News and Goods

Well, the powers that be have announced that they will not be offering the 9th graders an opportunity to take the 10th grade WASL this year; if they pass any of the three they are not required to take them in high school. I assume that since our new Superintendent has proclaimed the WASL dead it makes sense not to prolong the issue. It has been said that the state will save $500,000.00 with this decision.

How much will changing the WASL cost? For I just don't believe that we are starting from scratch, nor do I believe that the new test will be that vastly different from the one our children are taking in April. Shorter, yes. On computers, for some. It will still test math, reading, writing and some science skills. It will still be multiple choice with short essay. It will still interrupt lives and displease some portion of educators, parents and administrators.

This week one of the readings was centered upon community building. Building a Safe Community for Learning written by Mara Sapon-Shevin. She begins by describing the feel of different classrooms; one full of tension and one with an easy joyfulness. I have seen this myself, and wondered about the ramifications for the students. Delivering stacks of PTSA phone books to all of the classrooms in succession I walked into every class in my children's elementary school within 45 minutes. Each classroom was brightly decorated, the kindergarten rooms so full of art that I took for granted just a couple months ago, and now think sadly of the schools that we read of in Chicago (granted, the article was over 10 years old) that had no art, no art supplies, no love.

But I digress. It was contrasting different classrooms that held my thoughts that day. One third grade classroom was taught by an educator that had been at this school for over 15 years. There were stacks of papers, books, notebooks, art projects, and really everything else a classroom could hold, and these stacks were literally everywhere. I could hardly find the teacher and when presented with the large tower of phone books her eyes scanned for somewhere that I could put them down and there was not an inch to spare.

This room seemed gloomy to me, and had the overall feel of being pressed down. Kids looked up when I walked in, but no one seemed particularly interested in either me or what they had in front of them; which was a worksheet. The educator sat at her desk behind a wall of their finished work, trying to find a place to use her mouse. I couldn't wait to get out of that room.

In another fourth grade room the desks were clean and completely clear. Not even nametags. The teacher's desk was clear and the area around her computer held not even a sheet of paper. It felt like that room had more oxygen. I told her that her room felt so easy to breathe in, and she replied that many people had commented on that and she thought maybe this room had more windows that others, other than that she could not find a difference.

Building a safer community for learning may begin with being approachable, and organized. My style at home is much closer to the piles of papers everywhere and that concerns me; if I can't keep my children's home approachable and organized what will I do with yet another place to be in charge of? Organization comes to the forefront of many if not most lists of attributes that I hear when describing a "good teacher."

I think there was more to that classroom than a mysterious extra window, or the frighteningly clean desks. The kids there knew the rules and were given time and opportunity to follow them. This wasn't the end of school but the middle of the day; things were on track and emotions in that room felt tranquil and calm.

The concept of a "check-in" was discussed in the article; whether that was during role or at another time of the day with News and Goods. In scouts we have been trained to use check-ins of every sort; from a favorite flavor of cool-aid or jell-o to what kind of weather is inside your head today. As my girls get older this can open discussions that are only covered by permission slip! We use this at leader meetings too; community building is a need at every level; we run meetings with women who have been in scouts for 10 days and have 15 kindergartners and are sitting next to a woman who has been in for 16 years and has 4 seniors in high school. These women need an opportunity to see what they have in common, they already know some of their major differences!

I like the news and goods idea; a chance to share without bragging what has gone right in your life. I see within me the very thing discussed in the conclusion "Such discussions may be hard and even painful, bu the willingness to open up issues of exclusion, fairness, difference, prejudice , and discrimination, as well as the challenges of learning to work together can enrich the community as a whole and deepen teacher and student understanding of the many forces that keep people separate and isolated." To me, it is scary to lead a discussion in exclusion, I don't trust that my skills will lead us to a positive outcome and am quite afraid that things could get worse. In the older elementary grades where I want to spend my days these are vital to the success of the community. Difficult conversations require more than respect and patience, trust in your classroom and most importantly in yourself as a community builder and educator play the most important roles in creating a safe classroom.