Change is Hard

On Wednesday morning I talked to my dad, or more specifically I communicated with him over FaceTime audio as I drove to work. We caught up on the usual things, the Cubs (good), the Bears (bad), and what was going on with the kids. We also talked about my work and us moving from grades to standards in some subjects. As always, dad was enlightening. He reminded me of grading practices from "ancient" past, getting a "D" on a college Russian course test because he hadn't bothered to answer the extra credit question. His colleagues who had earned an "F" because they got it wrong. In this case, the "curve" had saved him. He also reminded me that once, before he was a physician, he was a teacher and his masters' thesis 47 years ago was on mastery learning. How interesting how life evolves, changes, and ideas take time to slowly drip into the system.

Change is hard. There is no question about it. As society over the past 35 years we have begun to ask for more from our teachers and our students. What my dad learned in college physics at University of Chicago, I learned in high school physics at Downers Grove South High School, and now my students learn in middle school science at Herrick and O'Neill. What is being asked from students is different. I had to recite knowledge and skills back. What I could store in my head was what mattered. For our students, all of those skills that I learned can be accomplished by Google. Whether it is showing the math problem, with all of the work, or finding our what the state bird of Georgia is. Google is the entirety of my education and much much more. Students today need to develop skills to apply their ability to find knowledge to create and innovate new solutions to new problems. Teachers also have to change. The goal is no longer how we deliver knowledge, but rather what have children learned.

(de Nys, 2008)

Change is hard. Illinois State Superintendent Tony Smith has been on the job only a few months, but has repeatedly presented the need to move our system from the measurement of seat time as seen by the Carnegie Unit, to a competency-based system that measures what skills and knowledge students have developed. The reality is that the amount of seat time hasn't changed much in the 35 years from when I sat in the desks at Hillcrest School to now as I walk the halls as an educational leader. However, what is expected of the students, the teachers, and the principal has changed dramatically.

Moving away from silos of education, Math, Reading, Science, and Social Studies to an integrated model is hard. It takes time and energy. However connected and integrated learning experiences make a difference to the learner and are more applicable to real life. Moving away from the Bell Curve was hard to the 90, 80, 70 scale was hard, but created a criteria of reference where children were given a chance to succeed rather than simply be ranked. Providing students with different learning experiences because of what they are ready to learn rather than their chronographic age is hard, but something not only can we do but we need to do. 

Reporting out that children are having different learning experiences is hard. It admits that all children are different and that we need to push each of them individually to grow. The reality is we have the tools and obligation to do so. I have the challenge and honor to participate in the move to standards-based grades as both a parent and an educational leader this year. It's different. Our teachers, both those of my children's and those of my student's will try different things. Some will work. Some will not. But in the end, my children and my students will each have a chance to learn and grow more. This week I have the opportunity to read two blogs by my son's teachers: Mr. Humphrey's and Mrs. Spies, each talking about how they are pushing children to learn and discover more. Each trying to find ways to make learning meaningful. The loss of grades, like the loss of the curve, is a moment of evolution, a chance to gather more insight into what our children know and what they need to learn next. 

Change is hard. I am often known for citing Yoda for so many things. Yet the reality is I must accept change too. Yoda is wrong, we must keep trying until we do it and do it well.