Ready for the Real World Yet?

This week I've been privileged to be part of two wonderful twitter chats.  The first was on Teachers Throwing out Grades (#TTOG) and the second was Middle School Chat ( #mschat.)

Being the time of year it is, the conversations revolved around testing: is it good for students and/or for districts? Does it give good information? How should we prepare students for tests?

During the chats, I got into discussions with two different people, both passionate educators as well, and I'm sure both very good at their job.  Both conversations came back to two central themes.

First was the theme of competition in the classroom.  I am a competitive person.  I play team sports to this day.  I was in little league way before the whole 'everyone gets a trophy' mantra.  I have run track, played hockey, coached and played soccer, and even was on the high school bowling team.  I find value in competition both in building character as well as a tool for building relationships.  There is definitely places for competition in schools - I just don't believe learning is one of those places.

This is not a philosophy for a classroom setting

Education is not and should not be competition.   Learning is not a zero sum (or negative sum) game.  There should not be 'winners' and 'losers'.  If one student succeeds, it shouldn't mean another can not or did not.   Your success shouldn't be based on others' failures.

Those that know me know that I am not a fluffy, cuddly teacher.  I don't give out candy for right answers.  I have a high level of expectations and demand students reach them.  However, I do it with a blanket of emotional safety.  They quickly learn that saying a wrong answer in class will never cause a problem, but laughing at someone for saying a wrong answer will.  We play games in our room, often competitive ones, but the end game is not to find out 'who is the smartest.'  It is to find out 'what do you know?'

My philosophy doesn't revolve around the belief that all students can learn - I have the expectation that all students will learn - and it is my job to make sure it happens.

And there lies the antithesis of the zero-sum philosophy.  Everyone can get an A.  If you don't do an assignment correctly the first time, you have to reflect on what went wrong, re-learn the material, and have another go at it.  Assignments are not one-and-done.  This is how I get them ready for life.

This leads to the other major theme: getting students ready 'for the real world.'  There is competition in real life.  However, in nearly any real life situation the competitor chooses to compete.  Athletes choose to be on a team, employees choose to compete for a higher position.  Students have no choice to compete in the classroom if that is the culture the teacher creates.

True, not all competitors have a choice.

The other situation school needs to get them ready for are real world tests.  They need to have this awareness.  Telling them that they will have to take tests to get a license, get into college, or even qualify for certain jobs and careers is a good thing.  However, I know of no entrance test that is completed over the course of six two-hour periods. I know of no test or assessment that prevents applicants from re-taking it should they not pass the first time.  And yet we put a 12-year-old child through a multi-day test one-shot assessments which could extend two hours (or more with the right IEP accommodations) and under the premise of getting them ready for 'real world' situations?

Are any of these 'real world' skills? Do you want your employee to possess any of them?

Treating a 12-year-old student with the same (or even similar) expectations we have of a 22 year old college graduate, or a 16-year-old young adult,  is not only poor pedagogy, it is downright unjust.

Also , we can't hide behind 'school gets children ready for the real world' and then excuse ourselves out of it when it suits us; never in the "real world" have I ever

• gotten a detention for chewing gum
• had to raise my hand to go to the bathroom
• gotten in trouble for doodling during a meeting

Maybe I'm just not in the real world yet.  

Those are my thoughts - slightly more rant style than I usually blog, but there it is none the less.  I'm hoping to hear from others - with any view points.  I truly value hearing all the arguments. No two schools or classrooms are the same - it takes all types of teachers - and I'm glad there are a diverse pool out there!

Food drive - Hunger Games Style.

If you are a fan of authentic student engagement, you'll really enjoy this blog.  If you happen to know anyone that doubts as to how authentic student engagement leads to better participation and results, please encourage that person to read this blog.

As most schools do this time of the year, our school held a three day food drive to benefit a local food charity.  Typically this drive raises between 50 and 100 items per classroom.  Students are encouraged to bring in two items, and get a dress down day if they do that (our students wear school uniforms daily.)  This incentive is the usual buy in for the students.

This year, my amazing teaching partner found an activity which turned the food drive into "The Hunger Games."  (Hunger Games, get it? Food dri... oh nevermind, read on.)

Here were the rules:

Our three classroom middle division was split into six districts.  Students supported their district by bringing in food items.  Items were counted and at the end of each day we had an elimination ceremony.  The district with the fewest items was eliminated from the competition.  Then, the item count for each district would reset to zero for the next day.

At first we were worried about eliminated districts no longer bringing in food (after all the end game was to support the local food bank, and this action could be detrimental towards that.)  To work around this, all districts that were eliminated could become sponsors and support districts that were still in the competition.  Basically, you didn't win, but you can keep your friend safe from elimination.

It's good to be the king.

On Wednesday our food drive began. Students came in and piled food into their self-decorated district boxes.   The initial results were encouraging as each classroom brought in an average of 65 items.  Remember, this food drive typically brought in a total of 50-100 items per classroom over the three days, so we were really excited to see that we'd already come close to our expected total.

At the end of the day we all went to a common room for the elimination ceremony.  As students walked in they saw the Panem flag projected and listened to the Panem Anthem playing.

We reviewed the rules - and how the district with the fewest items would be eliminated from the competition.  However, they can help their friend's survive by sponsoring them the rest of the week.

Then the students heard cannons go off... a total of eight cannons were shot and the losing district was displayed on the screen.  Eight students faces were shown to the middle division.

The cheering was enormous.  Students were genuinely excited to still be in the competition.  At first students started taunting the losing district, but quickly realized that those students were now their allies.  The buttering up and praise starting flying.

One district down, five to go.

Thursday came along... Our school starts with morning gathering - lower, intermediate, and middle school all gather in the gym for morning announcements.  That Thursday, there was an electrical buzz in the middle division section. Students were saying how many items they brought in,  showing swagger towards other districts, trying to get District One to sponsor them - they were fully engaged in the activity, and it wasn't even 8:00 am yet.

Little did they know that the Capitol had a special announcement that day.

Students brought in their items to their district leaders.  Students kept trying to find out how many items their district brought in and what place they were.  Teachers didn't budge - all results would not be made public until the elimination ceremony.  When we met as a division, we were shocked and thrilled with our day two results.  On Thursday alone each classroom brought in an average of 110 items.  Each. Classroom.  Again, this is a food drive that never brought more than 300 items over three days, yet here we were at 526 items after just two days.

District Four's Day Two Offering

The Hunger Game fever was so engaging that our middle division head of school as well as the school counselor decided to participate as well.  They announced that they would sponsor students that they observed following the rights and responsibilities (code of conduct) of the school.

Our Intermediate division was the group running the school food drive.  They were getting the typical 20-30 items per classroom.  Then they came to the middle division rooms.  It was wonderful watching the intermediate students' jaws drop when they entered our classroom.  They were not prepared to carry all of those items.

At the end of the day, students were again called together for the ceremony.  They heard the anthem, saw the flag... and students started saluting.

This was totally spontaneous. And a bit exciting.

(I do have authentic photos of this, but school policy prohibits me from posting student images.)  

It made the Capitol's announcement all the better.  Students heard the cannons go off, and started counting... but got confused.  Despite the largest district being eight students, 14 cannons went off.

District Five and District Six were shocked to see both of their teams on the screen... eliminated.

The shock on students' faces was replaced by smirks as their friends quickly started negotiations for their sponsorship.

Day three literally began with students bringing in bags full of items. The teachers were staggered as to the amount of food that we saw at morning gathering.  Again, district leaders took counts and recorded them on the google sheet.  Students petitioned adults to sponsor them throughout the day.

I also learned a valuable lesson.  Never try to petition a Manchester United Fan when you represent Chelsea.  Good student relationship moment, though :)

The final elimination ceremony came with another announcement from the Capitol.. and this one was much more kind.

You see - throughout this whole activity - throughout the announcement of the districts, the challenge, the eliminations, not once did we mention a winning prize for the final surviving district.  When we were occasionally asked about a prize, we just told them 'bragging rights' or 'a feast beyond your wildest dreams.'  Behind the scenes we had talked about buying cupcakes or other small treat for the winning district.  However, after seeing the amount of food and the positive engagement,  our division head had another idea.  She asked the middle division staff if a pizza party would be an appropriate reward for all the districts, even the eliminated ones.  We unanimously said yes.

Still, there had to be a winner of the games.

Fifteen cannons were fired and District Three and Four saw their faces on the board.  District Two was the winners of the Hunger Games.

However, the real winner was Homeless Families Foundation of Columbus.  In a typical food drive our classrooms raised a total of about 300 items over the three days. This year our three classrooms raised 1056 items in three days - three times the typical amount.

The amount of student engagement in this activity blew me away.  I have never seen so much excitement about a food drive (or any other charitible event such as penny drives or clothing drives.) The students excitement spread to other grades as well as other adults in the building.   So again I contend anyone that says authentic student engagement does not increase participation to  please contact me.  I have a special seat in the Capitol waiting just for them.