Reflecting on the experiment

Reflecting on the experiment 

I have taken a few weeks to observe the effects of the Silent Teacher Day Experiment.

It was so much more than Silent Teacher Day;

 It was Passive and Uncommunicative Teacher Day. I did my best to not give them a hint about what to do to how to do it, other than the signs I had written the night before.  No looking at them, no winking, no shrugs; neither approval nor disapproval. It was painfully difficult. After so many weeks developing our classroom community, we are habituated to respond to each other. I didn't want to shun or ignore them, but to make it work, it became obvious that I couldn't give them a smidgen of attention if I wanted them to be independent. I felt like a mother robin waiting for her chicks to take their first flight.

How it went that day:

A big hint

It was a bit tricky at first. I sat at my desktop writing reports, pretending to focus on the screen. A few students tried to engage me, but they soon figured out I wasn't responding and started the morning routine.
They figured out to leave their sticks in place. They read the morning message, fixed the errors, then sat on the carpet making small talk.  

It took them 25 minutes to get a hold of what was happening. I took notes the whole time.

My favorite moment was:  8:25 A- Looks back at the Attitude sticks and says, "I think we have to be independent."
  B- says “Ahhhhh” and they all get up and start their math routine

C- announces that they need to complete the Whodunit, and explains why to A.

She then tells D to read aloud for the class.

A- announces he doesn’t have his math packet

  D and C announce "Oh. Next student!" without skipping a beat.

A found his packet, then spent 3 minutes sorting his book bag.

E, F, and D are using evidence to lead solving the riddle with class. 

G & H are working alone. 

B is figuring out the puzzle and joining in the discussion now

E,F, & G developed a hypothesis and took a vote with the class about the solution

A is off-task; discussing if girls can have tattoos and C kindly asked him to focus

H & I are just looking around passively

A looks confused, but isn’t asking questions.

The whole class discussed if this is all that they are doing today, can they go to recess? 

Now the conversation is revolving around death penalty…. 
(The Math puzzle had them solving a crime.)

Hint #2 with their editing marks

Once they got started working as a team, they loved it and the experiment really took off. After they completed the Whodunnit, some students decided that they needed to complete our math stations. They put out the math games and led inquiry conversations in small groups discussing past unfinished work.

After Maths, C decided that she would read aloud our book during snack time. She read with a clear and confident voice when some students started cross talking. She gave them a "quieting" look and continued reading. Moments later, everyone was settled in to the story. I was proud that she used positive strategies to elicit the desired behavior. She seems to be really developing her social/communication skills.

Students working in Maths Stations

They started using the timer to manage their time and get themselves to specialist classes. They also discussed how they would get themselves to their after school classes or parent pick up and what they would need to do tomorrow if the pattern continued.

My second favorite part of the whole day was during assembly.
They led themselves to After School Care, got themselves arranged, and quieted each other while the lower primary was presenting. At the end of assembly, they volunteered themselves to rearrange the room for ASC. They then went back to our room, figured out how much time they had until Polish class, and started reading and working independently between lessons.

During the entire day, the only time they came to me was for questions I make a point of never answering:
Can I go to the bathroom? Can I have X school supply?

At the end of the day, a student decided that it was time to start the agenda. They named the day's process "Independence Day" and another student volunteered to sign their agendas. Then they all went their separate ways. I felt like a proud robin, watching them fly off of the high branch. 

How it went for the specialist teachers that day

The specialist teachers commented positively on their behavior that day. The music teacher said that it was their best behavior all year. They got their instruments ready and began practicing without instruction. Then, they asked for private assessments for our upcoming performance.

How the experiment has changed their motivation and teamwork

It has been fantastic:
The next day we reflected on what happened. They were really happy with the way that they cooperated  and got everything done.

Student Leadership in snacks

They were able to identify how they solved behavioral problems instead of responding to them. We had a long discussion about good choices that they made in problem solving and team work.
A strong example was when A didn't start with the math activities, they kept going and he eventually came around and joined the group. In the past, they might have chosen to tell him what to do, causing a conflict. They are now trying to apply that skill without me. They were able to compare their past reactions and recognize that if he is being resistant and they respond he resistance will increase; however, if he they keep doing what needs to be done, he'll join in. This was an unanticipated outcome, but it has really helped them.

The first few days they asked me when they could have "Independence Day" again. I pointed out that

Building the next unit board

everyday should be "Independence Day," they need to start looking to themselves for the answers, not me. When we begin the exhibition process, every day will be "Independence Day."  I will mostly be  sitting in the back of the room, taking notes to reflect with them at the end of the day.

They are still coming to me for permission to do things that they should be able to decide for themselves, like going to the bathroom and getting basic resources. I give them a look and they figure it out that they can decide for themselves.

I think that asking for permission is a hard habit to break. I am seeing the substantial changes happening in their group work.  They are holding each other accountable in group discussion and projects. Their collaboration and time management skills are greatly improving.

We just finished the Summative Assessment for Unit 2 and the Pre-Assessments for Unit 3. They used the skills from "Independence Day" to guide their own work, to check their rubrics, and get everything finished on time. My favorite moments were during the Maths Pre-Assessment, when they decided to use their math reference materials to complete the tasks without requesting permission.

Challenges and Benefits

For me, the biggest challenge was in letting it get started on their terms. It was a tense beginning. I had to trust them to settle themselves down and get organized. By 8:15, part of me really wanted to intervene. But I stayed firm. When they did get going, there were minimal hiccups.

The benefits have been their taking ownership of teaching and learning, becoming independent of me, but cooperating as a team. They are getting better at figuring what they need to do and setting their own goals to measure their accomplishments.  I am hoping that this will guide them towards taking action in their inquiry.

I am so thankful that I read Adam Hill's post about he and his partner trying this. 

Have you tried it? How did it work out for you? Do you want to try it? What is holding you back?