Something that has been coming up as another component of a teacher's role that feels more catered towards checking off an administrative box than serving students is writing "I Can" statements on the board. Take a quick look at social media teacher groups and you will find the dark humor that comes with coping with the millions of expectations and decisions we face daily.
If I am being honest, "I Can" statements are really to support me along the path of the curriculum to maintain focus in moving forward with students. I use them to determine if students are on track or not. There are also attempts to bring students into the conversation about I can statements. You can find them on every set of notes, every Canvas page, every review. These "I Can" statements come from just taking the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and adding "I Can" to the beginning, with an occasional break down in the TEKS (i.e. Algebra 2 TEKS 2A.4 says solve quadratic and square root equations, which is typically broken into I can solve quadratic equations and I can solve square root equations). There are also "I Can" statements with English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). For example, ELPS c4D could be written as "I can monitor understanding and seek clarification through listening." Let's be realistic, do these mean anything to students? My guess would be no. We do not intentionally bring students into the "I Can" statement creation because they are out of their control. It comes from state curriculum requirements to earn credits for specific subjects. What if instead we had "I Will" statements? All of my students can add, subtract, and multiply polynomials to some degree, but which ones will choose one method over another to demonstrate their understanding? All students can put their phones away but will they choose to do so? I bring this up because there is a distinction between something we can do and something we choose to do and will do accordingly. I can go to the gym every day for at least thirty minutes but will I? I can clean the dishes in the sink but will I? I can stop working during a holiday break but will I... depends on how much I can shut off the balls to the wall mindset I have going on. If we want students to be VOCAL and have ownership of their learning, we need to give them choice in what they will choose to do. We can tell them all we want on what they can do, but it comes down to will they do it and what learning environments are we creating to foster a sense of self-worth to decide they can and they will. More on teacher "I Can" statements for another day... but just something you can think about now, but will you think about it later and take action?
References
Bored Teachers. (2023, September). Instagram. Www.instagram.com. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw2seuWvgXR/
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School only started two weeks ago, but I can already see how these six sources of influence are the key to really big picture growth. In this post, I want to focus on influence amongst my peers, rather than the influence I have on students.
Sometimes educators are described as "being stuck in their ways", but my team and I have already changed things up in our content structure, sequence, and pacing in the interest of reaching more students. We reflected and analyzed the past data, recognizing that some things worked okay, but others could work even more effectively. I foresee the biggest impact from the six sources of influence is social ability. My district is using a new learning management system, Canvas, and the math department has switched to using the Desmos calculator over TI-84s. I could go on for days about how much better Desmos is over a physical calculator, but what has really made the difference is when other teachers see the direct impact in their classrooms. Yes, there is a learning curve, but it's so much more intuitive than a TI-84 and more accessible for sure. Not only that, with the PSAT going online this fall and the SAT going online this spring, students consistently and intentionally practicing with the new tool is critical because these standardized tests open the opportunity for students to choose to go to college. Also, not only is the graphing calculator powerful, doing Desmos activities allows for exploring and quick checks for understanding and engages in 21st Century Skills through Experiences. This requires everyone to learn new technology components and not just for the sake of technology, but how to use the technology to facilitate meaningful learning opportunities for students. Having strength in numbers allows for those weary of these changes to see examples of what peers are trying and how they are adapting them after getting feedback from implementing these resources in the classroom. Starting there and expanding out to the social motivation and peer pressure, towards personal and then finally structural, is where my brain sees the most effective path. In fact, now the science department at my campus is trying Desmos!!! With more people trying new things and then feeling more confident in their ability, there's more change! Amongst my graduate classmates, social ability and motivation are commonly identified as the biggest impact - getting peer pressure involved and having power in numbers. What I fear will happen though is as the year progresses and we get more exhausted in all aspects, we will revert back to what we've done because it's easier and less time consuming. When things get tough, we follow our past habits because they require less mental energy. Right now, my "balls to the wall or not at all" motto is leaning towards "not at all" because it feels very overwhelming to have to consider all six sources of influence. What I have decided is that social ability can be enough for now and start to incorporate other sources of influence along the way. |
My husband lovingly teases me when I reflect on my day with him and say "I learned something new today!" because he would be surprised if I didn't learn something new.
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