Written by Ya’ll, I’m spent.
The fact that a month has already passed is blowing my mind and being in the thick of report card writing (and the marking that precedes it), this project has been pushed and pushed…hence my posting two days before the face to face. That said, it has been on my mind and I conducted my interviews and received feedback that was mildly alarming and most definitely challenged my assumptions. Sigh. I don’t do well with the non-linear stuff. I recognize how normal and natural and necessary it is. And I preach to my students that it is the rule, not the exception. And I am always happier wit the result when I come out on the other side. But man, it challenges every fibre of my routine loving being.
SO – with that all being said, my placemat is attached Placemat F2F1. I was thinking I would be focussed on, what I realize now was essentially, jamming wellness down my students’ throats! I *thought* that students didn’t really know what wellness was and I was confused by the fact that despite the tools we try to ogive them every day, they just weren’t accepting it. Now I realize that they do know what wellness is, they just don’t think they have time for it and/or haven’t found the tool that will work for them. Now, I truly believe that part of that is because they aren’t giving it a real chance (2, 1-minute mindfulness practices and they have written it off as useless and won’t even try again because “it just doesn’t work for me” – argh!) BUT, it doesn’t change the fact that our students feel completely bogged down by the work they have and the pressure placed on them to achieve (i.e. get high grades) by parents, teachers, post-secondary institutions and society in general. And this is the problem that needs to be solved so that they don’t perceive wellness as just one more item on their to do list. Honestly, my focus has shifted in the last 24 hours and my placemat doesn’t even reflect my new idea because I conducted some last minute, impromptu observational research yesterday during our school’s Future Ready Day. Our Upper School students are engaging in design thinking about their passion projects and the groups I am assigned to just happen to be looking at the same umbrella topic as me! Hearing them talk together was better than any individual interview I could have done because they sort of forgot I was in the room so it seemed like they were more relaxed and felt less pressure to answer my questions “right”.
When I started down this road I thought that perhaps I would be looking at some kind of one day immersive wellness seminar for students (see above re: shoving wellness down their throats), or a student led one day wellness seminar (would hearing it from their peers aid in the shoving of wellness down their throats?), but now I think I’m headed somewhere else entirely (curve #1). How did the road in front of me become so windy? My new idea would require admin getting on board (curve #2) and a LOT of pre-planning to ensure that I met ministry guidelines for inspections (curve #3), but is it possible? Is it possible to determine student grades in concert with the student, holistically, at the end of the unit? To offer feedback but no grades as they move through assessment (so lots of evidence for our inspector) and then conference with them to determine marks in each category (satisfying the conversation piece of triangulation). Would this result in more authentic learning and reflection from my students? Would it actually take the pressure off? Can I even do it? (curve, curve, curve)
How is it that with all this work and thought I still have so many unanswered questions? Better lace up.
@lbettencourt – I don’t remember all of our Elm Group people so I am tagging you as a representative!!
It is interesting that, through mapping out the curves ahead of you on this journey, you have come to connect your wellness idea back to the initial “is this for marks” area of need you identified on your placemat. I LOVE your bolded question about holistic grading, with student input, and hope that you can get the admin support you need to make it possible. There is huge potential there for authentic feedback and reflection, that by nature facilitates a shift away from the pressure associated with an overall grade.
Oh, and sounds like you’re doing pretty well with non-linear (i.e. winding) stuff so far! 🙂
Hey @acorbett! I really enjoyed reading your blog post! I can relate to the mind-spinning feeling you describe above and I applaud your acceptance of working in a non-linear way! It sounds like you’ve had a very eye-opening experience chatting with your students about “wellness” and your reflections in this post speak to your openness to exploring alternatives and doing what’s right for the students. I can relate to your students and the feeling that “wellness” is being push a bit onto people and how it has the opposite effect we are looking for! I am so excited to hear more about this topic.
I think you’ll really enjoy tomorrow’s face-to-face as it will get you thinking about all of this on the next level. Not going to lie, you might feel even more out of whack – but in the best way possible! Part of my journey with C21 was being comfortable with being uncomfortable! It always made me think of my students and how they must feel this way and whether or not they have the skills to cope — enter the importance of wellness here! See ya tomorrow! Whoo hooo!
@acorbett . I love that you are giving yourself permission to change your mind…..again…and again. This disposition is crucial for this process to work. Don’t jump to the solution quickly. Sit in this discomfort of not knowing the answer and let’s keep gathering that ever important data (different perspectives). I love that by merely listening to a disarmed student conversation your entire perspective shifted. Let’s see if we can shift it again! Tomorrow is all about that 🙂 See you soon! – J