Reflecting on the experiment

Reflecting on the experiment

Last year I tried an experiment  called Silent Teacher Day that I have renamed Independence Day. Last year's kids really rose to the task and learned a lot about their roles as learners. I had very high hopes for this year's students.

I have been watching this group of students for 3 years and they are incredibly sweet and considerate, but they are often very passive and dependent on the teacher, asking for permission, waiting for instruction, wanting others to make choices for them.

I've been reflecting on how I encourage them to be independent and think for themselves. I've increased some responsibility in the classroom to try to expose them to more opportunities to take control, but they are uncomfortable with it.

We have taken 2 away trips where they had to organize their materials, keep their rooms tidy, make their meals and tidy up after. Some of them really shined. A few struggled and had to reflect on their actions (over packing, playing instead of packing, standing at the sink trying to figure out how to wash a plate and cup)

I have several students do not want to take ownership and ask for my approval/ permission constantly. I knew it would be a different

How it went that day

Oof, it was a challenge. They came in and got their materials out.  Student A read the board and announced what they needed to do.

Hint 2 on our weekly objectives

From the beginning Student B came up next to me and began saying my name repeatedly. She was joined by student C. They literally stood there for 5 minutes repeating my name. 

I got up and tidied the aquarium to try to change their behavior. 

The two students returned to their desks.  They all began talking about their weekends. After 18 minutes Student C  said "Quiet!" and everyone became quiet. 

Then they began whispering. They talked, read, drew pictures, and 2 students began flipping paper balls across the room. 

Hint 1 on our unit journal

After 35 minutes  Student D and E came up next to me and began saying my name repeatedly. After 2 minutes of his saying my name, I got up to run a false errand trying to rest their behavior again. (I hoped that by leaving the room they would make a plan.)

Instead the play increased and when I returned Student F cocked his arm back to throw a paper ball and accidentally hit me in the chest.
Student G begun doing missing work and Student D took out work he turned in and began revising it. The rest were just entertaining themselves.

Hint 2 on our daily objectives

It was almost impossible to keep going after an hour.  I identified it wasn't going as planned, but saw an opportunity to add value by completing the whole day. I kept taking notes of what they were doing and saying.
I had a teaching assistant deliver notes to the two paper throwers that they needed to clean the room instead of going to break.

Their lack of independence continued on with their snack time, break time, and transitions to specialists classes.

At the end of the day, I sent home an email to parents explaining my objectives and asking them to ask their children what happened, what they did/did not do all day? 

 

The next day:

The next day we had a huge discussion about "Independence Day." I reviewed my notes with  them from their Independence day. Then I reviewed the notes from the year before. They identified how differently the previous year's kids took the day and  asked for a redo. We wrote journal questions and I gave them 3 days to reflect on what they did during Independence Day. 

For me the most telling was a very respectful and obedient boy approached me and said "Do I have to write the journal, too? I didn't do anything." 

He and I spoke about how around him his friends were throwing paper, he knew it was wrong, he didn't stop them. He saw the assessments on the table, he didn't do them, he saw his central idea star and didn't write it. He just sat quietly and read. By sitting quietly, the problem continued.

We discussed what would have happened  IF he had asked his friends to stop throwing paper, he had gotten up and written his star, he had started his pre-assessment. If one student had done anything how could the day have changed. He is beginning to identify how being passive is still being part of the problem.

How it has changed their motivation and behavior

A whole unit has passed since we have had Independence Day and I have seen small but noticeable gains in their independence.
Students are making small actions when they disagree with the behavior of each other.

 They are making better choices in how they work together, some students have even started taking on additional "teacher tasks" like passing/collecting papers at the start of a routine or calling for focused attention in a class discussion.

Last week we started the exhibition and I encourage the students to control their learning environment by designing their own space. Students asked building staff for what they wanted and created "good fit" spaces for themselves.
 Some of my favorites were:
 a social kid who wants to focus and not engage in small talk built himself a little cave
 a high energy student gave herself a bouncy station so she gets the wiggles out without disrupting
 a collaborative pair used a table in a unique way so they can bounce ideas off of each other.

To me, these small acts show their awareness of what they need to do and an intention to do  it

Challenges and benefits

It was hard to see them struggle and watch a class day fritter away, but I am glad that I committed to staying silent and giving them a chance. They have grown so much from their reflection. 

A couple of students are falling behind in the exhibition because they still wait for me to guide them. I hope that in the next few lessons they will "click" into independance. If not, I'll keep nudging them towards success.

Have you tried this? How did it go? What did you learn about your students? What did they learn about themselves?