S'More From The AP
Week Ending October 17, 2014
Learning Takes Time- by Mr. Wilkinson
Students often ask me “is this for a grade?” I always respond with the affirmative. A grade for that particular task may not directly end up in the grade book, but their performance on the task will influence the final grade. This is the essence of formative assessment.
I like to tell the story of an athlete training to run a race. The first time they run is reflective of their ability, but not a measure of their potential ability. It is only after much practice that they will obtain the best outcome. Wouldn’t we want to judge them on the best time they could get? It would be silly to take an average of their practice times and call that the mastery level.
The Principal Ponders
Learning takes time – as teachers, we know this. And every learner, whether it is a student trying to tackle a new concept or a teacher dipping his or her toe into the PBL bath water, has a different clock. In a perfect world, every student would master the skills taught at exactly the same time and instruction would move on, TEK after TEK, until all were covered. BAM! However, as teachers, we know this is not our reality, and with all of the “non-teaching” responsibilities that are now required, we feel the mad rush to get everything “in” before the end of the year, or dare I say it……THE TEST.
Last week, I shared with you one of my take-aways from the Principal Institute I attended, the phrase from Alan November, “Go slow, to go fast.” Whether we are talking about learning or teaching, the benefits of taking the time in the beginning will pay off big in the end. When you “feel the need for speed,” remember these 4 simple things to help you refocus and s-l-o-w down:
- Remember the pain – while not physical, think of a time when you wished you had planned or prepared more and the frustration and challenges it caused you.
- Think of the Gain – think of a time when you were committed, focused and well-prepared and the positive results that came along with those decisions
- Consider it an Investment – the time spent preparing and practicing is an investment in better outcomes. Going slow at the beginning is an investment, not a cost.
- Trust the process – once you’ve decided to go slow, fight the urge to stop and go fast. Trust yourself, and the process, that going slow is the right thing to do.
Here is one more take away from Alan November (I told you he redeemed himself!) which has stuck with me. He shared a story of a Coppell High School teacher, Ian Vandershee, who redesigned his first week of school, “The First 5 Days,” to basically teach kids how to learn. No assigning textbooks, no going over rules, no assigned seats, no assigning the first homework of the year……none of the traditional tasks that usually occur during “the first 5 days.” Instead, he built relationships, taught students power research and organization skills, teamwork skills, how students have meaningful contributions to make, discovered student passions and allowed students to ask questions about their learning for the year. Not only did this set the tone for his classroom, but for the entire year. By investing 5 days to teach his students skills for learning, and choosing to “Go slow, to go fast, Mr. Vandershee gained 17 days back. Wow! What could/would you do if you were able to get back 17 days?
Take a look at this Live Binder and see how one teacher designed her first 5 days: http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=873869
Learning takes time – for teachers and students. So, check your clock. Maybe your clock is perfectly synchronized and is ready to make a change. Maybe your clock is running a few minutes/hours behind and needs to catch up. And maybe your clock isn’t even in the same time zone. Wherever your clock may be, as long as you're ticking, you’re learning……and learning takes time.