Our Class Norms Development Journey

The first week of the new calendar year, and the first of classes following a two week Winter Recess, provided a tremendous opportunity to reset classroom norms and expectations for the second half of the school year. On the Monday we returned, I began the process with my students, 110 total in five sections, of collecting feedback as a means of collaborating on expectations to which we (my students and I ) could both agree moving forward. While not an earth shattering revelation that this kind of norms development is a beneficial activity, it required some risk on both stakeholder' parts to share the information and allow for the sharing of different points of development. It did feel good to embrace the risk.

Due to our staggered instructional schedule, this was not a process that could easily be accomplished in one or two consecutive classes. I planned to keep every class at relatively the same steps in the development process so that each class, and therefore students, would have their opinion honored and included. This did create the additional challenge of keeping the activity, and ultimately its final product, relevant and timely. Students can have short attention spans and any activity which goes too long loses its freshness--a reality which holds true for this adult in the classroom too.

In total the process took about 90 minutes of class time over three 55 minutes classes and culminated with each of us agreeing to shared classroom norms.

Step 1
I began the first day of our return to school from break by sharing my own frustration with elements of the first half of the school year--much of which I confessed was the product of my own responses to behavior and class progress. I suggested to students that we could be successful moving forward and that the creation of expectations and norms to which we both could agree would help us to do this.

I asked students to first identify three qualities of "Good Teachers" and challenged them to also brainstorm observable behaviors that revealed the teacher's possession of that quality. Students were placed in groups of 2-4 for discussion purposes. I was incredibly impressed by how honest the dialogue was between students as they collaboratively worked through their own experiences to identify those traits which they felt best fit the idea of a "Good Teacher".

Most expected the next step to be brainstorming qualities of a "Bad Teacher", but instead we then worked through the same process but from a personal or peer level perspective: what did they think a "Good Student" is and what behaviors would those individuals demonstrate? Again, the conversation was thoughtful and reflective, requiring many to admit their own success, and possession of positive traits as good students (even if the social indicator, grades, did not necessarily reflect that).

Step 2
Students then reviewed the qualities/traits they had identified and tied behaviors to with the purpose of winnowing them down to only three which are demonstrated by BOTH stakeholders. While some ("Be to class on time, prepared to work," for example) were clearly applicable to both. Other norms, such as "Being entertaining" were clearly intended for the individual in the teacher's role. As a means of making this dialogue around ideas, groups were asked to craft a graphic organizer articulating the three traits possessed by both students and teachers, as well as two behaviors demonstrated by each individual possessing that quality within the context of their specific classroom role. After each group in each class completed their posters, I collected them with the goal of combining all the information into an initial draft of norms.

Step 3
The evening prior to next class, I collected the combined qualities/traits along with the corresponding observable behaviors. After reviewing each graphic organizer, I also went back to each group's original "Good Teacher/Students" Charts for any additional information that had not found its way through to the "next round," but might offer some additional insight into the groups' thinking processes. There, I found quite a number of interesting bits of good teacher suggestions that seemed to be veiled suggestions for my own improvement. Though not explicitly requested, it was noted and appreciated.

I also picked up on a common "Good Student" quality that many saw as lacking among their peers: involvement with the school community, and idea did that ultimately find it's way into the final draft. The initial data collected yielded about fifteen distinct qualities/traits that could be easily winnowed down to three: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Positive. "Positivity" as a quality was the only variation from a previously used building-wide set of norms (replacing "Productive"), and its inclusion was solely due to student suggestion. In their original groups of three, students reviewed each of the three qualities and students generated norms for each. As they read and discussed with one another, they offered suggestions for revision, addition, or exclusion and overall thoughts regarding acceptability. The overwhelmingly consensus was on agreement with 5-8 behaviors with each quality. This became the final draft that was to be shared the next class.

Step 4
Though there were two classes where no work was done toward finalizing our class (and, again, by this I mean all five of my eleventh grade course comprised of Regents and Advanced Placement course) norms, we did revisit our progress in the overall process. On the sixth day, I shared a poster I had put together with gold lettering declaring "Our Class Norms", signed it, and asked each student to do the same as an expression of their agreement. Though this activity took time away from regular instruction, the conversation evoked regarding good students and teachers, as well as the impact each has has on their individual success was both fruitful and informative. I played little role other than scribe, facilitator and wordsmith, and am very proud of the set of norms we came up with together.

My sense in observing the classroom during the activities was that students took the process seriously and thoughtfully reflected on the qualities and behaviors they found worthy to move forward. Some defended their ideas that others felt unnecessary and were willing to compromise over the inclusion of some they may had dismissed originally.

Greece Gladiator Goliath Remains FIRST In Our Hearts!

The spectacle of robot competition... FIRST style. (3/29/14)

This morning I took a drive to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to check out the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) regional competition. With a mission to "transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders;" FIRST seeks to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. And it is fun, too!

A number of my English Language Arts students have been working diligently over the past two months as part of Greece Central School District's Robotics Team, the Greece Gladiators, to develop an automaton to compete in the three day regional event. I was happy to have time this to see what all the excitement was about. Surprisingly (given the inconsistent descriptions shared by my students I did not know what to expect), the idea of competitive robots was much more exciting than I had expected it to be. As explained t me at the event, each year the design challenge and competition is changed and this year's game dealt with robots passing large inflatable balls to one another and scoring points in a number of different ways.

On deck prepping Goliath for the first competition of the day. (3/29/14)

In addition to reinforcing what I already knew (that our students in Greece are capable of great things), I also learned a little bit about the FIRST program and robotics. It was amazing how much the students accomplished under the tutelage of our team's teacher coordinator, Chris Mros.

Entering the squared circle for 3-on-3 robot basketball/soccer amalgam. (3/29/14)

Robots are built in 6 weeks from a common kit of parts provided by FIRST, and typically weigh up to 150 lbs. As I understand it, the students break themselves into different committees, each serving its own purpose and collaboratively working toward the funding (with sponsors), design, and development of a competitive robot.

Teams bring their own control panel with into competition area. (3/29/14)

Greece Gladiator Goliath on the jumbo-tron doing his thang! (3/29/14)

Greece Gladiator fans go CRAZY! (3/29/14)

Zach V. and Jeff I. get Goliath ready for the next round. (3/29/14)

The lads explaining info about Goliath with some official-types. (3/29/14)

Meghana K., Amy G, and Claire T. showing their Gladiator Pride!  (3/29/14)

Mr. Mros inadvertently(?) photo bombs Zach V. and Tyler C. (3/29/14)

Goliath enters a meditative state prior to the next match. (3/29/14)

Shots of bots in action aren't easy... but here's one that's not ours. (3/29/14)

The Pit, where robots and techs go to prepare and socialize. (3/29/14)

The announcer gets the competitors and audience fired up prior to each match. (3/29/14)

This year's game was VERY fun to watch. (3/29/14)

They call him 1591, but his Gladiator-gang tag is Goliath. (3/29/14)

At the controls for the second match of the day. (3/29/14)

While the Greece Gladiators did not win (though they were part of the winning alliance in the final game for which I stayed), there was a clear, well-earned sense of accomplishment on the part of the team. When one considers the student-driven nature of this competition, it is exciting enough to see the final product in the filed of competition to draw a sense of satisfaction from the experience. Not surprisingly, this was also reflected in the pride taken by parents and school staff who were in attendance offering their moral support.

As this was my first experience seeing the FIRST program and robotics team in action, I was very fortunate that the students allowed me to come into the pit and ask basic questions about the competition. Observing their efforts and teamwork toward a successful meet is a tremendous reminder of the many different ways our students demonstrate their academic/technological skills, as well as, school pride.

Haiku vs. Haiku... FIGHT!

Teacher examples of Dueling Haiku.

Yesterday in English Class, with AP Language and Composition exams in the rear view window and the upcoming English Regents 11 not posing much of a concern, I began working with my eleventh graders on first analysing, and then writing haiku. While students have been "taught" how to write haiku since kindergarten, I annually like to revisit the from with them, in hopes of sharing some new background information, or at least eliciting from them a poem or two that does not consist solely of seventeen syllables thoughtlessly puked out on a paper ten minutes prior to class.

Writing good haiku takes time. This is what I tell students who insist on the ease with which this particular form is mastered. The challenge here is to impress upon students that simply stringing together enough syllables in a familiar structure (5-7-5) does not mean one is "good" at writing them. Today in class we first started by reading four different haiku by different authors, including Basho.

It is important to remind students that the while the form they (and I) have been taught since childhood is "haiku," it is not purely haiku in the Eastern sense, but more of a Westernized "traditional" Haiku form. The basic rules are well-know: haiku are comprised of 17 syllables, arranged in 3 unrhymed lines of 5-7-5 syllables and the content should evoke or link to the natural world.

In order to mix things up slightly, rather than asking students to simply generate two haiku, I assigned them to develop two Dueling Haiku. A form I found online a number of years ago, a single Dueling Haiku consists of a pair of individual haiku that each focus or express forces, animals or seasons which can be seen as being in opposition to one another.

The use of the word "opposition" in the instructions can be confusing for students as there is no actual "conflict" or coordination between the two poems, only the potential for the reader to sense the opposing/contradictory/differing nature of the two forces, animals or moments. As I explain to the students, while there is no "shared DNA" between the two, there should exist an implied connection that is discernible to the reader. While the two poems can stand alone as well-crafted haiku, when paired together they offer a sens of opposition or express the dual nature of a subject.

At the top of this post are two examples of Dueling Haiku that I wrote and ultimately shared with the class.  Each time I deliver this lesson and assign the corresponding task, results vary. The majority of students can generate three unrhymed lines in a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Not all can write haiku that give pause for reflection on the image.  Often times the resulting poems are quite impressive, and my hopes are that this some images will pop with evocative language this year, too.

Teaching Reading & Running Together?

High school Track and Field student-athletes, and the adults who coach them, are fairly set in their ways. This can be seen in their commitment to individualized training groups: sprinters complete drill work with sprinters, jumpers stretch with jumpers, throwers lift with throwers, and distance specialists run distance with one another. Similarly, genre-lovers (especially those who are less adventurous about stepping outside their military biographies, romance novels, or zombie fiction) can subconsciously find themselves pigeon-holing there reading fare.

As both an English teacher and high school coach, I am always on the lookout for selections (technical articles, motivational biographies and commentaries, mostly) to share with my students and athletes. To this point, however, the "great white whale" of Track and Field reading has eluded me. For a number of reasons ranging from the perceived relevancy ("Why would a sprinter read a book about milers?") to interest ("I read in class not at practice!"), my search continues for that book that would be appropriate for those who love to run, jump and throw--especially those who are currently secondary school students. It would be wonderful to find the Track and Field equivalent to Friday Night Lights or The Natural.

The elusive "recommended reading" would be that extended text with a moderate reading level and an explicit appeal to sprinters, distance runners and field event student-athletes, the supposition being: if community reads, such as the NEA's annual Big Read, be used to facilitate a conversation of big ideas at a community, can't the same be done with literacy and sport?

Fortunately, there are a number of books out there that may have some appeal to distance runners, chief among these being Christopher McDougal's Born to Run. I recently began rereading McDougal's book for the fourth time, and as a former (sort of) competitive high school and road race runner, I found the mix of storytelling, social commentary and biography immensely entertaining. More importantly, it was accessible, which is likely what has contributed to its immense success.

Born to Run makes the sport of ultra running, one that can be accepted by any reader who has run races recreationally or competitively in the past an approachable one. Most can appreciate or relate to the idea of running, so the leap from the more traditional distance to hundreds of miles was a believable one. We've all come across crazy athletic types like those mythologized in the book, even if we as recreational athletes have not embraced our sport to the same degree. While a tremendous read, and one I recommend to student-athletes who are intrinsically motivated athletically, as well as academically, it could prove a challenging starting point for the struggling readers who make up the majority of my charges.

The best place to start looking for beginning team reads is likely the most obvious: anthologies. While I completely understand the attraction (short, simple, euphemistic, "inspiring") to certain Chicken Soup-style books, I'd rather have something more... authentic to use. To that end I'll continue this trail by perusing an anthology, Going Long, I bought my own son last year for Christmas, starting with the stories he (himself not a particularly avid recreational reader, but a dedicated high school/collegiate runner) dog eared. The title implies its emphasis on distance running, reflecting the focus of the magazine (Runner's World) from which the stories were culled, I remain hopeful that there may be something accessible to a range of track and field student-athletes with an equally broad range of reading abilities.

Can High School Students "Write Like Poe"?

A clever point--put the task still must be attempted:)!

Just prior to the recent Thanksgiving Break, while in the midst of reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and following a review of Poe's "The Raven" and "Eldorado," my Advanced Placement Language and Composition classes embarked on a writing task I call Write Like Poe.

The task.

Like most teachers, I borrow or cherry-pick ideas and elements from other teachers online (I have found Web English Teacher to be a good source), and tweak them slightly to make them my own. This particular writing task is one I have assigned periodically over the last four years I have been teaching this course, and each year I am surprised by the quality of some of the pieces I receive. I am hoping this year will be no different.

The evaluative tool.

The Write Like Poe assignment is nothing earth shattering in it's design, it simply requires that students, after first reviewing American Romantic writers and their product, write a piece of their own utilizing some common strategies. With an emphasis on the Dark Romantics or American Gothics, students craft a piece in a modern context in such a way that the narrative poem or short story is consciously imbued with structural and content markers of Romanticism.

Not surprisingly, student success with this task is predicated on how well the instructor, in this case moi, facilitates the students background development so that they have (minimally) a superficial understanding of the key elements of American Romanticism. Some years I do a better job than others, and, often the quality of the student's product is the inherent feedback I need to let me know whether I have done enough.

Each year I raise the stakes slightly. In previous iterations of this assignment I have prescribed the use of (just which are the student's choice) specific figurative language strategies such as alliteration, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, etceteras. This year, I have added the expectation that students utilize at least one of three more sophisticated rhetorical strategies we have observed in The Scarlet Letter: anaphora, asyndeton (or polysyndeton) and parallelism.

The initial draft I have used in years past does not include any of those rhetorical strategies, at least intentionally so, and as a result my own annual task is to revise my draft to include at least one of these elements just as I have assigned the students to. An added bonus would also be if I did a better job with rhythm and flow...

The teacher's example (with bonus messy scanner-glass effect).

The published drafts (final products) for a grade were submitted yesterday, so with the mood set just right, given the cool air, snow dusted, frozen earth and starry skies, I prepare to hunker down for what I am confident will be a weekend of reading some fabulous student efforts. My prediction is that the result will be clear evidence that (with a little help) students can get close to permitting an affirmative answer to the question posed in the post title...