The Hour Before Graduation

This will be a short post and mostly photos.  The graduation ceremony is always lovely, but it's not my favorite part.  My favorite parts are the hour before and the few minutes after the ceremony.  Our teachers robe up in the same room with the graduates.  There are happy conversations happening between teachers and their (almost former) students.

There are teachers taking selfies with students and each other.  It is a joyous time with just us.

My best friends and I take photos together, just like kids do.  This is the last year that our "Blue Pod + One" photo will look like this because Cheryl is leaving us for other employment.  It is also the last photo of all the Beths that will look like this one.

Even after all these years, teachers have some difficulty with their caps and gowns.  That hood is always impossible, and no one seems to know the right way to arrange it.

Just before the ceremony, we gather together and pray with them one last time.

This Answer Made it Worth It

My last post referenced trying new things and analyzing their results.  Since then, I have spent the week grading a physics project.  It is my second attempt in physics at a Challenge Based Learning project (CBL).  The challenge is this.  You live in an area that gets electricity inconsistently.  I gave them some examples of places in the world with power shedding, namely Haiti, Zambia, and South Africa.  You want to keep a few things at your home powered - your refrigerator, perhaps some fans for blowing off malaria-carrying insects.  What can you do, at your house, to keep these things running?

The idea behind Challenge Based Learning is that students must address the challenge, developing their skills in creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.  They are not given a pre-determined solution and told to build it according to a teacher thought out rubric.  They must come up with an answer by thinking through the associated issues.  This provides the opportunity for students to step up to the plate and do something real, but it also provides them with the opportunity to fail.  If the challenge is worthwhile, it is certainly not something that can be accomplished with one day's work, even a good all nighter.  This type of project forces them to rise to the occasion or fail; there is no in between.  It also requires a serious lack of intervention from the teacher.  If I step in and bail them out, they do not meet the challenge.  This is incredibly difficult for teachers as we are trained to help.

Watching the kids progress through this project had its highs and lows.  Their initial brainstorming sessions produced more viable ideas than we had the entire year before, so I felt like we were off to a good start.  I gave them some work days in class.  While they worked, I listened to them.   Listening to student conversations when they don't know you are listening is better entertainment than most movies.  I listened as students talked about solar power and wind.  I pointed out the limitations of those options, suggesting that perhaps a fuel powered solution might be easier, and they insisted on alternative energy.  They've been a bit brainwashed about fossil fuels, but it was their challenge to meet, not mine.  I heard one group talk about a hand crank generator that they already had.  Later, I asked them if they thought that was realistic at someone's home.  After all, you aren't going to have someone stay up all night cranking the generator.  I heard another group talking about soccer and basketball and fantasy football.  These are juniors and seniors, so it is the time for them to learn the consequences of wasting class time.  I let them keep talking, knowing they would likely not meet the challenge.  This is a difficult thing as a teacher, but I believe it is important as a life skill.  See my post from last year on not helping.  Constantly rescuing kids from their irresponsibility will never teach them to be responsible.

One group used its time well; so even though their solution to the problem wasn't what I would do, they gained more knowledge than any other group.  They built a small wind turbine and did a little math about how that would scale up in the real world.  I wish they had done something more universal and that they could have answered more feasibility questions, but they had done a lot of thinking and got a good understanding of the difficulties of electricity production.  They did understand that when the wind wasn't blowing, they would need a back up for the back up and spent a little bit of time talking about battery usage.  They didn't really develop that idea, but at least they had it.  The hand-crank generator group had the problems I knew they would have.  Some of them learned less than others, and I wish they had explored other solutions.  Both of these groups had models that did produce a little electricity, not truly addressing the challenge but at least getting something out of it.

The group that spent all their time in class talking about sports brought in a presentation about hydroelectric dams.  I stopped them and said, "How could you use this at your house?"    I invited adults in the school to come ask questions as well.  One of them said, "You do know these cost billions of dollars to build, right?  That's why there aren't many of them out there."  Another adult pointed out that you would have to live near a river that you were allowed to block.  Then, they showed me their model.  It is made of a cork on a barbecue skewer, sitting in a plastic bottle.  When water runs over it, it spins.  Notice that I didn't say it produces electricity; it doesn't.  

One of the methods I use to grade this type of project is through reflective questions.  I ask them about how they communicated, collaborated, problem solved, and dealt with timeline interruptions.  I have them explain what their role is the group and what they learned, not only about electricity production but also about doing projects.  I ask them what grade they would give themselves.  This is actually a very long reflection form.  I thought the water group would understand that they had not risen to the occasion from the feedback they were getting on the day of the presentation, but they didn't.  All of them said they were proud of their product and would give themselves either a high B or a low A.  Only one owned up to wasting the work days I gave them.  Their answers were so inconsistent with reality that this project became difficult to grade.

Then, near the end of the alphabet, I read the following answer.

This answer made the rest of the grading difficulty (and the inevitable pushback I will get from grading them correctly) worth it.  This student didn't just learn about electricity.  She learned gratitude for living in a first world country, where she doesn't have to think about this outside of a school project.  When she plugs things in, she will take a moment to thank God for allowing us to use the laws of physics.  A few years from now, when she hears political candidates debate about alternative energy sources, she will have information by which to judge their spin.  Every teacher needs an answer like this one every now and then.  It is the reason I will do this project again.   This answer made it worth it.

What If It Doesn't Work?

GRACE Christian School is committed to trying new things in our student's education.  We don't want kids to have the same thing over and over just because it is the way we have always done it.  We don't want them to do something just because it is the way we did it.  We also know that just because there is a new idea, it isn't always the right one.  We analyze before we implement.  If we believe that there is a valid reason to use something in our classrooms, we use it.  If there isn't, the fact that it is new isn't a good enough reason to do it.

Sometimes those things work; and we do them again, continuing to improve them.  Sometimes, they don't work.  What do we do then?

The answer is "It depends."  I know that isn't the most satisfying answer, but it is true.  It depends on why the project or lesson didn't work.  Teaching is all about analysis.  We analyze curriculum, test questions, and the work of students.  We should use the same kind of analysis on ourselves.  If you don't know where to start with the analysis of a failed project, start with these questions.

1.  Are The Objectives Important?
I teach science, so I get sent videos of every cool experiment that has ever been put on YouTube, from Mentos in Coke to rice on speakers.  Many of them are very interesting thngs that should be done in my classroom because they are excellent demonstrations of a the scientific principles that are in my curriculum.  Others are just fun to watch.  If it is just fun to watch, post it to social media or share it with students by e-mail.  It is good for them to see that you enjoy your material outside of class, too.  If the project or demonstration doesn't apply to an objective, don't take up your class time with it.  Your class time is a precious and limited resource; it deserves to be preserved.

2.  Were the Expectations Clear to You?
The first time I did a free choice project, I knew that students would need some expectations of how they would be graded.  Even with all the choices they had about topic and methods, I had to decided what was important to me ahead of time.  In a Challenge Based Learning Project, you aren't supposed to go in with preconceptions about the outcome.  However, there are some things you really expect.  I want at least a working model in mine, but some teachers might want a full sized, fully functioning invention.  It isn't fair to assign the project at all if I don't know at least those types of things.

3.  Were the Objectives and Expectations Clearly Communicated to Your Students?
Once you know what you want, it is important that your students are clear on what you want.  Since students aren't mind readers, they can't know your expectations unless you tell them.  They haven't spent ten years with this topic and don't necessarily know what objectives are.  I write the objective on the board every day so that they get used to what that means.  On projects, I put the educational objective on the instructions sheet.  It gives many students the same security that having the name of a city on a map would give you.

4.  Did I Include Enough Accountability BEFORE the End?
I have found this to be primary reason something doesn't work.  Assigning something and then not mentioning again until the due date just doesn't work.  Most of us experienced that in college.  Even in my adult life, I rarely have no accountability for the work being done along the way.  If an outside of class project is going to take more than one week from the time you assign it until it is due, you should set up checkpoints.  If it a small project, this could be as simple as saying, "Tell me what you have accomplished so far."  If it is a large project (20% Time projects are all year, my free choice is three months, my CBL is two months), you are going to want some specifics.  Have them lay out a timeline.  Ask them questions related to that.  Have them keep a blog in which they justify what they have done each week.  There may be a week where they couldn't work on the project much.  That's okay and even appropriate, but they should explain why.  What interfered, and how did they work around it to get back on schedule.  Wow, if that's not an important life skill, I don't know what is.

5.  Were the Right Tools Used?
When GRACE first started its one to one program, I was very strict about the platforms projects should be made in.  If I assigned a podcast, I wanted it done with Garage Band and not iMovie.  This frustrated my students, but there was a reason.  I wanted them to have a breadth of tools at their disposal.  Unless forced to do otherwise, we will all just do the thing we are most comfortable doing.  Once we got a comfortable with a variety of tools, I started giving them choices of platforms.  Now, five years into the program, I tell them to judge which tool is best for what they want to accomplish.  A keynote is great for straight information, but it doesn't work if you need to see something demonstrated.  Choosing the best tool is also one of my educational objectives.  The younger the students, the more you should narrow their choice.  By the time they are juniors and seniors, they should be able to make that judgement.

If there is improvement on the second year of a project, I go through the analytical process again.  If there isn't, this may not be the right project for my class.  It is okay to dump it and replace it with something else.

Fine Arts Pep Rally

If you read last year's Yearbook Dedication Day posts (Anticipation and Dedication), you know that a big part of our tradition is a Fine Arts Pep Rally.  Your school doesn't have one of those?  You are missing out.  We just had our fifth one.  In a time when many schools are slashing their arts programs to ribbons, this pep rally shows GRACE's fine arts to be growing, diverse, and dynamic.

As soon as the yearbook is finished in early March, I start doing two things - the graduation slide show and organizing for this pep rally.  Our visual arts teachers send me photos of much of the year's artwork.  The theater teacher sends me cast lists.  Our music teachers tell me what groups they want to perform and what songs they will be doing.  I put together a slide show, and we do some planning in a shared document (thanks, Google).  This all culminates in a big event that involves every one of our students and teachers.

Our school is one K-12 school, but it is on two campuses.  While they are only a quarter of a mile apart, the other campus sometimes feels very far away.  We don't get to see the elementary students as often as we would like, and this is one of only two times that were are all together in one place each year.  The first is the homecoming parade.  I love that the thing bringing us all together is a celebration of the fine arts.

As students enter the gym, a slideshow containing photographs of visual art made by our students is playing.  High school students get to feel nostalgia about art project from their childhood when they see elementary projects, and kindergarten students get to see the kind of work they can one day aspire to make.  Our middle and high school combined chorus sings the national anthem, and our sixth grade chaplain opens us in prayer.  Our visual arts teachers then recognize those who have won awards in art competitions this year (several dozen students have excelled in some competition).  Some of those kids are also athletes, and some are scholars.  Some will also be performing during the rally.  I love how well rounded our kids are.

Our performance arts are well represented.  The elementary chorus sings, and 6th-12th grade bands play.  This year, they played a Star Wars medley, so a couple of drama students had a light saber battle.  The crowd loved it.  Our dance team performs, and our strings group plays a jazz number.  The sixth grade theater class performs a short number.  This year was "Step in Time" from Mary Poppins.

The rally leads up to the unveiling of the yearbook dedication.  This year, it was for our middle and high school visual arts teacher and my friend, Elizabeth Walters.  She is an amazing woman, capable of pulling talent out of students that they don't know they have.  Her students' work covers our hallways.  Without that artwork, our school is just a building.  She is a friend, mentor, and inspiration.  It was the perfect way to end this celebration of the arts.

Look, I know academic, fact-based disciplines are important.  I teach science, for heaven's sake.  I believe, however, the God created us in His image.  Part of that image is creative, and we should all reflect that.  As a Christian school, GRACE knows that students are created with diverse talents - from math to music, from science to dance, from writing to sculpting, from Latin to theater.  We strive to help students to discover them.  The list of names on each of our fine arts rosters makes me happy.  Our students are finding their God-given talents, and we get to be part of that.  Today's pep rally was a great reminder of that.

Thank you to our band, chorus, theater, strings, dance, and art teachers.  Your work is inspiring.

I'm Glad I Don't Have to Grow Up Now

I live in the state of North Carolina.  Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that NC is ground zero for the current battle of the culture war.  People I respect fall into very different places on this issue, mostly falling along generational lines.  Both sides want to say that the other side is about hate; but the world isn't that simple, even when we would like for it to be.

This post is not about HB2 or my feelings about why women's restrooms and locker rooms should be free from male genitalia.  This post is about how glad I am that I am forty years old.  It is about how glad I am that I don't have to grow up right now.

I don't believe there were ever good old days.  I grew up in the 80's, and it would be easy for me to think of that as the good old days until I remember the AIDS epidemic and all that came with it.  Our  parents like to think that the fifties were the good old days, but then they remember segregation the cold war.  Think back further, and you have The Great Depression.  Go back farther, and you have the Civil War to deal with.  Even going way, way back, you will find crucifixion, gladiators, and the entire male population of Sodom wanting to "have their way with" visiting angels.  All of that came AFTER the world got so bad that God sent the flood, so imagine what it must have been like before.  Have I made my point?  There is no time we can point back to and say, "That was the way it was meant to be."  Adam and Eve are the only humans who ever had it right, and they blew it.  We are all living in the result of their fall.

That said, I am still glad I don't have to grow up today.  The world may not have been better 30 years ago, but it was simpler.  I didn't have to deal with the anxiety of everyone every day, coming through my computer screen because I didn't have a computer screen.  If there was a bully at school, she was only at school.  Her bullying couldn't follow me home.  If there was a controversial issue in the media, it would likely be addressed on the six o'clock news, which I sometimes watched and sometimes didn't.  I wasn't expected to write a succinct but passionate message about it 30 seconds after hearing about it for the first time and then hold to that view forever because it was public record.  A guy in my class may have found a magazine somewhere and therefore have been exposed to sexual activity; but there wasn't free access to deviance of every kind all day and all night, rewiring his brain to view me as an object.   I didn't have to wonder whether every bite I ate was organic, free trade, ethically sourced, chemically sound, free from bias, or boycotted by some specialized group.  If I mouthed off to some friends, it was two or three people who were mad at me.  If I had been able to mouth off on social media to everyone I knew, I'm not sure I would have had any friends.

A lot of kids have anxiety disorders, and we act like that is surprising.  As an adult, the amount of input I take in during the day can be overwhelming, but I have an adult brain to process it, years of background to have a foundation of evaluation, and adult judgement to know when to turn it all off.  Imagine having to process all of that information using only a 13-year-old brain, flooded with hormones, and unsupported by years of background.  Imagine believing that you MUST respond to all of it and never turn it off.

Since the onslaught of information isn't going away, we must help kids deal with all of this.  We must help them control the amount of input they have to process each day, but it is about more than limiting screen time.  We must also have conversations with them to help them process the input.  We must ask them reflective questions that guide their thinking about the latest social issue, most recent drama with a friend, and newest reality whatever.  We can't hope they will deal with all of those things properly unless we provide them with an intense amount of training.  We all got this training; we just got it more slowly.  We got it spread out over longer periods of time because our problems were spaced out; they didn't come to us literally at the speed of light.  Our lives have gotten busier, and their lives have gotten more complicated.  We cannot be too busy to have these conversations.

Look for every teachable moment you can find, and jump on it as quickly as possible.