COVID-Era Education: Pirouette Instead of Pivot?

In the era of COVID-19, school has been turned upside down and inside out. When everyone was in lockdown, decisions were pretty simple. Now that states are reopening to various degrees and with different levels of success, the decisions about returning  to school are about to get really, really hard.

I am thinking off the top of my head here, so if there are lots of unanswered questions and problems and holes, I get it. This is off the cuff writing and thinking happening here.

Maybe we need to take a cue, kind of sort of, from school choice advocates and restructure school districts where families have some choices. For instance, thinking about the district where I work, there are 4 school buildings. Currently, the buildings are divided according to grade levels. Rather than dividing by grade levels and trying to come up with a schedule that fits as many as possible while allowing for those who need/want exceptions, maybe we change each building to manage the learning environment different ways. One building can be "school as usual" where everybody just goes back and does what we have always done. Another building can be an environment where the strictest possible health protections are put in place: very small, self-contained groups of students, 6 feet apart, wearing masks, no shared materials. The other 2 buildings could be varying degrees of the 2 extremes -- maybe bigger class sizes, masks, semi-self contained. Maybe split schedule for families who have some flexibility with their time and who want kids to not have to wear a mask all day. Then finally, there can be a pool of teachers who have offices instead of classrooms who run online instruction for families who don't feel sending their child to a school environment right now is safe or beneficial. Families can choose the configuration that suits them best. Or I think about my local high school district, which has 2 buildings: grades 9 and 10 in one, and grades 11 and 12 in another. One building is a 3 story building; the other is a 1 story building with many wings. Buildings like that could be reconfigured by floors or wings. A change like this would really shake up education in this country. So often, school doesn't look like what it did when today's parents were in school, what with Common Core, technology, standards-based learning, and an emphasis on 21st century skills. This kind of change would really be mind boggling. It's an incredibly different way to think about how to structure the learning environment and experience. But we are living in such a strange time, maybe school needs to uber, ultra flexible. This would be a massive undertaking by any school district, one that would require a great deal of planning and preparation. But schools could do it. After all, most schools were able to pivot to remote learning with very little notice. Education could pivot again -- this time, it's just going to look more like pirouettes.

MacGyver-ing Education

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced at 4 PM on Friday, March 13 that Illinois schools would close starting Tuesday, March 17 through Monday, March 30 (this has now been extended through April 7). This announcement gave schools all over the state little time to prepare for what to do for kids who would not be in school. Since these were called "act of God" days, there were no requirements for schools to provide instruction. And in fact, some schools did just that -- nothing. But lots of schools started a mad scramble to learn all they could about what e-learning looks like and what tools could be used to deliver e-learning instruction. That's exactly what my school district did.

Speaking for myself, I spent all last weekend reading about e-learning to understand the best way to structure e-learning lessons for students. And believe me when I say there was a LOT out there to read. I worked to synthesize what I learned to share it with teachers in my district. Then I spent the rest of the time looking at the myriad of tools out there and tried to narrow them down to a short list of easy-to-use, effective tools for students AND teachers. And then I worked on putting together what I could for teachers and students so when we were all in school on Monday, we could do some front-loading before we separated from the kids at the end of the day. I can't say for certain what other teachers in my district did, but based on the high level of successful learning that happened this week, I would say they all did the exact same things I did. Everybody researched, synthesized, constructed, and collaborated so when we did our first e-learning lesson Wednesday (Tuesday was a teacher institute day), it was a success. High levels of participation (over 90% attendance, and some teachers individually reported 100% attendance) and quality learning taking place (for a sample, check out the Twitter hashtag #CSD17Learns).

We also managed to arrange getting devices to families who needed them for e-learning as well as meals for students who needed those, too. Arranging everything required the work of literally every staff member -- teachers, administrators, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria staff, social workers. Everyone mobilized throughout the weekend, came to school to serve our students Monday, then used Tuesday to finalize the plans. Every day, we debriefed and fixed what needed fixing. This required all of us to work well beyond a traditional day. Most of us were working from 7 or 7:30 in the morning until well after dinner time.

And nobody complained. In fact, everyone really celebrated. We knew we were still connecting with our students and their learning was continuing. Parents got involved and supported what the teachers were doing, too, and that is why we had such a successful week.

I have never been more proud to be an American public school teacher than I am now because I witnessed and experienced a level of dedication and commitment to kids this week that defies explanation. And when I saw this post on social media, I felt I had to reiterate what is said. Teachers ignored obstacles to learning and made sure their kids still got the best possible education available, one these kids have a right to.

In my district, we are on spring break this coming week. We are all telling each other to rest, relax, and enjoy this week off because we earned it. But I know that I will have some rest time, but I will also be working to make sure that when we "return to school" on March 30, there are meaningful learning experiences in place for my students. All the teachers I work with will be doing the exact same thing over spring break, I am sure.

Because that's what teachers do. We work tirelessly for our students.

The Why

Have you ever heard someone say, "Why do kids need computers at school? I didn't have a computer when I went to school and I did just fine." Or maybe you've heard comments like this: "Why do kids need to learn coding? They're just playing games. They're not really learning anything useful." Or even a statement like this: "What's the point of the kids making videos? That's not teaching them anything that's on the tests they take."

I can answer that question in one Tweet.

Showing me her google slides of hybrid animals that she’s making with a friend. Silly mom thought it was for school, nope just for fun! pic.twitter.com/C1dYm0YAoi

— Holly Psinas (@PsinasHolly) April 26, 2019

The learning that kids do today -- from what they learn to how they learn -- is not the same as it was for most adults. It's not even the same as when my own daughter was in high school less than 10 years ago. That Tweet I shared is a prime example why kids need access to computers, the internet, and tools that allow them to create, communicate, and collaborate. Because that's how kids learn.

Sometimes teachers feel like kids don't want to learn. But that's not really true. They DO want to learn. They just might not want to learn things the way we are presenting them (or even the things we are asking them to learn). Obviously, there are some skills that are just necessary to learn, but if we can give kids the right tools to learn with -- meaning the tools they are accustomed to use for learning -- and if we can give them some autonomy in their learning, then we as teachers just might be able to hook them into the things we want them to learn, like photosynthesis, geometry, the Constitution, or Shakepseare's sonnets.

When kids have the right tools and when they have some voice in their own education, they do indeed learn. But when we try to force a square peg (learning today) into a round hole (learning the way we used to), it sure looks like kids don't want to learn. But look at that Tweet again. There she is. Learning, Creating. Collaborating. For FUN!

What a profound lesson Miss P taught us.



This post also appears on my work blog for staff in my school district.

A Non-Expert Based Opinion About SBG

The district I work for is in the final year of implementing SBG across all grade levels, K-8. I am admittedly still learning about SBG, so it is entirely possible I have no ever loving clue what I am talking about. I was skeptical about SBG at first -- not the learning, but the grading. SBL has been happening in some way, shape, or form for as long as I've been teaching, but SBG, especially in upper grade levels, not so much. But here's the epiphany I had that made me think it might be something good:

My daughter struggled mightily with math in high school. It was rough waters her freshman year, hurricane her sophomore year, and a full on tsunami her junior year. I refused to let her take a math class her senior year lest she fail and not be able to graduate. She had enough math credits to graduate, so despite how much it pissed off her counselor, I kept her out of pre-calc her senior year. Instead, I opted to have her get caught up in math through Kumon Learning Center (they were a Godsend, if I'm being honest). One the problems I ran into with her math teachers is they couldn't tell me where her holes or weaknesses were, and one teacher actually told me he didn't have the time to figure it out and help her. I was grateful for that honesty -- I knew I was on my own to figure out how to help her.

As I've learned about SBG, it had dawned on me that this would have been so helpful for my daughter in high school. I could have had a better idea where she was struggling instead of just assuming she sucked at all of it.

An added benefit might have been less of a blow to her self-esteem. My daughter was convinced she wouldn't get into college because of her grades (she did get into college, AND she graduated, AND she got a good job after graduation). By using SBG, there is less of a stigma associated with the labels used (in my district, they are EPAL -- Exceeds, Proficient, Approaching, Limited). None of them are clearly an A, B, C, D, or F, so maybe she would have seen herself as lacking or weak in math instead of stupid (she idled in the D range for a lot of math).

I've got zero research to use, and I have zero expertise in this topic, but when using my kid as an example, I gotta say, I see some merit.

All Means All

Earlier this month, I was incensed to read a story about a transgender middle school student who was not allowed to shelter with her classmates during an active shooter drill because nobody seemed able to decide if she should shelter in the boys or girls locker room. I had to wonder if the kids were all going to take a shower or change their clothes during this drill, because if they weren't, then I can't for the life of me figure out why it matters which locker room she or ANY of the other students went in. If there was a real active shooter, are students going to have to follow gender norms in order to stay safe? What would happen if the boys locker room was locked? Do all the boys have to stay outside while the girls get to be safe? Of course not! But that's not the point I'm trying to make.

Being in education can be tough. We have to think of the students first, not ourselves. That means we do things like pull ourselves together when the kids walk in the classroom after we had a fight with our teenager in the car on the way to school. That means we treat with kindness the student whose parent is a constant thorn in our side and we just don't like. It also means we protect all of our students when they need protection. All of them. We have to put aside any personally held beliefs or prejudices we might have. So when we see kids bullying the little girl who comes to school in the same clothes every day of the week, we step in and protect her. And when we hear kids use a racial slur when talking to a student of color, we step in and protect that student. AND when we practice how to shelter from an active shooter, we make sure all students have the safest possible place to take cover without regard to gender.

If you work in education and you take issue with students based on things like socio-economic status, religion, parents' political leanings, race, ethnicity, religion, immigration or citizenship status, health issues, sexual orientation, or gender, then you don't belong in education. Because as an educator, you have a moral imperative to serve all the students in your classroom and school -- you don't to pick and choose. And, by the way, when I say "educator", I am speaking of teachers, administrators, secretaries, aides, custodians, cafeteria staff, bus drivers, and anyone else who works with kids in a school.

If you are an educator and you can't be an advocate and protector for each of your students because you let your own thoughts interfere with the total acceptance of the little humans in your care, then you don't deserve to have the privilege of being in a position of influence for those young lives.

Looking Back

I have been not so great about keeping this blog updated, probably because I maintain two other blogs -- one that is personal and not related to education and one that is for work, sharing items with my coworkers. But now that I am part of ISTE Blogging Buddies, I am going to blog here more, so look out :-)

It is interesting to go back and look at my previous posts, to see what had been important to me over the years, to see how my attitudes have evolved. I am so passionate about education. I love to write about it. I love to talk about it. I love to share it. A number of years ago, I used to be an adjunct at a local community college and I taught a class called Intro to Teaching. It was Education 101 and it was a ton of fun to teach! Of all the classes I got to adjunct, that one was my favorite!

That's why I'm excited to be in this Blogging Buddies group. I've got a group of fellow educators whose blogs I can read, and I've got people to read my thoughts, and it keeps me motivated to write.

So I guess I'm back in the blogging saddle! Stay tuned for more!

The Energy Bus -- Reflection #2

As I read chapter 10 in The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon, I kind of thought to myself, "Been there, done that." Chapter 10 is titled "Focus" and features the rule, "Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction." I consider myself living proof of how true this is.

In 2015, I considered myself a novice runner. I was slow and plodding, but I could run a 5K with little trouble. But I got inspired that year to run a half marathon, the Chicago Half Marathon specifically. So I researched training plans and diets and bothered all the really good runners I know with all sorts of questions about how to train for a half.

But one of the most important strategies I used was visualization. Every single time I went out to run, all I did was picture myself on that half marathon course. I imagined myself on Lake Shore Drive, I pictured all the other runners around me. I imagined coming around the final curve where I had stood before to cheer on my cousins as they ran that race in previous years. I pictured myself crossing the finish line. What did I want to do -- cry? shout? throw my hands in the air? fist pump? So many possibilities for what would happen when I crossed that finish line.

So, I did everything right. I followed my training plan faithfully. I ate the right foods. I wore the right shoes. I fueled properly. I hydrated properly. And I crossed that finish line, But I know that running isn't only physical. There is a huge part of running that is mental, and I properly prepared myself mentally. I am confident that visualization played a huge role in my ability to finish the Chicago Half Marathon.

And it is a key strategy I employ now as I prepare to run the Chicago Marathon on October!!!!!!

Crossing the finish line at the Chicago Half Marathon.

Wearing my hard-earned hardware!