"Mrs. Neill, thanks for a good semester. Your class is easy, and I really like that I feel successful in English."
I have not just handed out examples or notes this year. Again, does that mean my class is not rigorous or complex? This year in my technical writing class, I could have just handed them sample resume. Instead, I had them look for what the experts said - what did they need to include in their resume to showcase their best attributes? I want them to walk through the learning process because a few years from now, they will do that - without guidance from a teacher. For some students, this is frustrating because they want to get the work done quickly. However, for most students, this teaches them to think critically, to decipher information, and to apply what they are reading to their own work.
As a teacher, I rely on this informal "data" - because my class and the learning that takes place does not look like it did in years past. I used to be solely focused on end results - projects, posters, tests, and papers. Now, the learning process holds just as much weight. Students have to be able to identify ways that they have improved when they leave my classroom doors in May - or I have not done my job. They must "own" their learning. These kiddos have to be able to take what we are doing in class and apply it across content areas when they read and write. Students don't always have the words to describe their knowledge or understanding. So when a student says, "this class is easy" - I no longer dive into a tailspin of doubt. That is the phrase that causes me to stop, reflect and have a conversation about the learning taking place in my classroom. I am not perfect. I do not have all of the answers. Every day, I try to do better.
True story - this was written in a thank you note from one of my students this year. I read that note, and doubting feelings crept into my heart. "Is my class easy? Am I challenging my students enough? Do I need to assign more homework? Should I plan more tests or quizzes? How do I make sure that my class looks like what a rigorous class should look like?"
And then, I took a deep breath, and I added that note to a list of comments that students have either said to me or written in notes. I come back to these comments when I start to doubt myself as a teacher. Some of those comments read:
- "I love to read again.
- "I finally understand how to connect two sentences correctly."
- "You are always so happy to see us when class begins.
- "You laugh at yourself when you make mistakes, I like that."
- "You interact with us the whole hour. You don't just assign work."
- "Whoa. Class is over? This class always goes by so quickly."
- "I think this is the best paragraph I have ever written."
- "I thought I was going to hate this class, and I did for a few weeks, but it turned into just what I needed."
Years ago, the comment "this class is easy" would send me into a tailspin of doubt. Now, I ask myself two questions:
- Are the students engaged in what we are doing - are they thinking critically?
- Am I making English useable for them - are they able to use this skill or technique outside of my class?
I teach white-collar, blue-collar, and no-collar English. I teach future surgeons, soldiers, teachers, welders, and stay-at-home parents. How in the world do I possibly meet all of their needs? I can't. But I do try to make the most of the time that I have with them each day. There is a difference between rigor, difficulty, and complexity.
We have not had a "test" this year in the majority of my classes. Does that mean my class is not rigorous or complex? My concern is no longer about trivial events in a story - I want more. I want to them to dissect characters' motives and an author's purpose for writing. Yesterday, for example, we had a pretty in-depth discussion about indirect characterization in "Masque of the Red Death" by Poe. Students discussed characters and inferred what traits and emotions were driving their actions. This led to a discussion about theme - how does a story written hundreds of years ago still relate to us to today? The answer: everyone, no matter their race, gender, or socio-economic status will face death someday - so what are we doing with the time we've been given? Next week we will look at how the idea of death is often personified. These activities and conversations tell me more about what they do and don't understand than the multiple choice tests that I used to give.
We have not had much "homework" this year. Does that mean my class is not rigorous or complex? I have asked students to start dedicating 10 minutes a night to independent reading. To this day, they have completed 562 novels. By becoming readers, they are doing so much to improve their understanding of how our language works. Every student has finished at least one book, and most of them will tell you they have read more in the last semester than they ever have. Yesterday, we tied our independent reading into our conversation about indirect characterization. I asked students to find an instance of indirect characterization in their own books, tell me what that quote taught them about the character being discussed, and then asked them to relate it back to a personal experience. We walk through the thinking process step-by-step so that they can do it without me their to guide them someday.
I have not just handed out examples or notes this year. Again, does that mean my class is not rigorous or complex? This year in my technical writing class, I could have just handed them sample resume. Instead, I had them look for what the experts said - what did they need to include in their resume to showcase their best attributes? I want them to walk through the learning process because a few years from now, they will do that - without guidance from a teacher. For some students, this is frustrating because they want to get the work done quickly. However, for most students, this teaches them to think critically, to decipher information, and to apply what they are reading to their own work.
As a teacher, I rely on this informal "data" - because my class and the learning that takes place does not look like it did in years past. I used to be solely focused on end results - projects, posters, tests, and papers. Now, the learning process holds just as much weight. Students have to be able to identify ways that they have improved when they leave my classroom doors in May - or I have not done my job. They must "own" their learning. These kiddos have to be able to take what we are doing in class and apply it across content areas when they read and write. Students don't always have the words to describe their knowledge or understanding. So when a student says, "this class is easy" - I no longer dive into a tailspin of doubt. That is the phrase that causes me to stop, reflect and have a conversation about the learning taking place in my classroom. I am not perfect. I do not have all of the answers. Every day, I try to do better.
