Getting Through the Valleys of 20 Time in the Classroom

Last week I gave my students a survey about how they thought the first 9 weeks had gone (I just use Surveymonkey.com). I've given anonymous surveys like this since I began teaching. It helps me to get a pulse on how effective the lessons have been, and on how the students are feeling about the atmosphere of the classroom. I have always found this helpful in making decisions, and in improving my practice. When you ask kids to be honest, and there is no fear of any sort of repercussions, they will be honest - very honest.

I always ask the students to rank units and activities based on enjoyment, and then based on how much they learned. 20% Time ranked first in enjoyment and learning. There is also space to write anonymous comments in each of these sections.

 

Honestly, I was surprised. It had seemed to me over the past few weeks that enthusiasm had been waning a bit. Don't get me wrong, they were still clearly enjoying their time, but most of the kids just appeared to be moving a little slower. I wasn't quite seeing the leaps forward I was hoping to see.

The day after the survey, I brought this up to my classes. I asked them to help me to understand how my perception of the time was off from their perception of the time. I had quite a few interesting answers, and I have compiled them to create a list of 20 Time Valley Truths - because, I realized we had left the mountaintop of "shiny new idea land" and had entered the valley of "wait I might hit some snags land."

 

20 Time Valley Truths

 

 

1) The excitement of a new idea will wear off. That is ok. The calm focus that appears afterward is what moves the project forward. Rest comfortably in this atmosphere.

 

2) Students have a hard time recognizing their own progress and learning. You have to help them.

 

3) Many students have never had to plan out steps and goals to achieve a larger vision. This can't be taught in one lesson in one day. You will have to constantly help in this area.

 

4) Some kids will realize that their project is not feasible. They will feel like a failure. You have to refocus their energies on the learning aspect of the project, and the importance of failure as it relates to growth.

 

5) There will be students who come across a step towards reaching their goal that requires a skill they do not have. Be available to fill in this gap, so that the project moves forward.

 

6) Even when students are intrinsically motivated, they will still desire your praise and feedback.

 

7) Upbeat music and snacks are always a good idea when trying to up the energy in any situation.

 

In response to these truths I created a 20 Time Update Sheet. I had been informally meeting with all of the students about their projects, but I had not been formally recording their progress or goals. Now, I sit down and have a formal conference with the students. We discuss any progress, learning, or difficulties from the last week. We then set a feasible, but still challenging, goal for the next week. The students responded well to this new set-up. Many had expressed feelings of being overwhelmed and "stuck," but felt much better after setting a weekly goal. Also, the students were incredibly surprised by just how much they had accomplished - it just hadn't occurred to them before. Finally, my rule has always been that when I am conferencing with a student, you better not interrupt me unless someone is bleeding from the head. I had quite a few students comment that they were glad to have focused attention from me for a few minutes as they talked their ideas out loud.

 

So, I have made myself comfortable with the valley we are in. The work is moving forwards, the kids are learning, and while they are not "excited" like before they are engaged and learning. Make sure to check out their blogs - some of their topics hurt my brain a little, but that is fine by me! 





Students Need to Laugh - The Smarty-Pants Scientists Said So!!

Today the kids wore hats. Not just any hats, but bejeweled crowns, sparkly joker hats with bells, and giant blue top hats. They also wore glitter necklaces and one chose to answer all questions while speaking into a sparkly microphone.

Please don't make the tragic error of assuming that these antics had anything at all to do with curriculum because they most certainly did not! Instead, they had everything to do with laughter and fun. Research has consistently shown time and again just how deeply stress interrupts the learning process. In a nutshell, brain mapping has revealed that the hormones released from stress actually act as barriers to the parts of the brain that deal with higher cognitive functions making it almost impossible to learn at deeper levels. Also, when students are experiencing joy, dopamine and acetylcholinem (say that 5 times fast) are released in their brains. These have a positive effect on memory and even help to improve attention and focus. To me laughter=decreased stress and increased joy!

One particularly interesting study found that students were more likely to retain information presented in a lecture that included jokes - as long as the jokes did not take center stage. I love that science backs up something that so many educators already know in their bones. Students absolutely want to be able to find the fun in their day, but they actually want to learn as well.

I also believe that laughter provides us with the best way to deal with most of a classroom's management and discipline issues. The other day a student just simply would not get to work. Every time I looked at him he was doodling, staring at the ceiling, bothering the student next to him, or sorting through endless piles of paper. Instead of asking him - again - to get to work, I walked over to his desk and fell prostrate to the floor. I proceeded to beg him, amid gasping sobs, to begin working because his laziness was literally killing me. After about a second of stunned silence, the class roared with laughter...and lazy-bones got to work. Of course their are times that you will just have to bust out your "I - ain't -playin' - with - you - child" voice, but I am convinced that is only necessary on the rarest of occasions. If a kid thinks your mad, he/she will begin to experience stress, and we already know what that leads to.

I would like to say that the main reason I let kids wear a pair of fairy wings while writing an essay is because neuroscience tells me it is a good idea. I'd like to make it seem like that is what informed my deep thoughts about the value of ribbons and glitter. But, alas, that is a lie. Truthfully, it just makes me laugh to see a linebacker sized teenager furiously typing in a pair of fairy wings. Maybe it is selfishness on some level, but my day is just so much better if I have a handful of tears-in-the-eyes laugh sessions with my kids. I wonder how many educators can say that they have these each day?

If you want to read more about some of the science I reference check out the article here or here.

I have also attached a list of my favorite strategies for planning - that's right, planning - for laughter in the classroom!

And finally, I think it is most appropriate to end with a joke.

Why Teaching Is Simply the Best Job. Period.

My students researched modern day slavery this week. They wrote letters to the President or Governor of Alabama about what they learned, and what they hope his response will be. These letters will placed in the mail this weekend. As an English teacher, I was proud to see their use of pathos, ethos, and logos. I was proud of their awareness of their audience.

I was proud to see transition words.

But as a human, I was proud of their outrage. I was proud that they were shocked and appalled by this new information. I was proud that they insisted their President or Governor do something about one of the most shameful human rights issues of our time. I was proud that their minds are not clouded with dollar signs and politics, but are instead firmly fixed on what is just and what is unjust.

Everyday, but especially today, I am proud to be their teacher.

Dear President Obama/Governor Bentley,

You might think slavery is a relic of the past, but in actuality it is an ongoing unchecked issue. – Ryan Smith

These victims live all over the world, within 101 different countries.– Brenda Chang

What shocked me was that there are as many as thirty million people that live as slaves in the entire world. Some goods are even made by children as young as five years old. – Brady Long

Nearly 11.7 million people are stuck in bonded labor in India. That’s about the population of Ohio. – Layne Woodall

Pakistan is home to over four million modern day slaves which is one of the highest rates in the world. – Shamiracle Thomas 

One type of slavery that I want to address is child slavery. I have read things about child slavery in one day that have made me sick, mad, and want to fight for every child that needs help. – Tyrone Williams

If you have not really seen slavery in your life or just don’t think it is a huge problem, I would like you to sit down with “Abuk Bak” without saying, “I want to help you”.  Her village where she lived was in southern Sudan. In 1987 Abuk was only 12; she was kidnapped and enslaved for 10 years.

– Zachary Hunter

Do you enjoy chocolate? I do. I enjoy all kinds of chocolate! As I mentioned earlier West Africa is the second largest producer of cocoa in the world. Slaves right now as you're reading this are chopping up cocoa beans. – Nykiah Williams

There is a type of slavery called bonded labor, where a person owes another person money and he/she are forced to work for that person until the amount of money is paid back. – Madison Bevis

How would you feel if you were Ramphal, who was a slave in India? He had to ask permission to do anything he wanted to do. How would you feel if you had to do dangerous work in unsafe conditions all the time and not get any freedom? – Lane Galloway

 

I was astonished that our country is home to about 60,000 modern slaves. – Tamya Tolbert

Even in “the land of the free” around 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked. – Anthony Moncrief

I know we have many other issues to solve as a country but I think the United States should lend a hand in helping these countries overcome slavery. As the governor you know the negative legacy Alabama has associated with slavery; however we have the opportunity of becoming leaders in the movement against slavery, and we can change that legacy forever. – Cionni Yates

While all of this is heartbreaking, there are some steps you can take to end this horrible act. First of all, you could crack down on traffickers, track them down, and then arrest them. This could eliminate some human trafficking.  In order to stop child labor, you should ban the companies that are participating in it. Another thing you could do is fund anti-slavery work worldwide. – Ellie Hart

If we all know that slavery is bad then why don’t we stop it, we should have stopped it years ago. Anyway, if you don’t stop it, who will? – Axel Baltazar

Imagine a world free of slavery. – Luis Cabello

Respectfully,

The Students of Mrs. Raville's English 9 Classes 

 

 

Debate Smackdown Leads to Peace, Love, and Harmony

If you want to inject instant energy and warm-fuzzies into a room, you need to try holding debates. I know that this seems counter intuitive: argument=positive bonding. But I have a working theory on this one.

To begin with, it is a group activity with clearly defined roles, each of which relies on the others. I set up my debates almost like extended essays. There is an opening statement with a hook that introduces the main points of the argument. There is also a person who goes about the process of defending these arguments using ethos, pathos, and logos. The rebuttal works to predict and undermine the arguments of the other team. And the conclusion brings it all home. You can see the graphic organizers here. The students must truly collaborate in order to even remotely make sense. Also, during the actual debate there is a large amount of peer pressure to do your best since your team is relying on you. Many kids really rise to the challenge, and I am often surprised by the one's that shine. Since I don't let the students choose who they work with (they vote privately about which topic they want to argue), they often work someone they don't know well. This helps to boost the family atmosphere I love in a classroom.

Another reason that debates breed positivity is that they initially cause some anxiety and fear. This might sound completely crazy, but hear me out. All of those pent up nerves get released when the students actually argue their part in front of the class. In their place, I think the kids get a rush of endorphins similar to the ones I felt when I went bungee jumping years ago! The atmosphere post-debate is electric. The kids tend to be brimming with compliments for each other. In the midst of that you are able to have some very honest conversations about how to overcome fears, and how to be successful in areas that aren't your strongest. I loved it today when a student said he was surprised by another because she was always so quiet in class, but had one of the best arguments. When I asked him what the lesson was, he responded, "I know she is a hard worker. She probably prepared more than any of us. So I think maybe she used her strength in another area to help her in an area she is not strong." The girl was positively GLOWING because this was authentic praise. Also, all of the students were able to learn an invaluable life lesson from one of their peers.

Finally, I make Debate Day fancy. I bring in cookies and we have guest judges. I know that extra touches like this show the kids that their work is worth the spotlight and is worth the attention of others. Praise from complete strangers far outweighs my praise.

Today we debated two topics: the purpose of education is teach students job skills, and the best way to ensure equality is through government intervention. These tied in nicely to our study of DuBois and Booker T. Washington, but I also picked them because - well - they are interesting.

At the end of each period I had at least 2-3 students asking me when we would debate again. This is despite the fact that some were so nervous they literally hyperventilated, despite the fact that they had to conduct authentic research and create a works cited, and despite the fact that they had to work with students who were not their best friends.

Mrs. Raville - 1, Fuddie Duddies - 0