I Was a Teenage Bully

I recently read in an article where a person apologized for "hijinks and pranks"  that may have gone too far. The high school "hijinks and pranks" this person were talking involved pinning a student to the ground with the help of friends and cutting this person's hair. After reading the article, I was furious. This wasn't a silly prank on a friend, this was bullying. This was assault. I was itching to write a post about what a terrible human being this person is and how everyone should shout this person down. Then my shame came back to me.

I was a teenage bully.

When I was a freshman in high school, I picked on a kid pretty hard. Why? I'm not entirely sure. As I look back, it was probably because I couldn't stand up to my bully, so I decided it was easier to just pick on someone else. I had told a teacher I was being tormented by another student and I was told to stick up for myself. That is how things were handled at the all boys Catholic school I attended. That's how it's supposed to be, or at least, that is what the 14 year old Nick thought.

I wasn't a bully very long though. My bully ended up leaving school at the end of the year and the student I bullied left as well. I went about the rest of my high school career without much of a blip on the radar.

I'm embarrassed about this small time in m life. I have only told a few people about it and it recently came up in my #NerdyCast with Lyn Hilt. It's a part of my life I want to forget, but really embrace. It's a part of me that will never go away and will never be trivialized. I did it and I will never be able to take it back. I can at least own up to it and try to speak out for those who can't speak for themselves.

The thing that angers me the most about the article is the suggestion that the act of holding a kid down and cutting his hair is thought of as a prank. It is not a prank. It was an act of bullying. We all have done things we are ashamed of as kids growing up. It's part of growing up. The real act of a man is admitting the mistake, showing remorse and being a better person. I don't see that in the apology I read. Suggesting that act is horseplay sends the wrong message to everyone that it's ok to pick on kids if it's in jest. It's not.

As a high school teacher, I'm continuously haunted by my actions. Whenever I see anything remotely like what I did for that short time Freshmen year, it brings back painful memories. I use those memories to be a better person and help those become better people. I wish the person in this article did the same thing.

Letting Go of Control #PBL

I've been watching my student projects roll in this week and I have been above impressed. I love to see kids have the opportunity to be creative and share their talents with the rest of class. Here are a couple of things my students have created with this project.

Animation

Gatsby Graffiti with QR Codes - Video

Gatsby Grille - Evernote Pics

I have even more Prezis and videos coming in later this week. I'm really happy with the way that this project is turning out.

I've been so proud of my students and they work they have done this year and I wonder why more teachers are not embracing projects as a way to assess learning. Based on conversations I have had with other teachers on this topic, it seems like control is a big issue. With open ended projects, teachers have less control and some have a hard time with that.

There is an idea out there that students need to be told what to do and how to do it when it coes to projects. For some students, they have no idea what to do when told they can be creative because they have never been given the freedom to do what they want. It's terrible when I have to help a student find their creative passions again. Sadly, I feel like some students never recover.

What is the reason behind the control issues? Why is it so important for some teachers to be "The Teacher"? I've known some teachers who really enjoy the power trip that being a teacher can be at times, but they do not tend to last very long in the classroom. There needs to be a reason and I think it might be failure. It seems that the fear of failing is what leads most teachers to avoid change. It ironic that by fearing failure, those teachers are failing their students.

I used to believe that the best project was the one I created and the student that followed all of the directions was the student who did it the best. I also used to think that giving weekly multiple choice tests was the best way to "make" kids do the reading. When I moved to projects, I thought they had to be very structured so the students would "learn" what they were supposed to and I could assess their learning easily following the rubric I constructed. Silly me. The projects were ok, but they lacked creativity and passion. I started to give options and started to get better projects. The last step was to give them just a couple of requirements (Explain 2 themes and 2 symbols) and let them create the project and the rubric with some guidance on my part when asked.

By giving up control, I didn't lose control of the class, I empowered the students to take control of their learning. It's a lesson I wish I had learned years ago and I hope to share with as many people as possible.

Gatsby Graffiti and Animation

My students created "graffiti" to put in display to teach students about themes and symbols found in "The Great Gatsby". These pictures demonstrate the power of PBL and technology.

Here is a video with some close-ups of each work. 

Another group asked if they could download an app for their iPad because they really wanted to do animation for their project. I was out of money for apps purchasing, so I picked up an iTunes card and used it to upload the app on her device. The student in the group worked on this for a week. We are working on adding the song she wants soon. The app was Animation Desk. 

There are many more projects I can't wait to share with all of you. Stay tuned for more great work. 

From The Mouth of Babes #edcampDetroit

This is what I called the student panel session at #EdcampDetroit. A few weeks ago students at my school asked me about edcamp Detroit and asked if they could go. I wasn't sure at first, but then I thought a student panel could be interesting. I told them to come down and we would see what happens. I couldn't have been happier with the decision. (Note: I have not actually taught any of the students on the panel and nobody from  my school was in the audience. This led to a very open and honest discussion about what the students like and did not like.)

There were some great things discussed during the 1 hour session:

I asked the panel what they expect from a teacher when they walk into class on the first day and the overwhelming response was making connections. The kids wanted their teachers to be human and just talk to them. One of the said, "We have the whole year to learn, tell me about your summer." This stood out to me. It is something that I strive very hard to do and I was glad to hear that students value that in a class. They want to see that teachers are human and that they value what happens to their students outside of the classroom.

Kids have an assumption that a teacher will know how to use the technology in their classroom. They said, "If it is standard in every room, the teacher should know how to use it. There is nothing worse than watching a teacher struggle with technology." This says something about teachers and the professional development in my district. I'm sure it is the same in many other districts across the country though. Teachers need to embrace the technology in the classroom. Students have come to expect a certain level of competence and it is our duty to meet that level.

Students love Project Based Learning and what to know how the skills they are learning apply to real life. "Just tell me why I will need Geometry. When will I need it? Give me real life problems." The students were very passionate about this topic. They do not want to sit in class and just take notes day after day. They want a dynamic class that allows them to explore the content area with a purpose. They found value in Project Based Learning.

"I don't learn the same way you learn." Kids were adamant about having teachers try to teach them the way that they learn. They acknowledged that it would be tough to do with every student, but it would mean so much to them if they felt they could learn at their pace or in a style that allowed them keep up and understand the material.

The final question of the session was, "What is the one thing you wish teachers knew about you as a student?" I loved the answers that the kids gave for this one.

"I want to come to school. I want to learn. I want them to engage me." I smiled big time when I heard this. It is the simplest thing a teacher can do. Engage your students. They really do want to be there. They want to learn. The only thing we have to do is engage them. How many students are written off as lazy or problems by some teachers when it really is the teacher to blame for not engaging the students? Our kids are looking to us and we cannot let them down.

"Teach me more than just lessons, I want life lessons." Just another fabulous answer from my fabulous students. They recognize that the role of the teacher is so much more than just getting through the curriculum. They seem to get this better than some teachers. Reach out to the students and be part of their lives. Let them know that you care and it can make a difference. They are expecting it.

I loved this session and the kids were excited afterwards. They asked if they could come back next year and do another session. One student asked if it could be called, "Return of the Babes". :-)

I would like to thank Sam, Megan, Annabel and Tori for giving up part of the Saturday afternoon to take part in edcamp Detroit. They were everything I expect from Grosse Pointe South students. I am very proud of them and can't wait to have them back next year.