Last evening, I participated in #CELchat on Twitter, and the theme, not surprisingly was "staying motivated in May." Here's the thing. I am always motivated -- not kidding. Part of being in Permanent Beta is this constant iteration, a recursive mindset that just doesn't let me go. It's exhausting sometimes. So the chat was more so about doing relevant work with students as the year comes to a close. One of the threads that surfaced was the fact that we should try to do relevant stuff ALL YEAR, not just when AP Exams or PARCC exams are over. Taking the medicine approach has never been my bag, baby, but I definitely see that it must perpetuate itself in school cultures, or else why would an entire group of educators be addressing the issue?
Times like these call into question the entire construct of marking periods. If teachers could break away from having to populate a grade book with X number of assessments per marking period, then perhaps the urgency we feel to keep students "motivated" might ease a bit. Most everyone in the chat agreed that meaningful projects are best for students as the year comes to a close, initiatives that prompt reflection and cumulative evidence of learning. But group projects? Not advisable.
Several factors inhibit long term group work at the end of the year. Testing schedules, assemblies, college orientation visits and field trips. I meet with each of my classes three or four days per week, depending on the cycle day. In the past two weeks, as students have taken AP exams, attendance has been so hit or miss that it's hard to do anything unified or continuous. On days when PARCC testing was scheduled, our periods were shortened to 40 minutes, a slot barely sufficient on a modular schedule and practically a joke on a rotation drop schedule.
My pet peeve? Being asked "What did I miss when I was absent?" or "Did I miss anything important?" or, "I'm going to be absent tomorrow and then on a field trip the day after that. Are we doing anything important?" Even though I distribute this poem at the beginning of the school year, how easy it is for us all to forget how insulting the question is for all parties involved.
Did I Miss Anything?
Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours
Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent
Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose
Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring the good news to all people on earth.
Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?
Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human experience
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
And you weren’t here
—Tom Wayman
It's hard, in times such as these, not to feel like a glorified study hall monitor. But I'm not. Now more than ever is the time to keep that bar of opportunity raised high, to expect the absolute best and to give my absolute best. I'm still assigning work, giving lots of feedback on student papers, and running to the book closet to get new texts for my literature circle groups. (Returning the behemoth stack of books TO the closet is proving more of a challenge.)
There's a story I love about the piano teacher who tells her student to practice the ending to his recital piece more than any other part. People will forgive a rough start and a messy middle, but they'll always remember a fantastic ending. It's important to me, and for my students, to end their years and their high school careers, on a strong note, not to fizzle out. This doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to summer vacation. It's been a long year, and I am eagerly anticipating time with my family, time to read and time to revise and design better learning experiences. But, yeah, let's finish this year first. Let's not leave before we leave.
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