Should We Evolve Traditional Teaching Practices?
If you are anything like me, your educational experience probably consisted of a lot of lectures, notes, homework, tests, and papers.
Then, when I started teaching, I gave a lot of PowerPoint lectures, had my students take a lot of notes, and focused on rigorous tests, and all kinds of papers.
Seemed to be a cycle.
I taught like some of my favorite teachers taught.
Some students enjoyed this type of educational experience. Maybe enjoyed is too strong of a word. But, they played the game of school well, and this was the game they were used to and had mastered over the years.
Other students, just went through the motions. They knew this was what school looked like, and for them, it was a means to an end. If they just followed the directions and kept their head down, they could focus on other things they were interested in while going through a traditional educational experience.
And of course, there were plenty of students who struggled in this setting. Many had labeled themselves unfairly early on in their schooling, based on experiences in which they did not do well in a traditional, compliance-based education.
To be honest, I did try some projects and inquiry-based work early on in my career. But, it was few and far between. Year 3, was when I realized I might be going through the motions myself, and had an experience that really hit home.
Putting Myself In Their Shoes
We had a unique professional development opportunity in my 3rd year. We got to shadow students for half a day and sit in some of their classes.
We were looking to change the school schedule, and this was an opportunity to get first-hand experience on the length of instructional time, and amount of classes in a day vs what block scheduling might look like.
I didn’t think much of it and sat down for the first class of the day following a student I had coached in lacrosse when they were in Middle School.
By the 30-minute mark in class, I was scanning the room to see what other students were doing. We were still listening to the teacher, and had one “Turn and Talk” so far.
Fast forward three classes later.
I was in shock.
Not by the actual classes and what was going on.
But by a realization, I was not ready for…
My class was boring.
Or, at best, it was a show. Put on by me. That probably many students found boring and redundant.
My class was also difficult. What I was asking students to do every day in class and for homework, along with all of their other responsibilities for other classes, sports, home life, friends, etc…was overwhelming.
Something Had To Change
At this point in my career, I was already dabbling in non-traditional teaching practices.
Instead of students writing a paper on symbolism, my co-teacher Jen Smith and I created a “Junk Sculpture Project” that the students loved.
Instead of taking a test on vocabulary, students could play Family Feud style games in class to demonstrate their understanding.
Instead of five-paragraph essays on independent reading, we gave students the opportunity to create podcasts and youtube videos.
But, I’d be lying if I said this was most of the time.
Often, it was a one-off project, that was crammed in between very traditional learning experiences.
After all, my students had standardized tests they had to take, and I had to “prepare” them for what they were going to do in the next grade level.
This day made me realize a really important lesson: As a teacher, I had to realize the system challenges were present for me, and the students.
I liked project-based learning, inquiry activities, and non-traditional methods of assessment. But, I didn’t always feel like that would prepare my students well for the rest of their schooling experience, and quite often I got sucked back into the traditional process of compliance.
I left that year vowing to evolve my traditional teaching practices, for my students, and me.
The System Strikes Back
Over the last decade, I’ve worked with 500+ schools. Almost every teacher I’ve talked with and worked with has had the same issue I had following that year.
I wanted to change my instruction and assessment, but the system (for a variety of reasons) kept the traditional compliance striking back.
Whether it be a new study that comes out talking about how old traditional methods of teaching are better, or a new top-down initiative that wants to make fidelity the most important piece of instruction, or a curriculum that is set in the Middle Ages, or technology that keeps failing and not working properly, or a new wave of state mandates, or a renewed focus on test scores — there are so many challenges when working towards engagement and empowerment as the focus.
And yet, when we look at the research, it makes a compelling case for evolving traditional teaching practices.
The Gallup report Creativity in Learning is based on a survey conducted in 2019 as a “nationally representative study” of teachers, students, and parents of students. The focus was on the extent to which “creativity in learning” is being fostered in American classrooms, what respondents think of it, and how technology supports it. Project Based Learning is cited throughout the report.
Here are some highlights via PBLWorks:
“Teachers who often assign creative, project-based activities are more likely than other teachers to say their students display a range of learning and development goals, including building self-confidence, utilizing their unique strengths, and developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.”
“68% percent of teachers say project-based assignments are a good measure of student learning, far more than the 12% at who say the same about standardized tests.”
When asked what they believe are the most important learning outcomes, the top three choices were:
“learning to think critically” (chosen by 64% of parents and teachers)
“problem-solving skills” (chosen by 51% of teachers; not asked of parents)
“developing students’ curiosity to learn beyond the classroom” (chosen by 36% of parents and 41% of teachers)
Take a look at this chart from the report, showing how the learning experiences were ranked, with the percentage of parents who say it’s ”very important.”
According to Gallup, students also want to experience non-traditional learning experiences:
“Most students say they would like to spend more time on activities that give them input on their educational path, such as choosing what they learn in class and learning more about topics that most interest them.
“Two other activities a majority of students would like to spend more time on to help them see how what they are learning relates to real-life problems outside the classroom are 1) working on projects that can be used in the real world, and 2) publishing or sharing projects with people outside their class or school.”
But what about the standardized tests? We still have to prepare students for these tests even if we don’t want to…
Studies comparing learning outcomes for students taught via project-based learning versus traditional instruction show that when implemented well, PBL increases long-term retention of content, helps students perform as well as or better than traditional learners in high-stakes tests, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students’ attitudes towards learning (Strobel & van Barneveld, 2009; Walker & Leary, 2009). PBL can also provide an effective model for whole-school reform (National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform, 2004; Newmann & Wehlage, 1995).
A 2016 MDRC/Lucas Education Research literature review found that the design principles most commonly used in PBL align well with the goals of preparing students for deeper learning, higher-level thinking skills, and intra/interpersonal skills (Condliffe et al., 2016).
No longer could the argument be about how well (or poorly) students would do on standardized assessments.
The research was clear: When PBL was implemented well, students thrived in traditional tests and in a wide variety of soft-skills that are crucial to development and success beyond school.
WHAT DO WE DO INSTEAD OF TESTS?
The simple answer: performance tasks and a project-based approach. Students are engaged more in these approaches, are able to demonstrate deeper levels of understanding, and are connected to real-world experiences and authentic tasks that are relevant and meaningful.
Let’s take a look at some of the research that supports making this shift.
From a recent report on testing: A multi-year study of students taking AP United States Government and Politics (APGOV) and AP Environmental Sciences (APES) showed students did better on AP tests when engaging in project-based learning. APGOV students engaged in PBL in high-achieving schools “had a 30 percent higher pass rate on the APGOV exam than non-PBL students in comparable schools.” The study was conducted from 2008-2013 and was led by the George Lucas Educational Foundation.
That same study showed that APES students in poverty-impacted schools “had a 19 percent higher pass rate than non-PBL students in comparable schools matched nationally.”
Another study showed that second-grade students living in poverty increased their literacy and social studies skills through project-based learning, researchers at the University of Michigan found. The study compared students at 20 high-poverty elementary schools. It showed “students whose teachers used the project-based learning curriculum made gains that were 63 percent higher than their peers in the control group in social studies and 23 percent higher in informational reading.”
We don’t need to look for the research, it is right in front of us.
But, maybe you already knew that. Or, at least, like me, you already feel that as a teacher and educator.
I often ask groups: What was your best learning experience this past year? What was your best teaching experience this past year?
The answers never include textbooks, PowerPoints, or tests.
And I’m hear to tell you, that I’ve seen folks from every corner of this country and all around the world who are doing amazing work with kids. It looks different in every classroom, and it is unique to each subject area. But, educators everywhere are tired of the system limiting both their potential and the potential of their students.
It’s definitely not easy.
The work has its struggles every day.
Not everyone is going to agree with evolving practices.
Sometimes the kids are going to get mad that you are changing the game of school.
But, when your students are engaged, motivated to learn, and empowered by agency and ownership…it’s a win for everyone.
Realistically, this is not going to happen with every kid every day.
It’s not going to happen in every class period.
Compliance still has its place.
But, it’s worth it.
The Real Reason Is That We Care About The Kids
A few years ago I was shown this video below. I’m not going to lie, I teared up, more than once.
It’s seven minutes long and completely worth the watch when you have time.
For me, it represents everything I was feeling that year as I sought to change my traditional practices.
Not only did it benefit my students (which it did), but it also benefitted me and gave new life to a profession that is often challenging day in and day out.
Give it a watch.
Give it a try.
Keep doing the good work, even when the system is fighting it every single day.
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