Words by My Students

     I've been reading a lot of words written by my students lately. No, much to my kids' relief, I did not include essay responses on their Algebra II final exams the way I do on their unit summative assessments. Instead, each year on the last day of class, I ask my kids to give me feedback. My first year, I made slips of paper that said, "Something Ms. Arnold did that helped me learn," on one side, and, "Something Ms. Arnold could do differently to help me learn more," on the other. That first year, I stood in awe of the responses I received; very few mentioned specific learning activities, but many mentioned thoughts and attitudes that I encouraged in my classroom. After taking a Quality Tools class the following summer, I started making the feedback slips into Plus/Deltas -- "plus" for the positives, things that went well, and "delta" for the changes that could be made. I always tell my kids that the feedback can be anonymous, unless they want me to know the comments came from them. I give these slips to my students periodically throughout the year, sometimes asking for feedback on a specific unit or activity and sometimes opening the floodgates and asking for any comments they'd like to share.

     My first general request like this is usually the last day of first semester, and the feedback this past December was mixed. Some students liked the way I ran the class; some students gave excellent ideas for ways I could change my approach second semester; others took advantage of their anonymity and gave me  negatives instead of deltas -- things they didn't like but for which they had no solutions. Now, in my mere five years of teaching, I recently realized that the mid-year feedback is always the harshest; I've often said that the majority of my students aren't "my kids" until a few weeks into second semester. I'm not sure why, but the feedback this year certainly supported that theory. Knowing this doesn't change much for me, though...even though the pluses and deltas outweigh the negatives by a landslide, even though I know I'll win over some of these students in a matter of weeks, even though I know that some of their complaints attack what I know are effective teaching practices and are merely uncomfortable because they are unknown, even though I know some are simply bristling at the disjoint between their personal expectations and the high ones I set for all my students, even though I know I'm not supposed to be their friend...I still struggle with the knowledge of those negative thoughts.

     But, life and lesson plans go on, and I made changes second semester that my kids suggested, continued practices that they appreciated, and, I admit, dug in my heels and continued some practices I know are worth it even though some students spoke out about them.

     And then May arrived, and it's not quite like the arrival of spring in Bambi. Yes, there is love in the air with prom around the corner, and yes, there are flowers in corsages, but that's the end of the analogy. There's also stress of ACT and other standardized tests as well as the most intense apathy of the year constantly colliding with the knowledge that final projects and exams require more than a little effort. Sometimes I can't tell who is more affected by these two stressors, teachers or students. And smack in the middle of it all, I found in my school mailbox two essays written by two of my students. About me.

     Two of my students had taken time out of their busy lives to nominate me for a "Those Who Care" certificate, which required that they write 50-100 words about how I make a difference. Needless to say, reading both makes me tear up every time I read them. And yes, I've read them several times. I was floored by the details they included, the things I do daily that apparently have far more impact than I realized.

     A few days later, I handed out my end-of-the-year plus/deltas, and I again faced an awesome surprise. The plus/delta/negative ratio changed drastically from December. Many students told me that the environment we create, the activities we complete, and the discussions we have about learning and success made it a class they will miss. A few kids even told me I made the class fun. Yeah, me, I make Algebra II fun. Booya.

     Some of the most inspirational comments, in both the essays and the plus/deltas, talked about the discussions we hold at the end of each chapter, discussions about the data that our assessments give us about the learning that occurred, about the practices that fostered learning, and about how we will change to improve as we move on. These discussions are a new component to my routine, and I was ecstatic to hear that students found them not only worthwhile but also motivating.

     So, as I end my fifth year of teaching, I'm looking back on all of the student quips that I've recorded, all the notes and unique plus/deltas I've received, and now the two short essays my students wrote, and I am glad. I am glad to know that I am doing exactly what I should be doing. I am indeed making a difference in students' lives, in my kids' lives. This will certainly be material I read again and again.

     I hesitated to write this post, even though it's been on my mind for several days. I was afraid it would seem that I'm simply "tooting my own horn," bragging about my sense of success. Although I like to share my happiness with those around me, that is not the drive behind this post. I want those who happen to read this to know that despite all that we hear in the media about our current educational system, classrooms with caring environments that foster learning -- both of standards and of life lessons -- do exist. Moreover, not all teenagers hate school and spend all of their time texting and facebooking, ignoring their responsibilities to do their part to better themselves and society. If you need proof, just talk to my kids.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. ~ the Prayer of St. Teresa