run out of school supplies, make it clear it’s their job to get more. You are, after all, not an office supply store, and this is part of your plan to teach them responsibility. Step 6: Books will be always selected by you and will be a direct reflection of their tested reading level. Mostly they will be about whatever the curriculum tells us we have to study. Who has the time to discuss interests with 20+ kids? Step 7: homework is to be handed in before attendance is given, no exceptions. In the real world, one must learn to meet deadlines or suffer the consequences. Don’t bother to suggest work that interests you for extra credit. Any extra credit will be determined by the teacher and will usually involve a task the teacher needs done. Step 8: home adults should only come when absolute necessary, which means the first day of school, for conferences, and the last day of school. They really have no place or say in your room. Step 9: Conferences will be held at designated times, and the main person speaking will be the teacher. Students must be present to defend themselves, if need be, but otherwise will remain quiet and attentive. Step 10: no talking in the halls; whisper voices only at lunch. All eyes on the teacher after they flip the lights off and on repeatedly. no pencil sharpening outside the designated time window. Step 11: Include a test on the very first day—something to help figure out where the students’ deficits are. As soon as this testing is done, students can be placed in designated groups for the rest of the year. Make those first tests part of their grade to measure their growth accurately throughout the

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year. In fact, surprise them with tests early and often. It creates an aura of mystery around the teacher, and students will never know quite what to think or expect. Step 12: The less students know about you, the better. We are not here to build relationships; we are here to teach and to get them ready for the test. The children will address you properly by your correct title and last name. Keep your first name to yourself. You do not want them to be able to find you outside of school. Your personal life is completely private.

While my awful recipe is riddled with irony, I shudder at how many of these things I used to do. And what about now? If you come into my classroom on the very first day of school, you will see something very different—a kinder, slower, more open approach, in tune with what I believe the students really need: respect and a place to call their own. Oh, and lots of books to be read, of course.

Building a Great Year “how can teachers make learning fun? By letting us have some choice in what we do and freedom.” —Deja S.

Walk into our classroom that first week and you will see a community being built, piece by piece, through (I hope) meaningful activities that allow us to share what we feel comfortable sharing and co-create our community. I now realize that if I take my time with my students during our first days together, it will pay off all the rest of the year. here’s my thinking: We are all brand new to each other. Yes, I may have had their sibling, or I may have been with them before in a different capacity, but let’s face it, we are all brand-new classmates on that first day of school, and we just want to be understood and feel welcome. To find common ground, I ask them about their lives, not just their summer. And I tell them, “Please don’t hold back; don’t be afraid of my reaction to your truths.” If they hate reading or school, I would love to know that to be a better teacher for them. But they don’t owe me their words just because I am their new teacher. I invite them to share and then am grateful for what they do share. This early communication is a seed for a relationship that I hope will span the entire year and beyond.

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We are cementing our routines. I am not a fan of many prescriptive systems, but over the years, my students and I have discovered certain routines that make our classroom work efficiently and effectively. So, we discuss what they may be, and then we decide on a common way to describe them so that others may understand the routine as well. We also discuss why and when we need routines; sometimes, students know more than I give them credit for. Then we move on. We are discovering our social expectations. I don’t set all the expectations in our classroom, my students (really) do. So, we take the time within the first day or two to discuss what we want our room to sound like, feel like, and look like. What type of community can we build together? We do not write the rules down but bring them up when needed throughout the year. This is such a vital component of my first week of class; the students need to know that their voice matters and that they play a powerful part in our space. We are looking ahead. The curriculum will mean nothing if we do not get excited about it. School has been “done” to children for so many years. I want to see them get excited about what this year of learning will mean for them. To do that, you must invest time in exploring just what the year will look like. So, we pull our curriculum a little bit apart, just so we know where we are headed and all the things we have to look forward to. however, we do not look too far into the future—this will mostly just waste time if we do, since students will not remember it anyway. We are relishing our freedom. I sometimes help unfurl certain habitual classroom behaviors because we work a little bit differently in this room. Instead of always raising a hand to answer, we work on how to have an “adult” discussion. We figure out how to work independently, where our help can come from, and how to take control of our misguided attempts or abject failures and figure out where to go from there. Students tend to think at first that I am trying to trick them into misbehaving. I hope they start to see that I am not asking them to get in trouble, but rather to find themselves as learners. This takes time but is very important for the rest of the year. We are trying to build trust. Without trust, many of the things that we do—such as the speeches we give—will not work. I don’t demand their trust or expect it blindly; I earn it, and that sometimes takes all year. respect and representing ourselves well is something I hold very dear, and I try to pass those values on to my students. If we do not trust each other to learn together, if we do not trust each other to fail together, then, it is so much harder to overcome all the challenges we need to conquer. But trust is not demanded; it is carefully invited and curated.

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Finally, we are focusing on our passions. I want this to be the very first thing we do. So instead of rules, instead of games, one of the very first thing I do is read a picture book to them because I want them to see that reading aloud and sharing experiences will be a central tenet of our learning journey. So, I invite them up to my rocking chair—yes, even in seventh grade—tell them to get comfortable, and then share one of my passions: books. I hope they have the courage to share their thoughts and emotions as we read. I hope they have the courage to show that even though they are now “old,” it is okay to think picture books are magical.

How I use picture books with students: Using picture books with kids of all ages is something I fervently advocate for whenever I can. These illustrated short stories serve as powerful invitations into writers’ craft, complex topics, and new learning while offering us ways to build community. Using a picture book to invite students in on that first day of school makes perfect sense when I think of our overall flow of the day. Which book I choose to share depends on the lesson. I treat it much like a short story in what I want students to get out of it, so it has to suit the very purpose we are trying to understand. I introduce the concept by sharing a story of why I chose this book, our purpose, or how I connect to it, and then I ask my students to come as close as they can to the rocking chair in our corner. Once they are settled, whether on the floor, on balls, or on chairs, I read it aloud. We stop and talk throughout as needed, but not on every page; it should not take more than 10 minutes at most to get through an average size picture book. If it is a brand-new topic or concept, I may just have students listen, while other times they might engage in a turn-and-talk. Sometimes I have a sheet for them to fill in with questions that offer them a chance to show their understanding or reflect on how they connect to the story. I have an easel right next to me, and at times we write our thoughts on that. Sometimes we make an anchor chart; it just depends on the purpose of the lesson. Often a picture book is used as one type of media on a topic, and we can then branch into excerpts from text, video, or audio that relates to the topic. Because I teach the same class multiple times in a row, I often switch out the picture books I use with the different classes. There are some that you can still love reading after four times while others get to be a bit tedious, so I adjust as needed. This is why having a lot of great picture books to choose from is something I am committed to.

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I do not have multiple copies of really any picture books; I don’t see it as needed. Instead, I pick the picture book to read aloud and then find “companion books”—other picture books that share the same concept—for example, easily identifiable themes. These are spread out on tables, waiting for the students to select them. This way, when I ask students to work with them, they are truly testing out the skill and not just whether they can spot the same things that we just practiced together. Often times, students can choose to work with a partner as they explore their self-selected books. Sometimes students write after reading the picture books; other times they do not. Sometimes we use them as mentor texts where we mimic the way language is used or how a story is set up. I use them a lot to do a quick check-in to see if students need re-teaching or are on the right path. If students write about them, it tends to be just one paragraph or so. We do use some of the same picture books again and again to practice close reading and also as a way to see different aspects of the same story. Once students have heard or read it to discover the story, we can focus on other things such as language use or author’s craft as we rediscover it. Picture books tend to stay in the classroom because they get lost easily; however, students may ask if they can borrow one to take home. Usually I say yes, as long as they bring it back the next day. Picture books are shelved together in our classroom organized by the last name of the author. I create displays by theme throughout the year; for example, whenever it is a new month or after a break, our display is always changed. I want students to want to read them as much as possible, and a fresh new display helps entice them. I am amazed at the sheer usage I get out of the picture books in our room from a teaching standpoint, but also so grateful for the reading experience they provide for my students. Picture books may just be a key to helping students fall in love with reading again.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “Teachers should do more activities, not like paperwork or sitting and talking, but activities where we students and even the teacher get up, move around, and bond with each other.” —Emily A.

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There are many ways to start the first week of school. I recommend you start by considering the following advice and thinking about your hopes for the year ahead: Don’t pre-post your rules. nothing says “this is my classroom” like a beautifully laminated poster of your rules that has been hanging there for years. Students will certainly know who the boss is the minute they enter and that they are, indeed, just visitors in your room. Don’t spend days writing up class rules. Is this really what is most important in our first days together? Think of it through the eyes of a child—days spent discussing the rules for the rest of the year and then pledging to uphold all 20 or so of them. What a way to signal who holds all the power. Don’t invest much time in meaningless icebreakers. I know some will disagree with me, but many adults will confess how much they hate icebreakers; why should students be any different? They make many people feel incredibly uncomfortable. This is not to say that we should avoid discomfort at all costs—discomfort often signals growth and is therefore a necessary part of our classroom experience—it is just to consider how and when we would like potentially to have students sit in discomfort in order to learn. Investing time in something meaningful as a community, such as a connections map, read-aloud to discuss part of our identity, or anything that the students can work on as a team challenge can provide meaningful opportunities for growth and initial connections. If they can focus on a task rather than the “act” of connecting, the community building has a more natural foothold. Don’t announce that “we will now build community.” I love setting goals, and we set many throughout the year, but this goal is better left unstated. It’s like telling people that you are trying to become their friend; the hyper-focus tends to make things weird and uncomfortable. Instead, tell the students you are happy to be their teacher, and then do something together that you know actually builds community. Don’t have a million things planned. Sometimes the best beginnings of a community come from just spending low-key time together. When you plan too much or have too much to do, there isn’t time for just getting to know each other, so be selective with what you invest your time in. I often have a list of things we need to get to in the first week of school and then check them off as we do them. This allows us to take the time we need to do them in a meaningful way rather than only focusing on getting things off the list.

What Should You Do the First Week of School? So, if you’re not doing those things, what should you do? here’s my advice on fostering a creative and engaged classroom community:

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Be yourself. Students can see through any phoniness, and an act is hard to keep up for more than a few days. If you happen to have the personality of a comedian, or a perfectionist, or a massive dork (like I do), let it shine through. Share your life. I often start my year with a video or two of my children or a funny story about one of them. nothing planned or long, just a quick story. The students get to know me and my family, and they share their own stories as well. Laugh a lot. I love to laugh, and I think kids are hilarious. give them a chance to speak in humorous ways, give them a chance to relax, and give them a chance to get to know that having a good time is part of learning. Start reworking the classroom. I stress over and over that this is “our classroom,” so the students get to make their mark rather quickly on the classroom by moving furniture and making it usable for their needs. Believe it or not, they will begin to cultivate a learning environment that suits the particular needs of this unique group of kids. Start learning. I know I said to go easy on curriculum the first week, but do get started with something right away. Make it fun, make it short, make it meaningful; plant a seed for what’s to come and have the students see the purpose of your time together. I ask the students to tell me all about their lives as readers (see the box for sample questions), but I never force them to answer all the questions if they don’t want to. They don’t know me yet, and I have not earned their trust, so whatever information they are willing to give me will be the start for us.

Ideas for survey questions to get to know kids: • • • • • • • • • •

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What are the three most important things for me to know about you? What are you really good at? What have you most loved learning (even if not in school)? Why? What’s your favorite thing to do outside of school? What is the best book you have ever read? What do you want to learn hOW to do? What do you like about school? What do you not like about school? What do you wish adults would notice about you? Looking around our classroom, who are a few kids that you would like to get to know more?

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Fill in the blank questions: • • • • •

I think this year will be . . . I work best in in a classroom that is . . . I work best with a teacher that is . . . When I get mad or frustrated, I need . . . Some things I really want to work on this year include . . .

Decide on expectations together. Spend some time having the students discuss what they expect from the year, and then have them discuss what that means for their learning environment. Students already know how to “do school” (unless they are in kindergarten, and even then, chances are they have a beginning knowledge of navigating shared spaces). Acknowledge the expertise they bring as veteran “school” children. Don’t worry; the discussion can be approached again later in the year, and the expectations will probably change. That is a wonderful thing. And yes, some will claim that they have no idea or will not want to follow shared expectations; that is a conversation starter as well. What makes a child say that? What makes someone consciously decide not to want to engage in group expectations? They are letting you in, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Give it time. Great community does not spring up on the first day of school, but you do need to plant the first seeds that day. So tend to it and nurture it; give it the time it deserves to grow tall and strong. If you are looking for actual ideas of what to do with your students those first few days, maybe some of these will work for you. 1 Designing our routines. We discuss the students’ expectations of what they want their day or class to feel like. how will we get the best possible start to the class? What do we need to discuss right now? 2 Connect the students. This is a great activity that only requires one very large piece of paper and markers. The students all write their name on the border of the paper and then sit behind their name. The first person will make an “I like . . .” or “I do . . .” statement, and then whichever other students agree with that student all draw a line to that student’s name. So, if a student says, “I like soccer” then any other students that also like soccer get to connect their name to the speaker. In the end, you have a massive spider web of names connected and one very satisfied group of kids who cannot believe how much they have in common.

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3 Create flag pennants for lockers or team areas. These easy art projects allow students to claim their locker space with pennants that have their names and whatever else they want. I cut up big sheets of 12” by 18” construction paper and give the students as many markers as I can find; they then show the world who they are through their words and art. This is a great mini-project to do as I start our first read-aloud. 4 A word cloud of positivity. I have had home adults hand in five secret adjectives about their child, and then the students each do five of their own. We then use a word cloud generator to create a great piece of information to add to our classroom walls. I have also used this as a project for later in the year when I wanted students to have a nice boost in self-confidence. Asking home adults to describe their child is a great way to foster a positive relationship between school and home. If home adults are unable to provide words, I either come up with my own or ask their friends to help me out. Either way, all students get a cloud. 5 Name sticks, lunch magnets, and pencil cup designs. Again, doodling projects are great for the students to do as we just hang out and get to know each other. These are more suited for elementary students, so at the middle school level, I like having students decorate simple bookmarks for their very first book. 6 Writing samples. Teachers love to see how students grow. Sampling at the very beginning of school gives me a baseline. A prompt I have used is “What color is our grade?” Students write down the time it took them to write it, and I love to see whether they come at these questions from an abstract or concrete angle. 7 Read “Dear Future [Mrs. Ripp] Students” letters. Every year, near the end of school, my students write a personal letter to my next year’s students sharing information about our classroom and how to make it an amazing year. These letters always prompt good questions and offer insider knowledge of who I am and what to expect. 8 Time capsule. When I taught fifth grade, I always had the students do a paper time capsule where they wrote down their favorite things, as well as their height. Students get such a kick out of seeing how their interests have changed and how much they have grown by the year’s end, when we open the capsule and read them the last day of school. While I have not done this with middle school students, I could see adapting something similar with them to build community. 9 Classroom vision video. There are many tech options here. When I have done this, students come up with sentences describing their hopes and dreams for the year, and we use Animoto to make a great video. It really gets kids thinking about their classroom environment and taking ownership of their learning.

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10 The Secret Life of [Mrs. Ripp]. If you’re like me, some of your students already know you, but most don’t. I create a 10-picture slideshow with images/photos about myself and ask the students to guess the meaning of the pictures. Much hilarity ensues. 11 My One Word. Tom rademacher shared this great activity in this article Before I Come to Your Classroom, Let Me Show You Mine (2018), where he introduced us to his high school learning space. The idea is deceptively simple: everyone writes down five identity words to describe themselves. Mine this year were mom, teacher, reader, author, and Dane. Once all five words have been written down, you cross out the one that is the least important of the five. Then you stop and discuss what was crossed out and why. I have students do this in their tables. Then you continue crossing out and discussing until only one word is left. Why did they end with this word? What pertains to this word in their lives? I then had kids design their words, and we hung them up in the hallway as our first collaborative project. 12 Q&A session. I always forget just how many questions students don’t ask those very first days, so in the last few years, I have included a very simple Q&A session where students can either ask questions outright or write them down on a piece of paper for me to answer. In middle school, I have found this to be particularly effective since many of my students do not feel comfortable asking questions out loud but still have a lot of questions they need answered. 13 Ogle the books. I have a rather large classroom library; it is the heart of our room and often what solicits a lot of reactions from my students when they first enter our space. The titles are all neatly organized into bins, and special care has been taken to display some of the newest and best books on that first day of school. I love seeing the students’ reaction when they first meet our classroom library! Many students naturally gravitate towards our collection and the wall of displayed books and start to check out books on that first day. A few days later, I do an official welcome to our collection, and we figure out how to look for books in it. no matter what you choose to do those very first days of school, make it authentic. Make it purposeful; make it fun. The standards will still be there, as will the curriculum. Do not rush into the year because you are worried about not getting through everything; instead, take some time to get to know your students and let them get to know you. The investment you make in community and student relationships will always pay off later.

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Chapter 5 Reflection and Further Planning for Building Community and Trust What is one tangible change you can make right now when it comes to building community and trust? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: So often we have perfected our first day routines such that they are really hard to change, and yet there is something liberating in “throwing everything out” and starting over. This doesn’t mean we totally dismiss the ideas that are tried and true, but that we allow our brain to reset and potentially find new ways to have some of the same discussions and plant the same seeds. It can be as simple as swapping out one old activity for a new one or as broad as changing the entire flow of the day. Whatever you choose, I would urge you to sit with the question: how do you want students to feel after that first day? Let your considerations guide you. What is a larger change you would like to make next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: Trust and community are not established after one great day, and the children in our care will buy in or even opt out at various times. Too often, we consciously or subconsciously demand that kids buy into our community and share whatever we want them to share without considering how violating that can feel for some children or even adults. We don’t trust automatically, so considering what the building blocks need to be for trust to be carefully built all throughout the year is vital for building classroom community. It is easy to be excited about this process the first week of school but sometimes harder later in the year when we feel like students “should” feel a sense of belonging. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

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What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

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Consider this: Discussing with others what school-wide or grade-wide expectations really are for how community is established can be a powerful opportunity for systemwide reflection. how are children expected to show up in order to be a part of the established community? how are resistance and refusal cared for? Who gets to opt out, and who doesn’t? It comes back to what we believe good community membership looks, sounds, and feels like, and often these notions are based on the values that we have been raised with. Are we making space for other people’s traditions, values, and identities in our norm-bound expectations, or is there only one right way to show up and be anticipated? I would encourage you to read Dr. gloria Ladson-Billings’ (1994) seminal work The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children to consider the environments we create, uphold, and cultivate and who they really work for. Whether you teach African American children or not, the book carries a lot of weight in the environment that all children (and adults) deserve to learn and thrive in.

Reference Ladson-Billings, g. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. Jossey-Bass Publishers.

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Giving the Classroom Back

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getting Started With Student-Centered Learning and Overcoming Barriers

“Everyone’s opinion matters. Everyone’s voice should be heard. Students should speak up more and say what they think.” —Emily A.

I didn’t set out to create a classroom centered around me. I don’t think any teacher does. no professor tells us that by teaching the traditional way and upholding the inequitable structures that have dictated how education has been done, we will make students feel powerless and insignificant. no teacher education class provides a step-by-step plan that will make sure students know they are not the most important people in the room. So how do I know that traditional schooling often makes children feel powerless and without a voice? My students told me so. They told me through their lack of interest, their less-than-enthusiastic responses to questions, their yawns, their sighs. Even their eye rolls. They told me through assignments delivered in parents’ handwriting, through slapdash book reports, through anger, frustration, tears, and frustrated whispers whenever I revealed a new assignment. Our students express their servitude when they walk silently in the hallway, dragging their feet, when recess or lunch once again tops the list of their favorite times at school, when they glance anxiously at the clock. They tell us all the time through words and actions, but do we listen?

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DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-7

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Then: The Teacher Is the Absolute Authority “I think students should have a voice in their education because then they won’t have something at the top of their of their mind knowing that if they share it, it won’t change anything.” —Tanner S.

When I was ready to give “my” classroom back to the students—to have them feel like they truly mattered—I found at least two barriers standing in the way. The first was mistrust. how could they trust me when I said this was our room, not my room? how could they believe me when I asked what and how they wanted to learn? Could I blame them if they thought this might be just another evil teacher trick (like pop quizzes and “all of the above” multiple choice answers)? We don’t teach our students not to trust us, yet many of the traditional teaching methods breed distrust. When we ask students to give their honest opinion and then hold it against them, does that teach them a lesson? Or when we ask students to do their best but then tell them that their best is not good enough through a grade? Or when we tell them that there is no such thing as a dumb question, but our facial expression gives away our dismay when a child asks a “silly” question? Often, some of our more innocent educational statements, intended to empower and motivate students, can have the exact opposite effect if we don’t honor what we say. And then there was the second barrier. My own demon. Control. Control is a huge word in education. We prefer synonyms like “manage,” “supervise,” or even “facilitate,” but most often we’re talking about control. In college, we are taught the tricks by seasoned pros who call them “classroom management strategies.” But it’s not just about the classroom. We also control the learning. Our history lays out measures of success, the federal government decides the direction, our state decides the criteria, our district decides the curriculum, and teachers decide the how-to. If you walk by most traditional classrooms (or recall your own experience in school), the teacher is often the center of attention, kids facing toward the teacher, with quiet students raising their hands or working at their desks. The structure makes it clear who is in control in the room and who the space belongs to.

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So it was in my room. I had pods, not desks, but that didn’t mean I wanted the students to collaborate. I just had more room if the tables were arranged that way. I planned out every lesson as I was taught—step by step, always with a beginning, middle, and definitely an end. The goal was a finished product to be graded and handed back. One that all students would be working through at the same time, no matter their capability. End of story. next lesson. A year consisted of a predictable number of product cycles, with students as mere producers or, at the worst of times, just bystanders. There was no shared control. The idea of releasing control in our classrooms can be petrifying. We assume (at least I did) that the opposite of control must be chaos. If there is no clear power structure or hierarchy, no one will know how to act, behave, or learn. The students will become Wild Things, barely contained within the walls. Yet, remarkably, when I gave up total control and co-created a studentcentered environment, chaos did not reign supreme—curiosity did, and so did experimentation. At first, I was beyond nervous. I had nightmares imagining how much noise, clutter, and lack of learning would ensue as freedom-crazed elementary students ran amok. I should have had more faith in my students. Far from staging Lord of the Flies, they collaborated and supported each other. Our room seemed to sigh with satisfaction and begin to relax. Cautiously, students opened up and shared their thoughts. They would come with lesson ideas or products they would like to try, first in protective groups, and then even by themselves, spurred on by my approval. More crazy, brilliant ideas emerged than I would ever have dreamed. We were becoming “student-centered,” and we did not even know that term existed.

Now: Well, You Stumped Me! How Will We Find Out? “I think choice is one thing teachers should all give because in here we have opinions and get to discuss what we think we are doing and then we can say if what we are doing is helpful or not.” —Jordana B. So how did the change come about?

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Many experts write about how to create the perfect student-centered learning environment. I am not an expert, and I did not follow a prescribed system as I changed my teaching direction, but I did trust that little voice that had been nagging me for so long. Perhaps you have a voice as well: stop and listen to it, reflect on your own biases and notions of what success looks like, and keep it in mind as you discover what your thinking was and start to create your own path toward giving your classroom back to students. To me, being student-centered means putting the focus on student needs rather than just what the teacher is doing. I think most teachers might say they do this already, but I believe we often put on a show where the students get to watch us unfold the learning and then do some work to show they have listened. Every step of the journey through the lesson has been predetermined and planned. We’ve chosen the path to be traveled, and we hurry our students along so that we can get to the next thing. In the traditional classroom, we rarely take the time to explore and meander; after all, the dictated curriculum tells us we must move on, and so does our tradition-bound way of teaching. Because it has worked for many, we don’t question when it doesn’t work for a few. We don’t pause, reflect, investigate, and adapt the conditions of the learning to give all kids an equitable chance at success. In fact, even the notion of what success looks like is rigid and bound by traditions of which type of child educational spaces are really created for. So, when we decide to let our students have a say about the paths we’ll follow to reach our learning destinations, we must change how we plan our days. Rather than hammering out a strict itinerary, we can work backwards, first asking ourselves in what capacity students should have grown when they’re done exploring. In this adventurous approach to learning (they are explorers, after all), the “how” becomes just as important as the “what.” And we can become explorers too. In the truest sense of the word, what we are doing is elementary. We need to think back to childhood curiosity and the revelations that children have outside of school, where we encourage kids to ask questions, to explore what they wonder about, to navigate the world being attuned to what pulls us in. Where we focus on each child’s identity as we try to provide them with tools to grow into whoever they are as human beings. We need to apply those learning strategies within our own classroom. We must discard some of the things we were diligently taught in college, draw on our own teaching and learning experiences, and let our students become investigators, not just of the curriculum, but of themselves. Most of all, we need to stop hogging the limelight and join in the investigation.

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TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • • •

What does successful teaching and learning look like? Sound like? Feel like? Who traditionally finds success in your current learning journey? Which identities do they carry? Who does not find success within your classroom space? Why not? What role, if any, do students play in dictating your current learning pace and focus? how do you feel about co-creating a learning space alongside students? Do you believe they are up for it?

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “Students should have a voice in their education because it makes learning feel better and less forced.” —nathan g.

The first step toward student-driven learning is to realize that you are no longer the sole authority on learning. Again, we must reflect on our role as teachers and how we assert our control in the classroom. If you are unsure about how you do that, ask your students. Start a conversation or hand them a survey asking them to reflect on who controls the learning in the room. Do they have any say in what they are learning or how they are learning something? Would they even want to have a say (this question is great for figuring out how engaged students are and how we need to scaffold the change for students)? Also, ask them what the role of the teacher should be—their answers are bound to push your thinking. Self-reflection is also key to changing how control is weaponized in the classroom. You have to realize what you can let go of and where your own boundaries lie, but just because you have a boundary does not mean that it shouldn’t be interrogated. Is it fear, bias, or outdated notions that have led you to create this boundary? Make a list. I knew there were certain things hardwired into me that I wanted to maintain, such as high expectations for their work. Yet many other things—like sitting at desks, rubrics, grading, and homework—I could let go of gladly. 92

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Baby steps are always best because students, just like us, are used to a certain way of “doing” school. They are also used to certain kinds of teachers, and as I’ve said here, they will probably be naturally mistrustful when a teacher says, “hey, we’re going to be partners in this classroom.” Trust will come, but it must grow naturally. So, start these deeper conversations with students and then mind your reaction. It is vital that students see your reaction as a positive one and not one of judgment. It’s also likely that students newly coming to you will not be prepared for student-centered learning. Some, instead, will insist on needing to know how to get that A. We must help them rediscover the true learner’s voice that they’ve often been asked to leave outside the classroom door while also meeting them where they are at. And we can start doing that during the first week of school. Here Are Some First Steps •

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Use some of the ideas at the end of Chapter 5 to begin building trust and community. One of the first things I do is have my new students discuss what they need to feel safe in our space, inspired by the work done by Matthew r. Kay in his book, Not Light, But Fire, and help shape the curriculum through a discussion of who they are and what they need. Through this deceptively simple but powerful exercise, students are invited to take ownership of our learning environment, think about how they learn best, and start trusting the teacher and each other. Make sure you speak to your students about why you want to change the way they are accustomed to “doing” school. This is a great conversation to have as early as possible in the year. In language that will make sense to them, share the rationale behind your decision. Explain why you think students learn better this way and ask for their opinion; invite them onto this journey with you. If this is a change with a group of students you have been teaching for a while, take time to discuss how the journey you are embarking on will be a challenging one and perhaps unlike any other they’ve experienced. For me, it was incredible to see the students get excited about all my crazy ideas. Our first conversation turned into a great discussion session where they were already starting to test the waters, seeing how serious I was and how much of their own thinking they could share with me. If you are radically changing your classroom, you should try to get home adults on board; after all, these are their children we get to teach. Many home adults are open to new ideas if they understand the why behind them. Do not be afraid to share with them. One way I do this is through my welcome letter, in which I briefly explain some of the fundamental tenets of my educational philosophy and invite them to dialogue with me (see 93

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the box for a sample letter). You may also find resistance from colleagues. What I have found to be true is that people fear the unknown, so be an open book about why you are changing the way you are teaching, and don’t expect others to change because you did. Too often we are sledgehammers with our new ideas, forcing them upon others where instead we need just to share about our journey and perhaps plant a seed of inspiration that way.

Sample letter to welcome home adults into your year together hello and welcome to 7-O English! My name is Pernille ripp, and I am so excited to be your child’s English teacher this year. I am also the advisor for our seventh-grade gSA (gender and Sexuality Alliance). I am in my fourteenth year as a teacher, and there is no other job I would love to have; teaching and being taught by children is truly my passion. I find the year we share in seventh grade to be one filled with change, and I hope that our English exploration will be one that students find value and inspiration in. I grew up in Bjerringbro, Denmark, but have lived here in Wisconsin for the past twenty-plus years and received my degree in education from Edgewood College. I am the mother of four children: Theo in seventh grade, Ida and Oskar in fourth grade, and Augustine in second grade. having four kids means we have a lot of laughter and craziness in our home, which I share with my husband, Brandon, who is a middle school tech ed teacher at MMSD. In my free time, I love to travel and read great books. We traveled home to Denmark this summer and being able to reconnect with loved ones was incredible. I also read a lot of great books this summer, many of which I hope to share with students. My two favorite books were This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron (young adult) and Equity-Centered TraumaInformed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet (professional development). Our year together is based on a few big ideas and state standards: •

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From DPI’s ELA standards: “English language arts instruction builds an understanding of the human experience. The discipline of English language arts celebrates the richness and complexity of literature, drama, speech, and language while providing a window to the human experience. Through rigorous textual analysis

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and text creation, students grapple with moral, philosophical, and aesthetic facets of humanity, which inform, persuade, and narrate our lives and help us understand the experiences of others. These understandings ensure students graduate not only ready for college and career but also ready to be thinking and feeling world citizens.” Children learn best when they have the right to feel safe, accepted, and valued in our learning community. Children grow more as learners and as human beings when they have choices in their learning experience. reading and writing should be voluminous, choice-based, and centered in joy. Our identity plays a huge part in our perspective of others and the world, so to understand the world better, we need to understand ourselves and why we think the way we do. We need to feel safe to ask questions and pursue answers to come up with our ideas and views of the world. Learning should be engaging, appropriately challenging, and accessible for all kids. To grow and be a better teacher, I need to invest in meaningful professional development, student feedback, home communication, and self-reflection.

Our yearlong work dives into identity and how our personal and historical pasts potentially shape our now. We do this by exploring many topics, including gender identity, race, culture, friendship issues, bias and perception, and what it means to understand oneself and use that understanding to shape one’s present and future. We hope this provides students an opportunity to find experiences with which they can connect while sharing parts of their own journey. Teaching seventh graders is an honor and a joy, and I look forward to getting to know you and your learner as we embark on this great seventh-grade journey together. If you feel the need to meet at any point throughout the year, please reach out. I am always open to more communication and collaboration to meet the needs of each child. All of my best, Pernille ripp (she/her/herself)

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Once you have set the stage for this different learning journey, it is time to do some actual learning. This is where you must walk the walk.

What Does Student-Centered Learning Look Like? “Students should have a choice because different kids have different interests. We should have a baseline of what you have to learn, but if we really take into consideration what the class wants, you will definitely have better effort, and grades may go up because of it.” —Meghan D.

There are many books out there on the topic of student-centered learning, and I must confess I did not follow the path of any of them. Instead, I chose to find my own way, inspired by conversations and blog posts I had read. I encourage you to do the same—explore, read, experiment. Don’t rely on a single authority, including me. In the end, this book is really aimed at encouraging you to discover what works for you. What I’ll do here is reflect on my own journey in the hope that my story will suggest some directions to explore. When some people hear that I do “student-centered learning,” they envision a classroom free from standards. Yet, the reality is that I have standards to meet, essential learner outcomes to follow, curriculum to cover, and yes, those darling standardized tests. So no, my room isn’t some test-free haven, but a totally typical public-school classroom with many students who are all on vastly different learning journeys. They all have different talents and challenges, they all bring in the ghosts of past school experiences, and they all deserve to have success. And yet, amidst all the demands and expectations from higher-ups, student-centered learning still worked for me, whether in the upper elementary classroom or in the middle school one. And it can work for you too. It’s often easiest to start small. At the elementary level, I did this by choosing one subject that lends itself particularly well to student-centered learning, such as social studies. While I had some sense of how I wanted the students to experience the rest of our curriculum, I had to try out some ideas before I really let go. Social studies—and science for that matter—lend themselves to exploration because students usually have done more investigative learning within

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these topics before they enter your class. It doesn’t take as much convincing to get them to explore and possibly experience some supported failure in these subjects. The stakes probably don’t seem as high as they are in literacy or math, where much of the high-stakes testing is focused. Of course, you can begin with any topic or subject you choose. Start experimenting in the area where you feel most comfortable. By diving into a single topic, we get our feet wet, figure out how to swim through it, and then we start to look for other pools to explore. If you begin with a project that you feel fairly certain you can manage, you will avoid panic. And that is very important because panic is contagious. When I moved to teach middle school in Oregon, Wisconsin, I was delighted to take the position as a seventh-grade English teacher yet had no idea of how to create personalized learning within the English curriculum. After all, as an elementary teacher where I taught many subjects, the pressure was not nearly as great to have a passionate co-created literacy environment because we would get more hands-on, choice-based exploration within science and social studies. With those two subjects no longer being at my disposal, the challenge to create a student-centered learning environment seemed daunting. Yet the past many years have proven to me that you can indeed give the classroom back to your students and follow these ideas at most ages, and with any subject (I say “most” because I have no experience with kindergarten and will therefore not pretend that it will work in the same way as it did with older students).

Your First Student-Centered Lesson 1 Know your goals. You cannot set students on a journey if you have no idea what the destination is. I have said this before, but it is so important. Your goal can be the creation or mastery of something; it does not have to always be an actual product that is created, nor does it have to be of a certain size. Your goal can also be that students have the opportunity to discover more about themselves and grow in personal ways. Some ideas or concepts require more in-depth learning because the goal encompasses more things. Others may be quick mini lessons meant to secure only one skill. Just be clear about where you are going, and how that destination— nearby or far away—relates to the big curriculum picture and the need of the students you have. While I love inquiry- and project-based learning, we switch it up depending on mood and need to create space for a

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nuanced approach where students’ goals change with need and expand with growth. Sometimes, we do not need a full project to master a skill but rather a conversation, so please do not feel pressured to always make it hands-on or more complicated than it needs to be. 2 Rewrite and break down your goals so they make sense to students and to yourself. I do this in my head often or on a post-it note; others will want to put it into words on a screen or paper. Some of our essential learner outcomes are so lofty that I can only use them as a guide. how is that lofty goal going to look in real life? For example, “using the writing process” (lofty goal) might require a breakdown into multiple different goals, each with different outcomes, such as “I can organize an event sequence that unfolds purposefully and logically, I can speed up/slow down the pace of the narrative appropriately, and my narrative sounds like a story rather than a persistent summary.” With today’s continued focus on standardization and fidelity, understanding and interpreting the standards is vital as you work through your curriculum. So, take the time to put the goal of your first student-driven learning activity into your own words. Once you have done your thinking, it is necessary that your students do theirs. Standards or criteria for learning should not be an afterthought, nor should they be in an inaccessible language to students. If we truly want students to master certain learning, then they must have an opportunity to take full ownership of it; the first step toward that is deconstructing the standards or learning targets and rewriting them in student language, which, of course, the students should be a part of if they want to be. Do they understand not just what you are doing together but also why? 3 Brainstorm some ideas before you introduce. I love coming up with ideas about what types of projects we can do to reach our goals and then telling my students about them to start the discussion, particularly at the beginning of the year. That way, if this expansion of student choice is new to them, they don’t feel overwhelmed. Some kids will be totally energized when we ask, “how are you going to reach the goal?” Others will look like they are about to cry. give those uncertain kids some scaffolding and point them in the right direction; they will learn to take on more and more responsibility as they get used to this approach; I promise. 4 Give the introduction enough time. When you reveal the first big adventure, you do not want to be in a hurry. You want to get the kids excited, but you also want them to understand the purpose and the direction of what

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you are about to undertake. If you hurry, you will regret it later—which leads to the next tip. Let the kids do it. Let the kids think of questions. Let them pick partners, even if you are thinking you would never pair “those two” (You will sometimes be very surprised!). Let the kids try out a direction and let them struggle a bit. You can always jump in—but don’t do it right away. resist as long as you can. You can gently redirect or even advise, but don’t take over. So often, we teachers take over much too soon. For this to work, you must build trust with your students. Step aside. For this work to be truly student-centered, the sage must get off the stage. remember, these kids are here to experience school, not just to have it “done” to them. Put them on the stage. I know we think we need to scaffold at the first sign of student anxiety (and with some kids, you may need to), but most students will work through it if you give them the room, time, and trust to explore their projects. Give them time to discuss. The best ideas often come from students. give them the time to figure things out. I know I don’t write the best lessons when I am rushed, when I don’t have time to ponder, so create that thinking time for your students. have them discuss with others, and let them mull it over. They don’t have to come up with a firm direction right away. Sometimes projects occur naturally because their curiosity takes over, and that is something to celebrate indeed. Be ready to jump in with some ideas to get them thinking while continuing to let them lead the conversation. It can take time to find the right balance between your ideas and theirs, so do not beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out right away. As we know, all students need different things at different times; they will get to a point where this process becomes natural for them. Don’t fret about the volume. One thing I learned was that student-centered learning can get really noisy at times. And that’s okay. Most of the time, the noise gets louder because students are discussing their ideas with each other (or speaking to you about them), and they are just really excited. I would rather have my classroom loud with excitement than silent with boredom. And the same goes for physical activity—abandon the “stay in your seat” thing, too. Let them move around as they need to, get comfortable, and get working. Do find a balance between loud excitement and quiet contemplation. Learning looks different for different tasks and there should be room for it all. Expect failure. And then learn from it. not all projects are going to be stellar, not all work will be immaculate, and that is okay, too. These kids are learning,

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and the missteps can lead to a wonderful discussion about what didn’t work and where we go from there. Isn’t that what scientists, artists, and engineers do? Behind the noise and activity is a powerful learning process, and there simply is no such thing as failure (unless they do not show up). They may not have learned as much as you were hoping for, it’s true. So, what’s next? 10 Make room for it all. not all learning will be project-based. Sometimes there will be no end product but rather a discussion, an idea to play with, or a new direction taken. This isn’t the “teach the material—give the test” kind of schooling. Instead, it’s “get to know the child, get invested, and show me you are gaining skills, knowledge, and understanding.” I’ve had kids who wanted to take a test to show their learning, and that was fine with me. I’ve had kids who wanted to make a movie to show their learning, and I said, great! And I’ve had kids who just want to tell me all about it. Wahoo! Make room for all types of assessment, give a deadline, check in on their progress, and hold them accountable. Student-centered does not always mean “project.” It means giving them space for their voice and a choice. In the middle school setting, where you teach a hundred or more students, I have found it better to approach students, offering them a chance to show mastery, rather than waiting for them to approach me. I tell them a set deadline for when mastery should be achieved and then continuously monitor, check in, and support as needed. A few days before the deadline, I start to ask students whether they are ready to hand something in, have a conversation, or prove their mastery in whichever way they have developed. Sometimes, I schedule appointments with them so that students know specifically when they will be held accountable, but it depends on the group and the concept we are working with.

Lessons Learned Along the Way I started out on this student-centered journey knowing that I had to offer my students more time for true collaboration, not just teacher-directed “cooperation.” I knew as well that I had to give them control in the classroom. I started out dreaming, not quite sure what it would look like, what the products would be, or even if the learning would be enhanced (or actually suffer). Many years into this type of learning, I’m not so dreamy-eyed. I have experienced some affirmations and some humbling realizations: •

Not all units lend themselves well to choice, but many do. It can be a challenge to cover the material you feel you need to cover—in a textbook

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for example—while staying student-centered. I have spent many nights thinking up how I could possibly engage my students in something without just lecturing. It takes time, but it’s time well spent when you see the students light up at what they will be doing. rather than you speaking, what can they learn through inquiry? how can self-paced videos help them understand key concepts? how can we uncover preexisting knowledge and let kids who know things lead the learning? It also gets easier. After a while, your brain switches from “how will I present this?” to “how will the students experience this?” There’s a subtle but important shift here, and as you work through it, you create a toolbox of ways to get students to take charge of learning. And if you include students in the planning process, you have many more ideas, so that leads me to: Include the students! When I am stumped over how to make a unit more engaging, I bring the puzzle to those most affected: the kids. It does not have to be a long conversation; once they are used to being asked, a quick brainstorm will do. It is amazing to see what they come up with. I also do this for forks in the road, when I am not sure in which direction we should go but have different ideas. I love how my students will offer up reasonings that I never would have thought of—it also increases their buy-in from the beginning because they chose this direction rather than the one determined just by me. Trust the students. There have been self-selected student teams that I have shuddered at inwardly, but in the end, they created beautiful projects. There have also been times where we needed to have some serious reflection about whether a particular combination was effective. That’s okay, so long as you include the students in the conversation and don’t just make the decision that a partnership doesn’t work. Sometimes we are too quick to decide what collaboration should look like; sometimes a discussion can improve a team’s effectiveness. Be honest with the students. I have very high expectations for projects, and I have called students out on poor work quality. There is a way to do this, though, without creating a debilitating shame. Ask them to evaluate their own work, even midway through a project, and take time to reflect. Point out what you see as a possible gap and help them out. not all students can create wonderful things at the drop of a hat, nor should we expect them to. After all, if one of the goals of learning is for kids to experiment in order to grow, then we need to make space for all of the rehearsals of that. Provide scaffolding at various levels. Some students just need an idea and they fly, others need hand holding and even a cheer or two before they

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get off the ground, and some are just too boxed in to even know where to start. get to know your students and their work styles, and tailor your scaffolding accordingly. Invest the time in relationship building and you will see direct results in their output; again, ask them what they need and who can provide it for them. It will not always work. I have had some epic ideas that turned out absolutely terrible. I have also let ideas get so complicated that the students lost interest. There have been times when the environment was just wrong and the work wasn’t fun. Or when a project has taken too long and the interest level has faded to near zero. It’s going to happen. And yet I don’t give up. I keep going because I see how invested the students are over the days and weeks and months of the year. I see how excited they get to use their hands and their minds, to explore on their own with guidance from me, to learn from each other.

My dream—more and more realized every day—is to have a classroom where students make choices and always have a space for their voice. I see how invested they are now in their own education. I know that is something lecturing will never, ever do for them. Education no longer is something done to them; it’s something they own and manipulate. School is not just a place where they absorb information from adults. They learn to take information, examine its quality, and use the best of it to create and innovate. Yet convincing people that students should be given shared control of the classroom can sometimes feel like a suicide mission. Say “personalized learning” and some people may think you have lost your mind or are looking for way not to teach much anymore. Even now, when personalized learning or student choice and voice has become more of a respected approach to teaching, I still meet resistance at times; I also doubt myself at times. In fact, some educators or districts are quite against it, but for many different reasons. I cannot be alone in seeing this resistance, so I thought a discussion of what those barriers may be and how you can approach a discussion to work around them, would be in order. Barrier: It’s one more thing to do. We are faced with seemingly more tasks every single year as teachers, from the major ones forced upon us to the little ones we cannot wait to do because we were inspired. When will we ever find the time to do this type of teaching as well? Discussion point: This should not be an add-on but a replacement. If you are already doing something, change it with a lens of giving students more control. Can you add choice into a preexisting project? Can students show

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mastery in a multitude of ways? Embrace personalized learning to become a better educator by co-creating learning experiences with the students. Keep it manageable for you and integrate it in a natural way to alleviate the feeling of one more thing being added to the to-do list. Barrier: It is overwhelming. It is easy to see why giving the classroom power back to your students can be viewed as overwhelming. Often those who discuss its merits have been doing it for years and have framed their whole classroom around it. Their teaching and learning initiatives are a long list of to-dos. Discussion point: One small step at a time. When discussing this type of philosophical change, focus on how to start, what to do in the beginning, and the small changes that can make a big difference. Certainly, keep the endpoint in mind, but don’t worry about it yet. Worry about where you are right now and how you will start your journey, not when you are going to get to the end. Take one small step in this direction and keep going when you can. Barrier: It will be chaotic. We often envision chaos when we stop doing a one-path-to-the-learning format for students and believe that when students are given choice, they will not know what to do. Discussion point: Giving the classroom back to students does not mean giving up control but rather sharing control with the students. It also means multiple paths to mastery, but these are planned out either by yourself or in conjunction with your students. You know yourself best, what you can give up control of and what you cannot. You are also a member of this learning community, so if there are certain things that need to stay in order—such as an assignment being due a certain day, or students sitting in a particular way—it is okay to hold on to that. Find the things that you can let go of, invite student input into the process, and grow together. Barrier: My subject matter won’t work. This type of teaching means hands-on and project-based. how do you do that in English, math, or any other class? Discussion point: Student voice and choice can be implemented into any classroom; the lens just has to switch. I had a much easier time giving choice in social studies and science because a lot of our learning was hands-on and project-based. When I switched to just teaching English, I had to change my way of thinking. This means students have choice in how they show mastery (different project choices), when they show mastery (timeline), and often how they work within the classroom (classroom setup/ management). At all times, they should have choice in at least one of these.

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But student-centered learning is not just about choice; it is about respect and seeing the value in what each unique child brings to our learning experience. By consistently opening discussions of who we are, what our hopes are, and what we need to grow, we are honoring each child. That is personalized learning at its core. Barrier: It will be replaced with another idea soon. Education is a long list of new ideas, and change is the one constant we have. Discussion point: Changing the way you teach and offering students shared control just means great teaching, and great teaching will not be replaced with a new idea. So, while new initiatives are bound to come, the ideas helping you to be a better teacher remain because they speak to student autonomy and reigniting a passion for learning. Barrier: I don’t want to integrate more technology, or don’t have access. Technology inequity is a real problem. So is technology fear. Some teachers want to feel comfortable with the technology they bring in before students use it, and others will never be able to get the things they wish they could. Discussion point: Creating a passionate learning environment is not about the technology. It is about creating an education process that considers the needs and desires of each child while still working through the set curriculum. Technology is a tool that can be used in this process but not a central tenet. I started out with one computer in my room for 26 students. naturally, we did not incorporate a lot of technology, and we didn’t need to. Choices involved the things we did have and students bringing in things from home if they wanted to. We made it work with what we had. Barrier: I won’t be a good teacher anymore, or I won’t be true to myself. It is hard to change the way we teach because we may already be teaching really well. Discussion point: Change is hard for all of us, but modeling risks for students is instrumental in their learning journey. I am uncomfortable every time I make a big decision about the way I teach or something we will do, but I think the discomfort makes me a more thoughtful practitioner. By sharing and modeling this for students, I am showing them that I take risks and that sometimes those risks pay off and other times they don’t. We must grow to evolve, and sometimes that means even leaving behind things that were just fine. Besides, our students change every year, and so should we. Barrier: I must do the same as all the other teachers in my subject or grade level. We don’t want students to be a part of an educational lottery where the quality of their education hinges on which teacher they get, so sometimes uniformity and, in turn, conformity, is preached above all else.

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Discussion point: Have what other teachers do as one of the choices for students. This brilliant idea was shared at the task force meeting I was a part of in my district in Oregon, Wisconsin. Instead of dismissing what other teachers are doing, simply make it one of the paths that students can take. That way you are also catering to the myriad ways that students learn. You may learn best in a hands-on, project-based environment, whereas others may learn best in a read/ reflect/discuss with a test at the end pathway. Make room for all your learners and include the ways of other teachers in your room. Barrier: Home adults/administrators/community members will be upset. When we are faced with unknowns, our first instinct may be to revolt. Discussion point: School should look different from when we were students, especially considering our predictable patterns of who find success in most schools. Communication, understanding, and examples are vital when integrating more student voice and choice into your classroom or school. Any change is hard for home adults who want to try to help their children, so make sure you are communicating the why and the how behind your changes, whatever they may be. I do this through the first letter I send out, the ready-set-go conferences we hold at the beginning of the year, and the email updates I send. I invite home adults to ask questions, I am transparent about the why behind my teaching decisions, and I offer chances for the students to have real talking points about what we are doing. If administration is wary, bring them in to see the change and explain your motivation. Tell them you will do a trial period and you can discuss and evaluate. Just as you are asking others to be open to change, be open to frank discussion yourself. giving the classroom back to my students to co-create our learning experience has been one of the most significant changes I’ve ever made in my educational journey, but it wasn’t always smooth. I have faced many of these barriers myself but now love feeling confident in the approach while still growing as a practitioner. Wherever you are in your journey, or even if you haven’t started, don’t be discouraged by the barriers that may face you. reach out, connect with others who are on the same journey, and find the support you need to be successful. I am here to help if you need it.

Voice Is Only Meaningful If Someone Is Listening When you give students a voice, it comes with a caveat: you must listen to that voice and not be offended. That does not mean that students get a carte blanche to tear apart our classroom without an opportunity to work on solutions, but it does mean that we must grow some thicker skin. It is not easy being told that something you are doing is boring, or that a child still hates school, or even that you are the

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worst teacher the student has had, but in the end, I would rather have children feel comfortable enough to express those feelings than for children to tell me whatever they think I want to hear. As Carla Shalaby writes in her book, Troublemakers, I think of the children who make trouble at school as miner’s canaries. I want us to imagine their behaviors—which are admittedly disruptive, hyper visible, and problematic—as both the loud sound of their suffering and a signal cry to the rest of us that there is poison in our shared air. (Shalaby, 2017)

I encourage you to set up opportunities for students to share their opinions with you. I also encourage you to model how to share opinions in ways that lead to critical discussion, as this is a life skill that all students will need. There is a way to offer up suggestions to dig deeper into needs, and it is vital that we practice this with students. Pick a format for the conversations, and then give the students time to have them. Too often we dismiss the voices of those who are seen as unkind or lacking in investment into our class, but these invented barriers do nothing but continue to exclude the voices that we should be listening to. If children are angry, they have a reason, and part of our responsibility to them is to try to create a space where we can potentially alleviate some of that anger. We cannot say that we care for all our students and then only care for them on the days they are in a good mood. I use a weekly survey to take the pulse of my classroom on a regular basis, but we also have classroom meetings, longer surveys, and small conversations that allow students to express their opinion. As teachers, we are quick to ask for feedback from our administration or even colleagues, but how often do we ask it from our students? Make their feedback a natural part of your classroom and use it to change what you can and create a better environment. But don’t stop there; don’t ask and then not use it. “If you ask someone to disclose something, you are making a commitment to act on it,” writes Alex Shevrin Venet (Venet, 2021). So how will you act on whatever the children share; how will their words shape the very experience you are co-creating? If we do nothing because the words hurt, embarrass, or offend us, then we might as well not bother asking. Can the words hurt? Of course. One year, a student told me on my end of year survey that I was the worst teacher he ever had and that I should not even be a teacher at the school. My embarrassment and shame were so powerful, I felt like the whole world knew somehow that I had failed this child. And yet, it was a beautiful learning opportunity offered to me through the trust of a

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child who gave me his words. Clearly, the way I was teaching had not worked for him, and he offered me a chance to reflect on that. That is an incredible gift to receive from a 13-year-old, and I think of those words often; how can I continue to adapt and change my teaching so that kids do feel that I am okay as their teacher? As you shift toward a more student-driven learning environment, don’t ever stop questioning yourself. I certainly do not have all the answers. There will be times when you are firm in your teacher role, but if you are true to your commitment, your classroom will become more and more about them and less and less about you because your students will demand it. As teachers, we cannot be the only people in the room whose ideas and voices matter.

Student Voice: Let Me Count the Ways Co-creating learning spaces with students is something I discuss often with others. It may even be what led you to this book. The questions I get most often are: how do I know that I am doing that? What does it look like? While I’ve discussed some of this already, an action list can come in handy as you prepare yourself to make the big change. Curriculum: give them ownership. Even within the most strictly dictated curriculum, we can still share ownership with our students by giving them the right to create something they choose. If the format is predetermined, then give them a choice over the topic. If the topic is predetermined, then give them choice in the format. If all those components have been predetermined, then see where else they can share control; is it who they work with, where they work, the techniques they use, or how they share their learning? Presentation, collaboration, and assessment are also areas where you can give students a voice. You must find the time to offer up shared learning opportunities. Ask Yourself: Do my students have a say in what they are doing? Classroom routine: I don’t make the expectations of our classroom; my students and I do. We discuss them at the beginning of the year, and then we adapt them as we go. They have a voice and a right to decide how their classroom will run. We have non-negotiables, such as respecting others, and then we go from there. Every year is different because every group is different. Ask Yourself: Who sets the expectations of the classroom?

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Classroom setup: Students can’t have a voice if we dictate the way the classroom space is organized. We can enforce our agenda just as easily through our setup as through our words; in fact, often our environment goes against the notions of shared control, power, and freedom that we tell students we have. Who gets to manipulate the space? Where is the main area of the room? Where is the focal point? Can they move desks, tables, areas? Do they decide where they work? Do they decide how they work? All of this gives them a voice. Ask Yourself: Where and how do my students work? Assessment: I do not believe in the power of a report card or in the power of grades, so students and I discuss what a well-done product should look like. Our assessments grow out of those discussions. My students self-reflect a lot and set goals. They discuss goals with me, with their home adults, and with each other. We strive for accountability and a deeper understanding of what it means to create. Ask Yourself: Who determines the grades and establishes the guidelines? Outlets for voice: Students must know that they have somewhere they can always turn to speak to each other, to me, and to the world. Student blogs have done this in the past for us; now we focus on impacting our school community and beyond with inquiry projects and leadership opportunities. Our learning experience is centered in the belief that students should be able to speak freely and advocate for their needs. As Carla Shalaby writes, “Our schools are designed to prepare children to take their assumed place in the social order rather than to question and challenge that order” (Shalaby, 2017). I want to make sure that the space we co-create is one grounded in questioning and challenging inequities. Ask Yourself: Where are student voices heard? Face to face: When my students speak, I listen. I stop whatever I am doing, and I look at them. I listen, I respond, and things sometimes are fixed or changed. We meet as a group often to discuss achievements, share advice, or just check in. We speak in the morning before the day really gets going or at the beginning of class so that students know what to expect, what their day looks like, and what our expectations are. I am accountable to them. Even if they have complaints, they know I will take them to heart, without negative repercussions. I never hold a grudge, and my actions show that. Ask Yourself: how do I react when students speak to me?

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SIMPLE IDEAS FOR BIG CHANGE Change the way they sit. I ask my students to sit wherever they want as long as they can work. This is part of the exploration of the question, how do I learn best? Only occasionally do I have to modify their seating choice or put the whole class on a seating chart if our productivity has greatly decreased. I have much happier students. Why? Because they got to have a say in their classroom environment; they were given control. Change the way they work. I ask my students to discover how they work best. Do they like to hand-write things, type, dictate? Are they kids who love to write papers rather than make a movie? how do they want to read? how do they want to approach projects? If students are to discover how they work best, we must give them choice and room for exploration. This doesn’t mean that every single thing has to be open for anything, but it could be, and if you are not there yet, just know that simply providing choice in some things is a step in the right direction. Change the knowledge they have. One pushback against personalized learning has been that students don’t necessarily know what they need to know, and I agree. That is why student-centered learning also must include exposing students to various topics, particularly current events and history they may have missed. however, there are many ways to expose students to these topics, so don’t do the same thing over and over; change it up and allow for student ideas in the way material is covered. Change the expectations for all. We tend to teach the way we learn best, but that is not always the way our students learn best. So rather than planning by yourself, plan with your students. Their ideas are often much better than ours anyway. This also allows us to move out of our comfort zone rather than using the same type of format or going with just our own thinking. So ask the students how they would like to learn something and then heed their advice. You don’t have to go with every single idea, but try a few of them at least. Change the timeline. I used to think all students had to gain mastery of something at the same time because I had taught it to them all at the same time, until I had my twins. Kids, even those born at roughly the same time from the same parent, do not learn things at the same time. Why do we expect our students to? My students often have flexibility within their deadlines, late work is accepted without a dismissal of their learning, and extra supports are given as needed. Sure, it will require a

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more lucid timeline at times—not indefinite, but longer—but it really doesn’t add more work for me—all I need is a more flexible mindset. Change the conversation. I used to be the queen of all answers and solutions. If a student had a problem, I fixed it. If a student needed help, I helped. I used to think that was one of the main components of being a teacher: the helper/fixer role. now I know that students need support so they can help themselves and figure things out themselves, and my language reflects that. rather than giving an answer, I ask a question back. rather than affirming an answer, I ask them to explain it. I ask for their input; I ask them to reflect; I ask them to provide solutions and to teach others what they know. This classroom is no longer about what I need them to do or know but what they need to do or know, and that carries power. So, change the way you speak, include the students in the conversation, and stick with it.

If there is one thing I have realized in all the years of co-creating learning spaces with students, it’s that it will never be perfect, nor is there one right way to do it. While I know I have wished for the one true way to cut back on the mental space that this change can take up, if you are determined to follow just one path, then the unique makeup of each year’s groupings has already been dismissed. So instead, consider your reflection as a way to uncover the path for now, knowing that the destination can still be reached even if the path to get there has many possibilities. What matters most are the conversations we open, the reflection we do, and the steps we take to create change and give opportunities for the kids in our care to do the same.

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Chapter 6 Reflection and Further Planning for Student-Centered Learning What is one tangible step you can take to create a more student-centered classroom? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: So often our nervousness or even fear gets in the way of creating conditions for change, but we must take risks within our educational decisions to create real change. The failure or disengagement narrative repeats for so many students year after year, and we are often faced with feelings of hopelessness when it comes to making any real change. Yet too often, the voices of those who are most affected are those that are left out of the task forces and decisions for change. So, set the example in your own teaching; start asking questions and open your decisions for debate. The components that do not work can be sorted out; the ones that do, you can continue using. What is a larger change you would like to make next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: While my journey into co-created learning spaces was a dramatic one since I questioned every single decision and routine I had, I don’t recommend this approach to everyone. You have to consider how much time and energy you want to dedicate to this change, as the cogs of school will continue to churn with all of your everyday doings and needs. Consider where you want to start, but plan for where you want to end. how would you ultimately like your experience to be for all kids? Translate that into tangible steps and give yourself a timeline. Progress can happen in increments and still count as progress. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

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Consider this: Some components might not work out, some behaviors may baffle you, and sometimes you just need a place to discuss, reflect, and dream big. having a trusted partner in all of this work can sustain you in ways you didn’t even know. It may seem silly to continue to stress the need for co-conspirators, but so often we assume we have to do all the work alone, while others feel the same way. having an accountability partner, a trusted sidekick, and someone who knows you might need a pep talk or an adjusted course can make the difference between feeling completely overwhelmed and making it.

References Kay, M. r. (2018). Not light, but fire: How to lead meaningful race conversations in the classroom. Stenhouse Publishers. Shalaby, C. (2017). Troublemakers: Lessons in freedom from young children at school. The new Press. Venet, A. S. (2021, September 19). What I wish teachers knew about “what I wish my teacher knew”. Unconditional. retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://unconditional learning.org/2021/08/03/what-i-wish-teachers-knew-about-what-i-wish-myteacher-knew/

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Letting Go of the Punish, Behave, Reward Cycle

7

Building Conditions for Better Intrinsic Motivation

“how do you know who the bad students are? They act different than the normal students.” —Jonah P.

“Put your name on the board!” Those words, spoken in a very stern voice and accompanied by a teacher look, were meant to strike fear in every child. Except when they didn’t, which for me was enough to make me wonder: how was public shaming being used as a coercion tool, how did the way I punished students for perceived misbehaviors tie in with my biases, and what were the predictable patterns of punishment and reward within my classroom management choices? If I didn’t use the rigid system I had adopted, then what? Could my public discipline systems really be discarded and replaced with . . . conversation?

Then: The Teacher as the Ultimate Authority “Should teachers reward students? no, students need to just pay attention and not want candy.” —Preston r.

If you had come by our room those first few years, you would have seen the sticks in cups, clip-charts, and names on the board with checks (sometimes

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-8

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double checks)—and plenty of stern teacher looks to go around. My classroom management system, meant to catch the smallest infraction, was a system meant for control. I was doing exactly what I had been taught in college, exerting that control swiftly as the main authority figure, and if students misbehaved, then there was going to be some form of punishment and a public way of showing it. Public shaming has, after all, long been a favored tool of classroom discipline strategies, even if it is not packaged as such. Instead, educators are told to use public ways of measuring behavior as a way for students to self-regulate—with the tradition of using visual cue systems upheld by the many teachers who pass them on as a deliberate way for children to self-monitor behavior choices, to help children remember what proper behavior looks, sounds, and feels like (ripp, 2018). While developing and enhancing self-regulation is necessary, the use of shaming through public displays of behavior choices often does not produce the desired thinking or change in behavior. As Joan F. goodman writes, “The shamed child is unlikely to reflect on whether and why her behavior was wrong; more likely, she will conclude, ‘I must have done wrong because you think I did’” (Jacques, 2022). Oh, there were plenty of rewards as well. If students didn’t move their stick or get their name on the board for a week, they were entered into a drawing for a pizza lunch with me. At the end of the month, if they didn’t have their name in my book for failing to turn in their homework, they could also enter the drawing. When I finally drew names, five lucky students would eat some pizza with the teacher. Confused? I was! I could hardly keep track of all those names, checks, and punishments. gold stars, super-duper stickers, clips, tri-colored cups, exclusion, names on the board . . . I have done it all. And when one reward/punishment system failed, I searched for another one to take its place rather than reflect and realize that perhaps it was the system that was flawed, and not just that the students grew tired of it. I persisted with carrots and sticks as if my very life depended on it. I thought tight discipline = teaching success, without considering the multitude of components that also need to be in place. And I am not alone; search any place where teachers share ideas, and you will see a wealth of physical behavior systems being sold. It makes sense that using punishment and public shaming is a mainstay in our classroom behavior management systems; after all, they are passed on from mentors to student teachers, written about in books, and wrapped up in the foundations of systems like PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support). They are passed on as tried and true, but therein lies the problem: how often do we question whose values we honor and uphold in our classroom spaces

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when it comes to how we expect respectful behavior to manifest? Who are these methods tried and true for, and what is the individual cost to acquiesce? If educational success is measured in silence and compliance, then we cannot wonder why our society has no collective voice of outcry over injustice. And when we make assumptions about intellectual capability through the choices a child makes, whose identities do we value within our spaces? Which identity markers and behavioral traits have the dominant culture determined are the proper ones for our educational spaces, and how do we punish or manipulate those who show up differently? Carla Shalaby writes, Schools gain their legitimacy from the appearance of goodness, from the willingness of their students to behave well, to work well, to score well. The hope is to eliminate noncompliance, to make misbehavior disappear, and this requires that “problem children” themselves be rendered invisible. (Shalaby, 2017, p. 152)

So which children do we hope to make invisible? I think of the expectations placed on marginalized students in particular, and the pressure to conform not just in what they care about and how they navigate the space they take up, but even in how they speak in those places. Tone policing and the push for one way to speak correctly starts in our school and continues in society. As Jason reynolds said, I shouldn’t have to continue to code-switch just because someone in the audience came not to hear Jason reynolds but the representation of Jason reynolds. As if there’s this other part of me that I’m supposed to turn on to show reverence for some person who’s supposed to have some sort of authority over me, as if the way I speak is automatically irreverent. (Eprile, 2020)

How do our predetermined punishment and success criteria float narrowminded and racist ideas of what proper behavior is, of what it means to show “ready to learn”? I have been on this learning journey, guided by experts whose experiences vary widely from my own, unpacking so much of what I thought I knew and questioning what I don’t, and so I encourage you to also enter a space of learning when it comes to considering racial and discriminatory practices that prop up behavior and punishment systems. There are many experts sharing their knowledge and ideas in the field; a few that I have learned from are Dena

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Simmons, gholdy Muhammad, Carla Shalaby, Erica B. rivera, gloria Ladson Billings, Zaretta hammond, and Beverly Daniel Tatum. I encourage you to continue your journey learning from these experts. Do not mistake this call to evaluate how we set up our classroom management systems as a call to create schools with low expectations and no consequences. Instead, it is a call to evaluate the carrot-and-stick measures in place and their long-term effects on students, as well as a call to create communities that are co-founded with students and whose guidelines are adapted for the kids we teach. We can so easily lose the humanity of ourselves and our students in the systems we employ. rather than using meaningful praise, I used stickers, trinkets, and public recognition to do the speaking for me. Those stickers meant I cared. That Awesome Board where A work was proudly displayed gave students something to strive for. That certificate I awarded for an A on your math test meant you were smart and that other students should look up to you. And while none of these items by themselves are inherently problematic, it is when they replace genuine human interaction that we lose our way. Co-creating communities where mistakes are used to deepen learning and where every child has a chance to feel valued will always do more than a carefully constructed clip chart. A heartfelt conversation will almost always trump a sticker. Oh, I thought I was clever. I knew how to motivate, and after all, what could a little reward or public discipline do that would possibly hurt the children in the long term? Surely all it would do is remind them of how a successful student was supposed to behave. But therein lies my own foolishness. My well-meaning intentions stopped me from seeing past the immediate rewards of swift punishment and how I demanded silence from students as a way to center my authority. Alfie Kohn writes in Punished by Rewards, Students get the message about what adults want. When 4th graders in a variety of classrooms were asked what their teachers most wanted them to do, they didn’t say, “Ask thoughtful questions” or “Make responsible decisions” or “help others.” They said, “Be quiet, don’t fool around, and get our work done on time.” (Kohn, 2018)

Those papers on the Awesome Board did nothing to create a risk-taking learning community. Instead, my bright display acted as a great divide, sorting students into two groups: “can” and “cannot.” Those stickers I doled out for anything above 90% were not a cheerful way to celebrate achievement but rather a glaring marker showing which students were most willing to learn the way the teacher wanted them to. risk taking did not equal rewards, and

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because I did not have choice embedded within our learning paths, I did not leave space for individualization or personalization. There were no creative approaches to doing the work; there was one way, my way, and so those who were rewarded were those who conformed to what I had decided was the right way to learn. Those who received no rewards had failed to live up to my standards, and everyone knew who they were. As educators, we don’t discuss conformity enough as far as how it is used as a tool to manipulate. We bring our own ideas of what respect looks and sounds like and then fail to see beyond our own narrow definitions. researcher Mary Ellen Vogt (2000) examined how students perceived as either high or low achievers by their teachers were treated in class and came to some startling conclusions. In classrooms where students were perceived as high performers, Vogt found that teachers • • • • •

talked less and encouraged more interactions among students, allowed for more creative and generative approaches to learning, offered opportunities for independent work, had warmer and more personal relationships with students, and spent little time on behavior or classroom management issues.

On the other hand, teachers working with perceived low performers • • • • • •

prepared more structured lessons, allowed fewer opportunities for student creativity, covered less content, rewarded students for “trying hard” rather than for “good thinking,” spent a significant amount of time on behavior and management issues, and had less congenial relationships with students due to their heavy emphasis on discipline (Vogt, 2000).

This was based on perception alone, not always the reality of the children they taught. Consider how this impacts children as they navigate not just their daily school life but all the years in school. Consider how these perceptions become the reality for all children as teachers discuss them with colleagues, as we invite some kids into further academic and community opportunities, as we uphold some students’ worth and not others. And we wonder why we have students that would rather be in trouble than step foot in our classrooms? Kids so often know whether they are valued by a teacher or a school, or not. And for many, they have unsuccessfully tried to communicate how they need to feel cared for by us, but instead of recognizing their behavior as communication, we use

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exclusion, shame, and disapproval as a way for them to change their behaviors. And it manifests, and it is passed on from year to year, teacher to teacher. And sometimes we don’t even see it. By perpetually focusing negative energy on the same students (who were often the ones having their name singled out somehow already), I was doing further harm. While I believe in high expectations for all students, I also believe in compassion, and that belief simply was not fitting in with my chosen systems. So, I did the only thing I knew how: I took down my predetermined consequences poster, threw away the cups and the clips. This time, instead of hunting for a new system, I decided to detox myself, start the year with no set system for reward and punishment and instead strive to create a classroom community where we would figure it out together. I was terrified.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: •

What are your perceptions of who the low or high performers are? how do those perceptions shape your planning, decision-making, and interactions? Which kids are finding success? Which kids are not? What are the predictable patterns of success within your classroom? Who is rewarded within your classroom systems? Who is not? Do the rewards change behavior? how is public shaming used as a tool to attempt to modify behavior? Which values are given more value in your behavior expectations?

• • • • • •

Now: Let’s Build It Together “how do we know who the bad students are? The teachers tell us.” —Seventh grader

I believed the carrot-and-stick approach was the best way to assert my authority in a classroom. now, I know that dominance is not what you want—community is, and punishment and rewards will never build that. As Alex Shevrin Venet

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writes, “For children to feel safe and supported enough to engage in academic work, we need first to build relationships, not withhold them” (Venet, 2021, p. 71). Co-creating community guidelines starts with asking, how should this space function? And then following up with, what are the expectations for each of us as we show up in this space? Individual rewards twist the focus of the classroom and provide students with a false reason to want to engage. I believe that rewards always end up benefiting the same students, and some are always left out. I know some will say that classroom-wide rewards that are earned by the class communally are the answer to that inequity, but ask yourself: how often have you taken away classroom points or not given marbles to the group based on the actions of one kid or just a couple? The bottom line for me is when we perpetually stick a carrot in front of students’ faces—whether it be through points, letters, or marbles—we are teaching them that they should not do anything without a reward. So, while in the short term it may work to have kids get points to earn something as a classroom, in the long run it is not shaping their behavior around the idea that they want to behave simply for the greater good. While extrinsic motivators such as tangible rewards may work in the short term, over time they lose their effectiveness and teachers then must up the ante or the reward. We end up in a vicious cycle where students only learn to earn something rather than learning to become more knowledgeable people. The internal satisfaction or intrinsic reward that students get from handling a difficult learning task or mastering a new concept is what we should be celebrating; we shouldn’t be diminishing it by handing them a gold star or another point toward a party. The learning should be the reward. I strive to co-create a space where kids can feel valued, seen, and safe, and where we have high expectations, but I also recognize that at times there will be poor decisions made and that as a community we will navigate them together. We build this space together, and so together we navigate whatever we need to. I do not make kids “earn” anything in the reward sense, and I do not single out kids as losing out on something. Instead, we celebrate classwide whenever an occasion arises. Celebrations are given, not earned, and they can be based on whether we have achieved something or whether it’s a certain time of year. Often students and I discuss how we should celebrate something, and the opportunity to celebrate is never taken away from them. I do not use it to manipulate their behavior or to point out anything. We simply celebrate, and there is always a lot to celebrate! I want to teach and help create an environment where students feel welcomed into our space as fully realized human beings, and where they have a chance at becoming intrinsically motivated to be part of that community.

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What do I mean when I say high expectations? It is important to distinguish between academic and behavioral expectations because often they are discussed as the same thing when, in fact, they are not. I have high academic expectations for all students, which means that I fervently believe that all children can achieve or maintain high academic excellence, but that they may need different scaffolds and supports to do so. This means that all children have an opportunity to excel no matter the facets of their identity, and that it is up to me, as the facilitator, to ensure that there are pathways for them to use to reach success within our academic pathways when they do not. high expectations are often confused with equal expectations, but for kids who face differing obstacles to connect with the learning or to feel safe in our spaces, that notion does not work. It does not make sense for me to hold all kids to the same specific expectations, as that would not recognize where students are on their journey. But we do have broad ones that are for all kids. These include co-creating a learning space that is safe for all, taking responsibility for one’s own actions, and expressing a willingness to try. We create community guidelines together, and we specifically discuss what we need to feel safe in our space together. It is a conversation we revisit throughout the year, and I give reminders when needed about how we treat each other. Kids know that I do the best I can to help them navigate whatever their needs are and that there are pathways for them to receive support when they need it. It is not perfect, but it works well for many situations because it is a system based on seeing each child as a fully realized human being. And human beings have bad days and good days. Will our time together fuel their bad days or help them feel better?

In the beginning, when I gave up my inane discipline plans, I braced myself for the anarchy to come. Out went the sticks, the cups, the pointed fingers, the lost recesses. no more raised voice telling students that they better behave or else, no more public shaming. Instead, we had conversation, and lots of it. We talked together about expectations (high ones at that), and we wondered about the meaning of respect—respect for us as a learning community and respect for each student as an individual with rights, feelings, and responsibilities. Students were not minions or Wild Things to be corralled and controlled. With respect at the center of our community, we didn’t need rewards—no parties or pizza or coupons for good behavior. Out it all went, just like that.

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That first year, I’ll admit, was nerve-wracking. I held my breath because I couldn’t be sure what to expect. Today was good, but what about tomorrow? I thought for sure that eventually the students would take advantage of me, would be sneaky and subversive. But that never happened. If just one child was off during a day—disruptive, disrespectful, and so forth—it was usually handled through a quiet conversation off to the side or right at their table. Sometimes we went into the hallway, sometimes administration or a counselor was brought in to help us navigate, but the biggest change was the pace—no longer was there an automatic punishment, but instead a moment to pause, evaluate the situation, and then decide on a path forward.

One of my fifth graders wrote this in a blog post when I asked what their thoughts were on punishment in school: Lastly, but certainly not least, a teacher should always ask “Why?” Sometimes, teachers just assume that a student is not behaving without thinking about the condition. What if the student is having troubles at home so the student can’t get that homework assignment done. Or, what if the student is having a headache, so he can’t focus on his book. My one piece of advice is “never assume a student is willingly misbehaving.”

I tried to limit the number of times I yelled their names in a disciplinary way, and I was respectful in how I spoke to them. no more teacher-from-the-top; no more “I am going to get you if you don’t listen,” but instead an invitation for them to evaluate how their behavior was affecting their learning and the learning of their classmates. We navigated it together and continue to do so to this day. I use proximity to help students consider their actions, often moving closer to a child that needs attention while continuing to teach. I use questions a lot: what do you need right now; how can I help you? Sometimes a gentle calling of their name as a reminder that we are in a community together goes a long way. So does maintaining a sense of humor. But so many of these tools and movements depend on the trust we have built together. That is why I cannot offer you a long list of behavior tricks to try—because for kids to want to engage they need to feel safe, and that is where the work lies (as discussed in Chapter 5): how do we start our year, and how do we grow what we have sown? I also had to make sure the learning was something they did not want to miss. If the experience was dull or repetitive, asking them to consider how their behavior was affecting their learning would bear no weight. I believe this is why we are taught to take away recess; since it is fun, and students look forward to

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the break, we can hit them where it hurts the most. If the learning itself becomes social, engaging, exciting, or collaborative, then asking students to step away from the learning means something. They want to participate and not miss out. Even with this new approach, it’s true that sometimes my class is just off—jumpy, jiggly, bored, angry, or falling asleep. In the past, I would have yelled and probably lectured about the importance of school. Of course, that approach never seemed to startle them back into learning mode. In our reconfigured classroom, I came to see that if a day arose where the students seemed off, it was up to us to modify or change the planned activities.

When students seem off as a group and I can’t seem to figure out why, I often stop curriculum and point out what I am seeing, asking what is going on, and how they would like to engage with the learning. I do not try to solve the disengagement by myself because I am often wrong in my assumptions about what is causing it. Also, asking students to be a part of the solution breaks the cycle of them expecting the teacher to “just” take care of everything; that they only have to show up in our space and that is all that is required of them. Learning is interactive and relational, so how are they reinvesting their energy to be solution-oriented rather than passive consumers? It doesn’t always work, nothing ever does every time, but it often allows us to adjust our course.

Sometimes, I try to include movement, extra discussion, some humor— anything just to get them tuned in. The learning goals usually stay the same; after all, we do have a curriculum to complete. But the methodology behind the delivery can change, emphasizing whatever they told me they need that day to keep them engaged. Over time it became clear that poor behavior tended to arise when students were bored or disengaged. My worst days were those where I had not considered the needs of my students—those days with too much sitting and too little choice. The result was something like “instant karma,” training me to become better and better at keeping the focus on what students need. So you’re still wondering: how hard was it not to have a predetermined punishment system? In the beginning, very. Instinctively, I wanted to yell out “Move your stick!” or “get out!” I sometimes had to grind my teeth. It got easier with time. The students would know when they were misbehaving because

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we would discuss it. If the whole class or a majority of students was off, we stopped class and discussed it. Yes, we spent a lot of time talking—but really, I would have spent about the same amount of time yelling at the kids and never coming closer to a resolution. In this way, we grew together. The students got used to it; they did not always take advantage but instead relished the fact that they had a voice in their classroom and were expected to help fix the problem, not just rely on the teacher’s heavy-handedness. They knew what the behavioral expectations were for the different learning scenarios because we’d discussed them the first week of school and revisited them as needed. This was our classroom, not just mine. It worked. It still works. I would never go back to the way I once ruled over our classroom. I did not take away recess. I did reserve recess time to work with the kids who needed extra one-on-one. I made fewer phone calls home. I sent one child twice to the office that first year (for recess related issues). I know there are tougher situations out there than mine, but this was your average American elementary classroom. I had the talkers, the interrupters, the disrespectful ones, the fighters, the disengaged ones, and the sleepers. And inviting them to join and share responsibility for a genuine community worked for those kids as well. My students felt part of something bigger than just my classroom, and they let me know on the last day of school just how much it meant to them. They relished the voice they had, even when it came to setting their own consequences. They loved that rewards were no longer personal but rather classroom-wide— that together we would decide when we had something to celebrate and how it should be celebrated. Students were not singled out for horrible behavior, and I no longer continued the stigma of “that kid” that everyone knew would get in trouble. Instead, we were all there as learners, being rewarded through our community rather than punished. It had not been chaos, it had worked, and my mind was made up. I threw away my sticks and cups for good that last day of school.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “I know all students like rewards, but the truth is the teachers are giving us [an] education, which we will need through our whole lives.” —Isabel O.

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Reconsider your rigid classroom management system focused on punishment and reward. or at least question why you need such a system and how effective it really is. how can you use the power of students to co-create community guidelines and think through situations before they occur? what plans and procedures would you like to have in place so when the need arises, and it almost always does, you have a few paths to follow? here are some questions i pondered as i made my decision: •

Does the punishment fit the infraction? often, we punish students by taking away recess or by sending them to the office. there are a few things wrong with this. Recess is often exactly what a kid filled with energy needs, so taking it away only exacerbates the problem. sending a child to the office in anger only solidifies the power struggle that they have sparked with you and leaves you powerless as far as outcome. while there are times that i do ask students to step out, it is most often so we can have a private conversation or a needed break so that we can try again, rather than go straight to punishment through an outside administrator. this is a privileged position to be in, though. for the most part, i can step out of our classroom without chaos erupting. administration is only brought in when i have exhausted my own ideas or if the behavior choices are dangerous or carry consequences for the learning of others.

Notice: • • •

what punishment patterns do you fall into, such as asking students to leave or removing opportunities? how is your school’s overall philosophy for behavior redirection reflected in your own philosophy? how often do you allow yourself a pause before redirection?

Consider: • • • • •

Before children are asked to leave our space, is there a way to speak to them? do they need a break or a walk? what else can be offered before exclusion is used as a tool to manage behavior? how can you make space to have further conversations in the moment? what support do you need to navigate repeated, disruptive behavior?

Do the punishment/rewards always happen to the same students? if so, then the problem warrants further investigation beyond a quick

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consequence. as each school year begins, most teachers can tell you exactly which kid will be the one to get punished the most. often, it’s a boy with too much energy or a total disconnect to school. when i moved away from a quick punishment mindset, that same kid whom i would have inwardly labeled a troublemaker became a mystery to solve instead. now, we work together to try to figure out how to make the year an optimal experience. the time spent yelling is now spent engaging in and asking questions. in building a relationship and trying to problem solve together. it does not always work; there are still times that a student is determined to cause a disruption. But my approach is steadfast—i try to understand first, rather than punish first. Notice: •

track with whom you interact negatively throughout a week by checking off names on a clipboard and studying your patterns. track positive interactions as well. who gets to hear praise from you? who doesn’t?

Consider: • • •

what are the repeated interactions that cause you to need to reassert control? how can the patterns discovered be used for disruption or changes of your own practice? how can students be a part of the solution?

i was speaking to my husband, a first-year teacher, and the topic of navigating student discipline came up, as it often does. he teaches middle school like me, and if there is one thing i know about middle-schoolers, it is how often they do not think through their decisions before they act. it leads to a lot of funny moments, but at times, also to a lot of behavioral displays that can be rather disruptive to the rest of the class or to themselves. he asked me what i do when children continuously disrupt. how do i approach them to help them change? and while i was stumped because i am not sure that we can really make children change, i do believe that there are ways we can invite them into a conversation about their choices without jumping right into punishment. and that has been a major change for me—slowing down before jumping to conclusions.

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But then, how do you do that in the moment when perhaps you also feel heated and a bit indignant at yet another disruption? I use a simple question, “Are you okay?” before proceeding with any decisions. I have used it so often that it is now hardwired into my language. This is to slow me down, to increase communication, to recognize behavior as a way of communication, and to center my approach in unconditionally positive regard. When I first started using it many years ago, I had to really think about it. Our brains are wired to jump into decision making rapidly; in fact, educators reportedly make thousands of decisions every single day, each one opening a new instructional possibility. no wonder we often switch into a rapid-fire mode when navigating a child’s seemingly poor decisions; we have so many other things to juggle at that moment. But it is often this automaticity that can backfire in the long run. rather than recognize the uniqueness of the situation at hand, we treat it as if it is routine. Perhaps sometimes it is when handling a child’s repeat decisions. And yet, we must come into each situation recognizing its uniqueness and its opportunity for exploration. Asking, “Are you okay?” and following up with “This does not seem like you . . .” (even if it is a repeated behavior pattern) signals that we are concerned about the human in front of us and not just the choice made by the student. That pause also allows us to recalibrate ourselves and get our emotions in check before proceeding further with a conversation. This can make the difference between strengthening a relationship or doing further damage. Of course, if students are engaged in dangerous behavior, such as fighting or physical destruction on a larger scale, I don’t often use this approach. When safety is at risk, other communication methods are used. But this does not happen as often as our brain sometimes wants us to believe. Slowing down, seeing the child as a child, no matter the size, and recognizing the inherent power imbalance at play can help us navigate many behavioral situations. And, more importantly, I am worried about them and their well-being. So why not ask before we jump to further conclusions? Do student behaviors change because of the punishments/rewards? Often, we see short-term behavioral changes that can be helpful in the moment as a way to continue instruction. But I have yet to see students who were punished into permanently changing their ways. What I have experienced

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instead: the same kid is punished over and over (whether by removal of rights or deeper consequences), gets stuck in the role of troublemaker, and continues the cycle of bad behavior from class to class, year to year. If we are looking for long-term solutions and behavioral adaptations, then we must take a much larger approach. While poor choices need consequences, we must question what those consequences are and also question the broader system that a child is functioning within. This work cannot just fall on the individual teacher, as we often do not have the power to make the changes needed or the broad view of how these behaviors show up historically and repeatedly. One way the school I work for has these conversations is by having weekly team meetings where concerns and observations can be brought up and discussed. Kids whose needs warrant further discussion are then brought up to a student service level meeting where counseling services, administration, and others who support kids engage in a data dig to see if this behavior is new or has happened before. They also look for other patterns those individual teachers are not privy to and then create a plan for the next step. That plan can include mental health services, home adult outreach, further investigation, further conversations with the student, and any other steps necessary to try to understand and possibly alter the behavior cycle. Bottom line: it is our job to try to figure out what’s going on, but we cannot always do that alone. And if even this approach is not working, then it is a great time to look at overall school structures and systems: what else might the child need? Notice: • •

how does student behavior change when immediate punishment occurs? how are we studying repeated behavior patterns, and how can we as a team create conditions that mitigate them before they begin or that interrupt them as they are happening?

Consider: • • • •

how are students’ behavior patterns studied and used for broader conversations about school policies and systems? What is the overall school approach to working with vulnerable students who need extra support? Who can you turn to when a situation requires more than individual attention? Do other students perpetually witness particular students losing privileges? In my classroom, this used to be the case. I would single out the kids

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who were misbehaving in front of everyone else so that I could make an example of them. Unfortunately, this tends to backfire. The power struggle ensues, and those kids get perpetually labeled by the rest of the students, either as troublemakers or as the cool kids. not many of the “good kids” want to be their friends. Think of the long-term disconnect that gets furthered from being singled out repeatedly. I did, and it made me change my approach in how I speak to children and follow up with them after poor choices are made. Notice: • • •

how do other students react to the consequences and punishments given? how are children treated by peers after they receive a consequence? Do the punishments/rewards divide your classroom community?

Consider: • • • •

What weight does the act of defiance carry for a child? What may be the motivation? What group patterns exist as far as who is included and who is excluded? how do peer pressure and acceptance motivate students in your classroom? Do your students fear you or respect you? Early in my career, some of my students worked because I asked them to; others worked because they knew I would punish them if they didn’t. Learning should be explorative, not fearful. If intimidation is the only reason students produce work, then, it is time we re-examine our classroom management style and teaching methodologies. We throw the term classroom management around as if it is weightless, something to simply check off, yet the system we build quite literally shapes the entire existence of the children we care for—their self-worth and their perceived social value—and can impact them long after they leave us. “‘Classroom management’ seems a neutral and harmless phrase. But the management of classrooms requires the management of children—which means power over people, control over bodies. These efforts cannot possibly be neutral or harmless” (Shalaby, 2017, p. 153).

Notice: • •

how do your daily interactions with kids shape your overall classroom community? Who gets more of your attention? Who gets less? how does that impact the value that each child carries in your space?

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Consider: • •

how do you build conditions for mutual respect? how do students view your role, and how does that fuel their decisions?

Are your students driven by material gains and losses? I had students who would read only because they knew they would get a prize. They got no pleasure from what they were reading; instead, they sped through books so they could get to the reward at the end. This is hardly a great reason to read, and it’s a strategy that teaches students to see reading as something we only do for personal material gain. Intrinsic rewards. Love of reading. That’s what we should be cultivating. Notice: • • •

What sticks and carrots are in place for students? Does removing a reward decrease motivation? how do rewards factor into overall motivation?

Consider: • •

If a task needs a reward attached to be valued by students, then how else can that task be presented as a learning opportunity? Are rewards used to build community or divide?

Does my need to punish block my understanding of what is really happening with a child? This was a big one for me. It’s easier to punish than it is to find the time to discover what’s actually going on with a child. I had a student who hardly ever finished any math homework, and every time this happened, I required him to finish it during recess. After several months, it finally occurred to me to dig a little deeper. I got beyond his “I don’t have time” reply and discovered that his mother worked a night shift. he was alone in their apartment and scared every night. Mind you, this was a 9-year-old. homework was definitely not on his list of priorities, and it really didn’t need to be. We scaled back on the take-home math assignments, and he had one less thing to worry about every day as he joined his friends for recess. Notice: • •

Where do you take the time for follow up conversations regarding choices made in class? To whom do you speak? Do quick punishments or rewards change the pattern of behavior in the long run? If not, why not? If they do, how?

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Consider: • • •

Which conversations have you not had yet with kids who tend to be on your “frequent flyer” radar for disruption? how are you using strategies that go beyond immediate punishment to build relationships? Are you perpetuating a cycle of destructive feelings toward school through continual punishment and exclusion?

Some kids hate school early on and with good reason—perhaps the system they try to function within has never given them a chance to thrive, perhaps repeated exclusion and punishment for minor behavioral disruptions have driven them further away, or perhaps they don’t even know why school does not work for them. What I do know is that our immediate punishment-andreward systems often stop us from much-needed reflection and conversation. They can stop us from the continual invitation into relationship-building that a child’s wellbeing is founded on. Once I removed the most immediate punishment from the equation, I was able to form better relationships with students who were beginning to hate school or who had already committed to the cause of hating school. Through these relationships, we often discovered how to make school a space where they were not in continual distress. I want my students to leave our classroom still loving learning, not dreading the next decade of their life.

Learning New Ways to Motivate not punishing students does not mean letting things slide or letting them walk all over you. It simply means handling situations calmly, attempting to figure out the “why” behind the behavior, and then working on that rather than just enforcing a set of rules. how you react changes from situation to situation— something that’s much more difficult to do when you have cut rules into stone the first week of school. Much misbehavior comes from students’ perception of control within the classroom, as well as our assumptions of what a child should act like to be successful. These perceptions also affect their intrinsic motivation for wanting to be successful participants. A problem with punishment and reward is that it often only motivates in the short term and that rules change from teacher to teacher, space to space. What is okay in one space may be deemed inappropriate in another. And yet the quick-draw punishment/reward strategies

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drilled into us from mentors or value systems are what we continue to fall back on. Many teachers do not know how else to get students to behave. I certainly was not consistently successful until I realized that the problem wasn’t the students; it was more often the system of conformity that school is built on, as well as the curriculum and how I taught it. This meant it was really me and the rigid success criteria I had set up for our learning journey. Questions I use to help students consider their behavior choices: • • • • • •

You have my attention, what do you need? Are you okay? What do you need right now to recalibrate? how can I help you? Why are you doing . . . ? Do you need help?

While I may not always be the one who decides what to teach, I am most certainly the one who decides how to teach it. If I thought that mostly lecturing (which even put me to sleep in college) was going to capture the imaginations of students, no matter their age, then I was in the wrong job. So, I began to think and learn a lot more about motivating learners.

My Lessons in Motivation here is what I know about motivation from shifting my own teaching practice: •

•

Safety matters. If a child does not feel safe within our space, then no motivational trick will make a difference. We cannot expect kids to learn in an environment where they do not feel welcome. Asking students to discuss what being safe feels, looks, and sounds like to them is a good place to start. Educator Matthew r. Kay writes about how to do this well in his book, Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom. I also recommend following up with quick survey checkins through the year asking what, if anything, can be changed in your time together and whether children feel respected by you. Find ways to check in on the overall climate and then adjust course with the students if is not the way you had hoped it would be. Choice matters. When students choose not just what they will do for a project but also what they would like to learn about (within some boundaries

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•

•

•

•

•

•

or framework), you can get increased buy-in. This continues to be one of the most simple and exciting realizations I have experienced. Motivation is contagious. When one student gets excited and has an opportunity to share that enthusiasm, the contagion spreads. Our classroom runs on conversation, we have meetings where we share, and we are a bit louder than we used to be. But guess what? Those loud noises are usually indicators that my students are super excited about something. Punishment/reward systems stifle learning. This short-term approach to motivation proved to be more harmful than helpful. It created a toxic learning atmosphere. now we have class parties when we feel we want one. I have lunch with students when we can. no one is excluded from anything within the classroom. Be excited yourself. The fastest way for kids to lose interest is if you are bored. I faced up to the fact that I hated some of the things I taught and how I taught them (goodbye grammar packets). Something had to change. now my students joke about how I almost always introduce something new with “I am so excited to do this . . .” Time of day matters, so does day of the week. I adjust my teaching volume, excitement, and approach throughout the day because my students show up with different needs depending on the time of day. If I stayed the same throughout the day, it wouldn’t work for all my classes. recognizing the unique energy needs of each group of kids helps me have much more productive time with them. Just like we know to adjust our learning explorations throughout the year to fit the overall moods and needs of kids, we can also adjust our approach throughout the day. What type of adult do the kids need at that specific time? Consider outside factors. Some students have a lot more on their plates than we could ever fully imagine. We need to ask questions, get to know our students, and be a listening ear. When my husband lost his job, it was hard for me to be excited about everyday life. I was too busy worrying. I understand how outside worry can influence the way we function within our school. I’m sure you do, too. Guide what’s in front of you. We will never be able to control what our students go home to, but we set the tone for what will happen in our time together. As the adult in the room, you carry incredible power when it comes to setting the tone. You give and take value from students through your interactions, so how are you wielding that power for good? Start fresh every day, give all children a new chance even if the previous day was hard, and continue to welcome them into your space in whichever way you can to show them that you see their value.

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•

Ask for help, even if you need to repeatedly. Even if a child is not finding success with you, this student may be elsewhere in your building or with past teachers, so reach out if there is a child you are having a harder time connecting with. Too often, assumptions about a child’s behavior drive us into isolation or thinking that the behaviors only happen with us, when this is often not the case—but you do not know that if you do not ask. If poor choices are only made in your space, then that lets you know that you have further investigation to do about your practice and community. If it also happens in other classes, then it should be a team conversation.

Motivation in the middle school seems to be entirely different than motivation in the elementary classroom, yet I have found many similarities between the two settings. I have more frequent conversations in the middle school classroom about motivation and respect than I have ever had before because the habits we are discussing have been ingrained longer and so has the systematic exclusion of some students. Students also feel more overwhelmed trying to manage multiple teaching styles and expectations, which can lead to shutdown behavior. I need to be more tapped into what they are facing outside of my classroom so I know what I am battling against. The biggest factor in declining motivation, though, has been when students don’t see the point of something and are just doing it to get it done. This has been one of my biggest barriers to work with, so having an authentic purpose that is larger than the teacher becomes vital. Student ownership and control from the beginning is a must, and so is a deep-seated belief that every child is welcome, as well as actions that support that. The reason why some experiences we have co-created in our seventh-grade classroom have been successful and others have not boiled down to what state of mind the students were in. having the continued conversation about purpose, choice, and how to create exciting learning opportunities is a must for all students. Keeping the children’s humanity at the center of the work that we do and how we see them is a requirement. When we lose sight of that, we lose sight of the child. I often say that we can see who a school values in how they treat their most vulnerable students, and I mean it, but the truth is that all kids are vulnerable, not just those who get excluded in a variety of ways. We have the power and the tools to decimate any self-worth a child may have had before entering our spaces, and it happens every day. But within that power also comes a profound realization: we also have the power to build every child up. It is in how we use the power we have that our true vision lies.

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Chapter 7 Reflection and Further Planning for Punishment and Rewards What is one tangible step you can take to overhaul your classroom management system? What is a larger step you would like to take next? What are changes you would like to make along a with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

Consider this: rather than asking you to consider additional thoughts, I would urge you go back through this chapter and reflect on some of the questions posed throughout. This chapter asks you to do a lot of meaningful reflection as you consider how punishment and rewards create the seen and unseen conditions of your learning space. Taking the time and acting on some of your ideas is a meaningful way to continue your experience.

References Eprile, T. (2020, June 2). [conversation issue] ‘I know what lurks in the bushes. and that’s how I write the stories’-Jason reynolds talks to Tony Eprile about resistance and the imagination. The Johannesburg Review of Books. retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://johannesburgreviewofbooks.com/2020/01/16/conversation-issue-i-knowwhat-lurks-in-the-bushes-and-thats-how-i-write-the-stories-jason-reynolds-talks-totony-eprile-about-resistance-and-the-imagination/?fbclid=IwAr3Zn5kmySqhuQ CJg-A4y3vYp2FfVn48_W1AL0e5pDwPrckTd4eXAtVYiFA Jacques, M. (2022, September 30). The shame of shaming. kappanonline.org. retrieved January 5, 2023, from http://kappanonline.org/goodman-the-shame-of-shaming/? utm_source=PDK%2BInternational&utm_campaign=b70d142367-EMAIL_CAMPAIgn_ 2017_10_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_867590cd6a-b70d142367-32506253 Kohn, A. (2018). Punished by rewards: The trouble with gold stars, incentive plans, A’s, praise, and other bribes. houghton Mifflin Company. ripp, P. (2018, August 16). Lessons from the “Bad” kids. Pernille Ripp. retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://pernillesripp.com/2018/08/16/lessons-from-the-bad-kids/

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Shalaby, C. (2017). Troublemakers: Lessons in freedom from young children at school. The new Press. Venet, A. S. (2021). Equity-centered trauma-informed education. W.W. norton & Company. Vogt, M. (2000). Active learning: Dramatic play in the content areas. In M. McLaughlin & M. Vogt (Eds.), Creativity and innovation in content area teaching (pp.  73–90). Christopher-gordon.

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Centering Standards and Identities Planning Units and Lessons That Center Children

“Teachers need to be more enthusiastic and not stay on the same topic for a month.” —Paige P.

The push for the standardization of lessons is not a new one in education. Already in 1845, horace Mann introduced the idea of moving away from an oral examination to a written one. he argued that this would give the education system a way to compare and evaluate the best teaching methods and then replicate those across the nation; as long as there is data, we can repeat the success. This pursuit of standardization continues to this day—in 2020, the American textbook industry made 8.5 billion in revenue (Watson, 2022). Standardization sells; it provides a common pathway to follow, which is appealing, and it allows entire districts to undergo change in a uniform way. At face value, I see the appeal; there must be a superior way of educating that will achieve a higher success rate as long as we crack the code. Yet, ask anyone who has actually taught children, and they will tell you the opposite. Kids need different approaches, often at the same time; it’s what makes teaching both exhilarating and exhausting. Sure, having a shared direction with explicit teaching opportunities embedded is a way supposedly to create opportunities for all kids, but what is lost in the push toward standardization is often the true power of educators—the power to adapt, differentiate, and pivot to create richly detailed learning opportunities for all kids. In a time where many districts chase better test scores and face mounting pressure to “catch up,” the appeal of purchasing a curriculum and demanding total fidelity as a way to achieve success for all holds tremendous power. Unfortunately, it is also a forceful driver toward less educational freedom. While having a common curricular plan can further collaboration and depth of understanding, many programs are not presented in a way that invites experimentation. Instead, program producers often stress the need for an intense 136

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-9

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focus on assimilation and an equal approach no matter the practitioner or the kids, promising high value as long as the program is implemented with fidelity. I was that new teacher handed scripted curriculum, and I was grateful at first. As a new teacher, it offered me a pathway and a focus, it took off the weight of having to plan the units myself, and it offered me a chance to focus on the craft of teaching rather than all of the steps that planning one’s own curriculum requires. But what it also did was stifle my opportunity to discover and finetune my own teaching style, to question what was left out and how it impacted our broader knowledge, and to adapt to better serve the kids in my care. Because I was told to follow the curriculum, I didn’t question what else could happen in our time together. I remember the days of clutching my science curriculum in one hand while trying to write on the board with the other. Always casting glances at the script—what was I supposed to say next? What was the next discussion point? And it wasn’t just science, it was pretty much all my lessons. I’d read from the paper and try to make it sound like I knew what I was talking about. It was not lack of preparation but lack of confidence that haunted me. My district purchased scripted curriculum, and so as a new teacher I falsely assumed that the progression, wording, and examples given were better than the ideas I wanted to develop alongside it—even going so far as adopting the curriculum writers’ language as my own. I tried to render it in natural speech, but as anyone who has ever taught this way knows, if you haven’t thought something through in your own words, you will sound contrived and disingenuous. The result? A continued disenfranchisement of the historically marginalized students, lackluster teaching as I was trying to be someone I was not, and missed opportunities to adapt, create, and question my own practices.

Then: Watch Me as I Read This Aloud to You “The chance to set up your education in the way you want is good. We need to be able to know how we learn best and then apply that to all of our school things.” —Elle r. As any new teacher knows, this take-and-read instructional strategy is part of surviving the first year. We borrow others’ lesson plans or scripts and try to make them our own, and we purchase our own on the internet, lured in by fancy fonts and promises of entire unit plans. Often, we are barely treading

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water, enjoying the exhilarating ride (mostly), but often not knowing when we will catch our breath or actually have time to think something through more deeply. Yet this is not just the plight of new teachers but also that of veterans who have seen the educational pendulum swing back and forth, who have seen repackaged curriculum replacing current practices, often with state or federal standards aligned with lengthy scripts to follow, and with little room to figure out how to make it work for the students we have. With every change, there’s a new curriculum to master, pull apart, and make work for our everchanging population and a pathway that seems less clear than before. Even so, I wish I’d had the guts that first year to go out on my own a little bit. To see the standards and curricular frameworks we were placed within as starting points for adaptation and personalization, rather than endpoints. To trust myself more to co-create a rich learning opportunity. To begin exploring my own identity as a teacher and recognize the impact of the educational decisions I made. The biggest barriers were confidence and time, of course, but I see now that I could have allowed myself to believe there was a better way. I didn’t have to embrace all the advice that began, “Oh, you poor first year teacher; you’ll be lucky to survive, much less succeed. Just hang on tight.” If only it had occurred to me that I might let the students add their voice to how we would learn something. If only I had thought about what would have worked for me when I was a student. If only I would have considered all the things that were left out of the standardized curriculum I was handed and whose identities were glossed over as mere footnotes in our shared experience. To a large degree, I was also a product of American elementary school culture. We hear about new ways of incorporating more freedom into our community and often think that if we only taught older students, then those ideas might work. I was no different. I was aware that there were different ways of teaching—methods that didn’t center around the teacher as controller—but I thought that since I taught fourth grade, my students were not ready for that level of freedom. They needed teacher-provided structure and a firm, controlling hand as we marched through the standards and curriculum provided from on high. I also thought it was my job to go along with what I was told. That, surely, those in power who made decisions knew more than me when it came to selecting the best curriculum, yet that is not always the case. It is easy to get detached from the reality and needs of students. It is easy to be swayed by large promises of success without recognizing the urgency of what is really needed to co-create learning opportunities. Those in power do not always know what is needed, not without open communication. And even we, the everyday teachers for our students, may not be aware of what kids actually need. While 138

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we may have textbooks that tell us what to teach, it is important to recognize that they often still give us freedom in how we teach it. And if we are told that they don’t, then we need to ask, “Why not?” The best teaching is adaptive and centered in our current reality, not in an invented reality of someone who is nowhere near our learning spaces. now, as I inch nearer to being a veteran teacher, I see the pervasiveness of the destructive thinking we tend to engage in when thinking of change. now, rather than worry about the age of my students, I worry about the pressure associated with being a middle school teacher, wishing for more freedom like I had in the elementary schools; if only we didn’t have so little time and so much to cover. I was wrong, of course. Students from a young age thrive greatly in an environment that allows them choice and ownership of learning, that allows them to hone their voice and speak up for what they need. We teachers must have the courage to push back, change our curriculum, actually try it with them, and give it time to grow.

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • • • • •

Which educational philosophy is packaged within any scripted curriculum you use? how much freedom to experiment and adapt are you given? how can dialogue be welcomed regarding curriculum? Whose identities are centered within the curriculum, and whose identities hold power? how are collaboration, adaptation, and creativity infused into the curricular approach? What happens to dissenting voices? how are students’ views and emotional responses included and considered when pursuing curricular opportunities?

Now: It’s All About the Students “Teachers should ask questions like Mrs. ripp does, like ask for feedback on what we are doing and how we feel about something.” —Aiden F.

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Moving away from a scripted curriculum or a purchased lesson plan can be a daunting task. With all the demands on our time, it is hard to make the time to plan something that you have not done before. But, as always, there is a path forward to lesson planning alongside students and making the process easier to navigate. I didn’t transform my teaching overnight. I began by doing some things a little differently and watching to see what happened. There was a lot of experimentation and hoping for the best. I would concoct an idea, present it to the students, and wait for their feedback. Then we’d adjust and keep moving forward. I didn’t label what we were doing. I didn’t know a label existed. now I understand that I was attempting (in my own awkward way) to create a more student-driven, culturally responsive learning environment and to personalize the experience for all children for them to feel like they had power in our community and in their own identity. But in the beginning, it was truly the "let’s try it and see if it works” philosophy, which is not a bad philosophy in any way and is what I encourage you to do now. Don’t worry so much about what the thing you are doing is called; don’t worry so much about finding one system that you can subscribe to. Focus instead on change and embracing that you are on a journey to become a better teacher. Focus instead on the fact that that you are trying to create a passionate learning environment, where students feel safe, valued, and trusted. So, adopt the “let’s try” approach and trust yourself.

Questions to consider while lesson planning: •

•

•

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Start at the end. Knowing what you would love for students to be able to do is an important way to discover your path forward. Once we know where we need to go, then we can backtrack to how we got there. Plan beyond school skills. Asking why this unit should matter to students beyond the skills we are expected to teach is a way to consider the outside-of-school application. how will the learning they are doing infuse their life with more knowledge? What applicable skills will they have because of this unit? It is not enough to say that they need it for the test or for next year; what human development opportunity is offered within our learning? Frame it through inquiry. What could be an overarching question that you pursue as a class throughout the learning? how can the inquiry question help us consider others’ perspectives? how can the inquiry question offer us an opportunity to bring in historical or current events?

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•

Consider choice in assessment. how can students show off their learning in multiple ways? how will choice be embedded throughout the unit and into the final assessment? how many pathways to success can you offer?

There’s something incredibly life-affirming about not being sure exactly of the direction your teaching and learning is going to take and only knowing where it will end. Often when I share this sense of exhilaration with other educators, they think either (a) that I am delusional or (b) that I must teach in a world that is not dictated by standards. While I may be guilty of being very optimistic, my teaching years are in Wisconsin, in a public school that must follow all the rules and regulations that public schools across America are following, and also one that faces the criticism and scrutiny that seems to be a constant companion in the American public school system. I am not given free reign, but I am provided with an extraordinary amount of trust and freedom because what we do together works; adaptation, reflection, and disruption are educational values that we uphold. So, when people wonder whether I have standards to meet, I can guarantee you that I have more standards than I know what to do with! Yet, that hasn’t stopped me from changing the way I teach, and it should never be a barrier. Some may feel that the standards or curriculum being cast upon us and our students stifle any form of creativity. I don’t agree. While these things certainly establish limits, I believe we must find our own freedom and creativity within them. The standards provide the floor from which our creativity can soar.

Planning a New Pathway how do I approach planning a standards-based unit centered in student need and inquiry? I always start at the end. When I look at the standards, be they federal, state, or district, I first want to know where we are going. I would love total freedom in my curricular choices (although that wasn’t always the case), but I know there are certain concepts, skills, and content that I must address. how we get there is then what needs to be planned. One year, while studying crayfish, I knew the end goals were for students to understand the crayfish life cycle and gain a deeper respect for living creatures. Those are very broad goals, which is wonderful for this type of learning.

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I asked the students how they would like to reach these goals, and through discussion they decided to create a crayfish documentary for other students to view. We decided upon a mutual timeline, and off they went down a bumpy but spectacular road. In the end, my students wrote, directed, and filmed a crayfish documentary that told me better than any test how much they knew about their science subject. And guess what? It took the same time as the lessons proposed in the curriculum, and students were engaged the whole way through. More than that, they were not simply consuming information but problem solving—a skill we’re expected to nurture and promote. With everything we teach, we should be looking for opportunities to lead our students beyond the basic standards and learning objectives to a place where they find learning in its truest sense—something born out of curiosity and wonder, something seldom found in the “have to finish this today” environment of the pacing guide. This is the core of inquiry-based learning and something that I wholeheartedly embrace. What questions do we have, what path do we need to investigate them, and how can we keep a constant current of dialogue going to adapt our pathway? I realize it’s not always possible to have our students roam so free. But even our most dictated curriculum can be manipulated in ways that allow us room to explore and create. We must know our end goals, or standards, so that we can think backwards and try to visualize the most exciting path to getting there and include the ideas of kids in the process. But how do we know what to change? Determining what to change can be overwhelming at times, especially if this is your first foray into personal lesson planning; determining what deserves our attention and what doesn’t can be paralyzing in itself as we are told to fit it all in. My best bit of advice about this: don’t plan alone if you can help it. I try to reach out to my incredible colleagues, but I also reach out to my students. I cannot count the times they have taken my so-so idea and turned it into something so much richer. Let the kids co-create the learning, make the time (and often it is less than we assume it will take) for them to consider which pathways they would like to take, and then plan how to do that together. While the ideas generated are often dependent on their ages, there is no right age for kids to be ready to co-create learning with you; what matters is how we invite them into the process, interpret their ideas, and build their reality. Don’t shoot down ideas just because you are not sure they will work. Allow students to practice their can-do attitudes and let them discuss expectations as well. When something doesn’t work, talk about why. Make the accountability authentic rather than teacher imposed.

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IDEAS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR LESSON PLANNING—MAPPING OUT THE ENTIRE YEAR OR QUARTER I like to chunk out my year into my quarters, add dates, and then start to place units after consulting with my school calendar. My middle schoolers tend to lose interest after three weeks within a unit, so most of our units take three weeks or less. By having dates in front of me, I can dream of what the learning experiences may be and establish a flow between units and what we are exploring. While my summer map is my wishful thinking, it provides me with a direction for the year; I can refer to it at any time, and then plan the lessons needed within a unit. If you switch kids throughout the year, then I would sketch out the entire time you have with them. See the example of my quarter 1 curriculum map below.

Pernille’s Map 2022–2023 Week(s)

Dates & Inquiry Question

1–2

September 1st–9th

Focus

Quarter 1—Weeks 1–10: September 1st–November 4th Inquiry Question: Who are you as a reader and writer? 3–5

September 12th–30th Inquiry Question: Whose stories carry power? how do they carry power?

6–9

October 3rd–October 26th Inquiry Question: how do our cultural connections ground us?

“First Two Weeks” leading into a personal narrative (six days)

Creative writing unit with an emphasis on narrative/oral storytelling. • Look at social identity maps? • recognize that we can create a fictional account of a real moment Read aloud unit—Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame • Social identity maps/flower power identity maps • Character autopsy or digital one-pager broken up into sections • Could we act out scenes? First speech of the year—read aloud of a poem/ picture/book/story/song? “how-to Speech” tied in with Peanut Butter and Jelly? Persuasive commercial as an end result?

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10

October 31st–november 4th Inquiry Questions: how do we captivate an audience? how do we use our bodies to demand attention?

Mini play unit—Elephant & Piggie? how to read a play with stage directions Final two days rehearse and perform Elephant & Piggie? Potential short plays?

Quarter 2—Weeks 11–19: November 1st–January 14th 11–13

november 7th–november 22nd Inquiry Questions: how do we research well? resistance—how do we resist? how is power used to stop resistance? What inspires resistance? Focus on a person or movement who resisted. how was power used, how did they try to get power, and how was power used against them?

14–17

november 28th–December 20th Inquiry Question:

Inquiry into how to research better: Teaching points • • • •

how to write an inquiry question how to search better how to check for reliability and bias how to pull vital information

Mini-presentation of found answers to inquiry question Students follow an inquiry question—unit plan

Dystopian Book Club Yahara river Writer’s Contest: Short story, poetry, editorial, cartoon

Is America a dystopia, or has it been one? 17

December 21st–24th Watching the movies

Movies: Hunger Games and Wall-E/City of Ember

18–19

January 3rd–13th

Mock Caldecott and re-establishing independent reading • Creative writing—vignettes • Yahara Writing Contest

Inquiry Question: how do we persuade?

Free choice independent reading— Short texts and picture books: • Focus on what is left out of texts—the missing narratives • how does this impact our understanding of our world? Of ourselves? • Work on MLK and what we are taught versus the whole facet of the man

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Quarter 3—Weeks 20–29: January 17th–March 24th 20–24

January 17th–February 10th

Nonfiction picture book unit

Inquiry Question: how do we write so others can understand us? 24–26th

February 13th–March 3rd Inquiry Question: What is poetry?

Poetry Unit Poetry writing and exploration—poetry collection summative redone? Figurative language

27th

March 6th–March 10th

How-to Speeches

Inquiry Question: how do we teach others? 28–29

March 13th–24th Inquiry Question: Whose voices hold power?

Some sort of two-week unit—high energy—write out scenes/flash fiction/creative writing Short story comprehension, response, and analysis Theme, setting, characterization, readers response— • Not My Dog/Don’t Ask Jack essay assignment • Short story responses

Quarter 4—Weeks 29–40: March 28th–June 9th 30–31

April 3rd–11th

Shark Tank

Inquiry Question: how do we persuade (again)?

Figuring out book partnerships for overcoming obstacles Create a product and a persuasive commercial or radio spot?

31 32–34

Forward Exam April 17th–May 5th

Overcoming obstacles—book club unit

Inquiry Question: Who gets to have the American dream? 35–36

May 8th–19th

Flash Fiction and Urban Challenge Prep

Inquiry Question: how do we tell a story so others will take notice? 37–39

May 22nd–June 6th Inquiry Question: how do you convince others?

Logical Fallacy Debates

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Things I consider when mapping out my year: •

•

•

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Frame your inquiry questions. We pursue an overall inquiry question all year: whose voices are missing, and how does that impact our understanding? This helps me break down the inquiry questions that then frame every larger unit we do to guide us beyond just the English components that we are learning or reviewing. By framing our units within inquiry, I can consider how the learning we do is connected to our lives outside of school and how the skills may be relevant in the future, and I can tie in components that otherwise might be seen as outside of an English realm. The inquiry questions also serve as part of our framework as we consider our identities, the lives of others, the history we are surrounded by, and the actions we want to take as world citizens. An example of one would be how within our 2nd round of book clubs that are focused on overcoming obstacles, we pursue the question: Who gets to have the American Dream? This question leads us into explorations about wealth inequality, the potential costs of my students’ future dreams, navigating college debt, and even how to fill in job applications. Determine flow. This idea of flow is an important one in our learning experience. Because I teach English, which entails reading, writing, speaking, spelling, grammar, and other critical literacy skills, I consider how we can shift our focus from unit to unit as a way to optimize excitement and interest. I use our inquiry questions to bridge from one unit to the next as I consider what they have already investigated and how that knowledge can be built upon. This also means I switch between modes of learning; is it more teacherdirected, student-directed, individual, or group-based? Looking at my map of the year allows me to get a bird’s eye view of what kids will experience and see where I need to change things up. Knowing the overall moods that seem to dominate certain months also helps with this; for example, my students tend to seek out more talking opportunities in December, and so I place book clubs during this month as a natural conduit for their chattiness. It means I can look at not just what but how they are learning and balance out various approaches to maximize their opportunities for independence. Reuse and throw out. Mapping out my year in the summer also offers me a chance to reflect on our previous year and consider which units I would like to reuse with students and which I would

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•

•

like to change altogether. As my years of experience grow, I have more units to choose from, as well as more directions to go in. I always ask for student feedback and provide my own feedback on all my unit plans so that I can take the voices of students into consideration as I plan for the upcoming year. If my students told me a unit did not work, then that should give me pause, not make me assume that it didn’t work because of them. I leave myself notes on my unit maps to consider what needs to change as well. Whose identities are centered? While I don’t get into minor details when I map out my year, looking at the entire year lets me see whose identities are centered in our teaching tools and deep dives, and what our inquiry questions will be. While I always leave room for current events, I also want to provide solid opportunities for students to consider themselves and the power they have in the world to create change; our inquiry questions drive this work and force me to consider whose experiences we have not considered. Be prepared for change. While I love starting my year with a suggested map of the year, it changes every year, and I am okay with that. Adaptability and staying tuned into what students need are at the center of my practice, and since I am planning our year before knowing the kids, it is inevitable that it will change once the year gets going and the unique interests and needs of the kids fill up our space.

Lesson Planning With the End in Mind When I lesson plan, I often just dream at first. Where are we and where would we like to go? What have we already accomplished? What have the students expressed interest in? Where are their strengths? Where are their areas of needs? What are they interested in? I must understand where the students need to end up so that I can see where we need to start. After some pencil-free reflection, often as I drive home, I begin to write down initial ideas using the format that follows. Often, there are pages of content or certain mini lessons that I have to find a way to deliver so that students have the background information they need to help me figure out our direction. When we reach this point, I have usually not figured out the final product(s), but I have an idea of what we could do.

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Framework for Unit Map—The Lesson Planning Process I Use Quarter and Unit Name Timeline: Inquiry Question: Standards Assessed: For this unit, I can . . . (what are the specific skills students will practice and grow in?) • I can • I can • I can Summative work—how will students be assessed? • Project 1 • Project 2 • Project 3 resources—list any resources such as mentor texts, videos, or extra learning you may have.

Date

Lesson/Focus

Resources and Work

Day 1 Fill in date List any extra components such as library or substitute

• Link to the daily slides • Focus of the lesson • Learning opportunities

• Links to handouts • Links to resources used • Any further thoughts for this day

Day 2

• Link to the daily slides • Focus of the lesson • Learning opportunities

• Links to handouts • Links to resources used • Any further thoughts for this day

Framework for Unit Map—Example of My read Aloud Unit—Unit would have links embedded Q1 Unit: First Read Aloud—The Barren Grounds Timeline: September 27th–October 27th. Inquiry Question: • how does our culture connect us to the world? Standards: • Standard 1: Determine/analyze the development of central ideas, or themes, or story elements in a text. • Standard 2: Draw and cite evidence from texts to support written analysis.

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For this unit, I can . . . • determine the differences between important and interesting events. • create a character baseline as well as use evidence and analysis to notice when a character changes. • understand, identify the types of, and analyze conflict. • understand and discuss symbols. • come up with a theme concept and statement of the book using evidence to back up an opinion. • identify and analyze story elements in a text (e.g. characters, setting, conflict, plot) • select and cite quotes and evidence from a text to support my thinking • be a part of the community as we discuss the book. Academic Vocabulary: Characterization, theme, character claim, analysis, protagonist, antagonist, character motivation, conflict, citation Summative work: • Digital One-Pager—read Aloud • Digital One-Pager—Own Book • Digital One-Pager—Enriched • Character Autopsy resources needed: • The Barren Grounds read aloud and extra copies • The Barren Grounds Slideshow • The Barren Grounds hyperdoc • Unit Map Bridge home Date

Lesson/Focus

Resources and Work

Day 1 9/27

• Slides • homophone review • revisions based on my feedback

• homophone quiz

Day 2 9/28

• Slides • revisions continued • heightened word choice— powerful adjectives etc. Where can you substitute words to bring more emotion to your writing? • Exploding the moment

• Exploding the moment in groups • homophone review they’re/their/there

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Once I have a general gist, I invite students into my plans; I have often told them where we are going and then asked them to help figure out how to get there. Sometimes, it is as simple as “We need to read and understand the following pages—how can we do this?” Other times, we may be pursuing a much larger goal (such as the ones pursued in the crayfish unit). My students never fail to come up with good ideas. I also like to have students consider different pathways for upcoming units; what types of experiences would we like to have before we reach this point in the year? This often happens a few weeks or even a month or more before we are to start a unit. I refer to my map of the year and detail different pathways for us to take and gauge interest. I ask students to consider what we have already done, what they have done in previous years, and what they feel they need. While not all kids are ready for this conversation, some are, and the more of them we have, the more comfortable everyone gets. It is my goal to have kids take natural ownership of what they would like school to provide them with. While I am not at a point yet where they can individually plan their entire year with me, we do co-create almost everything, allowing us to consider our communal and individual needs. The student perspective is invaluable to me. After all, they are the ones who must endure whichever requirements we design and figure out how to show what they have learned. Why not let them shape the learning opportunities themselves and contribute ideas about the best ways to get where we are going? There is also nothing wrong with leaving things a bit open-ended, to tell students what the standard says and then ask them to show their mastery. When my middle school students seem particularly burnt out, this is often the approach I take: I tell them what mastery they need to show and then offer it to them as a challenge. Show me you have mastered it by a certain date—how can you do this?

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “Students should have a voice in their education because I think that students might have an idea that will help other students learn more.” —Mayia K.

Start at the end. Ask yourself where you need to arrive by lesson’s end or to master a standard, and then figure out the essential knowledge that students should uncover along the way. Keep your answers front and center throughout

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the process so that you know whether the path your learning community is taking is getting you there. Include your colleagues in the conversation as well, share your ideas, be open to others, and find the time to learn from each other. I love working with other educators, and so I seek out as many opportunities as I can; this includes online colleagues as well. Whenever I start to plan a new unit, I turn to my social network on Twitter and Facebook and ask if others have done similar units or can share resources. Learning from others and sharing my own resources are two of the many reasons I love being connected beyond my local circle. I cannot count how many times a unit has been strengthened or even fundamentally changed because of the genius of educators around the world. how might you connect with others? Seek out a social media platform that makes sense to you and join the conversation. Whichever platform it is, ask questions, leave comments, engage in dialogue, and try ideas. It can seem daunting and awkward at first, much like any real-life social event, but even just hanging out in educator spaces online can give you a lot of insight. Ask the students as you plan. how would they like to learn something? Again, in the beginning it will take some time to have these types of discussions. Often, students are not used to being asked to think this way, and they may not know how to respond. Model the conversation and then take their ideas into account. There will always be something you can use. One of the goals of school is to create citizens who think critically about the world, so offering them this embedded opportunity within their own learning is a powerful indicator of how you value their ideas and the types of conversations you would like to infuse throughout your time with them. given the repeated opportunity, students will get better at doing this over time. Let them think about it. Just as you need to think about lessons, it’s okay to give them some “brain time” to reflect on what they would like to do. Start the discussions weeks in advance so that their ideas, and yours, can marinate before decisions need to be made. This also offers us a chance to take the temperature of the current learning: what are they loving, what are they not? Offering embedded discussion opportunities signals power-sharing, something that is vital for kids in order to have a chance to feel safe in our spaces. Give it time. Both you and your students need time. Sometimes, I get dejected when an idea doesn’t work right away, but later I realize that it can work, or it just needs tweaking. This shared planning of the learning experience may be a completely new process to you or your students, so I think it is vital to dedicate enough class time to get it started well. Plant the seeds of ownership early. Throughout the first week of school, I am already encouraging students to speak up and shape our classroom experience. By promoting this early on, students get used to being a part of the

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discussion and have an easier time migrating from (for example) a discussion of community expectations to more traditional curriculum. Be prepared for faltering and failure. Even with the best intentions, and even after careful discussion and planning, sometimes lessons do not work. Be prepared in case the discussion or project does not go where it needs to and consider your next step; do you consider this misadventure a learning opportunity in itself, or do you try to steer it back before it is too late? If you find out too late, then make it into a learning opportunity. In our classroom, when something doesn’t go as we had hoped, we always reconvene and pick it apart. Some of our best learning moments come from these student-led but teacherguided discussions. Don’t despair over perceived failure; even the most epic implosions have slivers of genius that can be salvaged. You do not always have to throw everything out when something doesn’t work. Allow the ideas to simmer for a while and then see what is worth keeping. Know your standards. You should pick them apart to make sure you are covering them, so even though they may seem like the dullest reading you could possibly find, you should still be familiar with them. Yet it is bigger than the Common Core or other big standards. In my seventh-grade classroom, we have nine English-centered standards (based on the Common Core) to master for the year. We discuss them, we dissect them, and we reflect on them for the kids to have an idea of how they are expected to grow in seventh grade. They are a part of our discussions and can thus evolve in a way that makes sense for our learners. Be open. Your classroom learning environment may work in a different way than others around you, so be open to discussion. In fact, when it comes to home adults and administrators, you should be initiating the conversation. It is always much easier to gain understanding and acceptance for a different approach if others understand your pathway and can see the broader picture. Give students an opportunity for leadership. You do not have to be the expert, and often, we are not. While we may know how to teach better than our students, they are ultimately the experts on themselves, no matter how well we know them. So how can that expertise be utilized to increase engagement? Who can teach certain concepts? Who can lead learning opportunities for their peers? Offer natural leadership opportunities through the curriculum, such as having students plan lessons for each other. I have done this many times in a variety of ways. Know their real interests. We are often told to tap into students’ interests and then teach according to them, and while that is a solid tip, it should go far beyond just knowing what kids like and dislike and then planting those things into our curriculum. Offering students real ways to showcase what they care about to teach others is an approach that provides a natural way to strengthen

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our community as well as our appreciation of one another. I have taken a variety of approaches from small mini units, such as how-to speeches to having students plan all of our vocabulary work for the year. What matters most is that the right amount of discussion and support is offered as well as navigating unforeseen obstacles if they arise.

UTILIZING HOW-TO SPEECHES TO BUILD COMMUNITY One of my favorite ways to uncover hidden talents in our classroom is by asking students to do a how-to speech. Every time I have done them, I am impressed with all the skills that kids have as well as how they try to teach each other. The exploration is also a short one with very little prep work needed, and it works well for when you have those few extra days before a vacation or at the end of a quarter/trimester (which do sometimes happen but not often). The concept is simple: students teach their class how to do something within a five-minute time span. Their demonstration can be live or recorded depending on needs, and they can either demonstrate it or walk us through it. A few days of preparation are given in class as students brainstorm their teaching methods and the steps needed, and as they check in with me about their plan. They can show us how to do something or teach us how to do something. Topics have ranged in the past from cooking, tying shoelaces, winning at tic-tac-toe, hairdos, nails, wrestling moves, dance moves, and so many other things. Public speaking skills are something we nurture and develop all year; it is quite nerve-racking for a lot of scholars to speak in front of their peers, but we also see a lot of growth. We try to make space for many different options of how to find success, especially because so many have anxiety or extra nerves when it comes to getting up in front of peers. This is not the first speech they will do, nor is it their last. We also have explicit discussions of how to receive one another as teachers and how to provide positive reinforcement. I remind students that it is my job, not theirs, to evaluate, and that their main goal is to offer positive affirmation as a way to welcome each other into our space as teachers. It is an easy unit to plan and prepare for, but one that carries weight as we discover more about each other.

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While the standards may change based on where you are and what you teach, in the end, we will always have some form of standards or curricular expectations to teach to. What we can do as teachers is to pull those standards apart, find our own essence as a teacher, and then put them back together throughout the year with our students in a meaningful way. While we may feel that education is always changing, remember also to get excited about some of those changes, much like we get excited at the beginning of a new year. Don’t confuse that excitement for the new with the need to throw everything “old” out. In this process of change, of infusing passion into your classroom again, allow yourself to keep the tried and true. To keep the “you” in the new. To keep what has worked as well. Although new ideas seem like they will fix everything, or at the very least make it all even better, your old ideas also still have value. Although new is shiny, exciting, and oh-so tantalizing, some of our developed thoughts and ideas still work. This is not to say that new is always bad, but I think we get caught up in wanting to change everything at the start of every year or with every new book we read, rather than focusing on a few things. It seems we make these newyear resolutions about how this will be the year when we will finally become a perfect teacher, and then forget to give ourselves a break. We tend to forget that to create new habits takes a lot of work and takes a lot of energy, and that we must also preserve ourselves in the crazy life as educators. So go ahead: get excited, dream up the new, but don’t forget about the old things that worked, about the old ideas that were new once. Some will still work. Parts of you will still work, even as you start a new way of teaching.

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Chapter 8 Reflection and Further Planning for Lesson Planning with Students What is one tangible step you can take to lesson-plan alongside students? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: We often do our planning by ourselves, late at night or early in the morning, as we try to get as much done with the little time we have before the rest of the world interrupts our work. I did it for years myself, often at 5:30 AM when my mind was the freshest and my house was the quietest. As educators we adapt to the extreme. We find little pockets of time to do a sometimes impossible-feeling job. Planning on our own time is simply what we do because during our preparation time, we are so often navigating the urgent needs that are in front of us rather than preparation work. But when we can shift part of the planning, the dreaming, and the mapping into our class time, we not only release some of the time we have to use outside of class in order to teach well, but we also create an opportunity for the children in our care to see what happens when adults actually listen and use their ideas. This is a powerful experience for any child to have and one that often provides children with the desire to seek out more opportunities to be heard. It is one more subtle or not-so-subtle way that we can show children that their ideas and truths matter and that together we are stronger. What is a larger step you would like to take next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? how can you implement it?

Consider this: I would never go back to a time where students are not included in my unit planning. repeatedly, children have transformed my “just-fine” plans into something so much more. I have seen the long-lasting effects of planning with your students, and I have become comfortable with my own creative limitations and boundaries. I know I am better when I work with others; I know that our students have so much to offer. It also gets

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easier; once students have tried it a few times with you, it often becomes second nature for them not only to move through the planning process with you but also to search out other opportunities to change the learning experience. This is when it truly gets magical. Don’t get scared to share the power with students; instead, invite their voices in and show them what integrated collaboration can really become. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

Consider this: So many of us know that planning with a colleague or team can be a powerful experience, and yet so many of us also know that sometimes planning with others means an outright dismissal of our values and ideas. So how do we invite a collaborative atmosphere where there is room for differing values, differing ideas, and even differing methodologies? having conversational agreements and agendas can help a lot. Entering a space fully focused on the task at hand, asking questions that are directed at the ideas and not the person presenting the idea, and framing your questions as wonderings can work wonders for a collaborative discussion. But it is also okay not to have the same lessons planned; we can still be aligned in our educational outcomes through a variety of experiences. Too often we assume that for no educational lottery to happen, we must be fully aligned, and yet that often dismisses the art of each individual teaching style. So, when you sit down to collaborate, keep flexibility and personalization at the forefront. Present your best ideas and be open to others. Create lesson plans together and leave some things up for interpretation. Create common goals and values and measure your lesson plans against those. And don’t stop the collaboration just because the year gets busier; continue to protect that time for the work to happen.

Reference Watson, A. (2022, January 28). Textbook publishing revenue in the U.S. 2020. Statista. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.statista.com/statistics/185042/us-publishingrevenue-from-textbooks-since-2005/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20U.S.%20 book,frame%20from%202010%20to%202020

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Changing Your homework and Worksheet routine

“Students should not have homework unless they need it. When a student does not understand or needs more practice, this is the time to assign individualized homework.” —Kyle U.

As I prepared my first Orientation Day slideshow as a new teacher, I knew I had to fill in homework expectations, including how much time students and home adults should commit to every night. Since it was my first year, I had no idea what the curriculum expectations were, so I relied on the old formula of 10 minutes times the grade of the child: fourth graders would have a minimum of 40 minutes of homework every night. now, what my brain should have thought was, “Wait a minute Pernille, 40  minutes of homework a night?! Plus 20 minutes of expected reading with parent initials? And a book report every six weeks? And math tests every three weeks?” not to mention science and social studies quizzes, which really are tests with a friendlier name, plus don’t get me started on the spelling quizzes as well. I didn’t think those thoughts, and the rest, as they say, is history. My fourthgrade students had homework coming out of both ears because that is what I thought teachers did—assign work. Forty minutes seemed fair and reasonable, and why shouldn’t it be? Aren’t we in the business of making students accountable and responsible? Aren’t we teaching them how to be effective workers and preparing them for the real world? The problem? homework is not thoughtful when you just assign it to check off a box or follow a guideline for how many minutes students should work outside of school. homework often becomes a brainless act of repetition, the incessant chore, not the metacognitive contemplation that we all should be striving for. homework is also inherently unequal; those who find success and do it are those who have outside learning spaces that are conducive to doing it. DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-10

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I know we are trying to raise children who are ready to take on the responsibilities that adulthood brings, but is homework really the only way we can do this? Can we not accomplish those same goals of responsibility, time management, and good work habits without an insane amount of homework? Can we consider whether we have the right to infringe on students’ lives outside of class up to an hour or more every night? haven’t students already given us seven to eight hours of work during the day? There is a better way.

Then: I Think I Worksheeted Them to Death “Teachers should not assign homework because we already learn enough in class.” —Zack D.

I never used to hate homework. Worksheets and assignments to be completed at home were just a part of teaching. You lecture, you have students participate by raising their hands to supply an answer, and then you assign the homework. Every class gets its own—weekends mean I can assign more, and vacations are meant for longer projects. The more free time they have, the more time they have to work. As a child, I rebelled against homework, often forgetting or simply not caring to do the task assigned. Yet when I became a teacher, I assigned it almost every day. I gave little thought to whether students could accurately accomplish it. I simply mandated it because I thought I had to. In fact, on birthdays, students would receive a “no homework” pass that they could use for one assignment that had to be approved by me. They were ecstatic, and that should have been a huge clue. One night I told my husband that I knew exactly which kids would hand in their assignment with some “help” from their parents, which kids would hand in something half finished, and which kids would never hand it in at all, regardless of any threats or rewards I threw in their direction. his pointed look told me everything I already knew; something wasn’t right. homework was meant to be about practice and gaining proficiency, yet my students abhorred most of it. They either went through the motions to complete it or offered creative reasons why they hadn’t, much like I did myself as a child. Upon further reflection, I also knew which students would not be able to complete the work regardless of their intentions or how much help I gave them at school; they simply did not have the skills developed or resources needed to finish it outside of class. homework completion and the punishments and

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rewards tied to it were a part of the great divide in my classroom—another rote requirement that kept us from becoming a united group of invested learners.

My Ahas About Homework Despite these new understandings, giving up homework seemed somehow irresponsible. It was expected of me, part of the unspoken rules of teaching and part of the traditional framework for successful learning that we pass on from veteran teacher to new teacher. With the expectation to cover more content, to dig deeper, and to show off learning in more extensive ways, we often do not have enough time to do all the work in class. rather than push back against the ever-increasing demands on our time, we shift the burden of the work upon the students. After all, their job is to go to school, so surely they understand the necessary evil of homework; how else will we prepare them for the real world? home adults expect it as well and often use their own notion of what a successful educational experience looked like for them to demand homework. I was not sure I had the courage to stop the assignments. Then I realized several things: •

homework is often an excuse to catch up on the work we just don’t get to in class, which certainly had been part of my teaching method. When teachers do this, do we hope students will just figure that stuff out? If extended lectures are the source of our homework assignments, then we need to look at how we spend the time we have with students. If we know the goal of the lesson, we need to get to it.

Ask yourself: how much time do I spend talking at students versus the time they have for work? •

Another realization had to do with the idea that most homework is meant to be practice. Some kids will take five minutes to do it. That means they are already secure in the concept. Some will take 30 minutes with adult help. That may or may not be meaningful. Others will never finish because they’re not prepared to practice alone. If we do not equip a student with the knowledge and confidence needed to complete the homework, then we should not assign it. We can certainly differentiate the work, but why send it home in the first place if few of our students will benefit from it?

Ask yourself: who is really ready for the practice, who does not need it, and who needs further support? Then make that time within class instead of outside of school. •

homework steals time from childhood for no good reason. While the homework debate has raged for decades, what is often measured in studies

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that support homework is the quantity given and not the quality of it. This means we are not measuring homework’s impact in a way that moves us further in the debate. As Joe Pinsker wrote in his article for the Atlantic, While experts generally agree that the substance of an assignment matters greatly (and that a lot of homework is uninspiring busywork), there isn’t a catchall rule for what’s best—the answer is often specific to a certain curriculum or even an individual student. (Pinsker, 2019)

Ask yourself: what deeper-level thinking and activities is our homework asking students to engage with? •

At the elementary levels, most homework does not boost achievement. As Alfie Kohn writes, . . . no research has ever found a benefit to assigning homework (of any kind or in any amount) in elementary school. In fact, there isn’t even a positive correlation between, on the one hand, having younger children do some homework (vs. none), or more (vs. less), and, on the other hand, any measure of achievement. (Strauss, 2021)

•

And the research is not much better for older kids either, with only a slight correlation between academic achievement and homework that fades after 60 to 90 minutes of it (nierenberg, 2016). The only homework that consistently provides positive results is engaging in reading (nierenberg, 2016).

Ask yourself: what academic gains are you seeing from the homework you assign? •

I started to see homework for what it really was: a deterrent for children to pursue their lives outside of school, to rest and explore their own interests. And at what cost? We ask students to do their very best for the seven-plus hours we have them within our schoolhouse walls, and then we ask for another hour or more after they leave us. Couple that with lengthy school bus rides in America, and there simply is not much time left for a kid to be a kid. And we wonder why the kids are exhausted all the time.

Ask yourself: how much free time is left after kids get home from school and they do their homework?

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Questions to ask students regarding homework practices: • • • • •

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how much time do you spend outside of school doing homework? how much support do you typically need to do your homework? Does homework help you understand our learning better? If you could make changes to our homework, what would those be? What does homework teach you?

Instead of assigning more work for them, I began to think, and give them the time to explore, read, play, or just relax. Let them wind down from the imposed rigor of school so that perhaps they’ll return excited rather than exhausted. Why not cherish that which is childhood? It is only lived once, and there will be plenty of time later for worksheets and other inane tasks imposed on us by adults.

Ask yourself: what might homework assignments be stopping kids from doing? •

Another limitation of most homework is that it does not always fit the learning. As I progressed toward more student-created learning explorations, I quickly realized that most worksheets (a frequent homework task) had no place in my classroom. Simply said, not all skills that are taught transfer onto paper well, particularly in younger grades. Math can lend itself well to repeated practice, but why assign three pages if student understanding can be accomplished through a few problems?

Ask yourself: does it really afford students a way to learn or demonstrate their learning that could not be accomplished within the school day? •

There were predictable patterns of who found success within homework and who didn’t. And those patterns followed what I witnessed in our classroom space as well. The kids who were in a place to show up fully ready and able to invest completely in our classroom time had no problem finishing the work; those who had obstacles to the learning often could not. And while choice and time usage were two factors that played into success rate, those were not the only components that played a role. Providing more specific worktime in class meant that I could remove some of the obstacles that otherwise may hinder success.

Ask yourself: what are my predictable patterns? •

There are myriad shades of homework. Some teachers have students venture into their communities as an extension of classroom studies. Many others ask

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students to read outside of school. These purposeful activities are not what I fight against; what I oppose is homework for the sake of homework—homework as a habit without differentiation. If we decide students should have assignments outside of school, our kids should be engaging in meaningful learning experiences that will help them grow not just as learners, but as people. Ask yourself: what are the major reasons I assign homework?

TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • •

how much time do students on average spend on schoolwork for all their subject areas outside of school hours? What are the predictable patterns when it comes to who successfully completes their homework and who does not? Does the homework assigned provide any new information that will help you teach better? how can time be rearranged or utilized more efficiently in class to create opportunities for worktime?

Now: Explore, Create, Dream, and Fail “I believe that in-school work is important, but I also think some kids might need a little more practice than others. On the other hand, we are in school for about seven hours and I feel that the extra free time in the afternoons when we would be doing our homework we could be using that time with our families.” —Isabel O. I once believed that homework taught time management and responsibility and accurately showed what students knew. Now I know that homework can be done by home adults, that the child who faces obstacles in class will still have some of those obstacles after school, and that I have no right to take more of my students’ time. Time management, responsibility, and practice can be taught in school if we plan for it in our curriculum and set up effective learning environments. When we move away from the “drill and

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kill” approach to teaching, we should also move away from the traditional homework assignment. Yet, the path to a homework-free classroom is not clear cut. Even though I made the decision several years ago to eliminate most of my homework, doing so in our test-obsessed, standards-driven educational environment proved difficult. The idea makes great sense on paper, and I wish I could say that my students have no homework whatsoever, but that would not be the truth. They have limited homework because there are some things I have not figured out how to get around just yet. nevertheless, my focus on limiting homework for the past many years has given me some valuable insight and helped me sharpen my practice. And the biggest insight has come from the students themselves, as always.

How I Limit Homework Since becoming a middle school teacher in a district that does not tie final grades with, nor require homework, it has been interesting to see what can happen to the whole notion of homework. There seems to be a distinct difference in how students tackle homework; some do it to the best of their ability, diligently working through everything we ask them to do; some rush through it and hand it in, never to look at it again, even though I teach in a district with a re-take policy in place; and, finally, you have those that will never do it, no matter how much they need the practice. So basically, even in a district where homework is only viewed as practice and is not used to punish students, the same problems surround it. While I continue to ask my students to read two hours a week outside of English, my homework philosophy still holds: work hard in our classroom time together and you should have to spend minimal time on English outside of school. Waste your time and the work you have not completed now has to be done at a different time. This means that I have students with homework loads, while others may not have anything. I make sure that those students who are struggling have my support in class, during study hall, or other times; I modify as needed, and I try to provide the practice that students need within class. Yes, it is hard when we are constantly told to cover more content, go deeper in learning, and provide new ways to show off understanding within our limited time. Yes, sometimes I wish I could tell students just to do it at home and come to school prepared to discuss. And yet, I would never go back to assigning the homework I used to. My students know I work hard to keep English to the time we have every day, so they work hard in return.

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Our curriculum load is heavy and can seem near impossible to get through in the time available, so I battle the homework issue every day. I am getting better every year, though, as I become wiser about how my students can navigate the learning goals and show me they have mastered them in the least amount of time necessary. I hardly ever use worksheets outside of class. If we must show mastery, we do it within class time as much as we can, and we do much more project-based learning with student- and teacher-determined learning goals. I do not believe that homework is the best way we can teach students responsibility or independent work skills. But to eliminate or reduce it, you must be willing to pull apart your curriculum, pull apart your expectations of what a finished product looks like, and discover what your students can actually accomplish. not easy, but worth it in the end.

Since homework is a mainstay of school, I decided I would ask my students an innocent question: “Should teachers assign homework? Why or why not?” Based on my own philosophical beliefs, I thought the answer would be a resounding no, yet my students surprised me with their nuanced answers. It is not that they are against all homework; they simply ask that teachers keep a few things in mind before they assign it. They wish teachers knew just how busy they are. That we ask them to live balanced lives that involve sports, family, friends, and sleeping, yet assign hours of work that pushes their bedtime later and later. They cannot fit everything in, even though they try. They wish teachers knew just how stressed they are. That they feel like our expectations are always through the roof, but sometimes they are bound to mess up, and can we make that okay as well? Can it be okay to forget occasionally or to not get it all right? They wish teachers knew that they don’t always need the practice. That homework should be for the kids that don’t quite get it, not an assumed need for everyone, and that those that really don’t get it won’t get it even after they do the homework. That they need help in school instead. They wish teachers knew how much we all assign. That we spoke to one another more so that we see that our class may not assign a lot, but when you add each class together, it is now hours of work, not just a little bit of time.

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They wish teachers knew that they have worked really hard in school and wish they could have a break. That homework on some days is okay but it doesn’t need to be every day. nor does it need to be over the holidays. That they understand we have a lot to cover, but can students work hard in school in exchange for time off from school? Finally, they wish teachers actually did their own homework. That they tried the assignments so they could see how difficult or confusing they may be. That they worked through it with kids, not in a pretend way, but really, and then shared their own learning with students. That teachers truly felt what it means to live the life of a student, along with the pressure of homework, to understand why homework continues to be a problem for some. Please keep the wishes of my students, and I am sure many students, in mind as you look for ways you can change your own homework practice.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “I think that the only time we should get homework is if we didn’t use our time wisely and didn’t get it done.” —Maiya K.

Eliminating or limiting homework can be a frightening endeavor. We’re going up against one of the most institutionalized and ingrained parts of our educational system, one that is often upheld as a sign of a school’s success. Yet, as many teachers worldwide have shown, it is not impossible. reducing or eliminating homework is very much dependent on an individual teacher’s situation. here are my suggestions about how to get started: 1 Do your research first. If you plan on being the only teacher (or one of a few) not to assign homework, you must know your reasons why. A great place to start is with Alfie Kohn’s book, The Homework Myth; it contains much of the relevant research needed for you to make your stand. Also do some soul searching. My decision to limit homework was not just based on my own personal belief about the sanctity of family time and student

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accomplishment but was also propelled by the research that indicates it makes no difference in achievement. Start a conversation with your administrators. If they are not on-board with you, it is going to be an uphill battle. Make sure that you are not in violation of policy. Transparency is key. Start the conversation so that they can understand and approve your plan. Some administrators or home adults will not understand why homework is generally not worthwhile; after all, they suffered through it just fine. Others will despise it more than I do. The point is this: we need to communicate what we are doing and why we are doing it; otherwise, others may think you are simply being lazy or crazy and press for more. Ask to pilot it if they are in doubt; be upfront with how you will still teach deeply with the time you have. Decide how else students can show off their learning. This goes hand-inhand with moving toward a more student-directed/personalized learning environment, as well as being project-based; worksheets mostly disappear in classrooms that promote this type of learning. There are many ways to assess student learning that can work within the time constraints of the day—and not just testing. In a classroom with limited homework, there must be a lot of talking. On any given day, I spend most of my time in conversation with students about their learning. Often our conversations allow me to make assessments based on what they are mastering and what they are still struggling with. I can adjust my teaching to fit their needs. If I find that limited homework is necessary, I have a lot of knowledge about what and why. Remove all punishment aspects from homework. It is important to move away from using homework to control students and realize that if homework is indeed for practice purposes, then it should not be graded, and students should not be punished if it is not completed. Whole districts, such as the Oregon School District in Wisconsin, USA, where I taught for many years, have implemented homework policies where it is practice, not to be tied in with a final grade, meaning it is actually possible to do. Change the grading on homework. While giving up grading is discussed more thoroughly in Chapter 10, one way to compromise in a school culture that dictates homework is to remove or change the grading aspect. If you are creating learning opportunities that are more handson, this step should be a natural extension. homework should be used to meet instructional needs, not just to measure student accomplishments, but to have students self-assess, to show them strengths and growth

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opportunities, and to use what they have worked on as a way for them to set goals for their learning. There are many ways that homework can be used to start a conversation about successes and needs beyond just offering up a grade. Move away from a snapshot mentality. Most homework (like tests) is used as a snapshot of what the student knows at that moment in time. In a more student-centered classroom, we should focus on overall knowledge and intellectual growth, not snapshots. Strive to create learning opportunities that show growth over time as well as student ownership. Also, allowing for re-takes when children need another chance to do the work is vital to their progression as learners. And remember that the re-takes can be in the shape of a conversation rather than a project. Or homework. You can limit the time frame of the re-do/re-take to two weeks, as an example, so that students have a sense of when they should show off their growth. Purge the worksheets. This is my most literal suggestion. I threw away most of my worksheets and refused (to myself) to make more copies of them. This way, I must come up with a different way to assess rather than just opening up my file cabinet at the last minute. While we still use loose paper as part of our learning, these are often note catchers so that we can discuss something or move deeper into a topic. But the fill-and-drill kind of worksheets are no longer a presence in our space. Involve home adults. Too often, decisions regarding students are made without the input of home adults. Be upfront about your decision to cut or limit homework, and then explain why. Invite home adults to question and discuss this with you at conferences, and always keep an open line of communication regarding this or any other policy you may have. Give it time and allow yourself leeway. Perhaps you cannot get as much eliminated as you had envisioned, but that does not mean you have failed. It simply means it is a work in progress, so continue to invest the time in cutting homework back. Get connected. right away. You are not the only one trying this, I promise, so connect with others attempting to do it as well. get online and find colleagues on whichever social media site you gravitate toward and ask them questions. Find a colleague locally that shares some of the same thoughts. I share globally about my quest to give up homework because I want to show others that it is possible. Use other people as your guiding posts and inspiration; you will be able to add much more to the conversation than you might think.

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Other steps to change your homework practice: •

•

•

•

•

Involve your team. Whether at the grade level or the department level, starting a conversation about the evolving thoughts and changes you are implementing is often a good idea. While some may not understand, it is often better to start the conversation than wait until someone finds out. Who knows, someone else may be considering the same. If it is scary, start small. Perhaps you start with one unit, one month, or one class and then see how it goes. Is the learning still as deep as it should be? how are students reacting? Consider what your in-class worktime will look like. Consider the flow of your teaching; when does it make sense for students to work for a while so you can check in with them? I often teach in chunks of time so that students have pockets of worktime throughout our time together; it helps them stay motivated and for me to check in with as many kids as possible. Consider your patterns. When do you tend to have a lot of homework assigned? Why are some units or classes more homework heavy? What can that look like instead? Walking through your workloads can help you find pockets where change is more easily embedded. Be ready to adapt. Perhaps your grand vision didn’t work. Perhaps you are receiving pushback you hadn’t considered. Even if you cannot eliminate all homework, simply thinking through your homework assignments, your time usage, and how you support students is beneficial for the kids in your care and for yourself. Make it work for you and take this moment as a chance to reflect on practices and policies that have often been passed on through traditions and well-meaning advice. Evolving as a teacher is one of the best kinds of professional development we can work through.

In the end, if you must assign homework, please only do so when it is meaningful, relevant, and doable for the child. It should not be assigned because we feel the need to cover more material. It should not be assigned when we know a child will struggle through it. It should not be assigned over vacations, nor between grade levels. homework should be limited to

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when a child truly needs the practice, can do it, and will grow from it, and even then, we must be selective in what we assign. The biggest thing I have learned in my struggles with homework and trying to limit it is that it is pervasive in most cultures, so as parents and teachers, we must fight it when our child or students do not need it. We must remember that all children are on different learning journeys and thus do not need the same things. We know this innately with our curriculum; it is time we extend that to our homework practices.

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Chapter 9 Reflection and Further Planning for Reducing or Restructuring Homework What is one tangible step you can take to reduce homework? What is a larger step you would like to take next? What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? how can you implement them?

Consider this: Much like in Chapter 7, this chapter is chock full of opportunities for reflection and change. rather than ask you to consider even more things, I encourage you to make time to really think your homework routines through and involve your students in the process. how do they feel about what is assigned to them? how do they wish your policy and their experience could change?

References nierenberg, C. (2016). nix homework to help students? What the Science says. Yahoo! News. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.yahoo.com/news/nix-homeworkhelp-students-science-says-155147163.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=ahr0 chM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmnvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAhW6A4O99K1_ vZrmIfB4k545QYFLOkA8blYrs7vCqBaCnfagQUgJXjPeqbir9XeqFXmYa67eLu Cehag129POzL4inrdsv3le8BngtvxqIm5wy3Lqyzelyrh5vjh29UOgSKgsJPjI8UkfC n9rZapnEnDv_Eo12shhK8tmhfhrn9eW Pinsker, J. (2019, March 28). The cult of homework. The Atlantic. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2019/03/homeworkresearch-how-much/585889/ Strauss, V. (2021, november 30). homework: An unnecessary evil? .  .  . surprising findings from new research. The Washington Post. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/26/homeworkan-unnecessary-evil-surprising-findings-from-new-research/

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Moving to Authentic Assessments

“I know I’m better than the letter grades teachers give me.” —David B.

Four times a year, I have a mini breakdown. It always begins when I am about to start report cards. Being a teacher who doesn’t believe in grades for assessment but would rather do feedback, I always struggle. How do I put into words all the experiences that I have seen my students have in in the last few months? How do I quantify how they have grown? There just seem to be so many things a report card doesn’t tell us, even if it is standards-based. Grading doesn’t tell the story of the child who has worked hard every day yet has made little academic progress. It doesn’t tell the story of the boy who hated to read and now has read two books this month. Or the story of the child who thinks she is the world’s worst writer but did an assignment all on her own. Or the girl who struggles with self-esteem and thus doesn’t want to shine a light on herself even though she should. Or the child who knows everything there is about DNA but doesn’t know his letter sounds. It doesn’t tell the story of so many children who know more than their current situation lets them show. Or even the story of the teacher who tries every day to get these kids to believe in themselves and their ability to change the world. Which grade do I assign all of that?

DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-11

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Then: I Was Queen of the F “Grades don’t say how much I learned, it is just an opinion. People can’t say how much I learned and how hard I tried because I am the only one who knows that.” —Brooke s.

I used to be obsessed with grading. I was the queen of the F. If students weren’t handing in their homework, I whipped out my trusty calculator and showed them exactly what would happen to their grade average if they didn’t hand it in. If students weren’t paying attention, I repeated my message: you will do poorly on the test and get a big fat F that will be so, so hard to overcome. What if a child didn’t behave? Just another great opportunity to drop the F-bomb. My system of classroom management was not going to allow a disrespectful child to get good grades in my room. Good grades were reserved for those who knew how to “do school” well—to sit down, be quiet, be good students much like the decades-old education system intended. Compliance equated success—grades and the outcomes that followed were a powerful motivator for some, but for others, they were another reason to sink further into depression, disengagement, or even outright hostility toward school. The dreaded 60% nipped at my students’ heels, just waiting to swallow them up if they ever slowed down in our academic race. We had things to do, worksheets to complete, and projects to hand in. Get on it, or that F is coming for you. All this, even though I have waged a personal battle with grades all my life—from the days when I was a kid who “never applied herself” to an anxious college overachiever whose only goal was to get a 4.0 and make up for all those wasted years. I could never get my grades to fit me. They never showed my interests, my smarts, or my deficits. They were always just arbitrary numbers assigned to me based on how well I could “do school.” The years I held my tongue, smiled when expected, and was seen as a rule follower who did all her work, I got better grades. The years I pushed back, the good grades were harder to achieve, and I was often told that I just needed to work a little harder when really what they meant was for me to conform a little more. you would think, therefore, that early in my teaching career, I would have closely questioned traditional grading practices. But much like the other systems we learn in teacher college, I adopted the practice of most teachers who came before me: figure out your grading scale and then use it every chance you get.

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As a new teacher, I fiddled, I muddled, and I tweaked. My carefully crafted rubric would tell me students deserved a particular grade, and yet it sometimes broke my heart to give it to them. My rubric didn’t care whether children had done the work all on their own, or whether this was the first writing assignment they’d ever managed to finish. Nor did it care whether a child understood something or simply did not have enough time to finish. Why was I surprised when the averages and grades I came up with never seemed to tell the story of my students’ learning lives? They finished a product, received their grade, and we moved on. The grade meant we were done. I never used the grade as an opportunity to discuss their knowledge; we would do that at conference time. In the end, grading degrades. A poor grade tells children that no matter how hard they worked, if that effort does not fit into the teacher’s rubric, or vision, or plan for them, then they just wasted their time. In the gradesdriven classroom, students learn that their worth is only tied to what they can achieve by following a carefully (or not) determined pathway to success. Grades tell students that even though they devour their books and can’t wait to talk to somebody about them, when they forget to include the title and author on a book report, they must not be A+ readers. Grading tells students that they may have way too much responsibility at the age of 10, but that I don’t care whether they’re too tired today to do their best work. As educators, we live the many negative side effects of traditional grading and the frequent injustice it represents. We see the defeat in students’ eyes when they don’t get the grade they had hoped for. We see it at conferences when home adults zero in on the bad grades, ignoring all the comments we so meticulously planted on the report card. We see it in the kids who show off their top grades yet have no real idea of why they received them or what they indicate. The learning we have planned becomes nothing but a vehicle to produce a grade, not something to expand upon, ponder over, or get intrinsic satisfaction from accomplishing. The impact of grades on mental health is well documented—one survey involving 54,000 high school students conducted by stanford university’s Challenge success found that “76% of students reported that they always or often worried about the possibility of not doing well in school” (Feldman, 2020). I see this worry play out in middle school as well when students tell me they worked so hard and yet it was not enough. When I came to all these conclusions, I decided to deemphasize grading as much as I could within the public school system.

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TIME TO REFLECT Take a moment to check in with yourself, considering the following: • • • • •

Are you grading behaviors, choices, or knowledge? How do you know? How do students share control over their assessment and grades? How do grades shape children’s perception of themselves? How much weight do your grades carry, not just academically, but socially? How much flexibility is there in your grading practice?

Now: Deemphasizing Grades & Sharing Ownership “What does a grade tell me about myself? sometimes it says a lot, other times nothing. I feel sometimes if people/teachers look at some grades, they might get the wrong idea about me.” —Payton u.

I believed that grades were an accurate measure of learning. Now, I know that they are subjective and misleading at best, detrimental to learning at their worst. yet quitting or deemphasizing grades to some means quitting expectations, and I knew I had to fight that notion both within the system but also within myself if I was going to make a permanent change. When I quit emphasizing letter grades or percentages on student papers, I did not lower my expectations; in fact, quite the opposite happened. By removing letter grades from the final product, it ceased being exactly that: final. Now, when an assignment is handed in, my students know it may not be done. It is no longer seen as an end product, but instead as another potential steppingstone in our learning journey. By removing the focus from the final grade, we have refocused our conversations on their growth. By assessing projects together, we understand each other’s expectations and obstacles better. By giving students a chance to step away for a time and then come back to what they are working on, we allow them to freshen their perspective and renew their pursuit of showcasing more of their learning.

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By deemphasizing grades and final outcomes, we invite students into shared ownership of their learning, which often results in a deeper commitment and understanding of why we are doing what we are doing. Asking students to selfassess before I assess signals the value placed on student autonomy and understanding of their own progress. It offers them a natural chance to assess, reflect, and goal-set, which then leads to broader conversations about what they want to learn, what they need to learn, and how they want to learn. Deemphasizing grades and shifting to reflection-based practices is thus one more way that we can share the power with our students. I didn’t deemphasize letter grades because I wanted to shelter my students from the “real” world. I quit because they did not spark any kind of discussion regarding the work (unless the grade was not what had been expected by home adults). If an A– was given, I never had students wonder what they could have done better or even ask what was so great about the work they did. The grade was received and glanced at, and the product filed away, perhaps to be shared with a parent, but at some point soon to be shared with a recycling bin. I wanted a better pathway to deeper discussions about learning, and I wanted us to be free from the ever-encroaching averages that distracted us so much.

Let us be frank: it is much easier for me to grade my students than it is to assess them properly through conversations. Teachers know this. Grading means I can share a due date, collect the assignment from the students, and, based upon a rubric or key, I can assign their percentage and translate it into a grade. I can do most of this from the comfort of my own home. I do not need or want students to be present for this process. Once their grade is entered into my gradebook, I can hand the graded paper back to the children—assessment complete. I do not need to speak to them about their work because it would not change how they were graded. The grade has been entered in the official record, and it will not be changed. I could dock them points if they handed homework in late or didn’t have their name on it. I could also dock them points for messiness or lack of creativity. In the end, they would have very little feedback related to their grade, and they would probably be fine with that; most kids are. Grading, it seems, is the easy way out. At least for the teacher.

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Authentic Assessment Is Messy “What does a grade tell me about myself? If I am strong at that subject or weak or maybe that we don’t give a darn about it.” —Thor A.

True shared assessment and reflection is messy and time consuming. It involves speaking to the children about their work and their progress while the learning is happening rather than after. you must find the time to speak to all of them about whatever they are working on, and then you must actually listen while they speak to evaluate and brainstorm together. If the project is sizable, this will not be a one-time visit either; there will be multiple check-ins. This is also why, when the project is finished and handed in, the children should be the first to assess it. How do they think they did? What are their strengths? Where are their growth opportunities? How do they see their accomplishments compared to what we have discussed as needs for the project? Then it is your turn. Based on your conversations all along the way, you discuss its strengths, its weaknesses, and how it could be improved. In some instances, you give it back to them to make the improvements. This process and these kinds of conversations do not translate into neat percentages that can be averaged. They do not translate well into grades because what I consider “accomplished” may be different from someone else’s opinion of excellent work. yet I know from experience that doing assessment this way makes you feel that you really know each child you are teaching—their knowledge, their passions, and what they need to focus on. Percentages don’t tell you that. In the teaching assignment where you teach more than just one class, this can be a daunting task. How do you have all these conversations when you only see a student for perhaps 45 minutes in a day? you start with one conversation, one selfassessment, and then you grow the process as you find more ways to incorporate it into your time. In the long run, having assessment be a shared process can actually lessen your time spent on assessment outside of school hours. Having to do it with students rather than without forces you to plan for it to happen within the time you have, no longer relying on your own free labor to do your work. you may think that you could never find the time to have all these discussions with your students, particularly if you teach more than one group of children. Here, you must remember that you often decide what their assignments look like. you decide how time will be spent in your classroom. We have more

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power over how we teach than we think or admit, even with all the standards and regulations we face. In many instances, we decide how the minutes are invested, how material is covered, and how students learn together. Isn’t it time we also decide how they are assessed? Questions I ask when discussing assessments with students include: • • • •

What are you proud of in your work? In which areas do you feel you showed growth? What are things or ideas you are still developing? How would you assess yourself compared to our learning targets?

I will absolutely admit: changing the grading process is a pain! Co-assessing and using feedback combined with standards-based grades means that I can no longer assign just a score, translate it into a grade, record it, and forget about it. Assessing this way means I now must have anecdotal evidence to back up my final grade on the report card that I still have to do. That evidence must not only be collected, but also stored somewhere for the entire year so that I can refer back to it when I discuss student growth with anyone. And despite my attempts to deemphasize grades and instead discuss strengths and opportunities, students still find a way to quantify themselves. Grading in this way also means that my students have not been given a percentage-based score at any time throughout the year, so they must understand why they get the scores they get on their report card. It also means that a product can take weeks before it is truly completed because a student may have to rework or revisit it in some way to achieve his or her best effort. It is a whole lot of work not to grade in the traditional sense. But here’s the payoff: although not just giving a score or a letter grade is a lengthier process, the growth and investment I have seen in my students since abandoning traditional letter grades has surpassed even my loftiest ambitions. Now I give feedback and initiate discussions regarding their work, and we often use a single-point rubric as a way for their unique needs to be discussed rather than trying to fit them into a prescribed rubric with limited success indicators. I point out their stellar thinking and where they need to improve something. They evaluate each other’s work as well, and we have (awesome) whole-room discussions about what an accomplished product should look like. We now have student voice as part of the deliberations, which leads to a much more interesting learning environment, since they again are affirmed in the notion that their voice matters.

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A few years ago, I read a blog post about single-point rubrics from Jennifer Gonzalez on her blog Cult of Pedagogy. The post discussed the idea of using a single-point rubric for assessment rather than the multi-point rubrics I was taught to use and how they were not only easier to create but also offered up an opportunity for students to understand their assessment in a deeper way. Intrigued, we started tinkering with it over the last few years as an english department, developing our process as we went. First of all, what does a single-point rubric look like? Here is an example of one we used with an assessment after finishing the book Refugee for The Global read Aloud.

One-Pager Summative Rubric Standard 1

Determine/analyze the development of central ideas, or themes, or story elements in the text.

Standard 2

Draw and cite evidence from texts to support written analysis.

Standard 8

Command the conventions of standard english grammar, usage, spelling, and vocabulary.

Working Toward Proficiency Areas that need work

Proficient (3) Meeting standard goals Standard 1: Analysis Theme concept and thematic statement are accurate. Character change is correctly determined, and evidence is fully explained to support the main idea. Score: _____ Standard 2: Evidence Identifies powerful evidence that supports the main idea presented. Score: _____ Standard 8: Mechanics of Writing strong grasp of standard writing conventions (spelling, capitalization, and punctuation). Correct sentence structure throughout. Score: _____

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We operate on a 1–4 standards-based assessment system, so the difference between multi-point and single-point is the descriptive language found for each score. Where under a multi-point rubric you would fill in the description for 1 through 4, with a single-point rubric you just focus on what you would expect an at-grade-level product to contain. This is what sets it apart in my mind; it allows us to focus on what we are specifically looking for and recognizing that students don’t always fall into the other categorizations that we set, no matter how much we broke them down. This is one of the major reasons why I have loved using single-point rubrics; they allow students really to consider what they need to work on if they feel they are not proficient yet or to consider what they did that exceeded expectations, while allowing me to leave more meaningful feedback for students rather than just highlighting a score. rather than trying to think of all of the ways students may not be at grade level, I can focus on what would place them there assessment-wise and then reflect on when they are not. This has allowed me to leave more meaningful, personalized feedback, while also really breaking down what at-grade-level thinking contains. This, then, guides any kind of lesson planning, one-on-one conferring, and even small group work that is needed. So, what is the process for creating one? 1.

2.

3.

Determine the standards or learning targets that will be assessed. students should be a part of this process, whether through discussion and creation of the rubric or, at the very least, seeing and understanding the rubric before anything is turned in; after all, we want students to fully understand what we are trying to discover as far as their learning. Once the standards have been determined, decide what “at-gradelevel” understanding will contain. While the rubric shown earlier shows only one box per standard, sometimes our rubrics are broken down further within the standard in order for students to see exactly what it is we are hoping to see from them. (see the example that follows.) Discuss with students if you haven’t done so already. Do they understand what at-grade-level understanding looks like and what it contains? Is the rubric a helpful tool for them to take control of their learning? If not, go back to the drawing board with the rubric.

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4. Add reflective questions for students so that their voice is heard and further ownership is created over the learning process. This is important because too often assessment is something that is done to students rather than a process that allows students fully to see what they can do independently and set goals for what they need to work on.

Narrative—Quarter 1 Rubric Standard 4

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Standard 8

Command the conventions of standard english grammar, usage, spelling, and vocabulary.

Working Toward Proficiency Areas that need work

Proficient (3) Meeting standard goals

Standard 4: Event Sequence I can organize an event sequence that unfolds purposefully and logically. I can speed up/slow down the pace of the narrative appropriately by zooming in or out. My narrative sounds like a story, rather than a persistent summary of the events. Score: _____ Standard 4: Narrative Technique I can use descriptive details and sensory language to create interest for the reader in the experiences and events. I can use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, inner monologue, and tools to develop the characters, setting, and/or events. Score: _____ Standard 8: Capitalization I can capitalize all words correctly. Score: _____

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Standard 8: End Punctuation I can use end punctuation correctly. Score: _____ Standard 8: Homophones I can use commonly confused homophones correctly. Score: _____

A few reflective questions: using the single-point rubric is a breeze for me compared to the multipoint rubric. First, it takes less time to create because we really just focus on that “at-grade-level” understanding. secondly, and this is the big one for me, it allows me to reflect deeply on why my gut or the rubric is telling me that a child is not showing “at-grade-level” understanding or is above it somehow. I must really think about what it is within their understanding that moves them into a different category. I am not limited by the few things that I could brainstorm before I saw their work. I then have to formulate that into written or spoken feedback in order to help those children understand how they can continue to grow. This allows our assessment conversations to change from grades to reflection. Tips for implementing the rubric: 1.

2.

Discuss it with students before using it the first time. Our students had not seen a rubric like this before, and so we took the time to discuss it with them before we used it. This would happen for any assessment rubric, but it took a little bit longer because it looked different. Set the tone for assessment. I have written extensively about my dislike of grades and how I try to shift the focus (https://pernillesripp. com/?s=no+grades), and yet I work within a system that tells me I have to assess with numbers attached to it. so, there are a few things that need to be in place, with the biggest one being the ongoing conversation that assessment is a tool for reflection and not the end of the journey. This is why students always self-assess first in order to reflect on their own journey and what they need from us. This can be messy in the beginning, but through the year it gets easier for students to reflect accurately on their own journey and what they need

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3.

to grow. Then, they hand that to me in order for me to look at their work, and following that, it culminates in a final discussion if needed. Break it down. It is easy to get caught up in too many things to assess; using the single-point rubric has allowed us to focus on a few important things. This is important so that students can work on those skills specifically rather than feel overwhelmed by everything within the process.

What do students think? Our students seem to like them, or at least that is what they say. They understand mostly what they are being assessed on, and they understand the feedback that is given to them. Having them self-assess and reflect prior to our assessment is also huge, as it shows students that they are in charge of their assessment and their growth and that we want them to fully invest in their learning. It gives them an opportunity to see how they are growing and what their next step is before I add my opinion in there. This can also help reduce the “shame” factor that is sometimes associated with grades. When we discuss repeatedly with students that there is nothing wrong with being below grade level and instead let the assessment guide us to the next steps, it shifts the assessment process as well as the internalization of grades. Overall, the single-point rubric has been another tool that allows us to help students become more reflective learners while also helping us get to know the students’ needs better, resulting in a more impactful assessment experience for everyone involved. While we started small, the single-point rubric is now almost exclusively the only type of rubric we use to assess, and for that I am grateful. If you haven’t tried it yet, I would highly recommend you do.

In the end, not assigning letter grades in my classroom has meant more open discussions regarding learning. students get used to goal-setting and self-assessment rather than just asking me how to get an A on an assignment. Why would they? Instead, we discuss what they would like to uncover and learn. In addition, they can change and expand their learning goals within lengthier assignments, without risking a lower grade, and they start to uncover how they learn best. To hear students take control of their learning, to own up to where they should have worked harder, to set up their future path for learning—wow. This is what assessment should be. I learn as much from these discussions as the students do, and I always take their feedback to heart as I reflect on my teaching practice. I am a learner alongside them, and what a powerful modeling of lifelong learning that is.

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When you teach more than 30 students, finding time for feedback is much harder, and yet it is not impossible. I have learned that I do not need to grade everything that my students hand me. Instead, I often file it for them. When we get ready to assess a standard, I ask them to pick the work that shows their mastery. This way students see that the work they did was true practice and are also in control of what they would like me to assess. I often encourage them to tweak or read over what they do decide to hand me, just to see if it can grow even stronger. students take ownership over how they are assessed, and I can use all my time deciding what they have accomplished and what they should continue to work on. A sample single-Point rubric with Questions used for Assessment

Character Autopsy Rubric Summative Rubric Standard 1

Determine/analyze the development of central ideas, or themes, or story elements in a text.

Standard 2

Draw and cite evidence from texts to support written analysis.

Working Toward Proficiency Areas that need work

Proficient (3) Meeting standard goals

Beyond Expectations evidence of exceeding standards

Standard 1: Determine/analyze the development of a central idea I have all the components needed for this assignment. I have accurately discussed each component, chosen an image to represent the component, and written an accurate analysis of each component: symbolism setting Character Motivation Theme Character Change Conflict Standard 2: Evidence Identifies powerful evidence that supports the main ideas presented.

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What are you proud of in your character autopsy? How have you grown as a thinker through this? How did this help you understand the book more thoroughly? What do you think you still need to work on? Circle one: Theme Conflict symbolism Character Change How will you work on this? Mrs. Ripp fills out: Strengths: What you need to work on next: Final Score: Standard 1- Analysis = ______ Standard 2- Evidence= ______

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today “To me, grades at school are who you are. I feel like everyone is judged on their GPA and how smart they are. It’s not a good thing because it makes some students feel bad about themselves at school.” —Corinne

Many paths may lead you to think about grading and how it harms learning in students. I know from experience how daunting the journey to changing the way we use assessment and grades can be. yet there is a way to do it—once again, it just takes small steps to get started.

Deemphasizing Grades—Before You Start 1 Do your research. since limiting grades or removing them completely can be a rather contentious act, it’s important to have your facts straight. read Alfie Kohn’s work about grades and then expand to include the numerous blogs, articles, and reflections you’ll find on the topic through a Google search. 2 Think it through. This is a bucking-the-system type of decision, so you need to be clear on why you are doing this. Providing students with more

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meaningful feedback? Less work and more free time? Or whatever else motivates you. Be practical. What is this going to look like? How will you take notes to inform your feedback? How will you assess their learning? How will students assess themselves? How will you give power to their assessment? And then, how will you compile that all into feedback, progress reports, and perhaps even a dictated grade on a district report card? Create your goals. All lessons must have goals; otherwise, you will have nothing to assess. sometimes, we are not totally sure what those goals are since a curriculum has been prescribed to us. Dig through it and find them or create your own within the standards, and then make a list or some sort of report. I was able quickly to assess through verbal Q&A whether a student was secure in something or not and then check off that goal, moving that student on to something else. I now work in a standards-based grading district, so our end goals are mastery of the standards the students have rewritten into friendlier language. Often, one project will be used for the practice of multiple standards, and we discuss these throughout the work time. students know exactly what their goals are and can also choose to work beyond them. Involve the higher-ups. I didn’t have to alert my principal to what I was planning on doing, but it made my life a lot easier when I did. some districts will not support non-grading practices without a proper discussion, and it is important to have allies if someone questions your program or philosophy. Explain it to your families and particularly your students. Going gradeless or limiting the number of grades students are given should not a be a surprise to those it involves—namely students and their families. Acknowledge and celebrate that you will be working in a reflection and feedback-centered classroom. Get it out in the open and start the discussion right away with home adults. start the conversations with them so that they know you welcome open dialogue. Front-load as much as possible, and be ready to prove to them that they will be more informed than they were before. Involve your students. We tend to think we are in this alone, but nothing could be further from the truth. Involve your students in the feedback or grade discussion, since more than likely, you will still be required to give a grade at some time during the year (mine was on trimester report cards). If you let students first determine their grade and then meet to discuss it with you, even this grade-setting process can become part of the feedback cycle. Doing this with my students caused them to focus on the feedback

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rather than focus on just the grade. Most of the time, their grades and mine lined up perfectly; occasionally they were much harder on themselves than I was. either way, we figured it out together, through conversation and reflection, and they started to own their learning more. Plan for it. Meaningful assessment does not just happen; it is planned and somehow noted. It is ongoing and cannot be trusted to memory. As I developed my methods, many days I had my trusty clipboard where I took notes, checked off progress and goals accomplished, and added anything else useful. This became my “grade book,” and the days I didn’t use it, most of that information was lost. Find your own system. Many teachers use technology to help them. If you prefer, a trusty old binder will do. Whatever your system is, refine it until it works dependably for you and your students. yet allow yourself not to take notes on everything; not every single conversation with a student must be recorded, nor do goals always need to be set. sometimes, we need to lay down our note-taking tools and simply focus on the conversation at hand. Take your time. Letter grades will always be easier to do because they are most often compiled from a piece of paper or a one-time presentation. Meaningful feedback is not so simple. This is gathered through conversations, assignments, reflection, and lots and lots of formative assessment. Give yourself time to take it all in, give students time to be a part of the process in meaningful ways. And do not skimp on the conversations. The conversations are the most important tool here. If you feel pressed for time, or have many students, then allow yourself to write out your thoughts or record them for student access. Allow yourself to experiment. see what happens when you don’t give letter grades or other scores; try other forms of assessment and figure out if it works for you. Give yourself permission to see this as a work-in-progress. I have had several limited-grades years now, and there were definitely missed opportunities in my room concerning feedback. But I know what to work on now. I also know what my goals are, how to engage students in meaningful conversation regarding their work, and how to give them better feedback. Just like our students, we too are learning. Most importantly, reach out. Through my online learning network, I was able to engage in meaningful conversations about grading and iron out hurdles with the help of Joe Bower, Jeremy MacDonald, and Chris Wejr. I even reached out to Alfie Kohn. There are people who have done this before you, people who have survived the hard pushbacks—use them, ask them questions, and come to see that you are far from alone.

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Ideas for better self-assessment: The first time we self-assess in class, it is inevitable that my students inaccurately self-assess despite our conversations. But I have also found that rather than front-load the conversation extensively, it is better just to jump into it and then fix along the way. The way I strengthen their self-assessment to help them understand the depth of learning needed is by following these steps: 1.

Introduce our learning targets—this is at the start of any unit. A brief discussion and overview of what they will be diving into, as well as choices they will have along the way, helps set the scene for what we will be spending time doing. This is also the first chance they have to give specific feedback on how they want to learn as the unit gets started. students have often been a part of the mapping of the quarter before they get to this unit, but this moment is where they can ask questions and offer more specific suggestions. 2. Introduce the rubric and make any changes together. Because my rubrics are often made along with colleagues, I also want students to understand them and give me their opinion on whether they make sense. Do they get how we are measuring growth? 3. Personal goal-setting on a survey: what do they want to work on in this unit? Often, at the start of the year this is harder, as many have not done this type of work before. I scaffold our conversations with potential goals and then check in with students about their goals, often asking why they are choosing their specific goals. If students are unsure or just set a goal to set a goal, I ask more questions to help them potentially tweak their goal. 4. students start their learning projects, and I check in along the way informally. I will ask them what they are working on, how it fits in with their goal, and how they are growing. These conversations happen as I walk throughout the room, or if they come to me. 5. We often have a midway point where I offer more specific feedback, either written or verbally—I use a recording software such as Mote to add voice comments to anything electronic if I am not doing it in class. This is a chance for students to sit with more feedback, for me to adjust anything I need to teach, and for them to ask further questions as well. The day after, they spend time digesting feedback, and, at times, I have them repeat the feedback back to me so I can see whether they understand it or not.

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6. Work continues and so do conversations as before. When the students feel they are done, I ask them to self-assess using the rubric. They give themselves standards-based scores and reflect on their strength, their growth, and what their next step should be to achieve their goals. This is often done on paper so they can sit with their work and their reflection in front of them at the same time. 7. Once most students have self-assessed, I will show them examples of what different stages of depth may look like to provide them with a tighter roadmap to compare themselves to. We discuss what they notice and what they wonder about. Then, I ask them to self-assess again, making any tweaks we need to before they hand their assessment to me. 8. Then it is my turn; I look at what they have written and their best draft, and I leave them feedback. Do I agree with how they assessed themselves? Do I see other strengths? Other opportunities for growth? What have they done well? What else might they need? I often line up with their assessments, but at times I don’t, and then I spend time discussing why not.

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Discover your goal. Whether the learning goals or targets are based on the Common Core standards, district goals, or even school outcomes, you must figure out the goals for everything you teach. These can be large or small (do not do too many small ones, though, trust me). Then figure out what the outcome should be. What is the minimum amount of learning the students should be invited into? use the goals to open discussions with students for what the learning could look like and plan with them. Determine the product. What does it look like when students have accomplished the goal? What is “finished”? How will students show they have mastered their goal? I love to have this discussion with my students. Also, realizing that there are many different pathways to the same goal is a must. My students almost always have different ways to show mastery, where one path is a more traditional way such as a writing assignment or test, and another is their own created choice. Allowing for choice while still providing scaffolds for those who need it is the way we should teach every day.

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Determine the best assessment. Will it be written feedback, a rubric, a conversation? Once again, ask the students what type of assessment will help them grow. How will they learn the most? Keep a record. This has been my biggest hurdle. I have had charts and gradebook notes, relied on my faulty brain, even used binders. I have even tried Google Docs and evernote (tagging can be helpful) to keep track of conversations, assessments, and anything else I think may come in handy. And while I have yet to find the perfect system, I keep coming back to binders with sheets for each student. Whatever system you end up using, find one that will make record keeping easy and accessible, and suited to your personality. Communicate. Assessment is worthless if the feedback is not properly communicated to students through a small conference or written feedback. Then make sure you communicate it to home adults. The allure of letter grades is just that—the ease of communication—even though a grade can mean a hundred different things. so, make sure you replace grades with plenty of communication. Give students ownership of their goals and have them write a status report, send home an email, make a phone call, just communicate somehow. While a status report sounds fancy, it is typically just a sheet of paper with the name of the student and the different projects or standards we are working on. Then, they do a self-evaluation and add goals that they are working on and what they have accomplished. I tweak it to make it work for where we are in the year. All students should be able to describe where they are and where they are headed, throughout the year.

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Define your purpose. It is important for you to know the “why” of what you are doing, so take time to soul search. Come up with your own words that clearly explain why moving away from grades is important and then continue to reflect as you go. Devising your own evolving narrative for the “why” will help you refine your process. Stay true to you. There are many ways to deemphasize grades, and you have to find the one that works best for you. Perhaps that means creating other types of rubrics or feedback forms; perhaps that means having students self-assess with set guidelines. Make it work for you. Keep it as simple as you can; you are the one using what you pull together. you know how your brain works for gathering

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feedback and artifacts to support student learning, so incorporate those methods into your process. Involve students. students of all ages know how to set up evaluations and are surprisingly tough on themselves. I love the rich discussions that come from asking what a finished product should look like and how we can decide whether we met those goals. Explain, explain, and explain! you will inevitably run into people who think you are nuts (right in your own school, for starters), so have your facts and reasons ready. One way to start the conversation is to be very honest in your reasoning as well as your methodology and to engage in a meaningful conversation with them. I am always open to discussing all my philosophies and actively solicit feedback about them throughout the year from other adults; this tends to diffuse any negative situations or misunderstandings that otherwise may occur.

I tell my students to speak boldly, and they do. Thank you, Corinne, for letting me share your poem. Treated As One, 1.5, 2.9, 3.4, 4.0 Grade point averages They define who we are. People walk around school saying “I got an A”—4.0 “I have a learning disability”—1.5 “I don’t understand”—2.9 “I’m not good enough”—3.4 People always say “everyone is different” Well if everyone is different why do we ALL have to take the same test? Why do we have one grading system for six schools with hundreds of kids. I know life isn’t always fair but school should be. Because school is where you practice It’s where you practice what you’ll later need. Why is a group of different people taught in one way? A way where half of the kids don’t understand, and then the teachers have to say to their parents “They don’t put in enough effort” When maybe they think in a different way

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I speak for my dyslexic sister who has to get tutored two times a week she has told me many times “I don’t understand” It’s such a sad thing to see a brilliant mind get shut away because of what the other kids will say she once had a teacher that said she used the word dyslexic as an excuse to get out of reading When she hadn’t even read the papers that diagnose her. My sister is one out of thousands who don’t get treated fair, We all just have to live with being treated as one Although we are more.

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Chapter 10 Reflection and Further Planning for Deemphasizing Grades What is one step you can take to change the grading conversation? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: As with any change, one way not to be overwhelmed is to pilot it in one unit or assignment. Try a single-point rubric, or try student self-assessment, or try it all, but contain it to one to see what works and what doesn’t. Be prepared to reflect on how it went with students and to adjust along the way. What is a larger step you would like to take next? • •

What do you need to implement this change? How can you implement it?

Consider this: How else can you expand the conversation of assessment focus with students? What are the next steps you want to take to make this sustainable and actionable for students? Inevitably, there are projects that work well in this type of assessment focus and some that don’t. I always had smaller assignments where students did not self-assess but where I instead gave them feedback as a way to check in; then, they became a part of the larger assessment conversations we had. While it may seem like more work in the beginning, it should end up being less work as you get routines going. What are changes you would like to make along with a co-conspirator? • •

What do you need to implement these changes? How can you implement them?

Consider this: shifting the emphasis from a quick grade to feedback and authentic assessment can be met with a lot of questions and even disparagement, so having someone to discuss, collaborate, and create new rubrics with is very valuable. I loved sitting with my team deciding on what the core skills were and what we thought the standards meant. Having other people’s understanding and knowledge as part of your process only benefits everyone involved, so who can you bring along into this work?

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Reference Feldman, J. (2020, september 1). Taking the stress out of grading. ASCD. retrieved October 23, 2022, from www.ascd.org/el/articles/taking-the-stress-out-of-grading

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Making the Changes That Matter

“I wish all teachers knew that not all students are alike and most will never be.” —Carolyn G.

This Is My Most Precious Moment He places a picture of his mother who has passed away under the document camera and takes my breath away. Tears and stammered questions about the picture flow out as he shares why this is what he chose to share with us. silence surrounds us and so does care; we wrap him in our attention and thank him for this moment. He asks if he may sit down—and the tears keep coming from me, from him, from everyone. We cannot measure student trust on a test. We cannot measure the value of a classroom community that allows a kid to share his most precious moment and the emotions that accompany it. We cannot measure the bravery in that child who was willing to be so vulnerable. We cannot measure the connection the other kids felt when they saw how much this meant to him. None of that gets measured on a test. Or in a grade. Or in homework. None of that will ever be a part of my educator evaluation. Not the tears. Not the unique moments. Not the trusting and caring we feel for each other. No one knows how to measure it. And so, they don’t. And yet, these moments are the ones that make our classroom a community. They are the reason my students thrive, and grow, and love school. They are the very moments that should count the most.

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DOI: 10.4324/9781003330578-12

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Instead, the assessors focus on math facts, isolated reading skills, bubbles well-filled. On fidelity, pacing guides, and “can you do more?” They pretend these bits of information give them a full picture of this boy. They pretend that they know the strengths and weaknesses of this kid. They pretend that this “data” can reveal whether I am good teacher. We know it doesn’t. We know it’s a pitiful measure of the boy and of me. When will the outside world learn? Why don’t they pay attention to what matters?

Then: I Did What They Expected Me to Do “I wish teachers knew how the schools have changed. It’s different than when they were in school, like when we go home we aren’t that lazy as teachers would think.” —Cylie s.

Many years ago, I realized that I needed to take responsibility for the damage I had done to students who came into my room loving (or at least liking) school and left diminished in some ways. Those kids who loved math until my longwinded lectures about process left them confused and bitter. Those kids who loved to read until my strict book report guidelines and reading logs devoured their curiosity for great stories. Those kids who longed to feel safe who didn’t. I had to take responsibility for what I had done. There was no one else to blame. Just as important, I had to make sure that my future students would leave our classroom with their curiosity intact, having felt our time together mattered, not afraid to try something new. Why is school something so many kids hate? even when I was teaching 9-year-olds, I had students who already hated school. By then, certain subjects had already landed on their top 10 list of most dreadful things to do. Math tended to top the chart, but social studies was usually close behind, and some even hated reading (but may have read many books outside of school). By seventh grade, it seems that the most hated class is writing. Most students confess a love of recess, art, music, and sometimes even science. Pe is always a crowd favorite as well, unless homework or writing is involved. yet students typically do not come to school hating certain classes; it is what happens to them at school that often creates the hate.

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I don’t blame the students. The system of school and the historical inequities it is built upon have created a narrow definition of what success looks like and who gets to be successful. How dare I say this? Because I was that system. I think about math and how I taught it: drill and kill, lecture and lecture some more. show them repeatedly how to do a problem, then have one or two students come up and work through a similar problem while the rest of the class watches (eyes glazing over). And finally, have them practice it on their own, usually through homework. In my straight-edged classroom, students were not allowed to work ahead—they needed to pay attention to me, slogging through all the pages. We did not have much time for discussion, let alone any further exploration. substitute social studies for math in the paragraph above, leave out the problems at the board, and you have a pretty good summary of what my social studies class looked like as well. By the time I was done teaching, my students were good at putting their names on worksheets, filling them out, and following along in the textbook. Too bad about their curiosity. We just didn’t have time for that. So, I changed. And if you want to change but haven’t tried yet, take my word for it—you can too. I’m not that special; lots of teachers are changing the way they teach and how school is “done.” Many are raising their voices and fighting back. Many did not wait for permission but transformed on their own. If you would like someone’s permission, you hereby have mine. Go ahead—start to create your own classroom of passionate learners. I will admit that not every kid leaves my classroom having fallen back in love with school. sometimes, that damage takes years to undo. But I try to get them started on the path of feeling safer within our spaces and of seeing value in learning. Of having tools to fight back against a system that was not meant to protect and cherish all students. I take responsibility for my own actions as a teacher and realize the damage I can do. I see how our educational system’s focus on individual success has excluded many children, and I fight to change that. I go to school knowing that every day I can be the difference between a child feeling valued or not. I accept that what I do today may make the difference a few years from now between staying in school or dropping out.

Now: I Do What My Students Need Me to Do. And So Can You “Being a student is hard. you don’t have much time to do the stuff you love.” —Addison Z.

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I believed that there was one way to “do school” to kids. Now, I know that school needs to change, and we must change it from within. We must recognize the inequities embedded within our system, we must see the harm our own biases and assumptions do to kids and colleagues, and we must act. Part of that change needs to be about including the voices of our students. School can no longer just be “done” to our kids; kids must own it to build the experience. When I first started on this journey of changing the way I teach, I did not know where my path would ultimately lead. I still don’t. With every child who enters our classroom, and with every home adult who comes along with something to share, that path changes, and so must I. I set out to give the classroom back to the students, and this remains my mission, yet I have not accomplished all the goals I set for myself. With any change there comes resistance, and I have met my fair share: students who did not understand why they couldn’t just be told how to do something. Home adults who felt I didn’t give enough homework or enough grades. Teachers who thought I wasn’t doing a good enough job preparing the kids. My own doubt sneaking in whenever an idea did not work. yet, if we want to make change, we must expect to fight for what we believe in—even with ourselves sometimes. There are ways that we can change our school system from within, even though many policy makers may seem to work against us. I asked my students what they wanted from school, and the one thing that came up time and time again was choice. For them to have a voice in how they learn. For learning to become fun again. so here are 10 simple ways that you can give students a voice, starting tomorrow.

1 Give Them Ways to Be Heard It is not enough to ask students the easy questions; ask the hard ones too and ask them throughout the year. Kids change dramatically within one year of school, and so do their needs. survey as needed, leave room for discussion about the systems and structures in place, and invite them into curriculum mapping, unit planning, and lesson planning. even ask them what they wish you would have asked them, and then use that to change your teaching. Asking is one thing, doing is another.

2 Give Them Time Building genuine space for student voice takes time, at least the type of conversations that will lead to changes. so, invest the time in the beginning, model 197

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what they will look like, and take the time to showcase the tools they will use. student voice is something that is integrated throughout our time together. remind them that their voices are the most important in the room. students often forget that we want to hear their opinions, simply because they are not used to someone asking (and listening). Make it a focus and keep it a focus all year.

3 Give Them Sticky Notes Wondering how you will engage your shy students? Wondering how you are going to find time for this? Have them write down their idea on a sticky note and hand it to you. Often some of my strongest students are the ones who have the hardest time speaking up, and yet student voice does not necessarily mean the words have to be spoken. They must be communicated, and sticky notes count as that. In fact, this is something that I use throughout the year as a quick way to check opinions. students can express their honesty without wondering about judgment from others.

4 Model Constructive Feedback Part of student voice is getting and giving constructive feedback. If students want to change the way things are done well, they need to know different pathways for change. Often students can be overly blunt, which requires a thick skin, but take the time to discuss how to frame their words so they will be listened to. I teach my students that how they deliver their message sometimes matters more than the actual message, but not to let others’ dismissal of their voice be an obstacle. Policing how children advocate for change is a common tool for exclusion, so how can they navigate a system that will always place kindness and politeness above any other quality? Anger is not a bad emotion— it is one that can drive us toward change—so how can they fuel their emotions into action?

5 Give Them Whiteboards One of the easiest ways I have for including all student voices within the class (beside sticky notes) are two-dollar whiteboards, massive white shower walls

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cut into smaller sizes and accessible at any time. sometimes students flash their answers to me while others are still working it through; sometimes they use them to brainstorm and walk around showing each other; other times they write on them and then leave them for me to read after class is over. Why not just use paper? There seems to be something about paper that often halts kids, whereas the whiteboard with its quick-erase capabilities allows kids to express even half-complete thoughts and take more risks.

6 Give Them a Chance student voice is not something that develops as a class culture by itself. There must be a focused approach to include all voices, and there are bound to be not-so-stellar moments. yes, your feelings will probably get hurt (mine still do), and yes, students will say cringe-worthy things. yes, students may even hurt each other’s feelings or be misunderstood, and then we pick up the pieces and navigate that. But if you persist in it, working through any obstacles, you will see the results.

7 Give Them Collaborators While student voice kept within a classroom can be quite powerful, find a way for students to connect with the world so that their voice can be amplified. Blog, tweet, skype, use whatever tools you have available even if they don’t include tech, but give students the opportunity to make a difference to a larger crowd than their classroom. The give-and-take process that happens between an audience and the students is something that will teach them even bigger lessons about delivering a message and getting their point across.

8 Give Them a Starting Point sometimes my students are eager to share all their opinions and ideas, and other times they are not. Provide all students with a common starting point. I always start by asking questions specific to what we are doing and how they would like to change it (Don’t forget to listen to it and change the things you can!). Then, we move forward from there, making the issues deeper until students are sharing comfortably. A few months in, I know I can start to ask my

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students more personal questions and have them share their answers because they have shown me they are ready.

9 Give Them a Purpose My students want to change the world. Well, at least some of them do. so, I try to get out of their way. Whether I ask them to look for things they can change locally or globally or it grows naturally out of whatever we are doing, once that seed has been planted, it often does not take much for students to get involved. even within our confined schedules, there are many ways to tie our standards into service learning.

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I think we fear that students will say stupid things (they might). I think we fear that students will make fools out of themselves (they won’t). I think we fear that it will be a waste of our time because we already know what they will say (we don’t). I think we have so many fears when it comes to giving students a voice that we often don’t even try it because we know all the things that can go wrong. But what if we started in a place of hope rather than a place of fear? I hope my students will change the world. I hope my students will feel safe, seen, and valued in our space together. I hope my students will find that their voice matters. I hope my students will have the courage to tell me how to be a better teacher for them. But I won’t know unless they try. We are here to protect and guide them, yes, but we are also here to watch them unfold their wings. At some point we have to let go; at some point we have to trust them.

So How Do We Change? “Take the time to get to know your students and see how they learn best.” —eleni y.

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The one question from teachers I seem to get the most is this: how do you change? The answer for me has always been this: start where you are. Once you embrace the idea that there must be a better way to teach and co-create classroom spaces, you are on your way. Take stock of what makes you tick and what makes you stop. What burns you out, and what do you have power over? There are many things that wear my soul down that I cannot control. so, I try to focus on the things I can make decisions about. What is in my control? Homework, grades, punishment, the ways information is presented, the community building, the shared ownership. Then, I focus on the few things that I feel ready to change right now. I never marry an idea; I date it. year after year, my ideas should evolve to match my growing understanding and experience. I won’t get stuck. I just need to stay focused on my ultimate purpose: to have students love school. Change may always be a constant in education, and I am at peace with that. What matters in the end is that we did try to change, and we did try to right our wrongs. We don’t punish ourselves, but we recognize that once we understand that what we’ve done in the past was hurtful to children, we cannot do it again. We fight for change within our system, and we fight for our students by giving them a voice to fight with. some educators say that they are tired of fighting. No one will ever listen to us. This, they say, is the end of education. reform has gotten so far out of hand that there is no more room for common sense, for creative thinkers, or for partnerships. People say our students suffer at the hands of all this reform, and I agree much of the time. What I don’t agree with is the belief that there is simply no way to make a difference. I hear teachers say that there will never be productive change, just more tests, more papers, more being “done to”—more, more, more, and always with less. I say there is hope. That among all this fear, all this uncertainty and poorly considered reform, we can still look at our students and see them rise. They know we suffer through testing with them. They know that there are things we cannot change that we wish we could. We can protect their resilience. We teach them that sometimes life asks you to do things that make no sense, and we must get through it with grace, courage, and creativity (and sometimes righteous anger)—and also ask questions and push back. We can still teach them that their voice matters even if others say it doesn’t. so, when it all seems to be too much, too dictated, too little too late, think of the students. Think of their potential to be passionate learners. Think of the good we can do for them every day when they enter our schools, when we tell

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them good morning, when we end the day, by saying thank you. Thank you for being part of our room, for being part of something bigger than you, for placing your faith in me as your teacher, and for fighting for change by speaking out. so have hope. Because our students do, day after day. They hope we will build a community with them, and that school will become about them again.

Next: What You Can Do, Starting Today I am continually in awe of the incredible educators I get to teach and learn with every day, in my schools and in my networks. I am renewed in my already strong belief that we are the change. We are the change for all of those children whose lives have been determined by assumptions, circumstance, and test scores outside of their control. We are the change for all of those teachers who don’t think they have a voice. you do. Although you may just be one person, there are so many things you can do to change the system. Bring the focus back on the kids, improve teaching conditions, and help our students stay passionate and curious. Give them a voice within your room so that the whole school may hear them. Connect their voices globally so that the whole world may hear them. stand up for yourself and your beliefs. They matter, and so do you. speak up, because as each voice joins the chorus, we become louder. Blog, write to your newspaper, talk to your community, start a conversation, and spread the word. Change will come if we continue to fight for it. Join together—enough of this “us versus them” debate. enough with tearing other teachers down. show me a perfect teacher, and I will show you 10 people who disagree. We are not perfect, nor should we ever think we are. embrace each other and stand together; this is not just for us but for the kids. Try your ideas, steal my ideas, and then be proud if they work. Be proud if they fail, for at least you tried something. Believe in them, believe in you, and believe in your team. Be the change. Be the change. Be the change. you may be just one, but think of how far one person’s words can go, the ripples they can start, the waves they can become. In 2010, I created the Global read Aloud, hoping that children around the world would connect their lives through a shared read aloud. Now millions of children have listened to the same stories and realized that the world is, indeed, a small place. I never set out to create a global project, but it happened because I had the courage to try something big, after taking the big step to change myself.

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FINAL THOuGHTs

so, take your idea and your need for change and do something with it. It is not too late to reinvent yourself, not too late to make a difference. And if you are just starting out, don’t start the way I did. start out right. Be the change. Give the classroom back to your students.

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