Whining

This week, I heard teachers described as "self-aggrandizing whiners." That's quite the turn of phrase. During times of anger and frustration, it's easy to attack semi-anonymous, semi-faceless groups of people—but words matter, and words hurt.

Self-aggrandizing whiners. These three words were used to vilify a dedicated team of professionals who struggle to motivate, nurture, and teach children. We're not perfect, we're not superheroes, but we are trying our best under often-trying circumstances.

Are we going to fail occasionally? Certainly.
Are we going to agonize and punish ourselves over our mistakes? Definitely.
Are we going to try to make things better and do things differently? Absolutely!

This is as much a reminder to myself as it is to others: Even during the most challenging times, we need to show patience, empathy, and respect. We're all in this struggle together.

A mentor once told me that teaching requires you to develop a thick skin. I originally thought that meant wearing invisible armor to protect oneself from attacks, but now I realize the thick skin is scar tissue built up over time from repeated wounds and injuries—painful memories that fade ever-so-slowly, but which never completely disappear.

I'll stop whining now...

Cosmos Redux

"The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be."
—Carl Sagan, Cosmos

His eloquence capturing my curiosity and imagination, Carl Sagan is one of my all-time favorite scientists. His cosmic journeys stirred my sense of wonder about the universe and solidified my lifelong passion for science. How fitting that one of my other all-time favorite scientists, Neil deGrasse Tyson, should revisit and revise this cosmic journey that Sagan began 30+ years ago. The newly-launched Cosmos is once again stirring my imagination and reviving that sense of wonder I first felt decades ago. Cosmos, both the original series and the new series, should be required reading and viewing for "every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner."*

*Excerpted from Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech (with apologies)

Our cosmic journey just got more interesting this week with the announcement of confirmatory experimental evidence for a key piece of the Big Bang Theory, the scientific explanation for the origin and evolution of our universe. Scientists used careful telescopic observations to detect faint ripples that emanated from the inflationary expansion of our universe in its nascent micro-moments. While behind most humans' everyday experience, this new knowledge is a triumph and celebration for astrophysicists who have sought to understand the very beginnings of this universe in which we exist. Carl Sagan would smile with this astonishing discovery.

Thank you to all scientists who dare ask bold, audacious questions about our universe and who courageously seek the truth amidst the mystery of the unknown—despite the charlatans who would endeavor to discredit you. You inspire us!

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Excellent explanations about this week's discovery about cosmic inflation have been produced by:

• PHD Comics
• MinutePhysics

Why Science?

Having endured (survived?) two weeks of state testing—with an additional week yet to go—I feel starved for nourishing, hopeful science.

For 15 years now, I've seen firsthand the damage wrought by standardized testing. These tests stifle creativity, curiosity, and the human desire to understand and discover—in both students and teachers. Learning is reduced to its lowest forms: to the memorization and regurgitation of bland facts; to mindless reading and writing and bubbling with wooden, graphite-based, number 2 pencils; to the measurement of socioeconomic wealth and privilege disguised as "assessment." Is it any wonder that our educational system continues to suffer under this "Race to the Top" where "No Child's Left Behind"?

So then... Why does science matter: to me, to our students, to our economy, to our society, to our planet? Where is the purpose and hope for science in our schools and in our lives?

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once again eloquently explains why science and science literacy matter in both a democratic society and our human quest to understand the universe:

Existential Questions

Existential questions for a K-8 school pondering its vision and identity:


Who Are We?

• as a school
• as a level (middle, elementary)
• as a department
• as a team
• as a community

Who Am I?

• within the school
• within my level (middle, elementary)
• within my department
• within my team
• as an individual

What does it say about ourselves and our culture if I/we struggle to answer these fundamental questions? (confidence, trust, self esteem, efficacy, consciousness, interdependence, etc.)

The Long Standards-Based Journey

Our school has undertaken many journeys over the years. One particularly long and turbulent journey has centered on standards-based grading (SBG). Here are some of my thoughts about this ongoing journey—what SBG and its expectations are, what a transition to a new grade reporting system might entail, and best hopes vs. worst fears for our continuing SBG saga.

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Our SBG Philosophy

We strive to use a standards-based grading system to provide feedback to students and parents about a child’s learning progress. A child’s learning is assessed in two ways: his or her progress toward meeting national, state, and/or district content standards (formative assessments), and his or her mastery of national, state, and/or district content standards (summative assessments). Teachers use a variety of formal and informal assessments to provide children with timely, effective, and ongoing feedback to guide them on their lifelong learning journeys.

Formal and informal assessments can include reading and writing tasks, inquiry-based investigations, short- and long-term projects, discussions, conversations, performances, homework tasks, quizzes, tests, observations, peer- and self-evaluations, etc.

Traditional grading systems use A, B, C, D, F to quantify a student’s progress. While our online grading system stills uses A, B, C, D, F to report end-of-trimester progress, the underlying meaning behind these letter grades has shifted. In a standards-based system, teachers are focused on how proficient students are at meeting standards, rather than degree of effort or accumulation of points. In general, letter grades can be interpreted in the following standards-based ways (notice that “B” is equivalent to “proficient”):

• A: above proficient, exceeds standards
• B: proficient, meets standards
• C: partially proficient, shows progress toward meeting standards
• D: unsatisfactory, struggling to meet standards, little data to evaluate
• F: failing, not meeting standards, no data to evaluate

In a standards-based system, extra credit is not available to boost grades, since grades are based on learning mastery.

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Basic SBG Expectations

1. Each middle level department creates their formative, summative, PPQ (practice/preparation/quality) percentages and expectations for the online grading system.

• Each content area and teacher may have slightly different grading expectations, which are usually provided to each student and discussed at the beginning of the course. Information about expectations can also be found in online weekly notes and on teacher websites.

2. At our school, we allow students to “redo” their assignments to ensure that students are learning the concepts, skills, and knowledge.

• Redos are offered at teacher discretion (see individual classroom expectations and redo policies).
• Redos are not automatic for every assignment.
• Redos can only be offered when honest effort has been made on the original assignment (encourages honesty and integrity; discourages procrastination and laziness).
• Redos occur under logical conditions and within reasonable time frames (avoids end-of-trimester panics).
• Redo opportunities may differ from the original assignment: a different assessment, a different format, etc.

3. No “zeros” policy.

• Reference: Reeves, D., “The Case Against the Zero,” Phi Delta Kappan, 2004.
• On a 10-point (or 100-point) scale, zeros skew grades disproportionately downward when averaged among other assignments.
• Zeros reinforce the concept of grades as punishment—they de-motivate students, and probably exacerbate missing assignments (“Why bother?”).
• Zeros could be used on a 4-point (0, 1, 2, 3) or a 5-point scale (0, 1, 2, 3, 4).

4. Other.

• In a standards-based system, extra credit is not available.

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Grade Reporting vs. Feedback

Our biggest struggle as a teaching staff has been grappling with our grade reporting system. We are caught between  maintaining the current, traditional grading system (A, B, C, D, F) and moving toward one that is wholly standards based with detailed feedback about student learning. This has led to some difficult conversations—overall, there is a reluctance to fully embrace a standards-based reporting system at our school despite many years of trying to move in this direction.

What tasks/training/timeline are necessary to either maintain our current grading system or transition to a new system?

Current System

• streamline and clarify language to minimize student/parent confusion
• be clear about the impacts of missing assignments
• use common language around “learning” vs. “grading”
• continue professional development around effective feedback

4, 3, 2, 1, 0 System

• create standard definitions for each point on the scale
• set up new grading scale for our school in our online grading system
• set up new gradebooks in our online grading system
• rewrite course syllabi
• rewrite student/parent handbook

Feedback-Only System

• define a feedback-only system
• train teachers on providing effective feedback in a non-grade environment
• set up new grading scale for our school in our online grading system
• set up new gradebooks in our online grading system
• create/maintain student portfolios
• rewrite course syllabi
• rewrite student/parent handbook

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What are the best hopes and worst fears as we continue our SBG journey?

Best Hopes

• conversations/conferences will center around learning, not grades
• motivation for learning will shift from extrinsic (rewards-based and competition-based) to intrinsic (curiosity, hunger to learn)
• grades will no longer be used as carrots and sticks, instruments of control and compliance, reward and punishment
• reporting systems will shift from Ds/Fs and missing assignments to feedback about a child’s strengths and opportunities for growth

Worst Fears

• students won’t be prepared for high school’s A, B, C system, and high school won’t take the time to explain their system
• “Is that an ‘A’?” (students/parents retaining a traditional grading mindset)
• creating community confusion, anger, and backlash
• making our school less attractive to prospective families
• polarized beliefs about grades will damage relationships among teaching staff
• status quo continues
• district, administrators, parents, students won’t support a new system

Confronting the Missing Assignments Monster

Missing assignments have long been a problem at our school—students choosing for a variety of reasons to just not turn in their schoolwork. It's a frustrating, vexing conundrum that saps time and energy from our learning environment. I've thought about and researched the problem ad nauseam; while there is no quick-fix solution, I've drafted a document that will hopefully help rein in some of the rampant missing assignments that plague our school.

Please don't feed
the Missing Assignments Monster

The document I'm sharing evolved from many hours of discussions among the teachers at our school—during team meetings, department meetings, staff meetings, etc. The purpose of this document is to help clarify the shared expectations and responsibilities among students, parents, and teachers at our school so that the business of learning can rightfully be the focus of our efforts and energy. While this document alone cannot eliminate every missing assignment, it is one piece of a complex systemic puzzle that seeks to rebalance the learning equation in our school.

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Confronting the Missing Assignments Monster

As students become more independent in their middle school years, missing assignments can sometimes become a problem. It is important that students, parents, and teachers work together to ensure that missing assignments do not compromise our learning time and become a persistent educational challenge.

Students usually have missing assignments for one or more of the following basic reasons:

• Not using class time wisely and/or not finishing/completing assignments (distractions, socializing)
• Not finishing assignments at home (“I don’t have any homework” excuse)
• Not turning in assignments because of forgetfulness (planning, organization)
• Not turning in assignments because of avoidance (confusion, embarrassment, power struggle)
• Not making up assignments after being absent (out of sight, out of mind)

For Students: What do I do if I have missing assignments?

Missing assignments do not go away magically—you must apply energy and work to eliminate them:

• Be honest about missing assignments with your parents and teachers—do not lie, make excuses, or avoid your responsibility.
• Turn in any missing assignments immediately, even if they are not done—incomplete is always better than missing.
• Ask your teachers specific questions that will help you finish a missing assignment.
• Evaluate your use of class time:
• Are you distracted by your friends and socializing too much?
• How will you reduce distractions and minimize socializing?
• Create and follow a homework routine:
• Do you have a regular time/place to do your homework that is free from distractions?
• Do you check the online grade system at least once per week?
• Do you review the online weekly notes every Monday and throughout the school week?
• Practice organization and develop your organizational skills:
• Do you use your planner in every class, every day to write down learning goals, assignments, homework, due dates, etc.?
• Do you use study hall time well every week to help stay up-to-date with your schoolwork?

For Parents: What do I do if my child has missing assignments?

Missing assignments are first and foremost your child’s responsibility, so before emailing your child’s teacher:

• Monitor the online grade system and the middle level online weekly notes regularly, at least once per week, to identify and discuss missing assignments quickly.
• If your child has a missing assignment, ask your child why he/she did not turn in this assignment—ask for honesty and do not allow excuses.
• Encourage your child to take ownership for the missing assignment and require your child to turn it in the very next school day.
• Have a serious and heartfelt discussion with your child about using class time wisely and avoiding distracting situations.
• Help your child develop good homework routines and regularly practice organizational skills to mitigate missing assignment problems.
• Ask your child “learning” questions at home—encourage your child to teach you about what she or he is learning in classes at school.

Sometimes it feels as if you and your child’s teachers are stressing more about missing assignments and working harder than your child. In these cases, perhaps a dose of harsh reality is needed, especially as your child approaches high school. Allow your child to “fail,” but also to work through both the natural and your established consequences of missing assignments—be firm, be fair, be supportive, but avoid repeatedly bailing out your child if he or she is not being responsible.

For some students, the intrinsic motivation to get assignments done is not there yet. Do not teach your child that incomplete assignments are a reasonable choice or an acceptable option. You should give your child room to navigate their work independently; however, if they are not being successful, they need reminders (and follow-through) about established rewards and consequences. Start with both small and large goals: "If you have no missing assignments this week, then..." and "If you have less than two missing assignments this trimester, then..."

Many years of teacher observation and experience tell us that the best way for students to avoid missing assignments is to use class time wisely every day.

Please don’t feed the Missing Assignments Monster—stay focused on learning...

Pre-Lab Science Safety Video

Science safety should always be the #1 priority in the laboratory. Reminding students to be safe before performing experiments is key to creating a safe laboratory environment for everyone. I created a one-minute video slideshow to help remind students about the common science safety expectations in the lab...