Regarding My Time Out of the Classroom

I’ve spent the last two days out of my classroom.

Yesterday, I was looking at the ELA Common Core standards on a committee that’s looking to identify power standards and learning targets. We’ll see how that goes. For now, we’re still looking at the anchor standards themselves, and I’m glad our facilitator is relying pretty heavily on the excellent book Pathways to the Common Core. We’ll continue to meet through the spring.

Today, I served as a union representative on our district’s evaluation committee. As part of its application for Race to the Top money, Washington state passed legislation that rolled out a new teacher and principal evaluation system. The Race to the Top folks didn’t think our plan was rigorous enough so they didn’t give us the money BUT! We still get to implement the new evaluation system! So there’s that.

Now. You could argue that the purpose of having each of the aforementioned committees is wrong, either because standards are a bunch of malarkey or because union business is a mess no one wants to touch with a ten-foot pole or because district admins have no clue of what’s actually going on in schools so it’s a waste of time to talk with them.

And all that’s fine, but I’ve actually been thoroughly impressed with the folks facilitating and populating the committees I’m serving on. Federal Way is doing a lot of really great things that have KIDS in the forefront, and I’m glad to be a part of it.

Right, you say, but the bottom line is that I’m still out of my classroom. And that means I’m not providing my students with high-impact instruction. Oof. So that’s bad, several people have told me.

Now, I’ve thought about this a lot, and if our motto this year is “WE ARE WILDWOOD,” then I think it’s important to have a representative from our school on these committees, advocating for OUR children and OUR high-poverty population and OUR common concerns. I’ve actually had two teachers in the past week come up to me: “Thanks so much for going to these meetings — I really am glad you’re the one there for us; I’d have no clue what was going on.” “The way you say things makes so much sense, so you’re totally the right person to be on that committee.” I take those comments not only as kind compliments to me personally, but also as a reinforcement that sometimes, the critical work DOES happen outside of the classroom.

Believe me, I know the impact being out of the classroom can have on kids. During my third year of teaching, I took long-term disability to grapple with depression. So I wouldn’t have to explain to well-meaning (but gossipy) staff members that I was taking medical leave, I missed school a few days at a time spread out over the course of several months rather than being out for one chunk of time. My classroom was a mess. My students were a mess. And my weekly absences, combined with me not really “looking” sick, led to some stress with my colleagues as well. One particularly organized teacher put together a tally sheet where she kept track of the number of days I was out.

So with that as baggage in my past, why do I continue to serve on committees, even when they pull me out of instructional time with my kids? I’ve narrowed it down to four main reasons.

Teaching is hard. It takes a lot of brainpower. In the day-to-day maelstrom that I wind up getting caught in, yes I do reflective processing and TONS AND TONS of casual reading, but not the kind of deep academic thinking that makes me all tingly and excited and energized to continue to carry on with this huge undertaking called public education.

I mean the kind of REAL thinking and problem solving that happens when you’re trying to work through dense academic language or trying to make sense of a legal document. The kind of processing that happens when you synthesize a team’s ideas. My brain NEEDS the kind of thinking that happens on these committees.

I’m a white, middle class woman. I’m fully aware of my privilege (and my occasional all-consuming white guilt). But although Federal Way tries pretty hard to focus on equity, issues of social justice don’t always make it past the lip service stage. I’m part of an amazing group of educators at Wildwood who are committed to SHIFTING THE DISCOURSE and having the difficult conversations we need to have to close the achievement gap and ensure a rigorous educational experience for all our students.

The National Equity Project has been working closely with Wildwood, and they have absolutely shaped my thinking. Every committee I’m on, I make sure my comments and ideas are always given through an equity lens. I also try to make sure our gifted students get a voice, and lately I’ve been trying to speak up more about educational technology, although that’s really more Cheryl’s passion than mine.

With all my aforementioned baggage related to absences, I asked a few former students what they thought of me missing school for committee meetings.

Me: When I’m out of class, even for a few days in a row, did you think that I was avoiding you or that I didn’t want to be teaching?
Sam: Um, noooo. I mean, it’s not like you’re out there having a great time without us or anything.

So apparently meetings are universal for “dull, necessary evil” even to 11-year-olds. Despite what my kids think, I do get good information from these meetings.

We don’t GET professional development at our schools. I mean, we get PD time, but it’s inevitably filled up with required business and other garbage. News about the evaluation system probably won’t be rolled out to teachers until next fall. Depending on their building’s administration, it could be even later than that. I know about it NOW. I mentioned during our meeting today that in SIX YEARS of teaching, I have received ONE HALF-DAY of training on writing, ONE DAY of training on science, etc. That’s insane.

Plus, I get plenty of amazing information when I pick the brains of other passionate educators. I mentioned before that Federal Way has some incredibly talented people. A brief list of appreciation: Angie Neville, Shawn Smith, Cindy Black, Christine Corbley, David Brower, Jerry Warren. I get stir crazy when I’m in my four walls too long, even when my four walls contain brilliantly flexible children and hugely supportive fellow teachers. I need to get out. And…

I’m not looking toward a future as an administrator, which is the path many talented (and less talented but overconfident) teachers take when they want to have an impact on a larger number of students or educators. But I still want my work to have a more wide-reaching, global impact. So I’m creating assessments and rubrics and exemplars and contributing to district-wide recommendations. I’m at meetings telling the assistant superintendent that AmeriCorps is a service our district MUST continue to invest in. I’m THOROUGHLY not satisfied with the current state of public education, and I do see myself as a leader, but I see myself as leading from within, not as an “official” leader.

Teacher-leader is my personal favorite new buzzword, because it acknowledges that I’m taking impassioned steps to help staffs shift the discourse, but I am still, FIRST AND FOREMOST, a teacher.

Both inside and out of the classroom.

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 10

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 10: Give kids a boost of spirit

Challenge: Talk with your grade-level colleagues or your principal to determine how you will celebrate with your students before and after the testing window.

If you chose to throw a pep rally, take some time to write down what made it successful. Did students leave knowing they would be able to do well on the test?

How did you get positive messages across to your students?

How did the after-party in your classroom allow you to show your appreciation for your students’ hard work on the test?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 9

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 9: Proofreading

Challenge: Show your students a few pieces of writing, with various commands of Standard English, and have them discuss how they can be edited and improved so they’re easier to read. Then teach your students how to proofread their own written responses.

Is it easier for your students to find their mistakes or someone else’s?

Why do you think this is?

How will you help your students remember to proofread their writing before they close their test booklets?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 8

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 8: Keep writing!

Challenge: Generate a list with your students of ways to keep writing during a writing prompt. Prod them to consider ways to elaborate when writing narrative as well as nonnarrative genres.

What is the primary reason your students seem to run out of steam when writing a practice prompt?

How will you empower students to write their best first draft?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 7

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 7: Think, organize, and respond

Challenge: Schedule time to teach your students a variety of ways to organize their thinking before they attempt a writing task. Be sure to talk with each student to ensure the student has an organizational process that works before test day arrives.

Which type of organizational device seemed to work best for the majority of your class?

Which type of organizational device do you gravitate toward?

Do your students have similar preferences?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 6

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 6: Two Audiences

Challenge: Plan to help students visualize the person who will read their writing prompt. Ask them to conjure up an image, complete with speech or thought bubbles, and then to share the image with others.

How does audience influence your own writing?

How will you help your students understand they are writing for two audiences during a standardized test?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 5

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 5: How do I know what to write?

Challenge: Plan to help your students develop the skills necessary to understand the task in a writing prompt. Gather several prompts to give students practice with identifying the key parts of a prompt so they are comfortable making decisions as writers when faced with the actual test prompt.

What part of understanding the task is most difficult for your students when faced with a writing prompt?

How will you help your students develop a full understanding of the task presented to them in a writing prompt?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 4

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 4: Understanding the rubric

Challenge: Look at the exemplar responses for your state’s writing prompt assessment. Notice the imperfect nature of many of the top scores. When students are assessed on their response to a writing prompt, perfection isn’t expected. Develop an understanding of the expectations for your students on a standardized test.

How will you increase your understanding of your state’s assessment practices for the writing prompt?

What will you do to protect your students’ confidence when they receive their scores from the state test?

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 3

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 3: Take time for authentic writing experiences

Challenge: Decide what works better for your classroom: independent writing projects or a consistent ten to fifteen minutes each day for the children to write. Then read Cruz’s book (2004) or Graves and Kittle’s book (2005) to help you flesh out how you’ll implement this in your classroom.

Did you decide to work with your students to undertake independent writing projects?

If so, how will you carry these out?

Will you provide your students with guidance outside of the regular school day?

What kinds of pressures or stress do you feel with regard to the upcoming state tests?

Record a list of emotions and then write, in detail, about each emotion you’re feeling.

Day by Day: Assessment Cycle 3, Day 2

To see a complete list of the reflection activities and for an explanation of the program, visit my Day By Day Main Page.

Conferring Cycle 3: Standardized Tests

Day 2: Doing your best on the test

Challenge: Set aside time to talk about the qualities of good writing with your students. Keep track of what they say. Then, together, create a chart about the features of good test writing. Make sure they understand the parallels between what they already know about writing well and how that will transfer to standardized testing.

Did your students seem more confident about their ability to write well on a test after your class discussion?

How will you show students what it means to write well in response to a prompt?

Will you show them well-written writing samples, or will you go about it in another way?