Last week we had our parent-teacher-student conferences. (Yes, you may know where I am going with this already.) As a Grade 9 & Grade 11 math teacher, I saw several parents. I had some very quality discussions with students and parents alike. I made some breakthroughs (hopefully) that will last the remainder of the school year. I did some self-reflecting about some students that I may not have made the strongest bond with this year and challenged myself to find new ways to connect with them this quarter. As a parent, I also sat on the other side of the table and listened to my colleagues about my two sons.
Through these conversations on both sides of the table, I began to ponder the question...What's more important, compliance or learning? I ask this because in many of these conversations, including some that I was in as a teacher of someone else's child, I really began to wonder which is more important to people. I cannot lie and say that I do not welcome compliance by my students. However, I don't actively seek it out either and try not to let this, or any habit, interfere with determining where a student is in their learning. As amazing as mathematics is and as incredible as my lessons may be, I don't expect every student to hang on every word I say or be 100% into every learning activity I compose. I don't even expect them to get as excited about a new online resource I subject them to because I think it is really cool and interesting. I am realistic, for the most part, and understand that some students just are not into it or may need a brain break because their think tank is full. Sometimes students just need to do their own thing for a bit before they can jump back into full engagement mode.
We chase students around every day making sure they "get to class" on time, bring their materials to class, be ready to work at a seconds notice, only go to the bathroom when it is not an inconvenient time for us (I'll talk more about this in a minute), remember to do the all important homework (most of which will never get checked for anyway), and to basically be compliant to every rule, in every class, which may be different for every teacher they have, every day all day long. We also tell them that they need to be self-advocates, speak up for themselves and for others that may not be able to, or want to, speak up for themselves, follow their passions, and volunteer to better the community every chance they get. Talk about mixed messages!
Let's start with being late to class. Don't get me wrong, I am all for being on time to class. I just don't make it a big deal if a student is late. What (usually) happens to a student that is late to class? Well, they probably have to turn around, leave class, go get a note from the last teacher they were with or a note from the office, then bring that note back to class before they can join the class that they were just sent away from. Not only is this process a waste of time (and paper), it does not make sense. If the point is for us to try to make sure the students are in class and learning, then why send them out again so they are completely away from the learning that is happening in the classroom? I am sorry, I just don't buy into the punitive idea that "they have to have some punishment for being late." This in no way makes any sense to me. Now, if a student is chronically late or consistently comes to every class 20 minutes late every day this is a different story and is cause for an intervention meeting with the student. This outlier, however, does not constitute the need for punitive tardy policies. Maybe we need to look at the message we send students. If we want students to be in class on time, we need to give them real reasons to do so other than there is a punishment for not doing so.
What about the bathroom? Since when did this become such a big problem? I really do not get this one. Seriously. What is happening in any classroom that is SO important that you cannot let a student go to the bathroom? Okay, maybe that student has a tendency to "wander" around and not go to the bathroom at all. Maybe this wandering is a coping strategy that the student has learned because they have been programmed to think that they must be 100% engaged in everything that is going on in every classroom every second they are in a classroom? My favorite is the off-handed response that came to my head when I was talking to my wife about this...maybe, they had gas and needed to excuse themselves from the classroom as to avoid embarrassment. As odd, humorous and outlandish as this sounds, it is a possibility. Or maybe, just maybe, that child really did need to go to the bathroom. Either way, what does it matter? Is what we are doing in class really THAT important that a 10-minute bathroom/brain break is going to cause a gap in the students learning so deep that the student can never recover? I doubt it. Just remember this at the next faculty meeting when you have to use the restroom or need to step out to "take a phone call." This also goes hand-in-hand with getting to class on time. What are we concerning ourselves with, the overall quantity of time spent in class or quality of time spent in class? Food for thought...According to John Hattie's 2017 Updated List of Factors Influencing Student Achievement, External Accountability Systems have an effect size of 0.31 (below the 0.40 size of "normal learning") whereas Response to Intervention systems have an effect size of 1.29.
We encourage our students to be an advocate for themselves, but when they do we say they are being defiant. We encourage students to come to us, their teachers, proactively and request an extension on assignment deadlines when they feel they are getting overwhelmed. Then we just tell them that they need to figure it out or that they should have done better planning on their end. We tell them to follow their passions. Then when they do, and that passion is not what we think it should be, we tell them they are making poor decisions. Why not step back, let our students actually experience some things for themselves? Let them stumble, be there to support them through their journey and maybe even let them fail. We learn from our mistakes. Like Thomas Wayne said to a young Bruce Wayne "Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."
If our students are programmed to follow directions and be compliant, they are learning, but only learning how to follow directions and be compliant. I believe we are doing a grave disservice to our students by putting such a high value on compliance and not real learning. Do your (my) homework. Pay attention (to me) in class. Get your materials out (so you can write down everything I say because it is that important). I'm sorry but you cannot go to the bathroom (because you might miss something extremely important).
It is not as important that our students know molecular biology as much as it is to know why it is important to look at any system and how each part of the system interacts with every other part of that system. It is not as important to know the fundamental theorem of calculus as much as it is to understand mathematics can have finite or infinite boundaries depending on the parameters of the problem. It is not as important to understand what the poet/author was thinking or trying to convey to the reader as much as it is to encourage reading, creativity, and thinking for oneself. It is not as important to know who painted the Mona Lisa or when as much as it is to appreciate the talent it took to create the masterpiece. It is not as important to know what dates past historical documents were signed as much as it is to know the successes and failures of past and current governments. Focus on the positives. Concentrate on making connections with your students. Ensure they know HOW to study, not just WHAT to study. Most importantly, focus on the learning, not just how well a student complies with your set of directions.
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