Thriving In The Classroom - Thrive in Life


	Log in \|

Thriving In The Classroom
By Bev Schellenberg

A revolution is underway in our classrooms. No one’s walking around with pithy statements on picket signs; no one’s blasting headlines across newspapers. But the reality is our school system is undergoing a monumental transition, and you may not even know it.

How come I know? As a teacher in both the elementary and high school public system for the past 15 years, as a university student currently enrolled in post-graduate education courses, and as a parent with children currently in grades five and eight, I’ve seen the signs from both sides of the educational fence, and they are encouraging.

Here’s the bottom line: marks are not what’s important in the classroom anymore. Learning is.

Remember the scene in the movie A Christmas Story, in which nine-year old Ralphie writes about the Red Ryder BB rifle that he wants, and his teacher hands back his assignment with a big red C+ on the top? Or all those times in grade school when you either worked hard for the A, or alternatively, sat in the back and realized a C was the best you were going to do? Those days are likely coming to a close.

It started years ago, at least in British Columbia. A new letter grade joined the ranks of A through F: I, for “Incomplete.” From that point on, teachers could not assign a D or F unless they had first assigned an I and given the student a chance to fix things.

More letters followed. Now, when a student receives the first of three required reports in a semester, the only grade required by the BC Ministry of Education isn’t really a grade at all: It’s either G (for “Good”), S (for “Satisfactory”) or N (for “Not Satisfactory”). In the first reporting period, how he or she works is more important than a mark.

That means that, as a high school teacher, I’m now able to assign struggling students an I, where before they would have received an F. Granted, it also means I have to give them time to complete missed assignments. On occasion, I’ve even sat with grade 12 English students as they completed missing work after the semester had technically come to a close. But it was worth it: most passed, thereby dodging the repeat-the-class and summer-school bullets. And, speaking as their teacher, they were competent students who deserved to pass; they just needed a little more time.

What does this mean for learning? Imagine if you went to a yoga class, and, each time you attempted a pose, the instructor handed you a piece of paper with a big D on it. Would you keep trying to do your best? According to research, those motivated by “success orientation” would try harder; everyone else, motivated by “failure avoidance,” would resign themselves to that D, or work hard enough to achieve the bare minimum – if, that is, they kept attending at all. The focus for most of the wanna-be-Gumbies in the class would become the grade itself rather than learning the poses.

In the new model, teachers are now more like coaches, providing ongoing assessment. It’s only at the end, when you leave the yoga class, that they give you a final mark measuring what you were able to learn.

I’ve witnessed the old system, personally as an A student in school who immediately dumped much of what I’d learned diligently each year so I could achieve more A’s the following year. Then, as a teacher, I saw a pattern in my own classes, particularly in grades 10-12. Regardless of whether they were a C- or an A, students would want to know what they had to do to achieve a higher grade, but very few were interested in focusing on actually learning the skills. I wanted to be their teacher, though, not their judge. Maybe that was because I’d had a good model; when I was a kid, my piano teacher, Miss Hick, had enabled me to master each musical skill in my own time. Luckily for me she never gave grades, or I would likely have gotten all A’s without ever learning to play the piano with any degree of skill.

Granted, it’s still early in the semester, but thanks to this new method of assessment, I have an English 11 class filled with 23 boys and seven girls who, after a month of learning, are still engaged and wanting more. They don’t ask what mark they have, as students did last year. Instead, they’re focused on strengthening their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. They’re learning how to assess their own work, and what to do to become stronger in each area. Students who would once have sat passively in the back during class discussion realize they need to speak out to show improvement in their speaking. And they do. In one debate, a student who’d been silent in initial class conversations became a lead expert and strong contributor: after evaluating his initial silences, he chose to contribute. A mark for his initial silence would likely have shut him down for the entire term, as it did for many students in the old system. Instead, he’s decided to speak up.

In Making Classroom Assessment Work, author and educator Anne Davies explains the motives behind the change this way: “Three students are taking a course in how to pack a parachute. Student Number One initially scored very high, but his scores have dropped as the end of the course approaches. Student Number Two’s evaluations are erratic. Sometimes he does very well and sometimes he doesn’t. The teacher has a hard time predicting from day to day how he will do. Student Number Three did very poorly for the first two thirds of the course, but has lately figured out how to successfully and consistently pack a parachute. Which of these students would you want to pack your parachute? Number One? Number Two? Number Three?

“Most people would choose Number Three. The problem is that Number Three did not pass the course. When his marks were tallied and averaged, they weren’t high enough. Number One and Number Two did pass.”

With the new system of marking, the plan is that the students who do well will be those who master the material. If it takes them a while to understand, they’ll be given the chance to learn without fear of bad marks slowing them along that path to success. While it’s taken a while for the research to reach the classroom, the results are cheering: marks are on their way out the educational door, and learning is marching in.

Comments

Leave a Reply


	Mike My wife is an alcoholic she drinks liquor from the time she gets up until the the liquor store closes.im at the crossroa... April I have been married to my alcoholic husband for 11 years but we have been together for the last 19 years. We met at a ve... Tina I have been married for 22 years. Both my husband and I were casual drinkers. As the years went by we began drinking m... Amy Weisenburger What a beautiful message!! My fur-babies, soulmates gave my life tremendous purpose and meaning. Their paw print... Frank Sterle Jr. Whenever I observe stress in the facial expression of my mother, a typical senior, I also observe how that stress drains... Kim This was an excellent blog. I have been with my alcoholic husband for 15 years. I felt like I was losing my mind with th... Alice Helping someone with this issue is hard. And even more if you love him. I know that very well. We struggled with it for ... Union Alarm The best way is to leave such a person as it is not worth making your life miserable with such a person. I know this as ... Nancy Flora I think what you mean is a non-drinking member of an alcoholic family. Alcoholism is a family disease. Just as your husb... Amanda The family is waking up Sunday AM and my alcoholic husband again makes another nasty comment to me. The things he has sa... Angel I learned how to detach from my drunk husband! Than my mother passed away. All gloves were off after that. My son gradua... Lorraine Married thirty seven and a half years to an alcoholic. But he is a good person. And he does good deeds for everyone neig... jw I have been with my husband twenty one years. We have three children together, ages 5,7, and 9. He is a functioning alco... Richard Berman A emotional story well written with bright eye ups and sad eye downs. A story I could relate to. My grandparents would... Gina Love this. Just what I needed to read. Thank you for your courage to share this.... Tired I am struggling with detaching, but still trying. I have been with my other half off and on for 5 years. The offs were... Debra Grossman Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. It nourishes my soul to learn of such special friendships. We humans must ... Jack russell Really enjoyed reading the website. I have also have a website about this great dog.... Thank God for your blog. After 37 years of being married to an alcoholic,I've finally reached my breaking point. Emotion... Thanx 4 da truth... Sandra I am from USA, i am 36 years old, i want to gladly give My testimony of how a spell caster dr.mac@yahoo. com brought bac... g Thank you for your words. As I navigate through marriage with children (11, 5, 3) and I am a stay at home mom, the idea ... Catherine Ellen Pettway My husband and I married in 1988. He occasionally drank beer but not everyday. He came from a long history of alcoholics... Nic Thank you Mike for your honesty and vulnerability. It helps to feel a connection with someone who understands the enduri... Robert Goldsmith Thank you for sharing that very intimate experience and your story. I'm married to an alcoholic and am having severe pro... MANDI Is this group still going? I love my husband and I knew what I was getting into when I married him. I knew he like to dr... Kelly Dear Keith, I hope you are at peace now. You are missed by many.... Delilah Campos Dear LaVora, Thank you so much for sharing this intimate experience. I am deeply touched and encouraged by your experie... Mary Ellen Bennett Thank you so much. I am married to an alcoholic and I have watched him go through rehabilitation and relapse many times.... Tracy Thank you for sharing your story with me Ivor. I'm so glad you had a loving supportive Aunt to guide you out from beneat... Daniel Fontana I know those kids,especially Snezana.Please send me their contact information.... Neyhaaa I can't thank you enough for sharing this. Yet, thank you.... Amy My daughter is five and her dad is an alcoholic. I know we need to leave. We both own our house and I can't afford a law... CPC I think this is among the such a lot important info for me. And i'm happy studying your article. However want to statem... online festival Every year, people in India find different ways to celebrate the same festival, and perhaps this adds new dimension to... Karol Listening to all the mother's on here is overwhelming for me. I think about what all of you are going through and I can ... Vicki Osheka This is my second marriage and I came from a non drinking family. Didn't realize what I was getting into when I married... Elle Wel written article. My husband is walking around totally beligerant. Where he ends up making messes, he has snowballed ... Maren Thank you for this! 3rd day on Cipralex and a glimmer of hope.... I 'gave in' recently. I am more hopeful than ever that things will improve for me after reading this article. It is insp... LindaJane Riley I apologize to everyone who has commented. I didn't know this story was still active. I would like to invite all of ... Rahulbh28 Dear Members, Please help me. . . I'm sharing my painful moments which my brother and my family members are undergoing ... rene Yes i too lived the nightmare for 45 yrs..when in my marriage the last. 10 yrs my alcoholic lived in the same house and ... Grace I typed in Google search, overcoming childhood loneliness because I am paying attention to some habits that I have been ... Casadina I am so thankful that I found this website. I am like others on here and my alcoholic is passed out snoring again. This ... Grateful I cannot express how much I appreciate your story. I have been with my alcoholic for 11 years and I do not even know my... Vic I stumbled upon this beautifully written article because I just "gave in" today. I just picked up my perscription of cir... Carol I have recently begun to admit that my husband is an alcoholic. My heart is broken... I am pissed... I have so many emot... TJ Thank you for this article. You are the first person who seems to understand why I am still married to an alcoholic. I... sariah I wept as I read your story. I am currently learning to detach as well after 20 years of marriage to an alcoholic. Leavi... LaVora Good luck, N. My experience may not be yours. However, I deeply believe that happiness is our birthright. You deserve th... nk Lavora, I am exactly here in my marriage - trying to turn it around. Rgds, N... Suzanne Hi Martin and Cathy. Watched your documentary. You are a wonderful family. Everyone has their struggles, no one is exemp... admin Thank you for letting us know. The link is now set to the their new WEB page. We have our dog from them.... Linda Jane Riley About a year ago I was forced to take a step back from all things related to alcoholism. My husband, Riley, was not drin... SHerry Your link to the rescue adoption site is for sale with no other info on the dogs.... Karen Rago I think that Jesse is the most adorable jack Russell terrier dog I love watching his videos to... Marleen Thank you for sharing your story! That's real inspirating!... Julie Its 4:50am here. I can hear him snoring in the nursery. I brought the baby to bed with me.. He only snores when he drink... ld I thought I was suffering alone. The advice and comments make me feel better and gives me the strength to go on. Keep th... Sam Hi Mike, Very poignant, "There are no grown-ups. We are all children in adult garments" is right on the mark. Sufferi... TJ Thank You!!! Like "judy" commented above my mind was racing and I felt out of control... My life seemed to be falling a... Karunakaran It's very nice.... judy Thanks for ur writings... it really help my mind to calm down.... where can i go to talk with alot of nonalcoholics??? N... Tanya Sousa We certainly do have to change the way we respond, don't we Paul? I'm encouraged though. I do see it happening -- althou... Paul Trainer Thank you, Tanya, this is all so true. As someone who adores starlings too, I know that it is only when you take the tim... Cathy In reading I see how difficult it is to be married to an alcoholic husband for 30 years and have now discovered that if ... carrir You took the words right out of my mouth. Xoxo... ceri What an amazing story of love between step son and step father... Caney Texas Hello! I've been reading your site for some time now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out fr... julie what a wonderful article, she described me to a tee , it was nice to put words to the feelings , I am new to cipralex bu... michele I am hurting so badly right now, it is taking all the strength and coping ability I have just to get through the day! O... denise morini PLEASE understand that I do not feel redeemed......still...........getting Lexi DID NOT make up for what I did to Jack, ... Carleen Quesenberry Denise- It is perplexing that you would write a "feel good" story after you abandoned a dog due to your failure to trai... Jon While I love the article, I caution those reading the post by "finally AM, me." I was in a relationship for 12 years to... Wendy Noer I felt like I was there, good story Melodee, keep writing. Let me know when you finish another one.... thank you... Sandi This is great, Mel! Congratulations! I hope to see more of your writings - especially the novel you're working on...... Katie My name is Katie. I'm 40. I have only visited your website, haven't purchased your book yet. I've been diagnosed bi-... Kaylee Your story helped convince me to start retaking my cipralex! Thank you!... gautam khanal Love actually does not have any boundary of Cast,Religion,Profile,Species,Class etc........ Nayanna Chakrbarty Dear Kalpana, Thank you for your kind wishes. I do agree with you, when you think you are all alone that's when He ma... Kalpana Dear Nayanna, It' such a pleasure reading your experiences with Ganapthi (as I call him). He is so close to my heart ... Haley Made my day we have no reason to complain bout anything... Melissa Sorry typo , thank you again ...... Melissa Thank you , LindaJane; I will consider joining. Thank you against for your response .. Be well Melissa... Linda J Riley UPDATE -- Since I wrote this story, I have created several support groups: Two on Facebook and one on an independent sit... Melissa For 20 years that had been my life! This last time was so bad , he attacked me then choked his 19 year old twin daughter... Steve Sumii Joe, What a beautiful story. I visualized the whole story. The ending where you walk with your dad was especially moving... JW The story now the subject of a documentary aired on Knowledge Network. Video can be seen online at: http://knowled... http://tinyurl.com/kovalane39421 I really would like to book mark this blog, “Turning Trash Into Beauty – Kat Nicotera’s Unique Art Therapy \| Thri... joybells wow. i am going through the same journey! thanks for helping me & assisting me with that journey!... Noelle Sterne Fangfang-- You have been blessed with a husband and parents who understand that nothing is wasted. And you have learn... Fangfang Wow ... what a strong and passionate article!! Really?? Nothing is wasted?? I am feeling like I have wasted my life for... Pushpa Rawat sooo lovely and feel of very true friendship forever... Tanya Sousa Hi Diane! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I was so blessed to have her in my life AND to have the parents I had. Also, gr... Joyce Billie, I found your story very interesting and well-written. Some people would have been judgemental about the conditio... Diane Shiri, your article is very interesting and brought tears to my eyes. I have been a dog parent/companion to many wonder... Diane Schachter Tanya, I so enjoyed reading the story of your dog sister. I love how you describe your adventures and relationship with... Acamea Thank you James. :-)...

Related links:

Comments