Yard Work and Assessment

How does yard work connect to the classroom ... and to assessment?

Quite simply, I need yard work to get me through the school year. Let me explain.

I don't love yard work, yet I really need it. Yard work is good for my soul, like laughter, good conversation, and therapy.  I imagine educators understand what I am talking about ... I need to work for an hour and see immediate progress. In addition to spending time alone with my thoughts and reflecting on the week as I weed a flower bed or mow the lawn, I can look back on my work and enjoy a sense of accomplishment.

I bet most educators need something like yard work; for some teachers, "yard work" is painting or house projects or woodworking or model trains ... something that will provide that instant feedback and satisfaction about their work.

Educators often look negatively at students' need for instant gratification, but this is more of a human characteristic rather than a problem in students. We all need immediate feedback and a celebration of progress, so let's stop complaining about it and embrace it in the classroom.

Assessment is a powerful tool to provide feedback, check progress, and to give a sense of accomplishment for both teachers and students.

We often talk about assessment from the perspective of measuring learning, re-teaching, and guiding further instruction, but, unfortunately, it has degraded into a negative experience for the students. Currently, assessment (testing/grading) is absolutely NOT good for the soul ... in fact, it brings about stress and anxiety for students. But, can assessment ever be good for the soul ... like yard work?

Absolutely! It will take a paradigm shift in many classrooms and school systems, but assessment can be a celebration of learning and a genuine progress check. Instead of being a dreaded part of the school environment, it can be good for the soul for both teachers and students.

Here are a few powerful practices to consider:

1. Focus on the positive and celebrate learning. After teaching high school English for years, what a shift in my classroom culture when I started highlighting great sentences rather than circling (in red ink) mistakes.
2. Assess students more frequently. While this seems counter-intuitive, more assessments lower the stakes of each individual assessment and helps to create a daily classroom rhythm of checking on learning progress.
3. Allow for self-reflection / assessment. Reflection is an important socio-emotional skill, and providing a system/scaffold for students to learn this skill is a true gift.
4. Don't grade formative assessment (other than completion grades). It is amazing the negative impact that grades add to assessment, and the collective sigh of relief when students realize something is not graded (or not graded yet).
5. Provide Meaningful Feedback. Effective feedback takes a ton of teacher/classroom time, but research supports how important feedback is to true learning.

By shifting how we check progress and celebrate learning, assessment can truly become good for the soul!

Beating the Summer Slump

"Summer Slump" is a new educational phrase that refers to the atrophy that happens to the brain over the summer months. This concept is similar to muscle atrophy that happens when a broken leg is in a cast for a few months. The assumption is that the brain grows more during the school year and stops growing during the summer with the conclusion that school helps foster cognitive development. But, the brain is not a muscle ... is Summer Slump a real thing or is it just a term educators invented to self-promote the importance of school?


Clearly, cognitive (brain) development is actively happening during the school year as students attend school daily ... brain growth is one of the primary goals of school.  We have the empirical data to support this. At my school we have students sit for standardized testing each fall and spring; these tests focus on cognitive development, i.e., Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics. Our goal is to increase a student's test score from the fall to the spring during the same academic year, and this goal is often achieved. However, when we look at spring scores from the previous year and the fall scores from the next year (with summer in between), we also often see flat growth or even a decline in student scores. This metric correlates with the concept of "Summer Slump." However, some students have scores that consistently rise at a regular interval regardless of testing after a year of schooling or after a summer away from school. What is different about these students (nature) or their summer behaviors (nurture)?  Can we institute specific summer practices to mitigate summer slump or even facilitate academic growth?

Christie Blazer, an educational researcher has looked at research on summer learning loss, and her findings not only align with the theory of Summer Slump but also point to the importance of academic interventions like going to the library or bookstore for summer reading, "educational" vacations to national parks and museums, and attending summer concerts or cultural events, as ways to reduce learning loss during the summer months.

• Blazer, C (2011). Summer Learning Loss: Why Its Effect Is Strongest among Low-Income Students and How It Can Be Combated.

Some educators use this data to promote year-long schooling (or modified calendars) and summer school programs, but the conclusions seem to point stronger to summer academic interventions than a restructured school calendar.

Recent research has called into question the reality of the Summer Slump, as educational researchers trying to replicate the findings were not able to do so.

• von Hippel, P.T. (2019) Is Summer Learning Loss Real?

I don't know why some students plateau or decline on standardized tests after the summer months and why some scores continue to increase. Clearly, more research needs to happen. One hypothesis (supported by the "Summer Slump" theory) is that academic interventions throughout the summer reduces Summer Slump. Without jumping fully into the Summer Slump debate, I think that we can affirm Christie Blazer's assertions that academic interventions to keep brains active during the summer are beneficial for students.

So ... how can we activate students brains over the summer?

Image from https://marinlibrary.org/whats-summer-slide/

1. Summer Reading - While you may have expected this suggestion, summer reading continues to be one of the best ways to engage our brains. Parents should encourage an "always reading" mentality; students should always have a book that they are reading (and not just during the summer). Most public libraries have summer reading programs for students. To avoid frustration and boredom, utilize Lexile scores (see lexile.com) to find books at both the appropriate reading level and interest for your student.


2. Take Educational Vacations -- Plan your vacation to stop at historical sites, museums, and cultural centers en route or at your destination. No, don't use the term "educational" when talking about your upcoming vacation (you'll probably need to trick them into learning). Of course, we think about a big summer vacation trip, but start small and local. Most cities have small, historical museums that can easily be planned for a Saturday morning visit (ending with a stop at the ice cream shop, of course). Discover your local community; many cities even have walking tours or scavenger hunts ... or make up your own.

How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain

3. Take Music Lessons -- Extra time during the summer can be used to learn a new instrument (or make progress on one that you currently play).  Playing music is one of the most powerful ways to grow your brain ... see this short TEDed video on the brain benefits of music (link in caption).



4. Attend a Summer Camp -- Day or overnight summer camps are often filled with academic interventions, often in non-traditional learning environments/subjects. Many camps have themes and areas of interest to allow students choice and learning enrichment. This is a great way to encourage students to dig deeper into a subject area that they love and experience outside of classroom learning. Of course, this is also an opportunity for Social Emotional Learning as students attend with friends and interact with new people, environments, and social situations.


5. Enroll in a Class -- While this sounds like "summer school" (with all of its negative connotations), many educational organizations offer fun, enrichment classes in non-traditional subjects.  Summer classes today include a wide range of topics: cooking, robotics, fly fishing, photography, or first aid. Students can explore a new hobby or future profession ... definitely a powerful way to pique interest and ignite future learning.

Keeping your brain active is an important thing all summer ... and all year. A summer learning plan can jump start a habit of lifelong learning and continual cognitive development.

As you start summer break ... keep learning!

Good Fences

In suburban America, it is becoming increasingly rare to have an "open concept" backyard ... a yard without fences. We used to be that rarity, until our new neighbors to the west put up a six foot cedar fence.

It was fascinating to experience the range of emotions (mostly negative and mostly dramatic) that a fence caused. How dare they put up a fence? They are ruining our backyard and blocking our views! What are they trying to keep in or what are they trying to keep out? We're putting our house up for sale!

When I taught American Literature, one of my favorite poems to uncover with students was Robert Frost's "Mending Wall"; a poem that famously ends with "Good fences make good neighbors."  Although Frost masterfully penned this narrative poem, the richness of the poem really flows out of the inherent complexity of fences.

If you want to spark a heated discussion in the classroom or on the street corner (or in my backyard), bring up the topic of fences or walls ... as Frost reminds us "Something there is that doesn't love a wall."

A topic so powerful needs to be a part of our educational landscape.  Most students at the high school level are cognitively ready to discuss (which will turn into a debate) the concept of fences and walls.

• Do good fences truly make good neighbors?
• What defines a "good" fence?
• When / where are fences needed?
• Does our (or why does our) culture need fences?
• What are we walling in or what are we walling out?

Interdisciplinary Theme: Fences

Here are a few ideas ... just a start.

English / Literature

Obviously, literature is an amazing vehicle to lead discussions on this topic ... 

• Frost's "Mending Wall" 
• Wilson's play Fences (made into a 2016 award winning film, directed by Denzel Washington)

Social Sciences / History / Politics

Passionate debates are already happening (and need to happen) about immigration and border walls in America and globally, so the unit could be spent solely on current events. Clearly, a Fences/Walls theme would also lead to lessons on nationalism, isolationism, and the impact of border walls (Berlin and the West Bank, et. al.).

STEM

The mathematics, physics, and engineering elements of designing/building a wall and testing its strength could be coupled with the PBL and Service-Learning tasks of helping someone rebuild a dilapidated fence.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Good fences make good neighbors, but they, likewise make good friends. Relational boundaries are an important part of healthy socio-emotional development. However, the shadow side to boundaries is isolation and loneliness. 

Bible

Christian schools can incorporate Frost's quote about fences making "good neighbors" with Christ's  greatest commandment to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:35-40) ... even if they put a fence up.  However, God's command to Nehemiah to build a wall (Nehemiah 1) and Isaiah's message that we will be "called Repairer of Broken Walls" (Is. 58:12) can also be used to facilitate deep learning in our faith formative high school students.

Let's Do This!

This is just a brief reflection on a potential interdisciplinary theme of fences; so much immediately comes to mind. Imagine sitting with insightful and creative interdisciplinary colleagues to develop this thematic unit!  

Eternal Perspective on Work (and education)

Over the past few months, my mind has percolated on the eternal. It started with CS Lewis' quote that we have "never talked to a mere mortal" ("Weight of Glory"), and his correct (but rarely embraced) view that all humans are immortal, i.e., every person will live forever, somewhere.

Yes, CS Lewis always makes my brain percolate.

So, how does an eternal perspective on humanity impact how we live life?

Clearly, it impacts us philosophically. Our culture has fully embraced the belief that humans are mortal. This manifests itself in our current "bucket list" philosophy prevalent in our older generations and the "YOLO" (you only live once) philosophy seen in our younger generations. Both focus on the belief that there is nothing after we die.

I have a 'bucket list" of sorts ... things I want to do before I "kick the bucket," but should I?

Those with an eternal perspective (especially Christians) believe that life continues after death in a far better "new heaven and new earth" (Rev 21:1). So, should I lament the national parks I haven't visited or the peaks I haven't summitted? Or, will the "new earth" allow me to achieve these bucket list items after I die?  I don't know ... thus, the percolating brain.

How does an eternal perspective on humanity impact work and education?

Have you ever considered work from an eternal perspective? If God created/assigned work in Eden before the Fall, I assume that heaven will include work: caring for the earth (and maybe even the universe), advancing art, culture, industry, and technology ... all without frustration and to the full glory of God. However, some industries will cease to exist because the "new earth" will not have sickness, pain, tears, and sin. Have you ever considered what jobs will NOT be a part of heaven?

Industries/Jobs that are not eternal? Here are just a couple ...

• health care (doctors, nurses, pharmaceuticals, health insurance)
• criminal justice (police officers, prison guards, lawyers, judges)

It is difficult to imagine earth (even a "new earth") without these industries, but what an amazing place that will be, without sickness or sin.

My thoughts in this blog focus on education. So, how do we educate and prepare students for an eternity of work?  

Let me propose two ways ...

1. Passionately prepare students in health care and criminal justice fields to fill these positions with the fervency of a "bucket list."  If these positions are not eternal, we should be working to make a difference for Christ and his Kingdom in these fields right now ... restoring the brokenness found due to sickness and sin.

2. Passionately prepare students in the "eternal" jobs to do these to honor God now and forever. We should be teaching students to advance God's Kingdom in "every square inch" of the world in which Christ cries "Mine!" 

So, having an eternal perspective on humanity should inspire educators to prepare student for their future jobs to perform those positions with excellence and heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24) because that is exactly what they are doing.

The Terminal State of High School Athletics

Wait what??
How are high school athletics terminal?
Are they dead or dying? Do they kill us?

No, I do not mean that high school athletics are dead or dying. Nor do I think that high school athletics has a negative impact on our health. Quite the opposite.

I am using "terminal" to indicate the final stage, the end of the road, the last stop. When I say the "terminal state of high school athletics," I am referring to the fact that most high school student-athletes will NOT play sports at college or as a professional.

The title of this blog alludes to a comment that my Athletic Director said after returning from a conference with Jody Redman (a Minnesota State High School League Associate Director). In fact, the statistic that she shared with me was that for 97% of high school student-athletes, high school sports is a terminal experience. Meaning, only 3% of high school student-athletes will play sports at the collegiate, minor league, or professional levels.

And this statistic should make all the difference.

All high school co-curricular programs, including athletics, should align with student learning objectives and the school's mission statement and facilitate student growth towards those goals. In short, co-curricular programs, like athletics, should be educational. In every educational program, we expect students to grow, mature, and develop to prepare them for future experiences in life. If that is true AND if 97% of high school athletes will not continue playing organized athletics, then what is the "next" that coaches are preparing their players for?

Often team goals (and individual athlete goals) focus primarily on speed/strength metrics, skill development, and measuring success against an opponent. Obviously, these elements are an essential part of improving times, winning games, and performing with excellence during the season. However, few team or individual goals focus on the next stage in life, especially for the 97% of students who are having a terminal athletic experience during high school.

This 97% terminal statistic and the book InsideOut Coaching (Jordan & Ehrmann, 2011), have caused me to reflect on the educational goals of high school athletics and how coaches can prepare students for their next stage in life (which most likely does NOT include athletics).

• Article from NFHS on the purpose of high school athletics
• InsideOut website 

Team and player athletic development, success against competition, and sport-specific growth should always be a goal for athletics, but should it be the primary goal?

If developing young men and women into mature, caring, and thoughtful members of society as leaders, spouses, citizens, parents, church members, and employees is the end result, then our primary goals and activities should be pointed to those ends.

Coaches have such an amazing opportunity to help shape the athletes under their care, they should be thinking deeper with goal setting than how to get the next win. Hopefully, the following list of ways to prepare players for life will begin a conversation ... (btw, it has been my honor to see each of these examples being implemented as a coach, parent, and principal).

• Servant Leadership -- Seniors serving freshmen; athletes serving the school community and the local community. For example, players using a week in the summer to run a soccer camp for children in an impoverished community; coaches spending a scheduled practice to serve together at a local food pantry.
• Mentoring -- Seniors mentoring freshmen; varsity players spending extra time with those at the lower levels to help them learn the game. For example, seniors taking freshmen out for ice cream to get to know them and welcome them into the team; captains developing positive, team bonding activities that do NOT haze or initiate new players.
• Conflict Resolution -- Captains mediating player to player and player to coach disagreements; players discussing team drama in a rational, restorative way. For example, captains going through a book study on biblical conflict resolution (e.g. Peacemaker, Ken Sande, 2004); restorative circles at the end of practice.
• Respect for Authority -- Players refraining from arguing calls or getting technical fouls (or apologizing when they do); players whose facial expressions show gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to play the game rather than frustration. For example, a coach who removes a player when he reacts negatively about a call to cool down and reflect; players who thank the referees after the game for the work that they have done.
• Winning and Losing Well -- Players who do not gloat when they win or pout when they lose.  For example, players and coaches that genuinely congratulate each other after the game for a game well-played; coaches that institute a 10 hour rule after a difficult loss (i.e. it is okay to be disappointed after a tough loss, but you better show up to school happy and ready to learn in the morning).
• Team over Individual -- Players who do NOT beat their chest, celebrate excessively, or taunt their opponent after a play; players who celebrate assists as much as scores. For example, coaches who focus on team statistics after the game; team unity circles that encourage players to share about how other players help the team be successful.
• Spiritual Growth -- Coaches who take significant time during practice for devotions and prayer; players who are active members of their church youth groups (and coaches who give them the time to do that). For example, team devotions led by coaches and players; team involvement in school Bible study groups, like Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

In addition to the list above, there are so many life skills that should be developed through athletics ... identify these as a coaching staff and as a team, and then structure activities to reach those goals. As a coach, think like an educator; set learning targets, and then design your practices (learning experiences) to achieve those goals.

High school athletics is terminal ... but we should use that knowledge to make it a life-enriching experience for all of our student-athletes.

Nautical Leadership -- Rocking the Boat or Steadying the Ship?

Denver Christian Homecoming Boat Races 2018

Most of us have experienced the difficulty of trying to balance in a canoe, especially when stepping from the dock into the small boat. If your friends are already in the boat, you scream at them "Don't Rock the Boat!" as the adrenaline pumps through your body, trying to avoid the ultimate humiliation of falling into the lake. 

It is hard enough to balance yourself in a one-person canoe, but it can become exponentially more difficult with each additional person. Being in a 2- or 3-person canoe with friends, someone inevitably tries to "rock the boat" while the others try to counter in order to "steady the ship." This is part of summer fun, but does this happen in organizations and in leadership? What role does a leader play in this canoe metaphor?

Two maritime metaphors surface when thinking about leadership ... leaders that "rock the boat" or those that "steady the ship." The examples come from school leadership, but the principles are universal in leadership.

Embarking

It is most difficult to keep your balance when you are first stepping into a small vessel. In fact, this is not only treacherous for the person embarking, but also for those already on the boat. The boat will rock, and it is important for those in the boat to steady the ship. Depending on those already in the boat, this process can be a smooth, safe step or a disastrous spill into the water. One thing that I look for when embarking is a literal helping hand from someone already in the boat.

On-boarding new staff members is also a crucial step and current staff (those already in the boat) need to provide a helping hand as well as stability as a new person joins the crew. No matter what position (staff, faculty, paraprofessional, administrator, or head of school), an intentional on-boarding process is essential to a smooth transition. Welcome picnics, staff bonding, social gatherings (for the new employee and his/her family) provide the helping hand into the institutional "boat."

After the welcome and orientation, leaders need to focus on stability. Stability comes in many forms ... clear expectations, assistance offered, frequent face-to-face conversations, being present and available. Additionally, providing a support structure via a mentoring program will help the staff member adjust to waves that will inevitably come. A mentor, ideally, should be someone who has been in the institution for some time and has weathered the storms well to assure the new staff member that calmer seas lie ahead.

Rock the Boat

Often, a new leader is hired when the board decides that a change in the direction of the organization is needed. To use another nautical reference, to change course. Logically, a change agent is hired with directives to make changes; however, can you change the course of an institution without rocking the boat? Probably not ... but an effective leader will make sure to steady the ship during the turbulence.

Visualize sitting in the middle of a canoe with 2 other people, enjoying a day on a calm mountain lake. Suddenly, the person in the back of the canoe stands up, scrambles over you, and moves to the front of the canoe. This will, of course, rock the boat and put everyone at risk of capsizing. Changing positions in a canoe is sometimes needed for a variety of reasons; however, if the person, in this scenario, would communicate the change early and notify everyone before moving, the others in the canoe would be able to steady the ship during the change.

Similarly, a leader can unnecessarily rock the institutional boat by acting rashly and by not communicating. Most agree that institutional change needs to happen, especially in educational settings as they strive to prepare students to enter an ever-changing world. So, if change is needed, and if change will most likely "rock the boat," how can a leader steady the ship?

Steady the Ship

As mentioned previously, if a leader, in a metaphorical canoe, communicates early and prepares everyone for change, the process can be as smooth (and effective) as possible. Preparing staff members for change is essential, and that means anticipating difficulties (the waves that may rock the boat), gleaning advice from others who have sailed those waters before, and having the humility to learn from others. Additionally, a calm demeanor the demonstrated by the leader will instill confidence both in the organization and in the leader. All of these elements will inspire staff members to work together to help the organization and each other thrive through change. Finally, what is assumed in all of this, is that the leader is present, actively working with staff; unfortunately, many leaders "jump ship" or abandon the crew when the organization is facing rough seas ahead.

It is essential for a leader to focus on steadying the ship rather than rocking the boat. If this is the focus, confidence will trickle-down and inspire staff, students, and the school community through changes.

Pounding on Church Doors

What would cause you to "pound on the church door"?

Criticizing church seems to be a favorite Sunday afternoon pastime for Christians today. In our futile search to find the perfect church, we take great license in criticizing every aspect of the church service, the pastor, and church members.

On the way home from church, the diatribe usually begins ...

The music is too loud; the music is too boring. The sermon is too long; the sermon was too superficial. Children should stay in church; children are a distraction. I hate how they play music during the prayer; I love how they play music during the prayer. Young people need their own age-appropriate message; young people should listen to the main sermon. Old hymns need contemporary tunes; don't change the old hymns. We should come forward to take communion; we should sit and take communion together. The pastor should wear a tie; the pastor should not wear jeans; the pastor should dress casually.

I'm sure that Martin Luther in the 16th Century had many complaints about his church, but what caused him to take the drastic step to publicly post his 95 theses on the church door? He had to know the risk that he was taking ... a couple objections would lead to a debate; 95 objections is going to lead to excommunication (or worse). What tipped the scales from annoyance to action? What caused him to pound on the church door?

He was driven to action when the church was promoting a salvation heresy. Luther's main objection in 1517 was the selling of indulgences to spring souls out of purgatory and into heaven.

Luther and many of the other reformers preached the solas of salvation ...
Instead of preaching salvation through the purchasing of Indulgences, Martin Luther and the reformers preached salvation by Grace ALONE, through Faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE.

Indulgences was not a minor "worship war" issue (e.g., pitting praise songs vs. hymns), it was a salvation heresy; thus, it caused Martin Luther to pound on the church door.

Another time in church history in which the institutional church promoted a salvation heresy was during the Crusades. A papal bull (or official church decree) was established providing indulgences for anyone who went on a crusade ... essentially guaranteeing salvation to any of the "crusaders."  Unfortunately, nobody stepped up to pound on the church door during this time to object to this heresy.

We don't need to pound on the church door when we disagree with certain things in the church ... minor interpretations of scripture, worship styles, preaching style ... in those things, we should seek to live in harmony (Romans 12:16).  However, when official church statements promote salvation heresies, we need to stand up and pound on the church door. .

When the church "preaches" deviations from the gospel message of orthodox Christianity (salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone), then we need to pound on the church door in objection. Although more subtle than selling salvation, the modern church does peddle the message that Christ's work is not enough. Christians need to do certain things and act certain ways to earn salvation. Have you heard a "cross plus" salvation message? i.e. Salvation = the work of Christ on the cross + our works.

Can you think of any examples?  If so, pound on the church door.

Let me close with a quote from Martin Luther that encourages us to take action ...

Our lives begin to end the day we become 
silent about the things that really matter.
- Martin Luther

Happy Reformation Day!