For two weeks straight, the specials teachers (art, music, library, computers, PE) have the same report about my kids when I pick them up. It goes something like, "They had a great class. They were so productive and worked well together, but they lost it when they lined up." So, as they get rated on a 1-10 scale, they've consistently gotten 9's.
My younger self would have fussed at the class, making them practice lining up until it was perfect. I would have had a serious talk with them and been really uptight about the whole thing. But the way I've run my class this year, it would have been very discordant. We're constantly questioning rules and routines, asking, "How important is this? Will this help me be a better human being?" For example, after dealing with an ambush of tattles on curse words heard from other kids in the school, my students have gotten to understand that there are SO many more important things in life than an arbitrary word someone chose to be considered "bad."
So, my position on the matter was decided: if these other teachers had no other complaints, and my students were kind to each other and tried their hardest, they're doing pretty well. But, my job isn't done yet.
Recently, my students took a test that tracks their progress in math throughout the year. One of my students only went up 2 points from winter to spring. While it was an improvement, it was a small one. This student has gone through a range of emotions and decisions in which he shared with me along the way:
-He immediately wanted to retake the test to get a higher score
-Remorseful that he didn't do better
-Scared his score may go down instead of up
-Excited to sit for over an hour the next day just to improve a test score that would more accurately represent his learned knowledge
Oh, and this kid had ADHD.
He also voluntarily puts himself on punishment if he thinks he forgot to go the day before. At first, I thought he liked it, so it didn't bother him. It came out recently how much he really hates it.
The fact that he will be bored and will also be missing PE to take a test was not even a blip on his screen. The fact that sitting on silent lunch for half an hour for a kid with a disorder that causes him to never stop moving is very difficult does overshadow his own integrity. He understands that doing his best is important. He understands that punishment is temporary, but who he is is for the rest of his life.
There is no reason to hesitate. He is clear on what is important.
My younger self would have fussed at the class, making them practice lining up until it was perfect. I would have had a serious talk with them and been really uptight about the whole thing. But the way I've run my class this year, it would have been very discordant. We're constantly questioning rules and routines, asking, "How important is this? Will this help me be a better human being?" For example, after dealing with an ambush of tattles on curse words heard from other kids in the school, my students have gotten to understand that there are SO many more important things in life than an arbitrary word someone chose to be considered "bad."
So, my position on the matter was decided: if these other teachers had no other complaints, and my students were kind to each other and tried their hardest, they're doing pretty well. But, my job isn't done yet.
Recently, my students took a test that tracks their progress in math throughout the year. One of my students only went up 2 points from winter to spring. While it was an improvement, it was a small one. This student has gone through a range of emotions and decisions in which he shared with me along the way:
-He immediately wanted to retake the test to get a higher score
-Remorseful that he didn't do better
-Scared his score may go down instead of up
-Excited to sit for over an hour the next day just to improve a test score that would more accurately represent his learned knowledge
Oh, and this kid had ADHD.
He also voluntarily puts himself on punishment if he thinks he forgot to go the day before. At first, I thought he liked it, so it didn't bother him. It came out recently how much he really hates it.
The fact that he will be bored and will also be missing PE to take a test was not even a blip on his screen. The fact that sitting on silent lunch for half an hour for a kid with a disorder that causes him to never stop moving is very difficult does overshadow his own integrity. He understands that doing his best is important. He understands that punishment is temporary, but who he is is for the rest of his life.
There is no reason to hesitate. He is clear on what is important.
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