This past week, I had something of an educational flashback, if
you will, at a time that I needed it most. I returned from a relaxing winter
break to face the new year, the second half of the academic quarter, head-on.
It required me to acknowledge that I had the most students failing for the
interim in a long time, quite possibly in my 29 year career.
I reflected for a few moments on what content was caught, reviewed
the tests and assignments for December and felt that there was nothing unusual.
I know that the holidays can be hard for many students, as their home lives are
not all Christmas lists and baking cookies. I attributed the high number of failures to factors beyond my control.
My plan was to make myself available everyday at recess and after
school for students to re-take/re-do any assignment or assessment, a research-based
instructional practice that I learned from one of my education heroes, Rick Wormeli. Of course, I had students show up everyday. But, sadly, none of
the failing students showed. I started to rationalize my failures in my head my
telling myself that I was doing everything possible to help them pass and they
earned the right to fail with their apathy.
However, at that moment, I flashed back to October 2012, when I
was subjected to the most uncomfortable, and at the time, angering, team
meeting. Our brand new middle school principal, Lisa Meade, sat in our team
meeting reviewing our team’s failures. We all brought data, samples of student
work and were ready to fire back to defend our failures. Were we in for a rude
awakening.
Her questions came at us fast and furiously and we were stunned
into silence, and eventually, almost embarrassment. “What interventions have
you put in place to help student X? Did you call home? Did you reach out to
Guidance, to the teachers who had this student before? Did you mandate that the
student stay with you at recess, after school or go to our Lunch Bunch?”
A few of us stammered to respond, sharing that we “offered” help,
stayed after school for anyone, etc., attempting to show that we had done our
part. But had we? Had we truly done everything possible?
Then, the worst question I had ever heard as an educator was fired
in our circle of tough love, “Which ones are we giving up on?” She went on to
say, “Tell me which ones so I can call their parents and tell them that we have
done all we can, we are giving up.”
OUCH! No educator wants to be accused of giving up on a student.
That was a defining moment for our team. As a result, in the months and years
ahead, we became a cohesive group of educators who created common strategies
for instruction, met weekly to discuss progress, review data and improve
teaching and learning. We transformed our middle school grade level team to a
Professional Learning Community and quickly saw the results with our students.
Fast forward 2018: I am looking at a failure list, trying to
justify it to myself. Then, I heard that voice in my head, “Which ones are you
giving up on, Siano?” Ouch (again)! Of course, the answer was NONE! I was not
going to give up on one single student. With a new resolve to reach every one
of these students, I met with them, contacted home and required them to come
meet with me (no more optional). I sent a few to our Lunch Bunch and Project
Success after school program to get support from my colleagues so that I could
do 1-1 instruction with others. Lisa Meade is no longer my principal. But, for
the rest of my days in a classroom, when a student is failing my class, I will
ask myself, “Am I giving up on this student?” NEVER!
At the end of last week, all but 1 of the students who were
failing are now passing and, more importantly to me, had acquired the content
and skills that were lacking at the interim progress report. This week's goal is to reach that student!
And, to answer
your question all these years later, Lisa Meade, I am not giving up on anyone ever. I
am going to continue to work tirelessly to help every student pass. Thank you
for reminding me that every student is worth saving.
Closing with a little inspiration from my lunch group this week, a movie clip that came up in our discussion: Nick Nolte - Closing Scene in TEACHERS (1984) CLICK HERE.
