After leaving class last night, I couldn't help but feel defeated. We talked so much about how hard it is for teacher's today to grade students on hard work and potential when the standards set for student's lower expectations and force one-way thinking. I left class feeling slightly depressed.
That is, however, until I read Rethinking Rubrics. On the very last page, Wilson writes, "Our ideals will always be in conflict with reality, but it is this tension that moves us forward or keeps us from slipping backward." I love this quote. Reading that quote, as the title of my blog states, turned a lightbulb on in my head. These standards set on students and teachers today may be frustrating, but if we didn't have to constantly try to think up creative ideas that work with these standards, education wouldn't be where it is today. I like how she states that our ideals are in conflict with reality... because conflicts can always be solved. This way of thinking is definitely a more "glass is half full" kind of thinking I needed to hear.
I also liked how Wilson writes about the fact that often times, teachers simply look for mistakes. In their hunt to find grammatical errors, they miss out on seeing potential. I can totally relate to that. When I edit my friends papers, I only ever look for grammatical errors. I think that's because it is just easier to look for grammatical errors (that, and they are all science majors, so I have no idea what the content is about). I never really considered howusing a set rubric that only looks for specific qualities in a piece of writing that fit certain standards disregards the artistic value and potential in a student's writing. After reading this book, though, I totally see standards in a new light...
It feels good to see the glass as half full.
For those of you in need of some inspiration...here's a little Whitman to brighten your day. :-)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdW1CjbCNxw
I underlined that first quote, too. I especially like the end of it about moving forward or slipping backwards. The part about teachers looking for the mistakes was my favorite thing to take away from the reading this week. I think if we only look at what's wrong, we will become blind to what's right. This seems applicable to everything in life. If we only worry about the C we got on one paper, we can't be happy about the three As we got, too. If we obsess over the problems in the world, we become blind to the joy, and little acts of kindness, and love we see everyday.
ReplyDeleteI also underlined that quotation. To me, that last part summarized how teachers should approach the complexities of our profession. I also found Wilson's "deficit" section interesting. It's so true, when we approach a paper the first thing we do is look for mistakes. In part this is good as we need to push our students to improve their writing and thinking. However, we need to always celebrate their victories in writing, no matter how small.
ReplyDeleteLove the Whitman, and love that quote. I think we need to be constantly aware of our own flaws and come to the grading/ assessing with humility, working to help kids change some errors but also highlighting their strengths.
ReplyDeleteAlex Rummelhart
I still slightly feel, sad/irritated when thinking about setting standards for students. I feel like it's hard not to assess students, especially when the education system is built off of tests. However, I love the Whitman quote- it's a good way to see the silver lining.
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny,
ReplyDeleteI'm catching up on blogs and just wanted to comment on this post. I'm so glad you pointed out the quote in Wilson's book...I feel bad that you left class depressed. I think we always need to end class on a high note. Yes, the reality is that there are standards and there will always be something threatening to stifle the creativity you want to foster in your classroom (wow...i mean to try to cheer you up : ) but to me what sets great teachers apart from other teachers is their ability to thrive within those conflicts and tensions. I have a feeling you will be this type of teacher. : )