Take me out to the ballgame or not, that is the question!

     What if students had the choice of attending class or not?  Would the kids still come to your class?  Would they attend some classes and not others?  What would cause them to choose some classes and not others?  What would happen to education?  These are questions that really should be part of every teacher's daily reflection.  I used to offer a day out of class for high performing students to attend a baseball game for free.  In St. Louis, not many events top a day game at Busch Stadium watching the Cardinal's play baseball.  But, every year there were students that chose not to go because they didn't want to miss this class or that class.  What was it about those classes and those teachers?  The kids chose to attend class rather than take a free day with the St. Louis Cardinals.  As  the principal, I was fortunate enough to observe these  teachers that had World Series quality classes and I can say that they all shared a number of particular qualities.World Series Qualities if you will.

     First, and I believe foremost, these World Series Championship teachers are passionate about kids.  They truly take interest in their students lives and they demonstrate their interest on a regular basis.  The kids know it too. These teachers attend events that their kids participate in outside of class.  They celebrate the events in their lives and take the time to build relationships.  These teachers make an effort to understand the challenges each one their students face and make efforts to help them see their own successes.  They also help their kids to believe in themselves and their power to control their destiny.  The kids turn to these teacher when they need help because they know they care.  Remember the old expression, kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

     Secondly,  these World Series teachers have high expectations.  The kids understand that they are expected to master the lessons and that nothing less will be acceptable.  Everyday is business and class starts at the bell; Learning takes place until the bell rings to end class.  These teachers don't grade papers in class unless the purpose is review.  Above all,  students are not allowed to fail. They don't lower the standards.  They find ways to make it work.  The standard is high but these teachers will not  allow kids to give anything but their best effort.  John Wooden, in his book My Personal Best,  talked about not getting upset when his team, the UCLA Men's Basketball team lost a game, so long as they played their best.  However,  John never thought they lost a game when they played their best!  He was one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history and these have been some of my most successful teachers.

      Learning is the focus in these classes.  Many teachers have a great deal of potential but their focus is all wrong.  They concentrate on how they they teach to evaluate their performance rather than what their students have learned.  Pedagogy, by definition, is the framework and methods to achieve the goal. The goal is for students to learn and reach a level of mastery.  World Series type teachers focus on student outcomes.  They only look at teaching methods if students aren't learning.  These teachers understand that lectures, power points, videos, projects and computers are only tools used to accomplish the goal which is students learning.  Kids know that each and every day these classes result in personal and academic growth.  A teacher evaluation that focuses on teaching rather than learning in class is like evaluating a fisherman based on how he casts rather than on how many fish caught, neither identifies the successful practitioners. Educators struggle with this but kids don't.  Ask them.  They will tell you where the learning takes place.

      World Series type teachers engage their students and because the students are engaged they don't want to miss class.  Engaged students have ownership in their learning.  They value every lesson because they are part of the learning process.  These teachers engage their students in a variety of ways.  The lessons are active and students interact with the teacher and fellow students.  Some of these teachers use technology to engage students and others use a variety of learning techniques like jigsaws, labs, and projects.  These classrooms are student centered.  It's clear that the teacher is a "guide from the side" rather than a "sage on the stage."  These kids have ownership in their learning and therefore missing class is a big sacrifice.
      Finally, World series classrooms are a  place that students feel safe with a sense of autonomy.  These teachers provide an environment where kids have a voice in their learning and every student in the room is valued.  They can express themselves without fear of ridicule and there is an atmosphere of respect between all the students and the teacher.  Bullying doesn't take place in these classrooms.  In fact, these classrooms create a system of support for academics, emotional well-being, and personal development.  At the end of the school year kids don't want to leave.  The have a strong relationship with the teacher and their classmates.

So, if attendance in class was not required, would the kids still show up in your room?  Do you have a World Series kind of a classroom?  I hope that you do.  The good news is this: It's never too late to create a class that kids won't want to miss!  Be passionate about your students and become a part of their life. Have high expectations for your kids, keep your focus on learning and engage your students in their learning and create a place where kids don't feel threatened to express themselves.  Make your classroom a World Series caliber classroom and I'll bet students will skip a day game at Busch Stadium to be in your room!