Written by Tim Schmeckpeper, Assistant Principal
The process of teaching and learning is based on relationships. Teachers, administrators, parents and students are partners in seeking to develop well educated young men and women with strong moral compasses. This can only be accomplished through forming positive, trusting relationships. Our intentional academic and behavioral expectations are centered on the virtues of honor, integrity, respect, and responsibility. These virtues are not solely intended to create and ensure an academic environment where all can succeed; honor, integrity, respect, and responsibility are also intended to guide and inform character throughout one’s life. The first article in this series, Success in the Learning Environment, stressed the ABC’s of remote learning: A - Always read and follow the directions provided by the teacher, B - Be ready to set a schedule and stick to it, and C - Communication is a two-way street. Trusting relationships developed throughout the first semester and in the weeks prior to spring break can still be maintained, and even grow, by applying the virtues of honor, integrity, respect and responsibility to each of the ABC’s. The information presented here in “Part 2” is intended to guide discussions and thoughts with specific reference to character. Always read and follow the directions provided by the teacher. Teachers have designed lessons so that their students can learn the material and demonstrate their mastery of the learning. Honor, integrity, respect and responsibility are both implied throughout, and often implicitly stated in, the directions for performing learning activities, completing assignments, and taking assessments. Honor and integrity are connected to doing your own work within the framework provided by your teacher. Respect and responsibility are connected to following directions, respecting your teacher’s time, doing what is asked of you, and representing yourself and your family through your effort. Be ready to set a schedule and stick to it. Teachers have been instructed to continue the learning process by covering their content. Necessary adjustments have been made to the depth and intensity of the topics covered, but the learning will continue. We all need structure and routine. Setting a daily schedule and establishing a routine is the best way to manage “going to school” while you are still at home. Honor, integrity, respect, and responsibility can also be reflected in establishing a new routine for remote learning -- especially in terms of engagement. Recognize your weaknesses and design a routine to address them. Remote learning has placed more responsibility for learning upon the students. It’s about continued learning, not chasing a grade, but challenging yourself and learning Communication is a two-way street. Teachers are usually more than willing to help their students resolve the myriad of issues that will arise as we all go through the growing pains of establishing our new remote learning program. Teachers can’t help if they don’t know about or understand the problem. So communicate with them. Apply the virtues of honor, integrity, respect, and responsibility to your communication. Be honest in your description of the problem, own any part you play in it, be respectful in your tone, and reach out as soon as the problem arises. Many teachers have posted “office hours” and set times for help sessions along with the preferred method for contacting them. Find this information and use the best method for contacting your teachers. Here are two scenarios intended to illustrate the importance of honor, integrity, respect, and responsibility applied specifically to the remote learning environment: Scenario 1: Students are asked to read a passage, watch an online lecture, answer a series of questions, and submit their answers into Google Classroom by 5:00 pm. Student 1 completes the assignment exactly according to the directions and she submits it on time. Student 2, for a variety of reasons, skips the reading and lecture and immediately begins work on the questions. She “Googles” the questions, cuts and pastes the answers to a document, and submits the document as her own work. Student 3 completes the assignment exactly according to the directions and, while trying to submit it, notices a problem with the scanning app she is using on her phone and is unable to turn it in before the 5:00 pm deadline. Student 4 likes to play video games. He played video games and watched YouTube until 3:00 am. After sleeping until noon, Student 4 discovered that a younger sibling was using the family computer and he wouldn't have access to the computer until 5:00 pm - the exact time the assignment was due. Consider these 4 student’s actions with particular regard to the virtues mentioned in this article and discuss the following:
Scenario 2: The teacher instructs his students to take an assessment (test) to demonstrate their mastery of the material from the last several lessons. To provide an atmosphere of academic integrity, the teacher sends home an “Honor Code” for both the student and one parent to sign stating that the test was taken honestly, without prohibited aides/resources of any kind, within the prescribed time allowed for the test, with the start and end of the test time clearly indicated on the form. The test is to be administered and proctored by the parent. The test must be completed in one hour. The start and finish times are recorded on the Honor Code Form. The test must be completed and submitted before 6:00 pm. Student 1 takes the test, with his father proctoring, at 2:00 pm. He thinks the test is very hard and it takes him 57 minutes to complete. The student and his father filled out the Honor Code Form and the student scanned the test and submitted it at 3:10pm. Student 1 received an 78% on the test. Student 2 also thinks the test was hard. She began the test at 3:30 with her father as proctor. She finished the test at 4:15 and she and her father signed the Honor code immediately after she completed the test. The father was also working from home this week and he went back to his home office to finish what he had been working on all morning as soon as the test was completed and the form was signed. The student submitted her test at 5:58pm, two minutes before the announced deadline and nearly one hour and 45 minutes after completing the test. Student 2 received a 95% on the test. Consider both of these student’s actions with particular regard to the virtues mentioned in this article and discuss the following:
(See “Academic Integrity” on page 7 of your student planner) Honor, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility. Jaguars, your education is important. Do the right thing -- “even when no one is looking.” Be the person you are intended to be. Together, let’s make sure that this extended period of remote learning is a worthwhile endeavor. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
April 2023
|