If we think of our schools as volumes of books filled with the vignettes of every person whose presence has graced their hallways and classrooms, we are left to wonder what stories are being told? What are the major themes and how have they been developed? What is the plot structure and how do problems find resolutions? Who are the characters and how do they change over time? How are stories told through multiple points of view and what effect does perspective have on the interpretation of events and their outcomes? Most importantly, what lessons are learned from reading these stories?
Unlike books that can be simply picked up and read, people, particularly young people, are not easily so. To get to know a person (to "read" the story of a person) takes time and often a lot of nurturing through building relationships founded on mutual respect and appreciation. Knowing that stories are often shared in good company, among those with whom we feel most comfortable, we teachers become the hosts of the events that will bring our students together to tell their stories. What might these events be? How will we set the tone to make sure that all stories are heard and appreciated?
It is with this in mind that I have designed a first quarter standards-based unit that revolves around storytelling and community-building. Inspired by the "Faces of Learning" website, this multi-layered performance-based project follows the Language Arts scope and sequence outlined in Curriculum Companion, the tool some Wisconsin districts have chosen to guide our implementation of the Common Core State Standards, and is embedded with English Language Development standards for my ESL-focused class.
First and foremost, I want to build respectful relationships with each of my students and teach them to respect themselves and each other as we get to know about who we are as a community of learners. My goal is to show them that I see each one as a unique person, worthy of respect and value, who has her/his own strengths and weaknesses. I also want them to see me as a lifelong learner with my own strengths and weaknesses who is also worthy of respect. We are doing this through an investigation of our own multiple intelligence, learning styles, and language proficiency (added intentionally for ELL's). This information will be compiled into a learner profile and used to help students set individual goals for their intellectual and social growth.
I also want to empower students to respectfully advocate for their own learning. To do this, I am modeling for them ways that I, as a teacher, advocate for their collective learning, and I am transparent about how I adapt my instruction to fit their individual needs. As students discover more about themselves as learners, we practice ways for them to advocate for their own learning in my classroom and beyond. Through discussions of formal versus informal register in communication and learning about cultural expectations for showing respect, the students will be equipped with the skills necessary to communicate respectfully with a diverse group of peers and adults in our community to advocate for their needs and be responsive to the needs of others.
The most important element of this project is the humanization of students. Not only do I want to create a safe space for students to investigate themselves as learners and respect and appreciate themselves, each other, and me as their teacher, I also want them to share this "data" in a human way with others in our school community. This is why they will be using this experience to write their own learning story to share with families and staff via a classroom website.
As this project grows, I believe that it will continue to foster a climate of strong relationships, as people find similarities with each other and learn to appreciate differences. It also cultivates respect for individuality, as each person's learning story reflects her/his own unique perspective. I look forward to seeing the growth our students will make this year as a result of this strong foundation of self-awareness, respect, and relationships we are building through this project. I also look forward to seeing the growth our staff will make this year as they hear directly from students about their learning experiences, their challenges and successes, in our schools.
