Answering Questions from Teachers in a #LearnLAP Book Study

Question:

How do you explain to your kids that there will not be 'grades' for everything and how do you go about pacifying the parents when they are searching for constant feedback (from grades)? Thank you!! GREAT book, truly enjoyed it by the way!!

Answer:

Hi Alexandra - Thanks for the kind words! I'm very fortunate that our community is one in which parents are extremely involved in school activities. They know what's going on in school and are often involved in making our school an even better place for their children. I've had the pleasure of working here for 17 years, and because of that, parents know me and my methods either through their older children or through their friends/neighbors whose children I've had as students. That has provided me with an automatic, "I'll trust him for now," approach from most parents. Of course, that wouldn't last if I didn't back it up with strong evidence that it results in increased learning, effort, and interest! I've honestly never had a parent or administrator question it since my report cards are FILLED with pages of anecdotal evidence and qualitative evidence that shows where their child is in each subject, broken down by categories and skills. Most parents are so thankful that I know their child so well at the first conference that we generally talk about what is working and how happy their child is to be in a classroom that focuses in on improvement and growth rather than mastery and perfection. Here is my Assessment page: http://psolarz.weebly.com/21st-century-assessment.html - There are several PDF's that you can download to see what some of the materials look like that I give to parents during each report card. Today, there are lots of resources that support eliminating grades or at least downplaying them. I recommend books by Mark Barnes and Starr Sackstein to start with. The real key is providing students with lots of specific feedback that helps them grow no matter what level they are currently at. When parents and administrators see students improving, trying their hardest, and enjoying school, they will support and trust you. As far as the kids go, my students have never batted an eye - they haven't asked me about grades because they know where they stand with me since I give them so much feedback, opportunities to improve, and time to work during Homework Club so they don't fall behind. I'm sure my straight-A kiddos wish they could still be getting A's all the time, but they feel fulfilled in a classroom that appreciates their effort, their focus on constant improvement (even when it's "good enough"), and their willingness to help others be as successful as they are! The following is WAY cliche, but I mean it... ALL students can be successful - we don't need some to fail and struggle so that we rise to the top! We don't step on others to climb the mountain of success, we take turns carrying each other until we all arrive at the top together! That's what our classroom feels like! It makes me so happy that kids will stop what they're doing to help others. That's the way a family works, and that's the way we hope a society can work too!

Hi Paul! I’d like to ask you about station activities. I am fortunate enough to work in an ICR classroom, so for the most part, my co-teacher and I are able to manage both teacher-led and student-led activities within our stations. However, many teachers that are by themselves in the classroom express concern or report a lack of success with station activities. Besides telling them that they should read your book (because they should!), do you have any quick words of wisdom that I can pass on to my colleagues that may not have the time to read your entire book, to help make their student-led classroom more successful? I guess I am asking you to put your book in a nutshell, if possible! lol Less...

I will certainly try! 😀 In our school, students receive services via both push-in and pull-out methods (not ICR, however). The teachers and aides that work IN my classroom join activities already in progress and support as needed. They know that the students they are responsible for know how to get started with their partners, but may need help doing things correctly or at a high enough level. They will look over what's been done and give feedback to help each child improve their work. By creating collaborative activities with random partners each time, students learn to work together and help each other out, often replacing the need for an adult. When it comes to fluency practice, comprehension strategies, or working on basic skills that other students in my class don't need to work on, our teachers/aides pull students to provide those services. This is often more teacher-led, but as students learn the rituals, they take on the leadership of getting everything set up and put away, and often can do certain practice activities on their own and just have the teacher (or answer key/computer program) provide feedback at the end. In a nutshell, I would suggest that ICR teachers set up rituals that allow students to lead as much as possible, and then provide feedback to constantly maintain a proper direction and high effort. Students are often very motivated when they're given responsibilities and independence! I hope that answers your question, but if not, feel free to let me know! 😀

How did you express your form of assessments to your administrators and to the parents of your students?

Ashley - Good question! It was honestly a slow, gradual process where I started to replace tests with other forms of assessments. Then, I decided to stop assigning letter/number grades to assessments and instead focus in on giving feedback that would allow each child to improve gradually. I never thought to tell my administrators or parents right away because I wasn't sure where I was going with it or if it would be successful, to be honest. Now, when I start the year, I tell my new students' parents all about it on Parent Night, give them a copy of "Learn Like a PIRATE" and let them know they can ask me any questions they have whenever they want to. I've honestly never had a parent or administrator question it since my report cards are FILLED with pages of anecdotal evidence and qualitative evidence that shows where their child is in each subject, broken down by categories and skills. Most parents are so thankful that I know their child so well at the first conference that we generally talk about what is working and how happy their child is to be in a classroom that focuses in on improvement and growth rather than mastery and perfection. Here is my Assessment page: http://psolarz.weebly.com/21st-century-assessment.html - There are several PDF's that you can download to see what some of the materials look like that I give to parents during each report card. Today, there are lots of resources that support eliminating grades or at least downplaying them. I recommend books by Mark Barnes and Starr Sackstein to start with. The real key is providing students with lots of specific feedback that helps them grow no matter what level they are currently at. When parents and administrators see students improving, trying their hardest, and enjoying school, they will support and trust you.

How are you able to manage all the student-led activities in your class?

Fortunately, my students do most of the management! I set the purpose for the period and give directions, and then I send my students off to do what needs to be done. They assist each other because they're not competing for A's, time limits are flexible, and collaboration is paramount. I'm free to observe, provide feedback, assist those who need me the most, and teach mini-lessons that keep my students moving forward.

Have you ever had a student that just could not seem to manage in the student-led activities without constant support? How would you handle a student like this?

I truly have not had a student that couldn't manage our activities, but they definitely are successful along a continuum, with some in their comfort zone and others who have to work at it a bit more. (My classroom is often filled with students who have ADHD (I have six students with ADHD this year). In the past, I have had students with Down's Syndrome, ASD, behavioral disorders, etc. I also generally get one of our gifted clusters, as well as an LD cluster.) That's not to say that they figured everything out immediately, but with feedback and one-on-one conversations, each student learned how to be successful in our classroom environment. Some students need reminders. Some students need occasional consequences, but honestly, most of my students appreciate the structure of the class so much that they stop competing for attention or power, and they're never bored, so they rarely act out! Building strong relationships with each of your students is the most important factor in a student-led classroom. I start building relationships with students in the school out at recess and in the hallways long before they're a student in my class. Students know who I am before they get to 5th grade and have some respect for me before they set foot in our classroom. Since I have extra time in my day to connect with students (because my kiddos are generally leading their activities), I really take advantage and get to know each student while they work. My kids seem to really appreciate the attention I give them and show their appreciation by respecting our process.

The idea of moving from a Grade Focus to an Improvement Focus is wonderful as well as necessary and from the POV of the students I see how the change is supported. How do you or would you go about helping to facilitate the parent mindset when it comes to grades? Are there ideas you have that have worked with encouraging more school-home-school communication and understanding?

At the start of each year, I tell my new students' parents all about our focus on improvement rather than grades on Parent Night, give them a copy of "Learn Like a PIRATE" and let them know they can ask me any questions they have whenever they want to. I explain a lot of what I wrote in the book to them on Parent Night so they know my purpose & rationale. If anyone would feel uncomfortable about it, I would make sure to have a conversation with them to help ease their concerns. All that being said, I've honestly never had a parent or administrator question it since my report cards are FILLED with pages of anecdotal evidence and qualitative evidence that shows where their child is in each subject, broken down by categories and skills. Most parents are so thankful that I know their child so well at the first conference that we generally talk about what is working and how happy their child is to be in a classroom that focuses in on improvement and growth rather than mastery and perfection. Here is my Assessment page: http://psolarz.weebly.com/21st-century-assessment.html - There are several PDF's that you can download to see what some of the materials look like that I give to parents during each report card. Today, there are lots of resources that support eliminating grades or at least downplaying them. I recommend books by Mark Barnes and Starr Sackstein to start with. The real key is providing students with lots of specific feedback that helps them grow no matter what level they are currently at. When parents and administrators see students improving, trying their hardest, and enjoying school, they will support and trust you. The school-home connection is an important one. In our classroom, we have a blog that replaces our class newsletter: (http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/), a Daily Photo Journal that shows them what we are doing in class each day that students completely run: (http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/daily-photo-journal), our 2015-2016 Solarz' Class YouTube page with 1,716 videos (as of today) that we create to make our thinking visible: (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DeddbaMybPOm66T9TS8wQ/videos), our "Online Yearbook" that allows parents to see just their kids in all of our photos: (https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMVIZChF7dmcWEshi6T7PpcFGXQYkPU_wMSqAo7xferQsDI-gDUAQvod4P_4Cp0mg?key=dGdYaTRDN2ZQWHp0YzJOSF8tRUdlSUZWOTFsT29n), a Google Calendar for homework: (http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/calendar), our weekly schedule to help parents determine best times to pull their child for doctor appointments, etc: (http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule), and I use email often to get out information and to communicate timely information, etc. This eases parents' concerns and gives them a thorough understanding of what's happening in our classroom each and every day!

Do you have a favorite chapter in this book, or one that was the most meaningful for you personally to write? If so, why?

When I wrote the book, I kind of wrote all of the chapters at the same time and moved sections around to where it fit best. When I entered the revision process, I worked hard with my editor to make things flow better and actually did a complete re-write of two chapters (The "R" and "E" chapters in the PIRATE acronym). All of the information stayed the same, but I supported it differently and I connected it to other parts of the book differently. One of the hardest things was writing the "Empowerment" chapter because I had already explained how I empower my students to lead throughout the whole book (I "stole my own thunder!"). But I didn't want to give up calling the "E" "Empowerment" because I felt it was too important to lose! Now that everything is put together, I enjoy the "Peer Collaboration" chapter most for many reasons. Whenever I lead a workshop on my book, I seem to spend the most time discussing that chapter with the group. I think it's the basis for everything else. For example, you can have a completely student-led classroom without eliminating grades, but it would be nearly impossible to do without having your students work together on most tasks. You can have a student-led classroom without focusing on 21st Century Skills as much as I do, but you couldn't do it if the students didn't effectively work with each other, etc. Hope that makes sense! 😀

What inspired you to write this book? Of your strategies which do/did you find the most successful in your own classroom?

My publisher (and author of "Teach Like a PIRATE") Dave Burgess, asked me if I wanted to write a book called "Learn Like a PIRATE!" He and I connected on Twitter and I helped run his Twitter chat for a few weeks and set up a summer Twitter Book Club to discuss it over six weeks. He knew, through our conversations and my old blog (http://psolarz.weebly.com/mr-solarz-eportfolio), that I was an elementary teacher, implementing technology and student-led practices in my classroom and thought it would make a nice companion to his book. He asked me in July or August of 2014 and it was finished at the end of November (although editing/revising took until January). We published in March, 2015 and just celebrated its first anniversary a little over a month ago! Although I don't necessarily have a "favorite" strategy, one of the strategies from the book that I use nearly everyday (and that other teachers find extremely useful) is the idea of "Responsibility Partners." Whenever my students complete an independent task (that isn't an assessment), I partner them up randomly and have them work side-by-side. This is so they have someone to ask questions of, someone who will monitor their progress (I remind them regularly to look over their work and give feedback), and it frees me up to walk around and help those who need me most. Partnerships are even encouraged to go to other partnerships when both kids are stuck and need help. This collaborative work ethic is what keeps our classroom on-task and maximizing our time.

What does the first few weeks/days of school look in your classroom? How much time do you spend on classroom management and team building before you jump into the curriculum?

My publisher really wanted me to be more specific about this as well, but the truth is that every year is very different from the previous one. The things that stay consistent from year to year is that I spend the first day talking with my new students about how our class will be different than in other years and why. I give them the "Give Me Five" powers and ask them to take risks to lead our class. I let them know that I will correct them if they use it wrong, but will appreciate the fact that they tried it without asking me first. We talk about the importance of handling critical feedback from me, because I will be giving praise and compliments, but also constantly on the lookout for ways I can help students get to "the next level" in whatever skill they are working on (this is ambiguous because "skill" might relate to any of the 21st Century skills we work on, an academic skill, a procedural skill, etc.). I ask them to try to get to a place where they can appreciate feedback from me, even when it's corrective in nature. Since I don't use grades, feedback is the mechanism for growth and it's what tells students how they're doing so report card grades are never a surprise. I have the "Marble Theory" meeting in the first day or two and teach kids about how we will need to get along with EVERYONE in the room this year, and respect that we all have strengths and weaknesses and that just because one student may not always get straight-A's, they are still just as "intelligent" as one who does because in our classroom "intelligence" is measured with fictional marbles in our brain that have been allocated to cups that identify skills that we are good at and skills that we need to try to improve on. We set up a bunch of our rituals and routines during the first couple days and I gently nudge students to get them to use "Give Me Five" and other leadership techniques (both active and passive). I teach mini-lessons that focus on 21st Century skills and let them know our main focus should be on effort, collaboration, and revision this year. That's a change from years where they only worry about themselves, try to "finish" things even if it's not their best work, and turn things in and never look at it again. Effort, collaboration, and revision drive our day-to-day practices. Hope that helps!

Is your classroom an inclusion classroom? Have you had any experience with the student-led classroom in an ICR class setting? If so, do you have any advice on conveying the belief and trust in this kind of student run class with another teacher who may not feel the same? Sometimes I feel I struggle with the communication needed in order to keep the classroom norms consistent when I am not the only teacher in the classroom.

We are an inclusion district and my classroom includes children whose least restrictive environment is the regular ed classroom. Therefore, I have students with all sorts of needs including LD, BD, ASD, ADHD, Down's Syndrome, etc. We are also a unique school where students with more needs are integrated into a regular ed classroom for part of their day, while receiving some services in their self-contained classroom. We call this our Integrated Services classrooms. Although I have done this, I am no longer the I.S. classroom for 5th grade. All that being said, I work closely with the 5th grade special ed teacher and assistants to provide push-in and pull-out services to my students. As with any relationship, lots of communication needs to happen so that both parties see eye-to-eye on the educational philosophy of a the classroom. Maybe lend them your "Learn Like a PIRATE" book and see if they are willing to read it and jump on board. I would suggest that your co-teacher is present during all classroom meetings and mini-lessons so they see what you are expecting the students to do. If they are able to support you they will, but most likely you will need to have many conversations about why you are doing what you are doing and will need to ask that he/she try hard to support your style of teaching. If it's not a smooth transition, perhaps you can start with specific directions that they follow during one lesson at a time. Once they "master" that, add another expectation to the next lesson. As I type this, it sounds condescending, but it's not meant to be. Just like parenting, you both need to be on the same page or it's not likely to be as successful! Good luck - I have spoken with other teachers who have gotten it to work despite a slow start!

What is one thing that you love about the classroom? Also we know that we all have had setbacks in the classroom, was there ever a time that you struggled as a teacher and if so what did you learn from that experience?

Every year, I wonder what it would be like to leave the classroom and work in a district office, or as an instructional coach, or with a curriculum company, but as soon as it starts to get "real" I immediately think about how much I would miss the classroom! I LOVE teaching and LOVE being with my students all day! My relationships with each student is the number one reason I stay in the classroom and it's the number one factor in how great my year was. Some years, I connect strongly with each and every student, finding ways to turn their idiosyncrasies and quirks into redeeming qualities that I miss when they move on to middle school. Occasionally though, there is that one child who, for whatever reason, I'm not as effective at bonding with and that drives me crazy! I work hard at it! I spend extra time with these students and find personal interests we have in common. I attend their hockey games and go to their music recitals. I give more smiles and high fives to these students, but sometimes it just doesn't result in a strong relationship for whatever reason. I never give up trying, but I try to remind myself that you can't please everyone all of the time! My goal is always to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for each of my students and hope that they look forward to each and every day they come to school. I know that if I continue to try my best, it's all I can do, and I can live with myself knowing that I have no regrets! Hopefully, that answers both of your questions! Good luck Bianca!

How long have you taught? What subjects, as well as, levels did you mostly teach? Are you still teaching in the classroom?

The 2015-2016 year was my 17th year (all 5th grade believe it or not), all at the same school (the district I grew up in), and I teach all subjects. I've never left the classroom and have no immediate plans to do so. I just enjoy being around the kids too much! 😀

Where do you see the collaborative classroom in ten years? Will it be strictly student-led?

Although I think the collaborative, student-led classroom looks very different from grade to grade, I do believe that people could take it too far, giving students too much freedom and too much power. One of the reasons why it works well in our classroom is that we have an extremely "structured" classroom. (Think of it as the "S" in "PIRATES".) In some ways, students are expected to do things a very specific way at a specific time, with a specific person. If you were to visit my classroom, you would see my students working, but what you might not know is that I gave them very specific and clear directions, personalized feedback that fine-tuned their actions and behaviors over time, and set rituals and routines in place that have specific steps that aren't often deviated. Although my students make tons of choices throughout the day without coming to me for permission, they are always making decisions that fit within the structure of our classroom. If teachers give too much independence, students might not learn as much, might be off-task, might not care about improving. If teachers allow for too much choice, students may never work with other students (forming cliques or alienating some), might not focus on what's important, and might not make decisions that are the best for themselves. The teacher's role in a collaborative, student-led classroom is as important as it is in a teacher-led classroom, but it looks very different and its purpose is very different. I think this blog post that I wrote really does a nice job of showing many of the differences: http://psolarz.weebly.com/mr-solarz-eportfolio/how-my-21st-century-classroom-has-changed-from-my-classroom-between-1999-and-2010

What inspired you to write "Learn like a Pirate"?

My publisher (and author of "Teach Like a PIRATE") Dave Burgess, asked me if I wanted to write a book called "Learn Like a PIRATE!" He and I connected on Twitter and I helped run his Twitter chat for a few weeks and set up a summer Twitter Book Club to discuss his book over six weeks. He knew, through our conversations and my old blog (http://psolarz.weebly.com/mr-solarz-eportfolio), that I was an elementary teacher, implementing technology and student-led practices in my classroom and thought it would make a nice companion to his book. He asked me in July or August of 2014 and it was finished at the end of November (although editing/revising took until January). We published in March, 2015 and just celebrated its first anniversary a little over a month ago! It was one of my bucket-list items to some day publish a book, so I'm eternally grateful to Dave and his wife Shelley for giving me the opportunity to write "Learn Like a PIRATE." In addition, I had the best editor a person could ask for in Erin Casey!!!

Thank you for sharing your ideas and practices. It is refreshing to get practical suggestions from someone who spends time in the classroom and understands our same struggles. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and cannot wait to start implementing what I've learned! As I read, I was constantly asking, "Can my first graders do this?" I am often told.. yes they can! But I spend everyday with them and know that at this age, they're still working on independence, stamina, focus, maturity, etc. As you know, the beginning of the school, so much time is spent on establishing routines, expectations, and rules. And for us teachers who have the little kids, it takes twice as long before we have the classroom running smoothly. I'm told time after time that children need routine. They need structure. So, I plan my days making sure that it is stuck as close to schedule as possible. They're aware that sometimes things can change anytime because of the tons of things happening in school and unforeseen disruptions. I guess my question to you is, how do I get my students to be adaptable and flexible in their schedules (and learning) without having to really sacrifice their need for structure? I'm sure there's no straight answer, but I am just curious at how you would go about setting up this kind of environment for students of 6-7 years old. I appreciate any thoughts you have on that. Thank you so much for taking the time to be a part of our discussions!

I'll start by saying that you're right - first grade at the beginning of the year is a very different setting than my 5th grade classroom! We focus on the 21st Century skill of "Adapting to Change" a lot in our classroom. I post the schedule for the week online & display it in class all day: http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule but students know that it changes often - students adapt! Students are partnered up and their partner has to go to band in the middle of the activity - students adapt. One day, they have one role in our Mystery Skype, the next day they have a new role - students adapt. I mix things up a lot in order to help students work on the skill of adapting to change. I model appropriate responses to changes as they affect me, and I tell stories about how I deal with changes in my life in healthy ways. We have two observable behaviors that we look for in this category: (1) Adapt to varied roles, jobs, responsibilities, schedules, and contexts and (2) Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities. Therefore, I try to provide my students with lots of opportunities to tackle these challenges and show me that they can adapt to change! And to be honest, it comes pretty easily to my 5th graders. How first graders respond is probably much different and requires lots of support along the way from the teacher and their peers. I think that the way you described your classroom planning above is perfect! I would just add that you might want to demonstrate how your kiddos should act whenever change happens. I would suggest identifying the emotions involved and helping them re-frame those emotions. For example, some students may feel anxious, disappointed, confused, or angry when something changes on the schedule. Reassure them that you are not making the change to upset anyone or to show that you are more powerful than they are, but that it is a necessary change for a legitimate reason. Point out how much you care about them, and that you don't want them to feel any of those negative emotions in their school day - you want them to LOVE school! Teach them coping strategies and possibly do some role playing to demonstrate healthy reactions to change. Have them reflect and synthesize this information by having them record a video (maybe with parent helpers if needed) that helps the kindergartners deal with change! After all, we learn best when we teach others!

Here is our #LearnLAP PLN of teachers who are trying out the ideas in "Learn Like a PIRATE" in their classrooms (organized by grade level): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OMH8xBEe_agfWvuxc4Al9pqqiEnmX0EGZRp4IcASxSE/edit?usp=sharing I suggest you connect with some of those kindergarten and first grade teachers to compare ideas and see what's working and what's not for them. Many of them have been active on Twitter raving about the success they're seeing with regard to leadership and collaboration with their kiddos!

Thanks for taking the time to respond to our questions and sharing all of your ideas in LLaP. I’m really working on encouraging my students to focus on feedback and improvement rather than grades. I teach 8th graders who are quite set in their ways and who check their grades online every single day! It’s hard changing their mindsets. You said in your book that you use ePortfolios and you don’t give many tests and quizzes. However, you understand that grades are expected in school today. Can you tell us more about what kinds of assessments you use in your student-led classroom? Is it just e-portfolios and projects? Just how few grades do you give during the year? Have you ever had students who are truly resistant to developing intrinsic motivation for their learning?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity! I’ve been inspired by your book and it’s transforming my classroom in cool ways.

Hi Kristin - thanks for the kind words! Here is my short answer, with a longer one to follow... The only tests I give are end-of-unit math tests and one social studies unit where we work on test-taking strategies (& study skills, etc.). Those are the only things that are graded in my entire class. Everything else just gets feedback, time to improve them, and more feedback. I have to give report cards, so grades on report cards are determined holistically from everything they do in class, but each subject is broken down into several skills/standards and individual grades are identified for each. As for the types of assessments I use, honestly, everything my students do is an assessment to me! We participate in simulations, debates, fairs, projects, performances, etc. My students create online products like timelines, flowcharts, videos, ThingLinks, Vokis, etc. that demonstrate their learning. Because they maintain an ePortfolio of their work, I often have them reflect on the process and what they've learned as well. Although I don't use them enough, self-assessments are great for reflection and help students identify specifics of what they will revise when they're given time in class to do so. Each student also sets individual goals every Friday that they work on throughout the week - most kids take them very seriously and enjoy celebrating their "accomplished goals!" Here is the longer answer: http://psolarz.weebly.com/21st-century-assessment.html (My 21st Century Assessment Page) Be sure to download the PDF's to check them out! Hope that helps!!!

I enjoyed reading your book and hope to implement many of the strategies I learned!!

As a Reading Specialist, I work with small groups of students in grades 1-5. Each group meets for 45 minutes and I typically see 6 groups a day. My question is: How can I incorporate student-led activities when I teach a scripted intervention program and I have a limited amount of time to meet with my groups each day? I want to make the most of their time with me and hope you can offer some suggestions.

When I imagine myself in your position, I envision the students coming in, setting up for me, getting started on something that they can do themselves that maximizes their time-on-task, and when they finish, we get started with the teacher-led portion. This allows for me to arrive a couple minutes late, finish up with another group, deal with a distraction, answer an email, or whatever. This also makes each student feel like they have some control and power in the intervention group and prevents students from goofing off with each other or taking their time getting to the group in the first place. Therefore, this activity should be important to them, important to you (so you will provide feedback until they master all the steps in the ritual), and have a small consequence if not done correctly and on-time (maybe its homework, maybe the group has to go a minute or two into recess, etc.). That last part may sound too strict, but I've found that there have to be consequences for students who aren't trying their best otherwise the students who are most used to slacking will continue no matter how motivational the activity is. I make sure to praise strong effort, show appreciation with an extra minute or two of recess or free-time, etc. and students begin to behave the way that will benefit them most over time! Those relationships are so important! 😀

I have really enjoyed reading your book! It has helped me reflect as a teacher and has given me new ideas to implement in my classroom. I teach 1st grade and have several ESL students in my class. I have tried some student-led activities at this point of the year since my students are more independent. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to explain student-led expectations within the first few weeks of school for this age. I would like to do more student-led activities next year but am not sure how to make it work if students are not yet independent in September. Please let me know ideas you may have to make this successful! Thank you for taking the time and helping!

Although I'm not a primary teacher and won't claim to know exactly how to be one (😀) I would suggest that teaching students the importance of being observant and aware is #1. Learning to interpret what's happening around them can be hard for primary students (oblivious to kids punching or crying or...), so helping them understand what to do in various situations seems like a good first step. This is a transferable skill, one that will be needed all throughout their lives. Although they won't immediately master this, I would next explain that teachers need help in the classroom - they can't do everything themself. Therefore, "I need your help to help each other and help the classroom run smoothly." This is where you come in. Do you want them to be an extra set of eyes that make you aware of what's happening so you can fix the problem? Do you want them to attempt to fix it? Do you want children helping other children with their work? Do you want kids getting supplies out when they're needed? You get to decide the level with which you are comfortable having them lead. In my 5th grade classroom, it's black and white - I want them ALWAYS helping each other. Since we don't have grades, that means nothing is off-limits except for state testing when it's silent in class! I'd rather have my students learn from each other than get it wrong just so I know that they don't get it. I imagine that many students don't completely understand everything when I set them free to work after giving them directions, but they ask each other questions and help each other, so they learn it in authentic situations and for authentic purposes! You just need to determine what those purposes are in your classroom. Here is what I wrote to Thu, another 1st grade teacher:

Hi Thu - Thanks so much for the kind words! I'll start by saying that you're right - first grade at the beginning of the year is a very different setting than my 5th grade classroom! We focus on the 21st Century skill of "Adapting to Change" a lot in our classroom. I post the schedule for the week online & display it in class all day: http://paulsolarz.weebly.com/our-weekly-schedule but students know that it changes often - students adapt! Students are partnered up and their partner has to go to band in the middle of the activity - students adapt. One day, they have one role in our Mystery Skype, the next day they have a new role - students adapt. I mix things up a lot in order to help students work on the skill of adapting to change. I model appropriate responses to changes as they affect me, and I tell stories about how I deal with changes in my life in healthy ways. We have two observable behaviors that we look for in this category: (1) Adapt to varied roles, jobs, responsibilities, schedules, and contexts and (2) Work effectively in a climate of ambiguity and changing priorities. Therefore, I try to provide my students with lots of opportunities to tackle these challenges and show me that they can adapt to change! And to be honest, it comes pretty easily to my 5th graders. How first graders respond is probably much different and requires lots of support along the way from the teacher and their peers. I think that the way you described your classroom planning above is perfect! I would just add that you might want to demonstrate how your kiddos should act whenever change happens. I would suggest identifying the emotions involved and helping them re-frame those emotions. For example, some students may feel anxious, disappointed, confused, or angry when something changes on the schedule. Reassure them that you are not making the change to upset anyone or to show that you are more powerful than they are, but that it is a necessary change for a legitimate reason. Point out how much you care about them, and that you don't want them to feel any of those negative emotions in their school day - you want them to LOVE school! Teach them coping strategies and possibly do some role playing to demonstrate healthy reactions to change. Have them reflect and synthesize this information by having them record a video (maybe with parent helpers if needed) that helps the kindergartners deal with change! After all, we learn best when we teach others!

Here is our #LearnLAP PLN of teachers who are trying out the ideas in "Learn Like a PIRATE" in their classrooms (organized by grade level): https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OMH8xBEe_agfWvuxc4Al9pqqiEnmX0EGZRp4IcASxSE/edit?usp=sharing I suggest you connect with some of those kindergarten and first grade teachers to compare ideas and see what's working and what's not for them. Many of them have been active on Twitter raving about the success they're seeing with regard to leadership and collaboration with their kiddos!

It's a nice new perspective learning about how to teach using more group based learning. I work with a lot of ESL students in my First Grade classroom. They are still learning the language and can become overwhelmed and withdrawn with these types of projects. Do you think it is better to group them homogeneously or mix them with different leveled learners in the classroom? My conflict is that when they are mixed, they get exposure to the language, they can have a less intensive job but will they really be learning anything versus if they are in an ESL group they all are around the same level and I can guide them on a level that they will understand much less invasive than what other students are capable of doing at that point in time.

Hi Jessica - Thanks for your question! I have found that if I don't choose random partners, I almost always choose heterogeneous groups. That being said, I sometimes structure it so students have specific roles that they play in their group so everyone participates, but as the class evolves, I no longer need roles and only need to provide feedback to ensure that everyone is an active participant (but I have 5th graders). If you are concerned that your ESL students are not doing everything they are capable of, have a private conversation with them. Explain your expectations and ask if they think they can accomplish those goals. If not, ask them how you can help. If appropriate, speak to the small group together and give them some guidelines on how to do the work (Can they split it up or should they work together? Do they have roles or should they share the workload?). Ask them to ensure that each student in the group is learning and working and that each student is showing good leadership and following skills. Most importantly, teach them conflict management strategies so they can avoid disagreements that derail their progress. We use Rock-Paper-Scissors and Choose Kind the most in our class. If the project or activity is such that you want your ESL students to each have a large role, create a homogeneous group where you participate with them so they don't spin their wheels. Model and explain directions, etc. Good luck!

First, I'd like to tell you that this is my favorite book on education that I've had the pleasure of reading. It's really transformed my teaching.

My question piggybacks off of Elizabeth's. I teach 6th and 8th grade. I have my 6th graders for a 90 minute block for English and they've taken extremely well to the student led classroom. I'm having more of a challenge getting my 8th grade AVID elective students to become more student-led. Any advice for incorporating the strategies into the higher grades? These students tend to resist change.

I'm hesitant to offer much advice here since my background knowledge on this is limited, so first I'd like to suggest you connect with one of the dozens of middle school teachers on our #LearnLAP PLN: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OMH8xBEe_agfWvuxc4Al9pqqiEnmX0EGZRp4IcASxSE/edit?usp=sharing Next, I wonder if grades has anything to do with it. Are they hyper-focused on their grades and really only looking out for themselves? When I got rid of grades, collaboration became much more authentic - kids ACTUALLY wanted to help each other because if they fell a little behind, they knew I would give them a little more time to finish since it was to help others! If they didn't create the PERFECT product, they knew I would provide feedback to help them improve it without penalty and without disappointment. If there are other reasons and factors, please feel free to reply to this and I will try to think what else I would do to try to help them. In the meantime, connect with some of those middle school educators in the PLN, though, because many of them are living it every day in their classrooms!

I've really enjoyed reading your book and am implementing many of your suggestions in class! I am restructuring how I do group work to make sure all students feel a collective responsibility for the process and outcome.
I teach middle and high school and I don't have as much time with my students as elementary teachers do (I see a few classes only 2-3 a week). What suggestions do you have for creating opportunities for leadership and encouraging students to view the classroom as a community when our time together is limited? Thank you!

First, I think I would start with my team. Are they interested in increasing collaborative, active learning in the classroom? Are they willing to turn some of the power and responsibility over to the students? If so, this becomes the culture of our team and it flows from classroom to classroom. If not, that's OK too. Start with rituals that students do when they enter your room. Get to a point where you don't have to remind them to do things, but when they enter, they immediately move furniture or go to a specific web page, or read through their summary, or watch a video, etc. Use this short amount of time to give specific feedback and/or do a short small-group instruction. Turn over some of your clerical/administrative tasks to the students (e.g. mine take attendance, answer the phone, greet visitors, etc.). Transform more lessons into partner lessons where you randomly assign their partners or have them rotate each day so they get to know everyone & respect everyone well. When some assignments are better done alone, assign them a "Responsibility Partner" who is there to answer questions & give feedback along the way. I removed grades from my class and that allowed my students to see that helping their peers was more important than perfection on assignments. They still do great work, but now they know how to manage their time well enough that many know that some of their time can be spent assisting others and giving feedback to their peers instead of hyper-focusing on the assignment. Don't be afraid to have Classroom Meetings (I often refer to them as Mini-Lessons) and teach the skills that you think your students need to be successful in your classroom. I teach many 21st Century skills through videos and Infographics. We also learn about them through non-examples that come up in our reading, as explained by the kids who discover them. It's a mindset that the students need to "feel" from you. Constant feedback and a focus on these skills and behaviors will lead to a collaborative community that treats each other like members of a family (which includes little spats & disagreements, but with respect!). 😀

Thank you for sharing your ideas in the book and joining this book club. My question is about the beginning of your school year. What do the first days/weeks look like as you familiarize students with a student-led classroom? Do you find that your students have any experience with student-led activities? I've been struggling with developing student responsibility and independence this year. For next year, I'm not sure what the balance is between turning ownership over to the students and not overwhelming them with too much, too soon. If you have any advice on this, it would be appreciated. Thanks! Less...

First, the students entering my classroom typically come to me from traditional classrooms where the teacher is mainly in charge. This is slowly changing, but not by all teachers (which is fine - to each their own!). 😀 I have a tendency to throw my kiddos into the deep end right away, so to speak. I don't hold back much, because I know what I'm looking for, I know how to get them there, and I know what feedback they need in order to be successful - that comes with time!!! You should do whatever makes you feel most comfortable. That being said, my students always handle it well and I never feel the need to tone it down or slow it down. I just have to remind myself that students at the beginning of the year behave nothing like the students I had at the end of the previous year. I need to remember that it's a year-long process and that there will be many bumps along the road! But it's SO worth it and the kids get SO much out of it! 😀

Here is what I wrote to another teacher in another thread: My publisher really wanted me to be more specific about the first few days as well, but the truth is that every year is very different from the previous one. The things that stay consistent from year to year is that I spend the first day talking with my new students about how our class will be different than in other years and why. I give them the "Give Me Five" powers and ask them to take risks to lead our class. I let them know that I will correct them if they use it wrong, but will appreciate the fact that they tried it without asking me first. We talk about the importance of handling critical feedback from me, because I will be giving praise and compliments, but also constantly on the lookout for ways I can help students get to "the next level" in whatever skill they are working on (this is ambiguous because "skill" might relate to any of the 21st Century skills we work on, an academic skill, a procedural skill, etc.). I ask them to try to get to a place where they can appreciate feedback from me, even when it's corrective in nature. Since I don't use grades, feedback is the mechanism for growth and it's what tells students how they're doing so report card grades are never a surprise. I have the "Marble Theory" meeting in the first day or two and teach kids about how we will need to get along with EVERYONE in the room this year, and respect that we all have strengths and weaknesses and that just because one student may not always get straight-A's, they are still just as "intelligent" as one who does because in our classroom "intelligence" is measured with fictional marbles in our brain that have been allocated to cups that identify skills that we are good at and skills that we need to try to improve on. We set up a bunch of our rituals and routines during the first couple days and I gently nudge students to get them to use "Give Me Five" and other leadership techniques (both active and passive). I teach mini-lessons that focus on 21st Century skills and let them know our main focus should be on effort, collaboration, and revision this year. That's a change from years where they only worry about themselves, try to "finish" things even if it's not their best work, and turn things in and never look at it again. Effort, collaboration, and revision drive our day-to-day practices. Hope that helps!

I have loved the ideas that you have shared in your book! I am curious to know if you have ever taught with a special education teacher and if you were able to use a student led classroom with special ed students? What suggestions do you have for specific jobs or tasks that would be appropriate for students with cognitive disabilities?

Thank you for this awesome book and for sharing your inspiring ideas!

I have the pleasure of working with one of the best special ed teachers I have ever known! She is flexible with regard to our schedule, caring to a fault, and willing to accommodate my educational philosophy into her own! I get a special ed cluster every year (well, 16 out of 17 years). My special ed students are often some of my best leaders! Their confidence grows exponentially in our classroom because we don't use grades, work is shared by members of a team, corrective feedback is being given to everyone in class (not just them), and students are taught to discover everyone's individual strengths and to appreciate them for their own skills and aptitudes. I've always chosen formal jobs randomly and allowed students to trade up until a cut-off time, so I've never hand-picked any jobs for my students, but typically my students who have had more severe cognitive disabilities have chosen jobs like pencil-sharpener dumper, pillow person, mail distributor, paper passer, etc. These jobs often have a partner or allow other students (or their one-on-one aide) to help them as they do it. That being said, I wouldn't be afraid to see how they handle some of the harder jobs, I just might scaffold it more or allow others to help more. I think that with feedback, each student can improve some and with assistance, can do pretty well! But I would never want them to feel as though it was a failure that they couldn't make another attempt at, so I would use your best judgment! With regard to daily collaborative activities, I treated them like anyone else and partnered them up randomly and asked that everyone help their partners be successful. You should have seen how many times my one-on-one aide for my student with Down's Syndrome left the room because she wasn't needed! The kids know what to do and how to include each other in the process! (As a matter of fact, that year's class was more empathetic than any other I've ever had!)

I am wondering how you would handle challenging students who do not take a role in their learning. Having a student led classroom requires some independence from the children. If a child's behavior does not allow for independence for many reasons beyond your control (i.e. learning disabilities, lack of parental involvement, lack of medication, etc.), what suggestions do you have to accommodate that child's needs in this type of learning environment?

Thank you! I have enjoyed reading your book and am excited to start implementing some of the great strategies I learned!

Honestly, I've had some tough kiddos over the years and the beginning of the 4th grade teachers told me how this particular child would not be successful in my student-led, technology-filled, collaborative classroom. But through relationship-building, a constant awareness of their actions, immediate feedback, and personal conversations, we always had amazingly successful years! That's not to say there weren't challenges along the way, bumps in the road, testing their limits, etc. But whenever I brought it back to our mutual respect for each other, I bought myself another week of good behavior. These students would often take out their misbehavior at lunch, recess, or at specials - I couldn't control them in those less-structured environments. But in class, they were often model students. Some days, they straddled the line (Are they going to misbehave or are they going to make it through the lesson successfully?). I was hyper-sensitive to them on those days, used every ounce of preventative measures I could muster, and reacted immediately with feedback before it escalated further. I taught them strategies for dealing with their emotions, their inattentiveness, their frustration. I spent extra time with them before school, at lunch recess, or after school to do positive things like Science Fair projects and Genius Hour projects. I showed an interest in what they enjoyed, and I took time to listen to them when they wanted to share. I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new when I say that "relationships are the key to success in the classroom." They won't respect me unless I respect and care about them! Therefore, I believe that all of my students with ADHD, behavioral disabilities, autism, etc. deserve to be an active leader in our classroom - they just might need extra support in doing so! It's not easy, though, so I wish you luck - thanks for the question!