This is a fairly big week for important speeches and addresses. In this same vein, I thought I would use this week’s blog entry as a type of “State of the Union Address” for 7-1 stakeholders. This address would be a barometer indicating where we are, from where we have come, and where we need to be in order to reach our goal. (One can imagine the audience members’ applause/ derision or not.)
We assemble here today at the half way point of our journey. From this point on, each step we take brings us closer to the end than the starting point. We are realizing that time is no longer on our sides. Some say that the best time for reflection is at the end of a journey, but I am of the mindset that reflection is best served at every possible moment before the conclusion of any endeavor because more can be remembered, greater amounts of precious details in their exactitudes can be recalled, and more meaning can be gained. I feel we are at such a point right now, at this time, in this moment. With second trimester midterm progress reports sent home on Friday, we are officially past the half way point and could be a good moment to ruminate, reflect, and in some case, recalibrate our efforts in the hopes of achieving the academic “good, true, and beautiful.”
I think that one truth that has emerged from the first half of our journey is that we have seen scholarship emerging, maturation being evident. For the most part, students’ fears and insecurities that have opened the year have become replaced with a sense of confidence and belief that while challenge is present, the desire to find success must be the tool used to meet such arduous and probing work. I believe that most of our students have become accustomed to the idea that difficulty will accompany them each step on this journey. There will be very little that can be discarded as “not important” and even less that will be seen as “easy.” Whereas at the start of the year this was frowned upon and even seeing tears shed because of it, students are now developing a sense of mental toughness or, what the scholar A.C. Bradley would call, “intestinal fortitude,” about what needs to be done in order to find success and the demands being placed upon their broad shoulders. For the most part, I believe we are seeing students rise to the challenge of scholarship asked of them at the start of the year. This evolution has to continue in these students and must take place in all of our students by the ending of the year if we are to have any hope of calling this year of teaching and learning “a success.” I believe that this is one of the benchmarks that we have to use and one that we can use each and every day when students are immersed in the process of teaching and learning. Each student can gauge this for themselves. At the end of each class, each student should ask of themselves the following question” “Have I utilized my time effectively as a scholar would?” If this question can be honestly answered in the unequivocal affirmative, I believe that students can sense their own evolution and grasp their own maturation.
I believe that this hopeful vision of student evolution and maturation will be put to its penultimate test in the next five weeks. On Wednesday, we start the lesson on the Constitution. This unit will be the last one before our final exam. This exam will cover chapters 5, 6, 7, and the Constitution. It will take five days to complete and will demand much of the students. It might be the toughest exam students have taken and will take in their time at Julian. In order for success to be evident on this exam, students must grasp the notion that every battle is won before it is ever fought (Thank you, Sun Tzu). It is inconceivable (Thank you, Princess Bride!) for students to do well on this exam if they have not committed every ounce of their energies and resources to doing well now. I do not believe that this exam can be met effectively if students do not understand that the emerging scholars they embody before the exam will be the quality producers as they complete it. I think that there are some steps to which each and every student on 7.1 can either recommit themselves or begin to process of commitment. The first step would be for students to keep up the nightly work that is assigned in Social Studies. This might consist of reading in the textbook, answering questions, composing outcome sentences, or even reflecting on what is being asked of them from a particular class. I believe that if we are to see our students discover greater and more varied notions of academic success, and then we must see them give more to their studies outside of class. What I strive for in this suggestion is for students to naturally complete work that is assigned, but in a larger sense, engage in some type of meaningful reflection about what is being taught, why it is being taught, how it can be relevant, and how it can have meaning in their lives. I think that if students can develop some type of intellectual imprint on their work through internal reflection, there will be a greater sense of satisfaction in their education and meaning to and in their work. This might be where we must start in seeing our students commit themselves to an education that has meaning, and to a school life with purpose.
Once this purpose has been established, I think that students have to confront themselves with another question: “What is out there that I can utilize in order to find success on the demon like assessments that lie in wait for me?” Throughout literature, mythology, and history, the greatest of leaders and heroes have been insightful enough to sense that tools that lie in front of them can be utilized in order to defeat challenging adversaries and snatch victory from the jaws what would have been likely defeat. In hearkening back to the protagonists of both old and new, I sense that our students are much the same. I think that there are some rather obvious tools students can use to help them on their quest. Embracing the policy of revising work that is unsatisfactory or less than what students are capable of producing would be an excellent place to begin. After this, students might have to ensure that the pedestrian extra credit is something that is integrated into their weekly modus operandi. Obtaining signed syllabi for extra credit, completing extra credit made available on the blog, or completing extra credit outcome sentences could be avenues that will open up greater opportunities for students and ensure that they are in the best position possible before embarking on an exam that will require a great level of sacrifice, of cost, and personal strength. I think that students can probably spend more time in their week examining the blog and its contents as well as downloading items from “Recent Powerpoint Lessons” and “Upcoming Tasks/ Assessments.” Simply put, each hero has something that lies in front of their eyes and proves to be invaluable in their quests of success and feats of glory. Revisions, extra credit, and the Social Studies blog might operate in such a way for our students.
I think that one of these elements that lie within so many of our students is their commitment. I believe that our students want to do well. When they see their progress reports, and witness a bevy of “A”’s and “B”’s, I notice a great deal of pride that is beaming. It should be noted that most middle school students are very coy about showing pride about academic work (But, strangely are much more demonstrative about how many people said “Hi” to them in the hallways.) Despite their concealment, I sense that there is a sense of pride in accomplishment. We must tap into that. We must find way to extract this and allow our students to be demonstrative about how strong in academics they are or the level of pride that is inherent in the amount of focus a student shows is in class. I think that tapping into this might be something that parents and teachers can encourage, but our students will have to do the heavy lifting on this task themselves. To this end, I believe that taking advantage of Social Studies study sessions might help. Starting from January 27, I will be offering Tuesday morning study sessions. Students who attend these study sessions and demonstrate focus and compliance will earn five points extra credit in Social Studies. I will also offer study sessions during lunch on Thursdays. These will not be extra credit, but material will be covered as well as reteaching options and greater explanation presented. I think that these sessions will be essential in helping students understand that taking pride in their work and redoubling commitment to the class can translate into success.
Sports psychologists often work with athletes in focusing on the outcome and not the result. For example, a basketball player steps to the free throw line with a chance to win the game. The positive result will be that they will be mobbed in glee by their teammates and that they will be declared the “MVP”. Conversely, a negative result will be that they will be shunned for their failures and the team will lose face. The sports psychologist would plea to the athlete that they should focus on the correct form in shooting a free throw, ensuring their body is aligned in their shot, and that they maintain the same routine that allowed them to shoot over 100 free throws in yesterday’s practice. By placing emphasis on the outcome and not the result, the athlete ends up being successful because distractions are placed out with only success as the focus. In much the same way, I think we need to do a better job of stressing to our students that the outcome is more important than the result. If students have taken care of each and every element prior to the exam, then the result of the exam will be of a lesser concern. I find that the students who endure the most amount of stress about this exam do so because they have not taken the needed steps to ensure success prior to it. This sense of drama and misplaced angst becomes self inflicted because students have not placed emphasis on the outcome. Attending study sessions, revising work, taking advantage of extra credit, and providing focus during instruction is the best way for our students to proceed into a pantheon of outcomes as opposed to a cave filled with insecure results.
The challenge we all have in front of us at this point in the year is a frighteningly clear one. What can we do to ensure that our students establish and maintain a pattern of academic success and growth? While students will be doing most of the work, parents can play a vital role by simply opening up the dialogue with their children about how this process is transpiring. Parents can serve as the managing directors of their child’s progress. If a student cannot discuss how they made steps in that day’s class towards doing well on the final exam, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot articulate what feature of the Constitution was revealed in classroom discussion, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot explain an outcome sentence they composed or cannot show a sample of an outcome sentence, then this becomes a cause for concern. In simply talking openly with students about their Social Studies experience, I think parents can play a vital role in the transformative experience in which their child is immersed. We stand on the precipice of an exciting, yet challenging time. The excitement lies in the fact that our students will be the intellectual warriors who will do something new, fun, real, and meaningful within their study of the Constitution and beyond. The challenge is that those experiences that prove to be the ones that resonate in memory usually exact a price and require a commitment. There can be no navigation beyond the intellectual beasts and demons that lie in front of our students. However, there can be great opportunity to rise to the better angels of our nature (Thank you, Lincoln!) and do something that has not been done before and might not be done after. It is in this definition where greatness lies and it is in this definition where I see all of our students.
All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan
We assemble here today at the half way point of our journey. From this point on, each step we take brings us closer to the end than the starting point. We are realizing that time is no longer on our sides. Some say that the best time for reflection is at the end of a journey, but I am of the mindset that reflection is best served at every possible moment before the conclusion of any endeavor because more can be remembered, greater amounts of precious details in their exactitudes can be recalled, and more meaning can be gained. I feel we are at such a point right now, at this time, in this moment. With second trimester midterm progress reports sent home on Friday, we are officially past the half way point and could be a good moment to ruminate, reflect, and in some case, recalibrate our efforts in the hopes of achieving the academic “good, true, and beautiful.”
I think that one truth that has emerged from the first half of our journey is that we have seen scholarship emerging, maturation being evident. For the most part, students’ fears and insecurities that have opened the year have become replaced with a sense of confidence and belief that while challenge is present, the desire to find success must be the tool used to meet such arduous and probing work. I believe that most of our students have become accustomed to the idea that difficulty will accompany them each step on this journey. There will be very little that can be discarded as “not important” and even less that will be seen as “easy.” Whereas at the start of the year this was frowned upon and even seeing tears shed because of it, students are now developing a sense of mental toughness or, what the scholar A.C. Bradley would call, “intestinal fortitude,” about what needs to be done in order to find success and the demands being placed upon their broad shoulders. For the most part, I believe we are seeing students rise to the challenge of scholarship asked of them at the start of the year. This evolution has to continue in these students and must take place in all of our students by the ending of the year if we are to have any hope of calling this year of teaching and learning “a success.” I believe that this is one of the benchmarks that we have to use and one that we can use each and every day when students are immersed in the process of teaching and learning. Each student can gauge this for themselves. At the end of each class, each student should ask of themselves the following question” “Have I utilized my time effectively as a scholar would?” If this question can be honestly answered in the unequivocal affirmative, I believe that students can sense their own evolution and grasp their own maturation.
I believe that this hopeful vision of student evolution and maturation will be put to its penultimate test in the next five weeks. On Wednesday, we start the lesson on the Constitution. This unit will be the last one before our final exam. This exam will cover chapters 5, 6, 7, and the Constitution. It will take five days to complete and will demand much of the students. It might be the toughest exam students have taken and will take in their time at Julian. In order for success to be evident on this exam, students must grasp the notion that every battle is won before it is ever fought (Thank you, Sun Tzu). It is inconceivable (Thank you, Princess Bride!) for students to do well on this exam if they have not committed every ounce of their energies and resources to doing well now. I do not believe that this exam can be met effectively if students do not understand that the emerging scholars they embody before the exam will be the quality producers as they complete it. I think that there are some steps to which each and every student on 7.1 can either recommit themselves or begin to process of commitment. The first step would be for students to keep up the nightly work that is assigned in Social Studies. This might consist of reading in the textbook, answering questions, composing outcome sentences, or even reflecting on what is being asked of them from a particular class. I believe that if we are to see our students discover greater and more varied notions of academic success, and then we must see them give more to their studies outside of class. What I strive for in this suggestion is for students to naturally complete work that is assigned, but in a larger sense, engage in some type of meaningful reflection about what is being taught, why it is being taught, how it can be relevant, and how it can have meaning in their lives. I think that if students can develop some type of intellectual imprint on their work through internal reflection, there will be a greater sense of satisfaction in their education and meaning to and in their work. This might be where we must start in seeing our students commit themselves to an education that has meaning, and to a school life with purpose.
Once this purpose has been established, I think that students have to confront themselves with another question: “What is out there that I can utilize in order to find success on the demon like assessments that lie in wait for me?” Throughout literature, mythology, and history, the greatest of leaders and heroes have been insightful enough to sense that tools that lie in front of them can be utilized in order to defeat challenging adversaries and snatch victory from the jaws what would have been likely defeat. In hearkening back to the protagonists of both old and new, I sense that our students are much the same. I think that there are some rather obvious tools students can use to help them on their quest. Embracing the policy of revising work that is unsatisfactory or less than what students are capable of producing would be an excellent place to begin. After this, students might have to ensure that the pedestrian extra credit is something that is integrated into their weekly modus operandi. Obtaining signed syllabi for extra credit, completing extra credit made available on the blog, or completing extra credit outcome sentences could be avenues that will open up greater opportunities for students and ensure that they are in the best position possible before embarking on an exam that will require a great level of sacrifice, of cost, and personal strength. I think that students can probably spend more time in their week examining the blog and its contents as well as downloading items from “Recent Powerpoint Lessons” and “Upcoming Tasks/ Assessments.” Simply put, each hero has something that lies in front of their eyes and proves to be invaluable in their quests of success and feats of glory. Revisions, extra credit, and the Social Studies blog might operate in such a way for our students.
I think that one of these elements that lie within so many of our students is their commitment. I believe that our students want to do well. When they see their progress reports, and witness a bevy of “A”’s and “B”’s, I notice a great deal of pride that is beaming. It should be noted that most middle school students are very coy about showing pride about academic work (But, strangely are much more demonstrative about how many people said “Hi” to them in the hallways.) Despite their concealment, I sense that there is a sense of pride in accomplishment. We must tap into that. We must find way to extract this and allow our students to be demonstrative about how strong in academics they are or the level of pride that is inherent in the amount of focus a student shows is in class. I think that tapping into this might be something that parents and teachers can encourage, but our students will have to do the heavy lifting on this task themselves. To this end, I believe that taking advantage of Social Studies study sessions might help. Starting from January 27, I will be offering Tuesday morning study sessions. Students who attend these study sessions and demonstrate focus and compliance will earn five points extra credit in Social Studies. I will also offer study sessions during lunch on Thursdays. These will not be extra credit, but material will be covered as well as reteaching options and greater explanation presented. I think that these sessions will be essential in helping students understand that taking pride in their work and redoubling commitment to the class can translate into success.
Sports psychologists often work with athletes in focusing on the outcome and not the result. For example, a basketball player steps to the free throw line with a chance to win the game. The positive result will be that they will be mobbed in glee by their teammates and that they will be declared the “MVP”. Conversely, a negative result will be that they will be shunned for their failures and the team will lose face. The sports psychologist would plea to the athlete that they should focus on the correct form in shooting a free throw, ensuring their body is aligned in their shot, and that they maintain the same routine that allowed them to shoot over 100 free throws in yesterday’s practice. By placing emphasis on the outcome and not the result, the athlete ends up being successful because distractions are placed out with only success as the focus. In much the same way, I think we need to do a better job of stressing to our students that the outcome is more important than the result. If students have taken care of each and every element prior to the exam, then the result of the exam will be of a lesser concern. I find that the students who endure the most amount of stress about this exam do so because they have not taken the needed steps to ensure success prior to it. This sense of drama and misplaced angst becomes self inflicted because students have not placed emphasis on the outcome. Attending study sessions, revising work, taking advantage of extra credit, and providing focus during instruction is the best way for our students to proceed into a pantheon of outcomes as opposed to a cave filled with insecure results.
The challenge we all have in front of us at this point in the year is a frighteningly clear one. What can we do to ensure that our students establish and maintain a pattern of academic success and growth? While students will be doing most of the work, parents can play a vital role by simply opening up the dialogue with their children about how this process is transpiring. Parents can serve as the managing directors of their child’s progress. If a student cannot discuss how they made steps in that day’s class towards doing well on the final exam, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot articulate what feature of the Constitution was revealed in classroom discussion, then this becomes a cause for concern. If a student cannot explain an outcome sentence they composed or cannot show a sample of an outcome sentence, then this becomes a cause for concern. In simply talking openly with students about their Social Studies experience, I think parents can play a vital role in the transformative experience in which their child is immersed. We stand on the precipice of an exciting, yet challenging time. The excitement lies in the fact that our students will be the intellectual warriors who will do something new, fun, real, and meaningful within their study of the Constitution and beyond. The challenge is that those experiences that prove to be the ones that resonate in memory usually exact a price and require a commitment. There can be no navigation beyond the intellectual beasts and demons that lie in front of our students. However, there can be great opportunity to rise to the better angels of our nature (Thank you, Lincoln!) and do something that has not been done before and might not be done after. It is in this definition where greatness lies and it is in this definition where I see all of our students.
All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan
1 comment:
Hi Mr.Kannan! We stopped for a night on the way to washington, so I decided to say hi.
-Kathleen
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