Alright, so I've read the book. How to Grade for Learning by Ken O'Connor. Now, I find that I'm talking to everyone asking, or maybe arguing O'Connor's point, about what grades are.

I am on an ongoing quest to develop my philosophy of what a grade is and how to assess my students. I am working hard to make my grade book reflect the learning that is taking place and separate from it the behaviors that are occurring in my classroom. But that's for another posting...

What I am learning in these conversations with other education professionals is that a) grading schemes are an incredibly broken system, and b) there are a lot of teachers out there (not all, though) who are incredibly content with the status quo. Teachers are okay with just doing things because "it's the way they have always been done." But that doesn't make them right.

Grades are a perfect example. They're based on a long-ago philosophy... long before 500 standards that must be taught... long before differentiating instruction to the needs of the student... long before a laundry list of other things. And they inevitably include things like behavior: late work penalties, missing work zeros, extra credit. With these factors, a grade doesn't tell you anything. It says that a child may or may not know what was taught and a child may or may not understand the expectations of the class. It's misleading, and I have questions about it.

Why don't more teachers have questions? Why are so many teachers okay with it? Does it really make things easier? Wouldn't it be easier to say that my grade is not a motivational tool? Wouldn't it be easier to say that my grade book only tells me what has been learned?

I hope that if I'm in this profession for the long run, I'm going to be able to adapt and ask questions and challenge my beliefs and change my ways of thinking. I'm not trying to rock any boats, but I am trying to figure out what I believe and be able to stick up for those beliefs. Here's hoping.

Wow. What a great bunch of kids. I am so excited about this year. I've had a summer full of anticipation, filled with people absolutely gushing about the students I was going to have. Now, I've finally met them, and they are wonderful.

We spent most of the day discussing our routines, and I think they will pick them up quickly. I'm glad that is over. We're going to be able to move on to some real learning tomorrow, and I think it will be a relief.

I'd forgotten how standing all day is so tiring. I'm going to have to get back into the swing of that!

Okay, so I've said that I feel like I'm learning a lot about my profession, but there's a rub: Peter Senger states it best by saying "to practice a discipline is to be a lifelong learner. You 'never arrive.' The more you learn, the more acutely aware you become of your ignorance." That's frustrating.

The ignorance part is not so frustrating. I wholeheartedly admit that I am no expert. I can spout names and philosophies. My rub is that acute awareness I think is heightened.

I've been reading. A lot. And I have been reading a lot about being a teacher. I have a LOT of questions I want answered.

I absolutely love and hate at the same time the ease of purchasing books from the Kindle store. One click, and that's it. In fact, that's what Amazon calls it: 1-click purchase. With my Kindle, I can read on my phone, my iPad, my computer. My principal is THREATENING to get us Kindles. That may just make it worse. That said, I feel like those burning questions that I have about how to be a better teacher are literally at my fingertips.

What I have run into is this exact facet that Senger is saying. Some of the topics I have tried to learn more about simply do not have a right and wrong. The idea is that there will always be more ways to approach an issue. But my goal is to become a better teacher, and if there is no right or wrong way to approach the issue, how do I align myself? It is frustrating because there have been many instances that I can honestly say I FEEL are the right view or philosophy.

I am aware that I don't necessarily know the answer. But for those cases that there AREN'T answers, it is hard to cope with.

I think this has to be a big change professionals have to undergo. I can't believe it has taken me this long to REALLY notice it. It's like a slap in the face right now. As Senger implies, does anybody that really tries to be a learner go through this realization? If so, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I think I'm a bit offended that it took me this long to get to this point. However, I think the converse of this may also be true; I don't know. I'm still a novice in the teaching field, and is this a change of view from the naive and fresh-meat outlook that I had leaving college and truly entering the teaching profession.

I was recently discussing "themes" for the upcoming school year. We discussed that maybe a new theme wasn't needed. If last year's theme was so encompassing and broad, then there is just no way that we could be finished with it in just one year. That got my Spidey Sense tingling; something seemed half-hearted or lazy about this.

So, I've been giving that idea some thought lately. Do we need themes? Or more so, do we need to change themes?

My conclusion is that it isn't about themes; it's about message. What is the message that you are wanting to convey? Is everything you are pursuing directly tied into your message?

I'm currently reading Buck Up, Suck Up... and Come Back When you Foul Up by James Carville and Paul Begala. These two are political strategists who market political candidates. They say that a good politician will always ALWAYS tie back into their message. This seems like a no brainer for teachers.

My message is that I want to make learning accessible to children, especially in the realm of educational technology.

Is everything I do as a teacher directly tied into this goal? I'm getting there. Be it Kagan, Foss, Literature Circles, Socratic Circles, inquiry based instruction, my website, incorporating social networking, podcasting, or Living Museum projects, I have been trying to carve out my style of teaching.

I am entering a place in my career where there is a shift. I have had some great guidance from friends and colleagues who have helped teach me philosophy. I've read books and articles and had discussions on "what do you think about..." I've had some time to learn, grow, and form opinions. I can tell I've begun shifting from a more passive listener and learner to one who is more sure of his message, and I am going through some more specific and focused instruction.

I want to be a good teacher. I'm still learning. There is still a lot I need to learn, and there is still a lot that I am curious about. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, but I can tell that I'm getting someplace.

I've spent a big chunk of time this summer working on my big move to my new school in a new district. I'm so appreciative of the people at my new building being so accommodating during the whole process. I've been able to take my time and really be thoughtful in cleaning up the room, unpacking, moving furniture, and putting things just where I feel the right karma.

My new classroom space is really starting to take some shape, and I've begun to post pictures of my new digs on our website. While the pictures are taken in the rough stages of changing rooms, and they will be updated more thoroughly as I get everything done, I'm excited to be able to share my progress. Head over the parents section and click on classroom tour!