a place for ideas, thoughts, complaints, concerns, questions, observations, compliments
One of the many reasons I often lament the fact that I ended up teaching English instead of Math or Science is the lack of simple common shared assessments. And when our department decided to use common writing prompts to use as a point of discussion when we talk about student achievement, I was ready. However, I have since talked myself into and out of thinking that this schoolwide writing assessment is a good idea.
Don't get me wrong. I want to be able to look at data for my class and compare it to other classes, other teachers' classes, the entire school. I want my students to learn from the data about their weaknesses and strengths. I want to learn from the data about my own weakesses and strengths. I want to be able to go to Teacher A and ask how come his students consistently score 4s in the thesis category while mine are still in the 2s. Great idea right?
What if the common assessment in its current format produces tainted data? The argument here being that each teacher will score the essays with their own bias so the data can't be compared because it won't be accurate. So this writing takes up precious instructional time to give us information that is only as good as the person who scores it. If we are looking for an accurate measure of student performance, then the schoolwide writing assessment is a bad idea.
Or is it? Does data have to be perfectly accurate in order to be useful? Charles Babbage, a famous mathematician from the 1800s, once said "Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all." (See that? There is evidence that I learned something in my Masters' program.) Currently, we have no data. The schoolwide writing assessment will give us some data.
Maybe the argument I have been having with myself about whether or not the schoolwide writing assessment is good or bad is really about how to use the data rather than how accurate that data is. Are we looking for a measure of individual student's writing skills? Are we looking at what students are learning? Or are we looking at what teachers are teaching?
If the purpose of the data we gather from a schoolwide writing assessment is to inform teaching practices then how can it be a bad idea? If we look at the results as simply a place to start asking questions - of ourselves, of our students, of each other, then it is a good idea. I want to learn from other teachers. Period. We have to start somewhere.
As I decide to stay at work, just a little bit longer, Jackson Browne belts out his famous lines about making sure "you got it all set to go before you come for my piano." Though I'm no where near as energetic about staying the long hours past the last bell of the day, the scenario of the road crew cleaning up the stage at the end of another performance resonates more than just a little bit.
At the end of all our days, we think back on how things went, while also realizing that tomorrow "you'll get up and do it again" (must be Jackson Browne allusion day or something). After talking with Jonathan and Laurie earlier today, I'm trying to imagine what this blog is and is not for. This is by no means an exclusive or exhaustive list. Feel free to add to it.
It's For...
This blog can help us create a virtual space to come together for ideas. I talk with Vanessa, Laurie, Jane, Ted, and Matt all the time about what I'm doing in the classroom. I show them handouts several revisions before my students ever see them. I throw ideas at them and gauge my classroom delivery by their reactions. If this area could be another place to post ideas, documents, reflections about what we're doing in our rooms or what we see happening in each other's rooms, we'd have a powerful record on our hands by the end of the year.
Maybe this can even help with lesson planning in the future. If there was a way to "tag" these entries using keywords or even categorize things by lesson, skill, standard, or some other system, our thoughts could be put to use next year as we tackle the same or similar issues.
The reflections we all have on how we can do our jobs even better flash through our heads so quickly. Often, the ideas we get seem so unrealistic that they fade rather quickly in the face of everything sitting in piles on our desks. Sure, maybe the initial idea really is too much work and wouldn't make much sense with the other things you're doing. But that idea may lead to another that's going to make your life much easier and your instruction more effective. Then again, maybe after more reflection, the idea would work if you adjust your expectations a bit. Yeah, that will work just fine! Why didn't I think of that sooner!? That idea may be the
"greatest lost track of all time"; you just needed to sit down and work out the details.
It's Not For...
Complaining about specific people, airing recurring gripes, attacking students, none of those things help us do what we need to do. It's great to have someone who can listen to your complaints and those things that occur to you in the
heat of the moment. We all need to vent our frustration or anger sometimes. This isn't the place for that. That's something you should probably be doing face-to-face. Maybe even with a therapist. Or perhaps a punching bag. Definitely not in a china shop.
Is That All?
What else can we use this place for? What else should we discourage and frown very sternly upon? Those stern frowns are killers.
I'm glad to be aboard. Thanks Todd for setting this up and thanks Todd and Laurie for talking a bit this morning about how what purposes might be served by this blog, and what pitfalls we should be careful to avoid!
