topham's attic: and on to friday we go!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

and on to friday we go!

I sort of like Thursdays. Every time we come to a Thursday, it means there is only one day left before the weekend, and I can usually manage that!

E3H: We are in Macbethland, but...

There will be a test on The Theban Plays, which will be available beginning tomorrow in the Testing Ctr. It is an essay test; bring your texts (including Anouilh). Several of you, based upon your posting grades, will be excused from this test. If you are among these, you should already have, in your mailbox at Groupwise, an email from me explaining how this specifically will affect you.

This test must be completed during a free period by Wednesday of next week. If you have no available free period, ask to be excused from class to take it.

To those who have poor posting grades (you know who you are):

In order to ameliorate your grade, you may do an extra credit essay comparing Anouilh's and Sophocles' versions of Antigone in any specific aspect. Create a clear and specific thesis--the more dynamic, unusual, and interesting, the better--and write a 2-3 page essay supporting it. Usual standards apply. Revision may be required before credit adheres. This essay may be emailed to me as late as the Sunday of spring break, with revision due later in the week. Note: the extra credit on this will be applied directly to your posting grade. This is not available to those already receiving top grades in that area.

E2H: Today's conversation was considerably better. The thing you all seem to have forgotten lately is the notion of taking risks. People have suddenly stopped talking unless they have fully formed ideas, and since no one ever does, we get utterly stagnated "conversations."

Tonight: write a 1-2 page essay about the story "The Moths." In this essay, focus on the narrator's spiritual awakening during her time staying with her grandmother (her Abuelita). This story can be described as a kind of "coming of age" piece in that her sullen, displaced existence ends up changed into something else by the unexpected events of this situation and she finally realizes who she is.

Drama: We shall finish our ritual scene presentations tomorrow. Also, if you have not yet selected monologues, you have essentially two choices:

Choose on your own and bring two copies with you tomorrow, or
Come in during a morning free period tomorrow to select one from my books.

--kt

Notes to Parents

8/24/14

Hi, everyone, and welcome back to another (or your first) year at LFHS.

What you have heard is true. The English teacher has lost her ever-loving mind and is not going to be giving any grades at all in her classes this year. Not. One.

There will be no percentages, no numbers, no scores, no letters, no anything that will count toward anything that will end up being averaged for a final grade. But before you call in the men with the white coats, let me explain:

As I hope you have read in the doc your son or daughter (I have always hated the phrase "your student" when addressed to a parent) should have showed you, there is a wealth of research that indicates that grades--or the need to achieve them--are the single greatest thing that stand in the way of a great education. Studies show that the most influential thing a teacher can do to help a student grow academically is to allow him or her to self-grade. Most teachers would rather climb Mt. Everest dressed only in a swimsuit.

But the thing is: our academic system is severely broken. We say that our goal is to get our students to master Common Core Standards, and that is all well and good. But if that is truly the goal, then why do we care how long it takes them to master them? I'm serious. Think about it this way:

Try to remember back to when you were learning how to ride a bike. Oh, it was scary. You needed all kinds of support at first, lots of help from Daddy or Mommy. Then they let go and you were very, very wobbly. Probably you fell off, maybe several times. It took quite a while before you completely mastered the skill. But when you had...you had it down perfectly for the rest of your life.

Now imagine if you were being graded on that learning experience the way schools grade you. We would not score those first scaffolding attempts with Mommy and Daddy, but then...oh, you failed those quizzes when you fell off. And those wobbly rides? C's at best. Then a bunch of B's probably before you finally settled into 100% forever. But if we graded you right at that point, you'd probably average, oh, 83% or so. Why? You've mastered the skill perfectly. So why do you not get 100% if that is what we say we care about? Why on earth do we care about all those earlier times when you didn't have it down yet?

That will be what we go for here. Students will know what the goals are. They will understand what an "A" student looks like. And they will know when they have mastered an objective. Those who do so earlier than others will become tutors to those who have not yet done it: everyone gains from this and the newly learned skills, instead of being quickly forgotten as things studied for a test usually are, will continue being applied as masters tutor their classmates.

That is an awful lot to imagine will happen because I don't give grades this year, but what the heck: if you don't dream big, you never win big, right? The research is behind this, as is the school administration. I'm happy--well, actually I am excited--to pilot this concept at LFHS. As always, I'm glad to discuss this or anything else with you.

Karen

Feel free to email me any time at ktopham@lfschools.net.

topham's attic

Thursday, March 19, 2009

and on to friday we go!

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