Megan Crombie: 6th grade math teacher at FSUS. Watch her 2020 Florida Teacher of the Year Finalist Video
The whistle blows and it’s halftime! For most teachers it is not a whistle in a football game, but a glorious bell on an afternoon December that marks our halfway point in the school year. We made it! Whether you are closing the first semester winning by two touchdowns or struggling to stay in the game, the second semester is a wonderful time to reignite your passion for your students and subject matter. It might be time to make some changes or even pull out a few trick plays that will catch everyone by surprise in the second half. Whatever your situation, this time of year is perfect for the three R’s...Reflection, Reinvention, and Reconnection.
Teachers are often asked to reflect on their practice. For years I understood reflection to mean a type of self-talk where I held an inner dialogue like the one modeled below.
Me: How’s it going?
Me in response: Pretty good, I think.
Me: Even third period?
Me in response: Yep, even third period:
Me: Ok, good talk.
Eventually I learned to use data gathered from standards assessments and patterns in grades to help guide my reflective process and that turning point was critical in nurturing more student success. But there is one practice over the years that has helped me become a more thoughtful and reflective teacher than any other. It involves a type of data collection that gives students a voice and it centers on this idea: Instead of questioning myself, others adults, or benchmark assessments about how my students are doing...I ask them.
My students and I are the only ones who are in the thick of things together day after day after day. We do bellwork together, we play games together, we take notes together, we check homework together, we review for tests together...you get the idea! To leave them out of the reflective process is to leave out the most important half of the equation. Educators went into this profession because we have a deep love of helping kids, so at the end of the first semester I put the ball in their court and ask them to help me reflect on how our school year is going. Now might be a good time to mention that I teach math to 112 middle school students, so when they are given the opportunity to share their opinions, they are not usually at a loss for words.
Semester one is in the books so now is the time to reflect.
Ask students what they think about the year so far.
In order for all students to have an equitable part in this process, I give them a written Midyear Inventory. It asks them questions such as:
-What do you think about doing math? (Choose an emoji and explain.)
-How have your feelings about math changed since the beginning of the year?
-What are some things you like about this class?
-What are some things you do not like about this class?
-What are your suggestions to improve this class?
-What suggestions can you make about improving your seat? (Who may help you stay on task or talk through problems?)
-What else can you tell me about yourself that will help us have a good finish to the year?
This is my fifteenth year in education and if there is one thing that I have learned over the years it is that students are the best versions of themselves when they feel valued. Giving students a voice to express their joys, frustrations and ideas in a non-threatening manner has helped me become a more reflective teacher and, in turn, that has led to more student growth, proficiency and accomplishments. I love reading their responses; I pore over their words and suggestions because they are tiny windows into their worlds that often produce a completely different picture than that which is painted solely with test scores or grades.
Sometimes students bring up issues that I did not know existed. For example, I did not know that this student was struggling without her glasses.
This student gave me a powerful reminder that learning is a process and mastery takes time.
This student helped me reflect on my classroom procedures; if she feels like people are shouting out answers, then I need to reflect on how students are sharing information. Is everyone getting an equitable amount of time to think, share ideas, and talk to classmates?
This student made me rethink my bellwork procedures. I usually have bellwork on the board for this class, but I will be starting the second semester by having an additional paper copy to help him complete the task more efficiently.
While reflection is powerful, it is unavailing unless we take the time to listen to the students and then come up with tangible plans for reinventing parts of the class. For me this usually means that students will have new seats and work partners in the second semester and they are often based on suggestions from their Midyear Inventories. As much as possible, I try to honor requests to sit closer to the board, move to a more productive table or relocate to a quieter work area. When I read their requests I try to imagine what it would be like to work in a relatively small office where I have 25 coworkers with different needs, personalities and learning styles each day. I would appreciate if my “boss” moved me to spot that I felt most comfortable and in turn, I think my productivity as a worker would increase. I try to model my classroom as a respectful and inclusive place in hopes that students will bring these habits and expectations into the workplace with them after graduation.
Over the years the implementation of this inventory has led to so many powerful suggestions from students. I have changed online homework due dates to allow for students to work ahead and this has led to more kids finishing homework. I now rarely give tests on Fridays in the fall because I teach so many kids involved in middle school athletics and Thursday nights are often very late nights due to games. This led to test scores improving because students were not so tired from late nights. I now have a few standing desks for kids who learn better when they are standing up. These were all ideas that came directly from kids, and by integrating them into our classroom, it shows them that I am listening and that I will gladly reinvent parts of our day if the outcome is a more productive environment.
Midyear Inventories are also my reminder that I need to consciously reconnect with students during the second semester. If there are things that they like about the class, I try not to rock the boat.
Most students love games and comment that they like playing games that are “fun” rather than overly competitive. For each unit I create games that allow students to use math in ways that hold their attention and have entry points for students of all skill levels. Playing together allows students to reconnect with each other while also spending productive time interacting with content.
Students like playing an exponents dice game with their table partners
Students determining the percentage of bottle flips landed per table
So if you’re down by three touchdowns going into the third quarter, just remember that the game is far from over. Sometimes a few little adjustments are all it takes; take time to reflect and think about what will help you end the year in a good way. The best coaches and teachers I know are not the perfect ones – they are the ones who bounce back from a tough quarter with a new plan or inspire their third-string quarterback to have the confidence to pull out the seemingly impossible win. If there were successes in the first semester, celebrate them! I guarantee there are students all around the state who have become a little less afraid and a little more confident due to our work.
Whatever your situation, take comfort in the fact that you are never alone in this process. Hundreds of thousands of teachers are already into their second semesters , so let’s rally around each other and remember that we are here for the kids.
We all want to be able to look back over this year and be proud of our achievements, so let’s make a promise to finish strong!