Shades of Educational Grey

The current controversy in Alberta regarding Edmonton Public's 'no zero' policy came to a head yesterday when physics teacher of 35 years, Lynden Dorval was fired.  I have never met Mr. Dorval but his situation leaves me in turmoil.

I feel I have had a stake in each side of this debate at various times in my career. In one situation my team partner and I had a class made up of students who failed the previous grade. Often the cause was their poor attendance and the number of incomplete assignments. We told them that zero was not an option and that we would bug them until we got the assignments. True to our word, we bugged them and over the course of the year we got a lot more work than if the conversation had been, "I'll take a zero." "Suit yourself." Chasing the kids for assignments was exhausting and frustrating. I remember  being in my classroom after school the Friday before Spring Break started, looking at my watch, helping students finish assignments and wondering if I would make my flight out to the coast for a cycling trip.

My teaching partner and I were in an unusual situation with that particular class.  The other teachers at our grade level had agreed to accept slightly larger classes so that we could work with these kids who were at risk of dropping out.  We had the class for all the core subjects; they were only out of our room for options. It was one of the most rewarding years of my teaching career and I was fortunate enough to catch up with a handful of those students when I moved to a high school across the field four years later. They were hanging in.  Good news.

Let me emphasize that we had only 40 students for whom we were primarily responsible.  Numbers in most of the high school classes I taught ranged from 28 to 36, and I taught 3 classes each semester.  I was fortunate because some of my colleagues taught 4. If, while dealing with a regular high school work load, I had I tried to bug every student who didn't hand in an assignment until it came in,  I would have been frustrated that the kids who regularly completed their work were getting the leftovers of my time and attention.

Later on in my career I came into a setting where the policy of the department was to be firm on deadlines, down to the minute.  I remember one student coming to the workroom door and handing a paper to another teacher because her teacher wasn't in the room.  When the teacher who had given the assignment returned she was angry: she had specified that the student was to hand in the paper after school and this was noon hour.  She declined to grade the paper and the student received a zero. She reasoned she was teaching the student the importance of following instructions, punctuality and responsibility.  She was doing what was best for the students.

I had difficulty in that department.  I couldn't bring myself to be as firm about deadlines as my department head wanted.  I negotiated with kids when the deadline came and they hadn't handed in their assignments.  I closed my door as much as I could and tried to keep my head down.  It didn't work. In one situation a colleague came into my room when I was allowing a student who was terrified of public speaking to make up an assignment for me rather than having her present to the class. If a student didn't present to the class they were to receive a zero. The colleague told my department head and, I was in trouble - again. I was on the receiving end of an angry outburst that ended when I said, "So what would you like me to do?  It's not the student's fault."  I was doing exactly the same thing my department head was doing: what I considered best for the students.

In the light of Lynden Dorval's situation I'm lucky it was my department head and I who disagreed. I was deliberately going against the department's policy.  She was my immediate 'supervisor.' I was doing what I felt was right.

I wish I had an answer to the 'to zero or not to zero' question but in 30 years of teaching I never found one.  Some kids will play you.  Some will get in over their heads and desperately want you to throw them a life preserver and you hope that if you do they will be grateful and learn the lesson.  Some kids will come through if you trust them and show them that their work is important, and some kids will get discouraged and cease to try. Of course, all teachers want students to learn lessons that will help them become productive and thoughtful members of society. In addition, my wish for my students was always that they move in the world with compassion.

So when I read of Lynden Dorval's case I am torn.  I put plenty of zeros in my mark book during my career.  Did those zeros reflect a student's true capability?  No.  Sometimes the student would turn in  very high quality work, once in a while.  Should that student, because she can do high quality work receive a high grade based on 2 assignments out of the 30 the rest of the class has completed?  Do you reflect the lack of a body of evidence by giving an incomplete in the course, that is, by withholding credit? What percentage of assignments is a student allowed to miss and still receive a grade?

And what about timing? Is it reasonable to expect a teacher to grade assignments at the end of June that were given in January? How much does a student learn by doing a whole lot of work as the course comes to a close? Reporting periods end; school years end and how do students and teachers fit themselves into this framework?

Part of the joy and the terror of teaching is to constantly answer the question, 'What is best for this student.'  I admire those in classrooms who daily face this question and live with the ambiguity it engenders and I am sad when power struggles endanger the delicate balance that allows teachers to answer that question in good conscience and with compassion.

How could it be fall again?

It is fall again - ripe nectarines, plums, blueberries and blackberries - and this is kind of embarrassing.  When I look at the last time I posted on this blog it was almost a year ago.  So much for the resolutions about getting this done regularly. ;-(  I seriously thought of letting the blog slip into oblivion but I have a couple of friends who are good enough to nag me about it, so here I am again.  No promises about how often this will happen but, at least, a commitment not to let it die just yet.

There is definitely life after teaching and this is the beginning of my fifth year of it. Having been a teacher for so long,  September is still the start of my year.  All my weekly activities start up again and I'm more likely to look back over the last 12 months and ahead to the next 12 than at any other time.  The last four years have been quite an education.  For the first couple I was busy delighting in all the things that I no longer had to do, no marking, no planning, no extra-curricular activities, no cafeteria supervision, no report cards.  But, you can only live your life delighting in difference for so long. Once I really understood that I never had to write another report card or mark another paper I was puzzled.  Who was I now that I wasn't a teacher anymore?  Year three was a bit confusing.  I drifted around, not really feeling like I could settle anywhere.

I was still learning. My left hand refused to do what it needed to do on the piano and my singing voice was unpredictable as I tried to establish a new and better default setting.  I spent a lot of time "researching" i.e. surfing the net and most of the structure of my days was determined by outside commitments.  I didn't practice either singing or piano as often as I could have.  Lots of times I drifted not knowing what to do.  Oh, I had lots of stuff I could do, I just wasn't crazy about any of it.

I explored various woodworking sites and electronic magazines, dumped some subscriptions and took on others and always enjoyed puttering around in the shop. That taught me something important about myself.  I'm happiest when I can solve a problem and I'm not all that keen on making a whole bunch of one thing. 

My favourite digital subscription is to Rob Cosman's Rob's Workshop. I look forward to it the way some folks look forward to the next episode of their favourite TV drama or comedy.  Rob shoots 5 shows a week and doesn't do a lot of editing.  This is invaluable because I get to watch a true master-craftsman make mistakes and solve problems.  I've taken classes from Rob and, in some ways, the videos are better. The camera can get closer and see things I can't see during a class. Also these videos have taught me patience when I work wood.  Rob doesn't do everything right all the time and that is very comforting even though I take longer than most to get the hang of something. (Still haven't mastered hand-cut dovetails and it's been almost 9 years.)  Rob's home page

I have gone back to half marathons in the last couple of years and, although I no longer run them, they give me something to train for and I like to chat with other walkers on the way, some of whom are new to the sport.  If they ask I pass on what I have learned from my 22 half marathons to date.  I've also been diligent about exercising.  I have exercised for 591 of the last 593 days.  I give myself little, or sometimes big, rewards when I reach milestones.  I'm currently working my way towards an iPad which I certainly don't need but I have techno-lust and, at least, I'm making myself work for it.

We have had our basement renovated,  quite the adventure.  When you live in an older house you find interesting things once inside the walls.  Among the treasures and surprises we found were an old crib board, a stubby beer bottle and an empty latex-condom box. What were those guys doing when they 'finished' the basement? There was no insulation in the walls.  There were a few cracks in the  concrete and there was a window that had been completely covered up by a previous renovation. The plumbing and electrical were unique and we decided, since we had things torn apart, we might as well get both fixed. From an initial estimate of 6 weeks the reno took closer to 6 months.

The basement is now finished but we are not.  We love the result and are determined not to put a lot of junk back so we are culling.  My 19-year-old van has been living outside since February, its place usurped by stuff that came out of the basement.  A lot of stuff has gone but there is still a lot to get rid of.  One item at a time, I tell myself.

Throughout the years, since 2004 to be exact, there have been the audio books.  Two a month without fail and, when there are sales on Audible, I buy extra ones in case I run out before my credits renew. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin and now, in year five of life after teaching, I feel I'm finding a different direction.  I have always enjoyed writing and have attended a workshop every year since I retired.  Even there I floated around since most people were interested in writing fiction and isn't what really excites me. Barbara Turner- Vesselago kindly lets me return each year. The workshops have a wonderful flow to their days: write in the morning, free time in the afternoon, conversation about the writing in the late afternoon and then do it all again. Barbara's home page

My intention for this year is to write in the morning.  I have an article coming out in the October issue of Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement  and I have sent a couple of tips away to woodworking magazines.  I don't expect to get rich doing this but it is beginning to feel as if I have found another anchor to replace teaching. In year five I think I'm beginning to move toward something rather than moving away from something, and it feels good. With any luck, I'll keep you posted.