The Dream Classroom- Meeting Every Learner Where They Are

I have had one of those weeks where I have been quite reflective as I have taken note of just how different each of us are and how amazing it is that we are surrounded by everyday heroes who want to help others and support them.  I definitely know this to be true in education.  In fact, we all do.  We know that students learn in different ways, at different rates, and that they come to us with very different experiences and backgrounds.  We also know that we have dedicated educators who chose to go into this field because they care about children and want them to succeed.  So, here is my question- Why do we still need IEPs, 504s and other learning plans for accommodations that are really related to the differences in how students learn?  Can we not just make learning the goal and then provide students what they need to reach that goal?

In order to meet children where they are in their learning, I know many teachers do use questions like these for all children:

• Is there another way I can assess this learning goal?
• Is there a barrier I can easily remove that might help this student?
• Is there a skill not related to this learning goal that is causing the student to struggle?  How can I provide a support for that skill?
• How can I use this child's strength as an advantage?

However, many accommodations are reserved only for students who have some kind of learning plan.  If the goal in our schools is for students to master the skills and content we intend for them to learn, it seems to me that most accommodations would be fair game to any student who needs them in order to learn.  If a student needs "extra time" on a test, he/she should be given extra time because unless processing speed is the learning goal that is being assessed, time shouldn't be a factor.  If a student who is learning about multi-digit addition needs to use base ten blocks in order to solve a problem, even if it is an assessment, he/she should be able to use the blocks.  It may take him/her longer, but his/her actual understanding of the mathematical concept is not any less than the student who is doing it in their head or on a piece of paper by "writing the two and carrying the 1".  In fact, it may be a better understanding.  If a student struggles to focus for more than 30 minutes at a time, giving him/her a 2 minute break every 30 minutes will not prevent him/her from achieving any learning goals.  (I provide professional learning to adults and I know of a lot of adults who need this, including myself.)

Imagine a world where we set a learning goal and then we let each student get there in his or her own way.  If a student needs to take a longer path with more twists and turns to get to the end goal, it is okay. He or she will not be penalized with a lower grade or less exciting assignments, nor will he or she be labeled or ostracized.  If a student needs to approach the learning in a different way or needs resources that may be different than the other students, the teacher is able to make it happen. Students are given a voice and they advocate for their learning needs.  They partner with their teachers and they have the efficacy to hold themselves accountable to do what is needed to be successful in meeting their learning goals.

So that is it.  The answer to my question.  Problem solved with a dream come true- BUT STOP RIGHT THERE.  The classroom I described may very well exist in some places, but the fact that it is not the norm is not because our teachers do not WANT this for their students.  In order for our teachers to create an environment like this, they must know that it is okay for them to take the time necessary to create this kind of environment.  They must have class sizes that allow them to provide the individual attention that this kind environment would require.  They must know that their students will be assessed for accountability purposes in ways that honor the students' individual needs.  They must have the training and support to build and foster first their own efficacy, and then their student's efficacy.  Finally, our schools must have the supports necessary to support students' social emotional needs so that they are regulated enough to benefit from an environment like this.

I really want this dream classroom for students, but I am realistic that at this point it is a leader problem and we have work to do in building support. The best way for us to support the work of our teachers in the classroom is to ensure that we have a proper alignment among what we are expecting teachers to do, how we are holding them accountable to those expectations, and the conditions in which we are asking them to meet the expectations.

Own it!

"You don't have to be somebody different to be important.  You're important in your own right."- Michelle Obama.

There have been a couple of things that have happened recently that have fueled my thinking for this post.  The first thing was related to reactions to my recent post about worry.  I had a number of people comment to me that they were surprised to learn that I am a worrier because I do not give that "vibe" in my daily life.  This was laughable to my family, who has tried to have worry added to my name.  The other was actually a couple of things that happened yesterday.  When I was sharing an update on my vision with our superintendents one year out from sharing my entry plan after being hired into my current position, I shared that I was enjoying some of the connections I was making with some of them and that I was working to get out and connect with all of them, but that it isn't always easy for me.  Then later in the day, we had a retired teacher reception and my boss was teasing me about getting in front of the group to talk.  My co-workers commented about how it surprises them that some of these situations are hard for me because I am so social, and I owned up to the fact that while I am social, I need to have "my people" and I prefer to be invited in.  What is common to both of these situations is that I was willing to completely share and "own" aspects of my personality that some might see as weaknesses, especially considering my profession.

Now, I do have to admit that when I got home last night, I did worry about whether or not my tendency to struggle with "putting myself out there" is a trait that might hinder my ambitions as an administrator and educational consultant.  Ultimately, though, I decided that what is important is that I have worked to overcome that struggle.  Furthermore, the fact that people are surprised by it indicates that I must do an okay job at overcoming it.  In fact, what I could do is just pretend that it isn't a struggle for me and just keep it inside.  Maybe then no one will ever know that I have these flaws.  This is the focus of my blog for today.  As educators, really as people, it is important for us to own who we are.  As Brené Brown  says in her books and Ted Talks, vulnerability is key to success, relationships, and leadership.  I love her work and her ideas always push my thinking. In fact, my professional learning team at work is doing a book study on Brown's book Dare to Lead.  Okay- I need to own it- we STARTED to do a book study, then got busy with the holidays, and haven't gotten back to it.  (Yes- I realize it is APRIL). 

As I think about it from an education viewpoint, I realize just how important this is for teachers.  When teachers own their mistakes or weaknesses in front of their students, they are sending a very important message about the imperfections of humans and the need to persevere.  They are opening themselves up to their students as human beings who are real and fallible and they are teaching students important lessons about humility and grit.  When a teacher can stand in front of his students and tell them that he really struggled with math and had to work extra hard just to keep up or that maybe  he did not even like math but now he does, he has just removed pressure from those students who are struggling with math.  When a teacher tells stories about how hard it was for her to talk to people that she does not know, she is connecting with students who feel the same way.  Furthermore, in both cases, these teachers can talk about how they have, or are working to overcome these things.  Or better yet, they can ask for their students to help them with ideas. 

This was a little hard for me at first when I was a teacher.  I felt like I needed to know everything and be the ideal for my students.  It did not take me long, however, to realize that this just could not happen, nor was it good thing.  When I had a 5th grade student walk in my room with a 7 pound book about Quantum Physics, saying "Mrs. Bergmann, I have a question."  I had absolutely no problem saying, "Michael, if it has anything to do with what you read in that book I am NOT going to be able to help you."

As an administrator, I have never really struggled to "own" the things that I know are not my strength or admitting that there are many things that I do not know how to do.  Just ask any of the administrative assistants that I have, or continue to work for.   Yes, I said work FOR, because as much as they have worked for me I work for them- I could not do this work without them and they have always known that.  I also learned to find teacher leaders who had strengths that complimented my own.  If I had any hope of supporting an entire school community, I had to be aware of the areas that were not my strength and find the people on my team who did have those strengths. 

When administrators in schools or districts do not make themselves vulnerable and admit to their areas of need, their communities suffer.  When a leader does not own his/her areas of weakness and  does not find team members to compliment them, it will be impossible to realize a vision for the community.   Words can cover for a lack of capacity for a short time, but when there is no skill to back it up, structures fail and that is when the vision for the community is lost. 

Students whose teachers are not vulnerable miss out on opportunities to connect, to learn about perseverance,  to learn about grit, and to overcome their own insecurities.  School communities whose leaders are not vulnerable become lost.

Do not let this be you- OWN IT!!

Compliance or Learning?

I was talking to a friend the other day about my frustrations with the amount of governmental interference there seems to be in education.  I feel like there is way too much time and focus on the things that we are "required" to do that often have little to do with the actual teaching and learning that we as educators are most passionate about.  All of the mandates and policies that require teachers to jump through hoops are causing fatigue and frustration for our educators.  They have great skill and I, for one, want them to be set free to put all of their time and effort into applying that skill to what they do best and that is teach students, or ignite learning in students.  As an administrator, I am dedicated to protecting the teachers from the onslaught of compliance driven tasks.

As I continue to grapple with this problem and think about how best to tackle it, I do have to wonder whether our students have a similar plight.  Are they also frustrated and fatigued by a system that is more focused on compliance than learning?  Certainly, the traditional schooling model that was built on the behaviorist theory of learning had a very heavy compliance component.  However,  we now know so much more about how students learn and about the social emotional needs of students.  We know the importance of a healthy balance.

Think about your own classroom.  Is your focus more on learning or compliance?  Both are important, but it is important that compliance does not become a barrier to learning.  Ask yourself these two questions:
Are there students who struggle academically simply because they are non compliant?
Are there students who succeed academically simply because they are compliant?
In the first case, you may have a student who is interested in learning, but will quickly lose interest because of a perceived lack of success.  In the second case, you may have a student who appears to succeed but has learned nothing.  By this, I mean the student who came into class with high skills and simply played the game by being compliant but did not grow in his/her learning at all.  In both cases, it is possible the student will get frustrated by their lack of learning and give up on school and learning.

You may have said no to both questions and that is great. I know that we have come a long way and that is exciting.  You may have said yes to one or both questions.  Decide if it is something you want to address and then evaluate your practice to find a small adjustment that you can make as a first step.

I am, by no means, saying that compliance is not important.  It definitely is.  I am just encouraging balance.  Recently I was interviewing a friend who teaches 7th grade Social Studies in a school with a challenging population.  I asked her to describe the kind of student who gets the highest marks in her class and she started out by saying "Well, that is most of them..."  I asked her why she thought it was most of them and she said that they are just always busy and engaged in a variety of tasks and she just doesn't let anyone off the hook.  She tells them exactly what the target is and helps them get there.  I think that if you focus on learning and your students know that, you don't have to worry so much about compliance.