The Power of "Why"

I had the great privilege recently of moderating a #sunchat that focused on the "Power of Why", drawing inspiration from the great principal, Baruti K. Kafele, who said "If you have lost your way, it is probably because you've lost your why."

A great discussion topic to be sure, as the "why" for every teacher is the root of what every teacher should constantly keep at the center of everything they do. Countless teachers emerge from colleges across the country every year, ready to tackle their first year of teaching, their first classroom, with an infectious optimism and an unfailing belief in their ability to make a truly positive impact in every student who will walk through their doors. That was me. The reality of education is harsh though. On a daily basis, teachers can expect to face a myriad of obstacles, ranging from inadequate facilities and/or resources, students who just won't engage, frustrating administrators, frustrating colleagues resistant to growth or change, angry parents, mounds of paperwork, mounds of grading....the list goes on and on. When one sees these frustrations it may seem clear why teachers burnout, why teachers leave the classroom in pursuit of something else. Teachers who have lost their spark.

I don't say that to judge in any way. Any teacher who claims that they haven't had those moments when they feel like they've reached the end of their educational rope are likely kidding themselves. I love teaching, it is one of the great passions of my life, I can't imagine doing anything else...but I have had my fair shares of ruts and low points, bad experiences that have found me questioning my way. One of the great realities of teaching, however, is that our "why" must always be our driving motivation. Any pursuit of passion has, at its center, that driving force, that one thing that makes all of the other realities worth it. Teaching isn't just a job, and all of the great teachers I have the good fortune of working with have understood that. Teachers won't find their "why" in paychecks, parents, grades, evaluations, or awards.

The "why" of teaching is, has always been, and will always be our students. 

Above my computer sits a simple phrase- "Remember why you are here." I keep it there because I end up near it at some point during the day. It is near where I grade, where I answer emails, where I answer the phone, where I fill out paperwork. It is near the sources of my usual frustrations, and when they begin to mount I often find myself looking at that phrase. And when I do I inevitably end up looking out at the classroom, and in each chair I see a student who has inspired me, either that day or at some point in the past. I'm still surprised at how often that simple exercise shakes me, grounds me in my "why."

The shocking reality of teaching is that there are countless reasons not to do it, but that the one reason to do it so trumps all the negative that, when we remember that "why", we often find ourselves realizing that there is really no other place we'd rather be, no other work we would rather be doing. Be grateful for colleagues, either in your school or outside of it, who are willing to engage in growth, to challenge both themselves and you. Be that colleague for others. Remember that we often can't control the realities outside of our classrooms, but we can choose every day to be a positive impact on a child in our classroom. When things get toughest, take a second and look over your classroom, and remember why you are here.

Bracketeering- A Deliberation Strategy

Over the past year I have taken several steps to encourage greater deliberation in my classes.  In a country increasingly plagued by a general lacking in the ability to engage in reasoned dialogue, our classrooms are the ideal place to promote this crucial skill in our students.  In past posts (2/2018 & 1/2018)  I've detailed a few of my favorite strategies for deliberation; in this post I will discuss one more, a new spin on an often used classroom activity- bracketeering.

Brackets have been in use for ages, and have been used as a classroom strategy for almost as long.  Particularly, it seems, in social studies classes, brackets can be an effective method to encourage students in valuing anything from battles to individuals to movements.  Brackets have become used so much that, to be honest, I've strayed away from them in the past.  But, when used effectively, a bracket type of lesson can work well, especially when trying to encourage deliberation.

In this lesson, which was focused on a senior-level government course studying civil rights and civil liberties, students were asked to research a landmark court case.  We have always done something similar in the past on this topic, but in the past it has generally been a research paper followed by a presentation.  And while there is nothing wrong with a research paper, I wanted to bring a more deliberative element into the lesson.

Students picked from a list of landmark cases, and had a few days to complete background research.  While researching, students were asked to complete a brief information sheet, which guided their study through the use of "essential questions".  These questions focused on the background, finding, rationale, and overall importance of the case.  Students were also asked to prepare a short presentation on their chosen case.  In this presentation, students were challenged to approach the effort as a sales pitch, to stress the importance of the case to the other students in class.  While their classmates presented, students were asked to keep a note sheet on the cases, for accountability, but more so that each student would have a guide to help in filling out their bracket.

After presentations came the brackets.  Building the bracket itself, and then obtaining a "winning" bracket, was the source of the biggest legwork on the teacher side of preparation.  Done beforehand, cases were separated into "regions", and then seeded.  Seeding the cases proved difficult, and I'll admit, likely reflect personal bias in my own definition of impact.  Once the bracket was built, I sent it to five trusted professionals throughout the country (most of which I have gotten to know through Twitter), who's personal brackets were collated into a master bracket.

Students were encouraged, as they filled in their own brackets, to converse with their classmates, and it was a joy to see the disagreements that rose from certain selections.  Students often were forced to justify a decision made within a matchup, and it was in that effort that my students really shined.  The act of discussing an opinion with someone else, and backing up that opinion with reasoned evidence, is the goal, and I was truly excited to see this lesson lend to that kind of deliberation.  Later in the semester several of these cases showed up on a final exam, and the class average on that section was an 87%, suggesting that this strategy not only advanced deliberation but also retention!

As we finished the lesson, students were asked to write a short position paper to justify their "Final Four" and the case they picked to win.  After reading these it was clearly evident that the level of understanding, both of particulars of the case but also the impact of the case, was significantly higher than it had been using the old method.  For more on this lesson plan, and other great lesson ideas for social studies teachers, make use of the "Social Studies Collaborative Drive"!

An Open Letter to My Seniors

It's tough when you have so many things that you would like to say, but you know that trying to say them in class would leave you a blubbering mess.  And so, as a way to express my gratitude for the past four years, an open letter...

Dear Seniors,

I distinctly remember, 4 years ago, when I was "warned" about the incoming freshmen class.  And while I do my best to tune out those "warnings", I'll admit that I walked into freshman World History with some trepidation.  4 years later I can see that most of those warnings were bunk.  For many of you, it's been four years of work together.  Others three, some just a semester.  I'm not sure it matters, because after 13 years of teaching (and 36 years of life) it is clear that it's rarely the length of time in which you've known someone that matters, it's the impact made in the time you've had.  

You'd think, after 13 years, that I would stop being surprised at the impact that my students have on me.  But even now I remain shocked at how much I owe to so many of you.  You have challenged me to think outside of the box with how I plan my lessons and my classes.  You have forced me to toss "tried and true" lessons in favor of what will work best for the students, which should always be my mission.  You have brought up so many great points in conversation that have forced me to reevaluate my own point of view.  On countless occasions I have worried for you, I have shared tears with you, I have listened to incredible accomplishments with you...and each of these have made me a better father to my own children.

When I think of this class, those warnings from four years ago seem empty, replaced with thoughts of great potential.  When I think of this class, I think of loyalty, a great capacity for love, an eagerness to be respected, and, when given the chance, a tremendous potential for leadership and constructive dialogue, two things which this country needs now more than ever.

With all this said, as you begin the next chapter of your life, understand that some big decisions await you.  Some of these decisions are going to work out; some won’t.  Regrets are sure to come along the next path to follow, and I hope that you will see that regrets can simply be the result of risks taken and battles lost, which are not always bad experiences.  We often don’t learn from winning, but we can always learn from losing.  And since life is about learning, take advantage of every opportunity to experience it to the fullest, whatever the results.  Look back at your time here fondly, but move forward with boldness.  "What" and "If" are two of the least threatening words in the English language...but when put together, they represent opportunities lost, and that is dangerous.

It has been an honor, a true honor, to have worked with you, and as you approach the next mile on the journey I hope that you will remember that my help and advice is but an email, DM, or call away.  I would say good luck on the next step, but that implies that you will need to count on luck to succeed in your dreams.  Instead I will say...good living!

Gratefully Your Teacher,

Mr. Cline

"Demonstrated Mastery"- Allowing Student Choice in Assessment

It seems fitting that this quote from George Couros came across my Twitter feed this morning

It's no secret that I hate testing.  I've written previously about my views on the damage that our incessant obsession with testing can wreak, and its effects on social studies education.  I hate testing.  But as I railed on about my issues with tests, I found myself asking if I was practicing what I'm preaching.  Can I hate standardized tests, and then be ok with giving test after test in my own croom?

In the end, I felt like I was being hypocritical, and set my mind to exploring an alternative path to assessment.  I still believe in assessing student knowledge, and I still think that mastery of content must be a goal.  But does a test need to be the go-to option for that assessment?  After exploring several approaches offered by my awesome PLN, and after talking extensively with a colleague of mine, I became intrigued with the idea of student choice for assessment.  This is by no means a new idea, but I was excited to see how it might work in our croom.

In the end I developed something I call "demonstrated mastery." I like this term because I think it reflects the two purposes behind the effort.  Student choice is reflected in the student choosing a method by which to "demonstrate" their "mastery" of the subjects we have covered in a unit.  As I began to consider how this would work, I thought about a few key questions:

• Do I allow the students to simply come up with their own method, or do I offer them choices that I've developed?
• How do I ensure equity in the assessment?  In other words, how do I assure that there isn't an "easy" option?
• Do I include a test as one of the options?

We just finished our first foray into this new approach, and here is how I set it up.  I decided, in the end, to develop the choices myself.  I began developing this effort a few weeks before we started through a conversation with the kids, and I could clearly see that they had never done this kind of thing before, thus I thought it might be easier to develop a set of choices and then present them to the kids.  I decided to offer three choices- a written option, a creative option, and a test option.  In the end I thought about the students in my classes, what they might want, and even thought about myself as a student.  Ultimately I decided that there were, undoubtedly, at least some students who didn't mind a test, and felt like it had to be included as an option.  The written option was connected to the "essential questions" around which our class is built.  Nearly everything we do in class is connected to one of these questions; I tell the students that our goal is to be able to answer that question when we are done with our focus study.  It made sense that we incorporate these into an assessment option in the form of a free-response.  Finally, I have several students who are artistically-inclined and extremely creative and felt that there needed to be an option that would, perhaps, better serve them.  For this round, the creative option was the creation of a newspaper.

Finally, I needed to consider equity in rigor; I didn't want the students to pick an option because it seemed like the "easy" option.  Fortunately, these options presented a series of trade-offs; each requires work and preparation, but in different forms, and certainly with different payoffs.  The test requires less in the way of production but requires actual studying and the hope that the information sticks when the test sits in front of you.  The written option allows the student to explain their answer, but again requires preparation for an "in the moment" assessment.  The creative option asks for more in the way of production, but students don't have to stress about producing the knowledge in a test environment.  With a group of students who had not worked with this type of setup, the right choice was really hard, and we talked at length about the trade-offs for each option, and several of the students, surprisingly, initially chose the multiple choice option, but changed the following day to one of the other options.  The division between the test and the written option was pretty even, with a spattering of students who chose the newspaper.

Following our trial run at this new assessment paradigm, I surveyed the students to gauge their feedback.  Overall the feedback has been positive, with my favorite response being, "Not everyone learns and comprehends things the same; some people may not be as good at certain types of tests as others and I believe their perspective should also be valued. You shouldn't feed every zoo animal the same food."  Moving forward I plan to use this strategy in the attempt to accommodate each student as much as possible, and I look forward to adding different choices.

Think, Talk, Justify- Encouraging Student Conversation

December had hit, and I was generally dissatisfied.  The end of the semester is always a time for general reflection, and to begin thinking of the new year ahead.  And I was dissatisfied.  I teach seniors in government, and I have long felt it my mission to help my students emerge from our time together prepared to engage as active citizens.  A key element of citizenship that I believe is severely lacking in all generations right now is the ability to engage in a productive conversation with someone, and not have both parties focus on trying to prove the other wrong.  Was I doing enough to encourage this kind of productive conversation in our croom?

Over winter break I rewrote nearly my entire government curriculum, with an emphasis on students engaging in reasoned and productive conversation, and thinking with a solution-oriented mind rather than one solely focused on the argument.  The areas of most significant change have come in the presence of more cultivated opportunities for discussion and in assessments.

Discussion has always been a presence in our class, but I wanted something more substantial, that not only allowed for the students to have a voice, but also encouraged the students to see the importance of having a substantiated opinion, as well as the importance of valuing multiple perspectives on an issue.  To this end, the SAC, or "Structured Academic Controversy", has been a valuable tool.  A SAC is generally defined as "a discussion that moves students beyond either/or debates to a more nuanced historical synthesis."  A fantastic, full explanation of a SAC is found here, but in essence the teacher should pick a topic that has current or historical pertinence, and then ask students to adopt a point of view that is substantiated with evidence.  As a teacher, the best part is the freedom that this format affords.

For our government class, I have used the following format to structure our discussion:

1. Start with an essential question tied both to what we are covering at the time, but that also connect to current events.  The first SAC we worked through, as we began talking about the foundations for the Constitution, asked students to respond to the following statement- “Freedom/Privacy is more important than Order/Security.”  Most recently students worked with the following- “What are appropriate regulations on guns? Some, none, all?  If some, which ones?  Whatever your small group’s answer, be ready to defend it.”
2. Determine how the students will work.  Since my classes are so large, and I want to make sure that every student has a chance to speak up, I generally start with small groups.  For the first prompt, I assigned each small group with a POV to research, and to prepare to discuss that view when we came together into a larger group.  They, of course, had ample time to discuss their own point of view as well.  For our discussion on gun regulation, students worked in small groups again, but this time I tasked the students with achieving a group consensus, which they then presented to the class.
3. Stress the three keys- Think, Talk, Justify!  I want the students to think deeply about these questions, and that includes consideration of perspectives different than their own.  I want the students to voice.  Our students have a remarkable voice, and they need to know that adults value their thoughts.  Finally, I want the students to back up their views with reasonable evidence beyond social media and family.

We discussed the gun regulation prompt the week immediately following the Parkland shooting, and to be honest, I was a little nervous about how it would go.  I knew going in that I had students who had strong feelings about guns, but I trusted them to be able to engage in reasonable discussion and consensus building.  And, as usual, they knocked it out of the park.  There is undeniable effort in structuring the discussion, providing possible sources, facilitating the conversation, etc. on the part of the teacher.  But the payoff is so worth it.  To see a group of 17 and 18-year-olds reach a consensus on the topic of gun regulation at a time when passions are high, and compromise seems far-fetched was truly inspiring to me.  

Our students have a voice, and that voice has value.  The real question will be- do we have ears to listen?

Yes I'm Angry

I'll try to keep this one short.  Many of the posts I've written here have been written in reaction to something that has weighed on me, something I've found troubling.  And I've always told myself to wait a few days before I wrote, to get my thoughts straight, to cool down before I post something.  Not this time.

I've purposely written this right now, when I'm angry.  When I'm not cool.  And I offer no apologies for it.

I am sick and tired of watching the news and seeing children run for their lives from a school building.  I am a father, and my son is in elementary school.  I love him with everything I am.  And every child I see running from school has his face.  I am a teacher, and I have over a hundred students who I love deeply.  And every child I see running from school has their face.  I am tired of thinking of parents who have lost their most precious thing.  And although I am inspired, I am tired of reading about teachers who have lost their lives shielding their students.  I am tired of being overcome with emotion.  I am angry.

Parkland was the 18th time since January that I have seen children in this situation.  18.  Since January.  And 18 times I have seen our "leaders" make speeches and tweet about how sorry they are.  And I no doubt that this will the 18th time that nothing will change, no action will be taken.  (And yes, I put "leaders" in quotation marks, because leadership is not found in the title, it's found in the action.) 

And, since the Parkland tragedy, it is the 18th time this year where I've seen social media filled with excuses for why something is not part of the problem.  It's not a gun problem, it's not a people problem, it's the school's fault, it's the parent's fault, heck I even saw the President seemingly blame it on the students for not reporting this student.  Here's the deal- I'm not here to tell you that I know who is to blame.  All I know is that it is EVERYONE'S problem.

I'm also not here to pretend like I know the perfect answer to these senseless tragedies.  All I know is that I stand with those who want everyone to save their sorry's and tears, and focus on the tough conversations that need to come next, and the actions that need to be taken.  These conversations need to include everything.  We need to be able to say the word "gun", and not automatically assume that every gun is going to be taken from every American.  We ought to be able to have real conversations about guns.  We need to talk about mental health.  We need to talk about what schools can do to better protect students.  We need to realize that not every possible answer is the right one, but that we have throw everything on the table and talk about it.  And more than that, we have got to act on it.  We need to understand that it's not just DC that should be talking about this; these conversations need to be happening in our schools.  Every teacher should be angry when they see schoolchildren fleeing for their lives.  What has made me, perhaps, the angriest has been to see fellow teachers focus their feelings on something other than the students in their charge.  If you are a teacher, and your first and foremost concern is not the safety of your students, I don't get you.  If you are a teacher, and you're not angry about this, I don't get you.

I had lesson plans yesterday, and for the most part I followed them.  But before we worried about that, I told my students that I love them.  I don't do that enough.  My thoughts are consumed with the thought of "What is that was my son?", "What if those were my students?", "What if I lost even just one?"

In our croom, my love for my students is real. 
Their safety is my priority. 
My anger is real. 
And my motivation for action is real as well.

Please, call your legislators.  Annoy them with pleas to make the conversations and action a reality and a priority!  If you live near me, here is the info for Congresswoman Susan Brooks- 1030 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-2276
Fax: 202-225-0016

Introducing Deliberation in the Classroom- First Day Activity

Amongst the biggest concerns I have for the future of this country and my students is the current polarization we are experiencing when it comes to politics.  We have lost the art of the conversation, we have become the culture of "no politics at Thanksgiving."  I often tell my students the story of the Constitutional Convention, that in the hot summer of 1787, a group of men met to draft a new government for the country.  These men came from different backgrounds, and brought with them different agendas and values.  They argued, they debated...and they compromised.  They emerged with an imperfect document for sure, but one that created a government that was, without question, better than the one it would replace.  And they did it because they were able to have a conversation, a dialogue, and leave it without anger, but with compromise.  One could argue that the "conversation" is truly what the country is built upon.  231 years later, we are stuck with the rule of "no politics at Thanksgiving".  It brings to mind the great words of Dubois- “What a world this will be when human possibilities are freed, when we discover each other, when the stranger is no longer the potential criminal and the certain inferior!”

What I know is that, if there is to be any hope of change, it must begin with our students, and that this change can only be achieved if they are encouraged, and given opportunity, in the skill of deliberation.  The challenge of deliberation is talking with someone who may think differently than you, and instead of working to find holes in their thought process, being focused on listening to what they have to say, and appreciating what might be a different perspective.  When we focus on listening rather than attacking, the opportunity for growth is much more likely.  Is deliberation an option for all conversations?  No- there are still some universal truths in which there is no conversation, e.g. racism.  But there is ALMOST always a conversation to be had.

The key to creating a deliberative space is starting on day one, and setting expectations for discussion and, if possible, getting the kids involved in the deliberative process early.  One of my favorite "first day" activities is one that I borrowed from a lesson from the Choices Program that I call "Opening Day Values".  It is worth noting that this is an activity that I typically use with my senior government class, but it can certainly be adapted for younger audiences.  These classes tend to be fairly large, which can impact the way in which the activity is carried out.  The way in which the "values" are put forward to the students can be varied; I will simply explain how I use it.

I begin by having stacks of blank white paper, cut into squares, in the middle of our workspace.  As we begin class I ask each student to pull 10 slips from the pile.  I then take time to explain that, in any society and government, decision-making is a theme to be discussed, and that decision-making is often guided by one's values.  In this activity the students will be presented with 9 key values that could be found in American government, and will be asked to rank those values.  I project the values on the screen 1 by 1, and have the kids write the words on their slips as they go.  As students get new words, they place them in rank in front of them, often reordering them as they go.  The 9 values I project are:  freedom, equality, self-reliance, justice, cooperation, security, competition, stability, and democracy.  There should be one blank slip for later.

Once the students have all of their value words, time should be given for final ranking.  I like to throw some questions at them as they rank their values- "If you had to justify what you ranked first/last, how would you do so?", "How do you define this value? How might someone else define it?", and my favorite "Looking at what you've ranked first, are there any of the other values that one needs before that value can be achieved, and if so, does that change your ranking?"  It's pretty common to see lots of shuffling!

A key part of this activity is the debrief.  I often, if time allows, have the students start by discussing their rankings in small groups.  But I also put the value statements on the board, and ask the students to mark their 1, 2, and 9 values, either by writing the numbers with marker or by using post-it notes.
Once done, we discuss as a class, and students are often surprised to see how the values lay out.  We talk about why some values are ranked high or low, and I open up the room for students to discuss why they ranked values where they did.  The best conversations come from those values that have both 1's and 9's in the same spot!

To wrap up the activity I make sure to ask the students to do two things.  First, using the last blank slip, I ask the students to consider other values that might not have been listed, and if they would like, write this new value and add it to their ranking.  I also ask the students to keep their list somewhere it won't be lost, and we do the same activity at the end of the year, after we've studied our government and discussed current events and issues.

Deliberation is a skill, and one that is desperately needed, and needs the opportunity and environment in which to be honed.  Often times the biggest issue in building a deliberative classroom is breaking through on the first discussion and making students comfortable in lending their voice.  Structuring an activity that asks the students to think and deliberate at a personal level is a great way to found such an environment.

My #OneWord for 2018

My favorite part of the #oneword movement is the reflection.  #OneWord is designed for an individual to conduct a series of introspective exercises in the hope that, in the end, "one word" emerges that sums up one's hopes, goals, focus, direction for the coming year.  My reflection for this year began several weeks ago, and I'm excited to finally come to my word.

As I began to reflect on my focus for the coming year, I considered both my personal life and my professional life, specifically my children and my students.  And I was surprised...actually maybe not so surprised...to see how frustrated I really am.  And how much my frustration bled between my two foci.  My frustrations as an educator are combined with my frustration as a parent.  My frustration for what I hold as my hopes for my sons are in many ways mirrored in my frustration for the future of my students.  And, as I came to find, my direction, my focus, my "one word" pointedly summed up what I need to do. 

My #OneWord for 2018 is "In".

Before I explain why this word works for me, let me explain the root of this frustration.  As an American, I'm frustrated with the current direction I see our country heading.  After nearly a decade of what I felt was real progress I feel like we are regressing.  I'm frustrated with the dearth of leadership I see in this country.  As an educator, I am frustrated with the current educational paradigm, one in which public education has become far more about tests than kids.  I feel like I've noticed this reality more this year than ever before.  The volume of time we spend in our crooms preparing for, and then administering, tests is alarming.  And one of the most frustrating by-products of this testing mania is the impact it is having on the teaching of social studies.  In previous posts on this blog I have detailed my feelings on the importance of a strong social studies curriculum, and what our students miss without it.  At a time when we need to study history more than ever before, both for the lessons it holds but also for the examples it puts forward, we are cutting it back.  At a time when we need to be encouraging environments where critical thinking and civil discourse are promoted, we are finding social studies crooms a convenient thing to cut.  And, in the end, this frustration comes back to my most important role, as a parent, and in that role I am worried about how the consequences of decisions being made now could impact my sons. 

While I'm frustrated about many things, I've never been a wallower.  I prefer solutions, and my reflection led to the realization of what I have to do in the face of these frustrations.  The answer is in action.  Action in helping to develop stronger leaders.  Action in fighting for the social studies, and making sure that my croom is one in which the skills of critical thinking and dialogue are being encouraged.  Action in no longer being silent when I see something I know is wrong.  I once heard a great teacher say that "silence is dangerous", and I know that's true.  In short, the solution to these frustrations lies not in sitting on the sidelines, but from being "in" the game.

Over the course of this year, my hope, focus, direction is that, if you're looking for me, I will be the one in the croom where students are engaged in discussion, dialogue that is backed up by substance, and where these same students are being challenged to look at multiple points of view.  You will find me here, in this blog, speaking out.  You will find me active in the social studies community, fighting for the present and future of the field.  You will find me on Twitter, learning from the countless educators that make up my PLN.  And, most importantly, you will find me at home with my two boys, helping them to understand the importance of love, respect, and leadership.

Where you won't find me is on the sidelines.  For 2018 and beyond, I am IN!