Thinking about thinking

A new school year has started, the excitement for teachers and students is at peak level.  Books, folders, pencils and laptops are all in order for another year of school.  But ask yourself: Is this another year just like the last year and just like the years before.  What is new in school?  What is new in the realm of learning?

Too often, we school our students instead of inspire and improve our students.  School is a series of checklists and points which determine success levels.  It is my hope that my classroom is more than a checklist of points, but rather a place of higher learning.

One item that I am interested in improving is the practice of reflection.  Reflection by our students and by myself as a teacher.  One part of reflection is "thinking about your thinking."  This should occur in planning stages and after completion of a task.  When one thinks about his or her thinking the products will be better.

Traditional classrooms avoid this concept by nature.  The teacher is the provider making sure instructions, rubrics, and information are all easily understood.  The teacher then asks for the information to be shared in precise manners of the teacher's discretion.  I worry that students form the habit of completing assignments in compliance of stated objectives.  Getting an "A" in following the guidelines.  This type of assessment, even if it involves critical thinking, does not allow for complete and full growth.

The other obstacle is time.  It takes a lot of time to plan, revise, and adapt ahead of a due date.  It also takes time for a class and teacher to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of an assessment. Education must adopt a less is more philosophy in order to help students.  Standards are great but can be time dependent.

So in the Tonsoni classroom, we will be reflecting this year.  Each day the students will reflect on the class period about what they learned, accomplished or need to know.  Each student will have a personal blog to reflect on issues.  Individual meetings will be held to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of assessments.  I must conquer the time issue, but here we go!