Eyewitness to Greatness & Unintended Consequences

Much of my last writing was spent reflecting on the first month-plus in a new position, and some of the highlights I'd experienced thus far as a Peer Coach in my district. While that touched on some general themes, this is more of an appreciation post about some of the incredible, specific, great things I've been lucky enough to witness first-hand in various classrooms. Additionally, I also want to share some thoughts around what I consider 'unintended consequences' of decisions made by educators with very good intentions.

For the past week, I've been able to spend a lot of time in the high school, meeting with teachers and observing classes. I feel very fortunate to work with many staff members who are teachers of various Fine Arts classes. For someone who was a classroom teacher (5th and 6th grade) for 22 years, finally getting the chance to get behind the curtain of classes like art, choir, band, and orchestra is really exciting. A fact people NOT in education might not realize is this -- rarely do we get to observe and interact with each other as teachers, and this is especially true when it comes to teachers in different disciplines. We simply don't have the time, nor the alignment in schedules, to make this possible. Because of this, I have really enjoyed the chance to experience really, really good teaching AND awesome work done by talented students.

For some quick examples, here are some things I've been able to see and experience just within the last week: 9th-grade tenor and bass choir rehearsing for an upcoming show, going through each number, show night logistics, and various technical breakdowns around movement, pitch, volume, etc. I have also seen 9-12 grade students work in groups to critique and analyze charcoal drawings, applying what they've learned about professional art critique to their own work, using academic vocabulary and purposeful conversation techniques. I have seen 10-12 grade students work on creating their own clay jars and handles, properly using the wheel and accurately measuring and 'throwing' their clay in a level 2 ceramics class. I have watched 9th and 10th-grade bands work on technical parts of playing their instruments, marking their sheet music, and playing solo, in groups, and as an entire ensemble as they rehearse songs for a upcoming show. In all of these instances, highly effective professional teachers worked dynamically and flexibly with their students to help them not only access the curriculum but to also get the very most out their experience and grow as individuals. All of these classes were a diverse mix of students, representing the student body of the school in general -- various races, cultures, gender, and skill level. Through it all, students were given multiple pathways to learn (when possible & appropriate) and/or multiple ways to show their learning and proficiency. Needless to say, it's been a very rewarding, inspiring, and at times humbling week-plus!

Another topic running through my brain lately has been this: do we as educators sometimes make decisions and establish systems - from a place of good intentions - that end up leading to unintended consequences? Here's what made me think of that...

The high school is an open campus (very common) and of course students may have a prep period at any time during the day. Combine that with an attendance/tardy policy that is much more flexible now than ever before, and what seems to happen is what I witness quite a bit as a walk through the halls between meetings or work in the media commons (like I am now as I type this): students walking around all the time. During class. Sometimes alone, sometimes in groups. Or, maybe some are hanging out in the commons but not really doing anything...not necessarily doing anything wrong, but just kinda hanging. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it definitely hasn't affected me in any way. It's just that I can't help but think: if you have a class right now, aren't you missing something? Wouldn't it be good to be there? Many teachers have shared that the policy around tardiness -- essentially, don't mark them/report them -- has meant students are always showing up late or whenever it seems to work for them, and it's always a revolving door of people coming in and out. This can be very difficult for teachers to always feel like they have to catch students up, and the educators I've talked to said they've had to change from always stopping and restarting because last year they weren't getting through enough curriculum.

I understand where some of this comes from - we want students to experience flexibility and be able to make their own decisions for their own learning. High school can be a great learning ground for students to see what works for them and what doesn't, especially before they head off to college or into the 'real world.' I just wonder if students spend multiple years practicing showing up late (or whenever it works for them), it will set them up for failure once they're not in high school. I can't quite figure out why some students feel or think they don't need to go to class...unless they get the impression that it must not be too important, based on how things are run. Again, I can wrap my head around some of the thinking, and I probably sound like an old guy yelling at the clouds...but I can't help but sometimes think a few years ahead and wonder if there will be young people struggling to adjust to the demands of life if they've been able to avoid things they don't like for years leading up to that point.