Change Prompts Change

I have had variations on the same conversation 7 times this week.  I have appointments to have it again two more times this week.  It's a conversation with 8th-grade students about their study habits.  See, the last year of middle school is when things change.  From kindergarten through 6th grade, there is an age-appropriate level of thinking that largely involves memorization and observation.  Application and analysis is usually a teacher-guided process.  In the 7th grade, application becomes more prevalent on assessments (e.g interpret this weather map), but it is still a relatively small part of a test, so students still rely heavily on flashcards and quizlet for their study.

Teachers of 8th-grade students have a responsibility that we take very seriously.  We have to turn our middle school students into high school students by the end of the year.  The percentage of application and analysis-based questions and skills increases dramatically, and good students are thrown a bit off balance.  While I talk to them about this as part of the class and during test reviews, it seems to only sink in during these one-on-one conversations.  I start each one by asking them what they currently do to study.  About 90% of them have the same answer.  "I look over my notes and use Quizlet (or flashcards)."  I ask them what it means to look over their notes and what value that provides (very little, if any).  We talk about the value of Quizlet and flashcards because they do have value for the types of questions that have one-word answers and definitions.  

Then, we talk about the tools that need to be added to their toolbox.  I advise that they start by writing down everything they can remember from the chapter.  Comparing this to the book/notes will help them narrow down what they need to study most.  Then, we talk about how learning a fact is valuable only because of how the facts fit together or how they fit into a pattern or how they inform a skill they will be applied to.  The best students are often surprised by the "think outside the book" approach, but when they grasp it, they become stronger learners in a way that pays off in high school and college.  It's a painful process, but it is worth it.  Growth is never linear, and it involves fits and starts; but I hope they recognize the long-term value of what they are doing because it isn't just about the test they have Thursday.  It isn't even just about my class.  It's about the definition of learning and the meaning of all information.  No fact is an island.  It all fits into your life according to a pattern.

Changes in the way tests are written should cause students to change their study habits.  Changes in data should change the advice scientists give.  Changes in relationships should change the way we communicate.  Changes in the world changed the way we taught last year.  Change for the sake of change is stupid, but change in response to change is prudent and necessary.  We must ask ourselves how our practices fit into the larger pattern.