Discipline

By Mark Heintz

Earlier in my teaching career, I had a rough class. It felt like every kid had something serious in their life.  Some were abused, battling drugs, coping with depression, or been in multiple fights.  The deans knew almost everyone in my class by name, and they were only freshmen. It seemed the smallest thing would cause the whole class to explode one minute and calm down the next.  The smallest thing ignited the entire class only to change the very next day.  One time, I put two girls in a group for a short something or other.  They blew up. The two couldn’t stand the thought of being next to each other for five minutes.  One ran out of the class when she saw her name next to the other girls.  She didn’t even talk to me, just ran out of the room. A few minutes later the dean told me the two had a recent incident and shouldn’t be together.  The very next day, the two girls were SHARING a sucker.  The class drove me crazy.  I hate to say it, but I dreaded going. Eventually, I hid behind school policy. I sent some kids to the dean as I tried to maintain control for the other kids.  At least, I told myself I was doing it for them.  I managed to get through my curriculum, but in the process, I stopped focusing on the kids as learners and stopped caring about ALL of them. I made concessions with myself as I hid behind the policy.  I’m still haunted by it years later.

Most of those kids in that class were troublesome to all of their teachers. I checked in on each of them throughout their four years. Unfortunately, two of those kids didn’t make it through high school; both were students of color.  Sadly, my experience is not uncommon.  For decades, minority students in Illinois and across the country have been disproportionally disciplined with suspensions and expulsions.  In an attempt to curb those results, SB 100 passed a few years ago which legally changed what disciplinary actions a school could use.  Additionally, the Department of Education under Betsy Devos and the  Trump Administration did their own assessment on discipline late in 2018 and might mandate what schools will have to do in regards to student behavior.  Despite state or national rulings, there doesn’t seem to be a clear understanding of what discipline in schools means or what it means in the context of learning.

I wrote earlier in the year--and I still agree--that policies don’t instill character traits.  Old me believed that, but now I don't.  Just because we have a certain policy, students won’t miraculously become responsible, dedicated, hard-working, etc.  Maybe, at best, they become compliant.  More often, the more rigid the rule or system is, the more likely that students will be removed from classes.  Since I firmly believe that public schools are here for ALL kids, I generally agree with any policy that helps keep students in the classroom and creates conditions that make students feel welcomed. Not all classes are as tough as the one I had.  Which almost makes it worse.  If it’s only one or two kids in each class, then those kids can more easily be sent out in the name of the other ninety percent.  The biggest consequence for any student not being in class is not being in class.  It certainly was for my class.  They didn’t learn the course material and struggled for most of their high school career.  Given the current context of more minority students being removed than their white counterparts points to a flaw in how we enact policies.  When schools are here to allow students to learn, all students learn.

I keep kids in the classroom now. I haven’t sent a kid down to the dean for behavior since that class years ago. I know it may make me look soft.  But, since backing down on discipline, my scores have risen, attendance is better, I get to know my students, and I focus on learning.  When I was tough on discipline, I assigned the consequences to match the "appropriate" behavior.  Even though I knew it was wrong, I convinced myself it worked.  It was what I was supposed to do.  But, when I did, the students were removed, and their learning stopped.  Kicking the kids out was the easy part.  Focusing on each of them as an individual, learning their story, gaining their respect, learning together- that would have been hard. But, maybe that would have made the difference for them and kept them in school.

If we truly want ALL students to learn then every minute we have with our kids is precious.  Every minute they have with us should be precious to them. Let’s not remove them from the classroom in the name of discipline, when we are here for learning.  I wish I could go back and teach that class again.

School Chat S1E6: Patrick McGing "Students as learners and leaders"

By Mark Heintz

Patrick McGing is a Career and Technical Education teacher at Elk Grove High School that learns with his students.   His students remodel an entire house that the district purchased from start to finish.  He constantly focuses on learning and pushing students for them to find their passion.

How does your school define learning?

By Mark Heintz

While a school uses the word learning on a daily basis, does everyone in the community have the same meanings and beliefs about the world?  To get everyone to have that same understanding, I gathered a group of teachers last May to define learning at Elk Grove High School. I wanted to have a common definition of learning across the school. This post is a check-in to see what progress has been made.

Process

Just a reminder to everyone reading that this group of teachers from all over the building with different levels of experience who have all come together with a common purpose (some arm pulling was required).  Along the way, each of us reflected alongside each other and our students.  We don’t claim to have any answers, just the desire to share what we are doing and come together to do it.  That experience is a major success.

Throughout the first semester, I visited each teacher’s classroom in the group two times and discussed the visit afterward. Everyone wrote a reflection of the lesson and personally defined learning. After the first quarter, I added a person to add a larger perspective (art - I’m sorry I didn’t include you in the first place).  As the semester ended and everyone defined learning, I compiled everyone’s definition and gathered the group again.  When we met, we read through everyone’s definitions, found commonalities and trends, and then started to define learning as a group.

Difficulties

I thought coming up with a common definition would be easier.  I think everyone in the group thought it would be easier.  Most of us struggled to define learning when it was just ourselves let alone when all of the definitions were next to each other.  The words mattered more when the same word was used in different contexts.  As the group met in December, we spent an entire hour choosing our words and coming up with the definition.  While tedious, we did come up with a working definition!

Results

We ended up with a three-parts to the definition, because just having the definition wasn’t enough.  The group decided we needed statements to reflect what the learning process is and what the product of learning is.  Without further ado...

Learning is the integration of values, or importance to the individual, and beliefs with new and relevant information, skills, and/or abilities for long-term application in life outside of the immediate task.   

The process of learning is an evolving journey that includes engaging tasks and processes, emphasizes voice and shapes meaning and authenticity. 

The product of all of this is an ever-evolving worldview, the development of skills and awareness to continually evaluate and reflect upon themselves and the world around them.  

Next Steps

Next semester, each person in the group is committed to living the definition.  It’s one thing to come up with a statement, it’s completely another to have the classroom experience live up to the definition.  I will be going back into their classrooms and following up with a conversation.  As I go into their classrooms they are committed to having the lesson reflect their beliefs on learning. Cross your fingers and I will hopefully be sharing further progress of our journey.

School Chat S1E5: Anthony Furman "Change the mindset"

By Mark Heintz

In the fifth episode of School Chat, I sat down with veteran physical education teacher, Anthony Furman.  He is ever-evolving and has made some incredible changes to the physical education program at Elk Grove High School this year.  His reflection will inspire you to change your mindset about traditional practices to focus on the student and learning.  As a bonus, Kerry Frazier from Grove Jr. High joined the recording of this episode.

Book Chat: Fostering Resilient Learners (Part V: Live, Laugh, Love)

This is part of a series of our school book chat on the book Fostering Resilient Learners.  Search for similar titled blogs to read about our previous chats.  

To start today's book chat, we used the I Notice, I Wonder protocol in looking at the following graphic and answered these two questions:

• On the left half, jot down anything you notice about the following slide.
• On the right half to jot down anything you wonder about the following slide.

“People have got to learn: if they don’t have cookies in the cookie jar, they can’t eat cookies.” - Suze Orman

Reflecting on this quote, teachers wrote:

• On the left half, describe the most meaningful, lasting “cookie” you’ve ever received.
• On the right half, describe a cookie you gave to a student that had a powerful effect on the student’s life

Fostering Resilient Learners, Kristen Souers with Pete Hall

Thanks to all who joined in one, many, or all book chats!

Book Chat: Fostering Resilient Learners (Part IV: Belief)

(From last week) This is part of a series of our school book chat on the book Fostering Resilient Learners.  Search for similar titled blogs to read about our previous chats.  

Self-Reflection: Think of a specific student that you know who has experienced a significant amount of trauma.

• How do you typically feel towards this student?
• What are this student’s strengths?  What are her/his weaknesses?
• When this student struggles, what do you think this student needs?
• How does this student respond to praise?  What types work?

Next, we each wrote down how we manage when we are not OK.  Who do we talk to?  How do we cope?  What rituals or routines do we rely on?

Then we shifted this discussion to our students.  Do we have safe places or routines in our classroom for when students are not OK?  

Finally, our goal was to get to the "Your Professional Fears" survey in the book's resources, however, we ran out of time.  Such a great conversations with colleagues!

Fostering Resilient Learners, Kristen Souers with Pete Hall

A Year in Learning at Elk Grove: Intro to Health Careers - How do you define learning?

by Krista Glosson and Alyssa Trausch

This is part of a blog series intended to document and define learning at Elk Grove High School throughout the 2018-2019 school year in order to increase student learning, give professionals autonomy, increase trust in our learning community, and foster a sense of personal-intellectual collegiality within the building across departments. You can read all of the previous posts here.  I am going into each teacher's class four times and then they are reflecting alongside their students on the learning that took place and what they hope for.

Learning is:

• risk-taking.

• trying.

• application.

Learning occurs best when:

• it's repetitive. 

• people are involved in the process. 

• people collaborate.

How do you define learning?

Krista Glosson (Teacher): I define learning as the willingness to try new things and take risks in the classroom.  When students try (anything at all in the classroom) they will find an end result.  The end result could be positive or negative for them, but even a negative experience could end up contributing to success later on if they continue to try.  For example, in the microscope lesson, all of the students tried to use the microscope.  Some students enjoyed the process more than others and had varying levels of success.  All of the students left the lesson with new information and some left with a new career to think about pursuing.

I always tell students that I expect to see attempts and failures when we start an inquiry lab in class.  Time is built in for students to have at least one failure in their investigation so that they can re-evaluate their approach and try again.  Assignments that require them to try to explain big phenomenon are assignments that I assume I will provide feedback on and they will try again to get it right.

Ultimately, as teachers we are still learning by trying new things sometimes they are successful and we learn to keep going in that direction or we fail and try again.  If we can provide an atmosphere where failure is safe (to an extent) we can help them build a tolerance for momentary failure while keeping the end goal of success in focus.  If we can teach them to learn this way, then I think we have had a significant impact on their success as an adult after they leave us.

Alyssa Trausch (Student):  I would define learning as getting information that is remembered and applied throughout your life. I may be a skill, an emotion or even just a fact, but it’s something that you will use again.

How do you believe people learn best?

Krista Glosson (Teacher):  Since I believe that trying is a big part of learning I like to make sure that the students are involved as often as possible.  They should be creating and contributing to the class material and discussions as often as possible.  I like to have them developing material for their classmates, completing activities in the lab, designing, running, and explaining their own experiments as well as having multiple small group discussions.

Alyssa Trausch (Student): An example would be a skill like writing which you learn at a young age. Writing is something that was consistently done over and over and over until we learned how to do it. It wasn’t one of those things where we “learned” it for 3 days took a quiz and then maybe a final later and then never use it again. That’s what I think learning is.