1. Tell me everything you know about Macbeth.

The kids, who had come into the room nervously awaiting whatever ‘gotcha’ type questions I had in store for them, were delirious at first.  I remember one boy asking me, “how are you going to separate people into grades?”  

I shrugged.  He shrugged back, and got to work.  He wrote at least five pages.  Most kids did.  They knew way more than I thought they had.  They knew the whole plot, every motive of every character…just, everything.

I thought I was going to cry.  Maybe I did cry when I read all of those.  80% of the kids I had no choice but to give an “A”.  The rest probably got D’s or E’s – they didn’t complain, because they hadn’t read the play.

I wonder if we could take this approach to not only classroom materials and learning, but to life.  We judge nations and cultures based on a very narrow set of rubrics: economy, crime, industry…actually, most of them have to do with money.  Perhaps instead of asking what these places are lacking, we ask, what do you know?  What can you tell me? 

Freed from the pressures of a modern-capitalist checkbox, perhaps we will behave much like my students did on that day: excited, willing to share, unafraid.

–John Holt

In Life, Math does not live in a separate house from Language or Science or Art. They interact with each other, depend on each other, are richer because of each other. That’s what makes the kind of learning you see in this latest video so powerful. Shortly after The World of Work chapter came out, I got a phone call from my friend John Lamb, also a retired teacher. He had been looking over lesson plans for projects he had done over the years– projects, like those we saw at Mission Hill, that brought children in contact with adults in their community, or allowed them to accomplish something tangible. We didn’t call these experiences Project Based Learning when we started teaching, but they fit that moniker. The idea is and was that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Off the top of my head here are some of the projects Open Classroom students participated in over the years:

• Wrote detailed guides to our local birds, and to our county’s history

• Built bridges that they could stand on out of a variety of materials and rafts that could hold them for at least a short period of time before sinking

• Created a geodesic dome large enough for the whole class to get inside of (it was tight)

• Created a video and a book from interviews with people in our community who had lived here more than 40 years

• Planted erosion control materials on local farms

• Raised trout and released them

• Gleaned strawberries after the farmer had harvested the main crop, and made jam

• Made bread from wheat we had grown and ground

• Dug clay from a riverbed, refined it and used it to make ceramics and to build a bread oven

• Re-enacted the gold rush, the arrival of Aleuts and Russians to Northern CA, life in the Missions, the Great Depression, Ancient Egypt

• Prepared for and spent a day and a night on a Tall Ship, living as the crew would have lived

• Wrote and performed and created costumes and sets for many elaborate original musical plays

• Cultivated worms

• Ran a farm stand at the local farmers market

• Designed a playground

• Designed and built a chicken coop, incubated chicks, and kept track of egg sales

• Published newspapers and books

• Ran classroom stores

• Dug a fish pond

• Created an elaborate model train world

• Took wool from sheepskin to finished yarn that they dyed themselves with local plants

• Helped in the building of a replica of a Miwok Indian village in our local national park, using traditional methods

• Documented rare and endangered plants in an area scheduled for housing construction, and wrote to county supervisors about their environmental concerns

• Brought ideas for ways we could help people in need both around us and in other parts of the word, and researched the issues that cause the need.

• Became experts on endangered coho salmon

• Built a sweat lodge with the help of a Native American elder

I know I’m leaving out many others…Would anyone be able to condense the learning that came from these into a few multiple choice questions?  Yet there is no doubt in my mind that the learning that came from these experiences took my students in depth into every subject that those tests are supposed to measure.

It was hard to get Joni to speak directly to the camera. Her usually animated face became frozen when Tom trained his lens on her. But we needed her to repeat what she had said so off-handedly a moment before.

When we weren’t filming at Mission Hill, we often plopped down in the office. The hub of the school, it was rarely without a story going on that we might follow. It was also the spot to watch Ayla and Joni in action. Ayla’s role was evident, but Joni’s became clearer to us as the year progressed. With her winning smile, and affirming acceptance that everyone makes mistakes, she made a space for children in distress that allowed them dignity, even though in many cases they had not just come to the office of their own accord, but been asked to leave a classroom after causing a disruption.

“We don’t always know what’s going on at home with some of these kids. We don’t know what they’ve been through.” Joni says to us, then blushes when we say we want to film her saying that. She was assigned to Mission Hill and took a while to figure the place out, but like so many of the adjunct staff we filmed for chapter 7, the spirit of collaboration and the equal treatment that all receive transformed her from the simple job title of secretary, to a valued team member.

We are used to talking about the Open Classroom family, so were not surprised that Mission Hill folks refer to their ‘school family.’  But the rewards created by a feeling of comfort and acceptance between students and teachers, between staff members, and between parents and staff, becomes particularly important when many of the participants may have experienced school as distant and disapproving.  Deb Meier and others have written about the realization that students coming from communities that have been labeled as Poor with a capital P often feel alienated and distrustful of School with a capital S.

I’ve written a fair amount about how Mission Hill teachers support each other.  Another part of how family manifests itself is how students interact with each other.  Children caring for each other playfully, seriously, and easily, is very consciously fostered.  It is fascinating to watch teens soften their personas when they interact with younger students, which is why we included seventh grader Tajonna, keeping a math game moving in Jenerra’s second and third grade class, and eighth grader Malick’s mischievous good humor as he calls on third and fourth grade students to explain an equation.

We filmed fifth grader Nadia, going over the rehearsal rules for the play she and her friends created. The theater group came about spontaneously, and attracted children from several classes.  They approached staff members for adults who would “supervise” them during lunch.  The first thing that struck us was how easy it was for them to find adults willing to give up their lunch break.   The next was that the adults who sat with them did not change the nature of this child-initiated activity.  On the day we filmed, Nakia laughingly pointed out that he was still getting a break, because the students were definitely running the show.

When people watch August To June they sometimes comment that they could not get the level of parent participation that we have, as if that is the make-or-break part of our equation.  While I love  the kind of parent interaction we have, I don’t think it defines what meaningful education looks like.  Parent involvement at Mission Hill is strong but it is not from a commitment to being in the classroom.  You sense it in the way a parent strolls the hallway or enters a classroom without hesitation , as much as in the frank way parents and teachers talk to each other.  This is clearly their school.

What Mission Hill doesn’t want to create is the stereotypical paternalistic family, with students being sent to the Patriarch or Matriarch for punishment, or teachers being fearful that their mistakes will be seen as weaknesses.  Here family means affection, respect, and a safe space in which to grow.

Chapter 5 of our series, A Year At Mission Hill, brings us back to project-based learning, this time around the idea of studying what the school calls “Far Away and Long Ago.” When we were filming, the “far away” culture they were looking at was China. Interestingly, chapter 5 comes out just as this year’s students are completing a study of ancient Greece!

In both cases the arts are front and center: entryways to creating meaning. So it was with pleasure that I read this week’s Mission Hill Newsletter‘s opening letter. That space is usually where principal Ayla Gavins writes her thoughts, but this week it was given to Brenda Engel. Brenda, a long time collaborator with Deborah Meier, brought her background in evaluating progressive education models to help in the design of Mission Hill School.

Brenda wrote about an exhibit of mosaics students had created. She culminated her letter: “..each design represented a student’s “take” on Greek culture expressed through his or her own artistic style and preferences. The project was a vivid demonstration of how art and the curriculum can be integrated, art giving an enduring and deep significance to a new intellectual venture….This, the display of mosaics, is, quite literally, what good education can look like.”

Of course, that is what we hope others will see when they look at our work: a way to see and address the very complex question, often stated so simplistically (and judged via multiple choice bubbles): “do they learn anything?”

But the front page letter is just the start. Teachers use newsletter space both to share direct observations, and also to muse on education in more general ways. Here are a few quotes from this week, going from kindergarten to eighth grade:

“The students were very inspired by the poetry. Without hesitation Amos went off and wrote about one of his favorite topics, skiing. He wrote, “I can ski. I can ski. I can really, really ski.” Amos’ poem inspired Cyrus to make up a similar poem. Cyrus said, “I can not ski. I can not ski. I really, really can not ski.”

“…the one thing our students are the most excited about is planning and training for the Olympics. Most days they request training sessions so we have been practicing the discus, javelin, running, wrestling and boxing in our classroom ring. We have also decided that in order to stay true to the races, we need to build chariots and create horse masks (as we would serve as the spritely horses).”

“The children have owned the whole process. They decided who would play each part. They have used a real sewing machine to help sew costumes. They worked together to paint the scenery—a giant Mount Olympus. They cut, painted, collected, and built paper mache props. They even wrote their own lines!”

“This project has also allowed their imaginations to soar and their minds to entertain the question, “What if..,?” What if Joliana’s Water Girl really existed and she could make all the water in the world clean?
“…A classroom devoid of hands ­on work is a classroom that is missing the wonderful opportunity to allow children to do what they do best – imagine, wonder and create.”

“A child walks her family into the classroom, a folder of work in her hands. She places it on a table and begins the tour: This is where I… and, Over here I can show you… and, Do you want to see… ?
“…What your child is doing, of course, is being an expert in herself. She’s putting herself out there for your review and celebration, she’s trusting that whatever accomplishment she feels is wonderful you’ll feel is wonderful, too. And whatever work she is less sure of, you will reassure her that she’s on a learning path and making progress. She’s welcoming you into her life at school, where so many dramas play out, discoveries happen, questions get asked and new things are tried.”

“ummmmmMan..recommendations…reportcards…theme…snowdays….Detroit….processing….Stan!…Farm School, Stan prep, olympic games, (these are just the ones that I remember)….craziness
“When they are unsure what to write about, I tell students to write anything. Whatever pops into their minds. It at least gets the fingers moving. Pencil or keystroke. My version of that process is above.
“…Report cards give a chance to sit, review, and think about the whole child. Examining observational notes, writing, reading, mathematical thinking, interaction with peers, and work habits. Growth over time.”

“The kids seemed to have clear favorites of what they wanted you to see, and enjoyed the process of sharing their work with you. And so many of you were pleased with your child’s work. “I can see that his writing has improved.” “I didn’t know she could explain math that looked really hard so clearly to me.” “I could see her in the name art – her personality is right there.”
“And it was also good to hear your concerns. “Should he have read more books than this?” “She has a lot of time for technology at night so I’m not sure why the homework isn’t finished.” “The high school decision is on both of our minds.”
“To a one, your children heard the equivalent of “Work Hard and Be Kind.” You let them know you cared about what kind of person they were in addition to what they were learning.”

Wouldn’t you love to be part of a community that bubbles with active hands and minds? What would happen if all over the country teachers, students and parents felt this involved?

“Academics don’t exist in a vacuum.”  Towards the end of Chapter 4 Narrator Sam Chaltain says that, as we see Irea standing with her arms folded and a stubborn expression on her face.  Imagine trying to teach her an academic skill in that moment.  Whether it is a stubborn child, an angry child, or a distracted child, the teacher who finds out what’s going on, then maybe finds out the layer beneath that, then acknowledges the emotions and addresses the parts that can be addressed, is developing a relationship that will allow growth in all areas.

Our complex emotional world is present when we make art, cook dinner, or cross the street.  But somehow as a society we seem to think that ‘school learning’ is different, and can be accomplished in isolation from the rest of our experiences.  In our hearts we know it isn’t true, but still often act as if it were.

So how does a school keep their eye on the prize of learning to read, compute, and theorize, and at the same time make space for individual needs?  Most of us are already doing it without thinking, as we “multitask” our way through the day.  We prioritize, but we constantly adjust to the realities of the moment. If a butterfly lands on your hand, you stop and admire it.  If a child cries, your desire to comfort comes naturally and trumps your original intention to finish typing that essay.  And the event inevitably contributes something to what comes next.  Observing the butterfly makes you a better observer of many other small experiences.  Comforting the child may not only make it easier for her to focus, but may give new depth to the next story she writes, or to your essay!  It is bound to create more trust in you as her mentor.  Ignoring those same tears has a consequence as well, even if it isn’t as obvious as Irea throwing something.

I noticed that many teachers at Mission Hill encouraged children who had caused a flare up in the classroom to say to the person they had injured in some way, “What can I do to make you feel better?”  Of course you can’t always “make” someone feel better, but the intent here is clear: take responsibility, and show your desire to rectify the situation.  At our school we used Facts Feelings Needs Requests in a similar way.  In giving that responsibility to make amends to the children, the experience also floats on to the other efforts those students will be involved with.  It’s much easier to own your work when you feel your worth.

Even if you can’t join them, you can go to their Facebook page and offer encouragement!

The country that seems to have statistically decoupled the link between parental income and student outcomes, which as Gatto says is firmly in place in the USA and UK and most other countries, is Finland. Have you seen ‘Finnish Lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland?’ by Pasi Sahlberg – published in 2011 by Columbia University Teacher’s College. It is a great read and describes what I’ve seen for myself in a series of working visits in the last 10 years. In the ’70s the Finns made fee charging illegal at all levels of education from kindergarten to university.

In the ’70s the Finns had private fee paying ‘grammar’ schools for 55% of the kids aged 11 and upward. These schools selected their students by ‘academic ability’ and ‘parental ability to pay.’ Research showed that student outcome at 16 and 18 was almost entirely predicated on parental income (what a surprise!). After much political debate eventually sufficient consensus was found around an agenda that created the comprehensive and local ‘nine year school’ (7-16) for everybody; fee charging was abolished, as was academic selection at 11. Selection and ‘streaming’ into classes by academic ability within schools was also made illegal in further reforms a few years later. A collaborative ethos systematically replaced a competitive one. Special needs education was provided on such a large scale that over 40% of students benefit from it for something at some point in their schooling so there was absolutely no stigma attached to it. There are no nationally applied tests until 16 and these are largely used formatively to guide students as to how best pursue their upper secondary education from 16 to 19/20 where there is a choice between academic and vocational routes. There is no system of national inspection. The national curriculum is fairly unprescriptive and teachers are trusted to adapt it to local circumstances and students’ interests. Both the Swedish speaking and the Finnish-speaking students have their own national organizations that are frequently consulted by government policy makers. Add to this that all teachers from kindergarten to university have to have masters degrees with a research component, there is no merit pay for the ‘best’ teachers and all is achieved for less % of the national GDP than is spent on education in the UK or the US.

As to the private schools when fee charging was made illegal – well most of them chose to become part of the new comprehensive system but 75, most Steiner Waldorf schools, chose to remain independent. They are free to users and are funded partly or mainly by the state and partly by trusts and charities. My guess is that Sudbury or Summerhill type schools would be treated in this way if they existed. This is based on my experience in advising the Swedish speaking national board in Finland on the creation of a student initiated project in 2005/6 whereby more student democracy was introduced into a small network of schools in Helsinki. The senior adviser proudly produced some articles about the school that she had attended 40 years before that had been modeled on Summerhill inspired by the ideas of AS Neill.

In 2007 Finland spent 5.6% GDP on education – figure for the US was 7.6% – average for all OECD countries was 5.7%. I think these figures have remained fairly stable. They certainly spend less on the military but they also spend less on education as a % of GDP. It is not so much how much they spend but more how they spend it. Virtually nothing on high stakes testing and examinations and the whole industry of marking them, absolutely nothing on inspection regimes, they have low teacher turnover even though salaries are on average lower than the UK and the US.  Teaching hours are low and the school day is short on the basis that ‘less is more’ but teachers are given a lot of time to talk to each other, sharing approaches and planning themes though there is not a lot of directly collaborative teaching – there is talk in some of introducing more. Very little homework is set in the peruskuola 9-year comprehensive school – though plenty is done from choice by upper-secondary students. Students do not start school until 7 years of age and no formal learning is attempted (unless requested by the child) in Kindergarten, which is play-based. Money is spent generously on special education within the comprehensive school but little to nothing is spent on ‘disciplinary and exclusion’ processes.

The ‘GERM’ systems that we have created in the US and the UK (Pasi Sahlberg’s acronym for Global Education Reform Movement) are not only toxic for many kids and nationally inefficient they are also absurdly expensive – though you always have to ask the cui bono question! If it’s not the teachers and not the kids who benefit then who is it – the publishers of test papers perhaps?

It seems to me that our (US and UK) systems are built on lack of trust of teachers, prescriptive curriculum, high-stakes testing, punitive/competitive accountability between isolated market choice driven schools, and telling public schools they should aim to emulate their ‘betters’/private schools – and it doesn’t work. Finland by contrast feels like topsy-turvy land – trust the teachers by preparing them to a high level and letting them get on with it, flexible curriculum, no money wasted on testing, encourage mutual support and collaboration between schools and between teachers with local community schools for local communities, and buying a privileged ‘elite’ education is illegal,  - but it works!