I will be making major changes in how I have been teaching. I discussed this with my students tyesterday. I have not been happy with how my classes have been going. My non-AP students seem particularly disengaged. That has to change.
Today my non-AP students have a test. My AP students have a guest speaker. Then we have a 5 day break.
And when we come back?
I don't yet completely know how things will go, because I am putting it on them to take more ownership. If the learning is going to be meaningful, they are going to have to tell me what matters to them.
But I do know this:
First for the regular level kids, many of whom struggle to learn from a text book or from normal classroom instruction -
there is going to be relatively little learning from the textbook. Instead, I will give them the notes of what they need to learn. We will try simulations, discussions, what ifs, whatever we (note the plural) can come up with so that they can see how what we study affects their lives. The total amount of material we have to cover to prepare them for the state test is not so onerous that we cannot both do that and still do things that are more engaging for them. I have found this year's students are very different than any group I have had in the past, in part because of how turned off they have become to school with the incessant test prep to which they were subjected in middle school and to which to some degree they are subjected for the four state tests they must pass to graduate from high school (and of these, 10th grade English and Algebra are used to measure Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB).
I know some will not take the change of direction seriously. But those will be students who are not doing any work now. I will reach those students I can, annoy those I cannot in the hopes that maybe they will at least try.
AP is a far different kettle of fish -
most of these students are highly motivated, but often for the wrong reasons. They get a weighted grade - a B is averaged as an A, and so on. They all would like the college credit as well. And there is a ton of information they need to learn for the AP exam, which unlike the state exam is NOT all multiple choice. We have a lot of work still to do on learning how to do the Free Response Questions which represent half of the AP exam.
These students are, however, quite capable of articulating their interests and their concerns. I am putting that on them as a task - that over the 5 day break they give some consideration to what they want from the course, and why. How would they liked to be assessed on their learning?
In short, I am asking them - in fact all of my students, but especially my AP students - to take greater ownership of their own learning.
This may make more work for me. It is quite possible that each class will need something very different, which means somewhat different preps for each one.
And in AP, I cannot stray too far from the overall syllabus that was submitted to the College Board to have approval to call the class Advanced Placement.
But I can get further away from text books and collections of readings and find ways, even with up to 38 students in the class, to make the the process of learning more directly connected to their lives. That will make it more meaningful.
I have asked two young ladies in one AP class who are in our science and technology program but because of religion do not accept evolution to see if they can present a session in which they explain why they feel imposed upon by having to learn evolution but are not allowed to express their understanding of the world. They cannot do that in science. It is appropriate in a government class to explore such issues because it is a matter of policy, and various points of view SHOULD be expressed and debated. Remember, my job is to challenge the thinking of all my students, and help them to better communicate but also better understand different points of view.
Those who have read my recent diaries know I have been doing some serious reflection about my teaching. I teach government because I want it to make sense to my students, because I want them to be prepared to become active participants in our political and civic processes. If the class is not working for them, it is incumbent upon me to change what I am doing to meet their needs.
There is some risk in what I am about to do. I am going to be quite a bit outside the box. On that I don't care.
I have to find ways that work, especially since next year my classes are likely to be even larger than this year - I learned yesterday at the representative assembly of our teachers union local that we may well lose more than 500 positions for next year for financial reasons, and that will of course result in larger classes. Part of the problem of connecting this year has been because I have at times had 39 students in a room. Now my biggest class is 38, but I have several less than 30. It is harder to engage all students with such a large group, and there is a temptation to resort to more direct teaching. That has clearly not worked.
There may be a risk. But not changing is admitting defeat, not caring enough to try. Not changing would not be serving my students well.
And if we take the risk together, then we can learn from what does not work. The students can, along with engaging more fully with the material, learn the importance of taking controlled risks and going outside their comfort zone.
The test today will be challenging for the regular classes. They know that. I will take what they give me, then give them a blank copy of the test to take home over the break and look up the correct answers. That will be due back the day they return. I will then adjust their test grades. Future assessments will be quite different.
For the AP kids, today they will have a guest speaker, a friend who is a lobbyist for non-profits like universities. He has been a Hill staffer and a political operative. The students will have a chance to learn about government from a very different perspective.
And then? We can all use the time to step away, unwind a bit, and then perhaps reflect more deeply on what we have been doing, and what we need to do for the classes to be more productive.
This will represent extra work for me. That will mean more time. It means something else will have to give.
It will mean less time to engage online. That is certain. Perhaps I will read the postings of others less, or comment less often even in my own diaries. It may even mean I post less, although I do have some writing commitments I have not yet completed. And I consider my writing here something of a commitment to this community, at least when I have something of value to offer.
So wish us well. Please note, again, the plural. We discussed it. I asked if they were willing. I heard no objection.
Teaching is not peeling back the skulls of students to pour in information.
Teaching is taking responsibility for a shared learning experience.
It must include the students in as much of the decision making as possible.
Ultimately, it should include the students figuring out how they can demonstrate what they have learned in a way that is meaningful to them.
I will have to work with them on that.
Only then will I be able to say that I have properly fulfilled my responsibilities as a teacher.
Peace.