"Let Me Get Out of Your Way..."

“Let me get out of your way and not limit you to my sorry imagination.”

– Rick Wormeli

This quote has been swirling around my head since last November when I traversed across the country for the AMLE conference. Wormeli, a recognized expert for his ideas about differentiation, formative assessment, and standards-based grading, slipped it in during his session on tiering the instruction of reading and writing. His point was that providing models is important, but the goal of teaching shouldn’t be for students to reproduce their teacher’s work. Rather, the goal should be for students to out-perform their teacher. I think this makes so much sense, and, during my observation this week, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Wormeli’s words.

As an introduction to the “This I Believe” unit I am teaching, I decided to have the students create six word memoirs. For models, I first showed them a book published by SMITH magazine called I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets: Six Word Memoirs by Teens Famous and Obscure. Then I played a YouTube video of six word memoirs created by a class of seventh graders (see the link below). I created six of my own examples. And, finally, shared several six word memoirs created by other students on the team.

As I walked around the classroom to show my own examples, one student was especially intrigued by my “Thanks, but something is still missing” card. I drew interlocking puzzle pieces, wrote a word in each puzzle piece, and cut out a puzzle piece from the corner as if it was really missing.

 

This student, who has trouble sitting still, doesn’t like to write, and is often pulled out of class to have a conversation in the hallway, saw it and couldn’t contain his excitement. He couldn’t wait to call me and all of the other teachers in the room (including Pam!) about his idea for his memoir. He explained that he has some anger issues and when he gets upset, he usually rips paper and throws it around like confetti. So, for his memoir, he wanted to tear up looseleaf paper and glue the pieces back together on his index card.

 

I haven’t seen a student so excited and engaged in his work.

His idea was brilliant and perfectly unique to him. It was definitely a “Let me get out of your way and not limit you to my sorry imagination moment.” It made me proud. It made my CT proud. And I think it would make Wormeli proud too.

One of the best parts of teaching is providing space for students to show off what they can do. This student is just one example. Throughout the whole week, without even being aware that they are doing it, the students have been providing really helpful feedback that I have been using to improve my lessons. One student asked if she could brainstorm a list of events before starting her “Letter to Me” assignment. Another student made six columns on the back of his index card in order to help himself stay organized when thinking of a six word memoir. And when I asked the students to respond to a closure question on a post-it note, a student asked if they should stick them to the door on the way out. All of these ideas have helped me be a better teacher this week and will be things I keep in mind as I cotinue to teach.

I think it is easy to be frustrated and annoyed by students like my paper-ripper when they continue chattering or when they don’t hand their work in on time or when they never have a pencil, but there is so much genius to go around.

I’ve got my eyes and ears peeled. Do you?

 

[Link to YouTube video I showed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlG5x0KaBmU]