After completing a unit where students decided when they had reached a satisfactory proficiency in selected targets, it is time to raise the bar. While exploring changes in education that should be made following the unfortunate "time out" that has occurred in school for the last nine months, early childhood teacher Erika Christakis, in her article "School Wasn't So Great Before Covid Either," in the December 2020 edition of The Atlantic, discusses the gains in learning that have been made by students who were able to work more independently, while having more time outdoors. That those are important factors for elementary students also portends their effectiveness for older students as well. My thinking is to finally create a more personalized way of conducting class. After years of talking then forgetting about doing it, I am going to undertake a transformation of Arete English 10, which includes literature, composition and speech. I will require a project, paper and/or presentation at regular intervals with all targets open for each task. Students can look at which targets they need to shore up and attempt them in a format of their choosing on future concepts. There will continue to be lessons for specific targets, but students won't have to attend them unless they haven't yet shown proficiency.
The projects will be constructed by students who will examine the targets, the concept and the formats available to them to create a rationale for the project in which they lay out all aspects of the project, including schedule, targets, and product, for approval by the teacher(s), parents and hopefully a non teacher/family member who is there to ask questions, check on the student and hopefully, create a solid relationship with another adult.
I can start with English, and hopefully, social studies can work in easily as well. The eventual goal would be to include math and science into the project too, but that will remain to be seen. The class structure would give students as much structure as they need. Obviously, there will be students who can work at a high level of independence, but there are those who need encouragement and to be led one small step at a time. We will have to set up short, regular meetings with all students to answer questions and encourage progress.
