“They Say / I Say”: A Reflection On Equity, Engagement, and Rigor
When I look back on the journey of this school year, I feel split in half. Part of me wants to break down in tears about the way that the year felt like trying to sprint a marathon in a hurricane, personally and professionally. The other part of me wants to beam with pride and say that it was one of the first years I felt at home in my classroom, and that I made more deep connections with my colleagues, students, and school community than I ever have before; that even with room for improvement, I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished.
It’s been a bit of a year for me, to say the least.
As I look back on this insane journey, my biggest focus for reflection is on the work I’ve done to find a balance of equity, engagement, and rigor in a classroom of advanced English 10 students.
The survey — which I ultimately distributed four times this year — helped me hone in on students’ specific opinions about what they wanted and needed in regards to those three areas, and I used it to guide my decisions in planning, instruction, and assessment.
As I sit in the early weeks of May and dream about how I will spend my summer restoring my energy and revamping my curriculum, I have synthesized their broad points to what I feel are actionable steps in the format of a They Say/I Say chart.
Equity
Terminology provided on the survey: Another focus of education is planning instruction that promotes equity. EdGlossary defines equity in education as: “[referring] to the principle of fairness. While it is often used interchangeably with the related principle of equality, equity encompasses a wide variety of educational models, programs, and strategies that may be considered fair, but not necessarily equal. It is has been said that ‘equity is the process; equality is the outcome.’” It is the intention of your teachers that you feel as though your individual learning needs are being met in a way that makes this class accessible and fair for you. Do you feel as though your personal learning needs are being met in this class?
They Say: Across the four rounds of surveys this year, students had the most consistently positive responses to this question. For example, of the 46 students polled in the fourth round of the survey, 44 answered “yes” and 2 answered “somewhat.”
The two who mentioned “somewhat” were anonymous and specific in their responses about the fact that their issues with equity revolved around an assignment wherein they didn’t feel they had fully understood all of the requirements. This kind of feedback is definitely a trend; students in these classes definitely value clarity and consistency in expectations, and feel that their individual learning needs are met when they receive that clarity.
The majority of the feedback remarked that they felt individually understood and supported. Many comments included that revision opportunities, availability for answering questions or clarifying content, consistent routines, and individual feedback/adjustments for deadlines contributed to the students feeling individually supported and comfortable in the classroom.
I Say: It brings my teacher heart joy to know that a majority of my students feel comfortable in my space. I also find it interesting that the methods they mentioned (extensions, individualized deadlines, always answering questions, etc.) are not ones that are revolutionary to my practice this year. I did not make any special adjustments to my late work policy or my approach in individualization for this advanced class. My biggest takeaway is that, if anything, “advanced” learners need and appreciate a humanity-first approach to learning just as much as any other students, and that I should keep it as a priority in my planning.
Engagement
Terminology provided on the survey: Teachers often think about and plan for “student engagement.” EdGlossary defines student engagement as, “[referring] to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.” . . . Have you felt engaged as a student in Advanced English 10?
They Say: The most popular answers about whether the students felt engaged during the school year always involved connecting with the people around them. Whether that was in small groups, whole-class discussions, or conferencing, the students deeply valued interpersonal connections.
Starting in second semester, we began the tradition of spending the first few minutes of class playing a quick round of “rare birds” (a similar game found here on TpT), and they loved beginning each class from a place of connection. While they valued consistency and routines, they definitely craved variety, and they reported being most engaged when I would make room for their ideas and goofs, like throwing a funeral potluck for Lucius, their favorite minor character in Julius Caesar.
I Say: I started the year thinking that these students were going to be incredibly serious and focused, and that I needed to match that energy right away in order to meet their expectations. And they were incredibly studious, for a time. However, I learned quickly that they are dedicated to achieving high standards and having fun in (almost) equal measure, and that balance is the key to unlocking their full potential.
One focus for my future planning is how to bring in more opportunities for creativity and connection for the sake of engagement and motivation while maintaining consistency. The fact that these students need to be challenged doesn’t negate the fact that they are children. There needs to be room for joy in order for there to be room for learning.
Rigor
Terminology provided in the survey: “In Advanced English, your teachers’ goal is to give you rigorous learning activities that challenge you to reach your full potential. EdGlossary defines rigor as “[describing] instruction, schoolwork, learning experiences, and educational expectations that are academically, intellectually, and personally challenging.” . . . Have you felt challenged as a student in Advanced English 10?
They Say: One of the biggest areas these students found to be challenging was the category of expectations. For some, it was that they genuinely didn’t understand the directions at times due to the complexity of the assignment or the phrasing. Often, they felt that challenge was supported by the ability to ask clarifying questions. However, for others, expectations felt unclear because they didn’t understand how to achieve a specific grade or score on an assignment.
An area in which they felt challenged at some times but not at others was with the pacing of the course. Sometimes it felt overwhelmingly fast, and other times it felt agonizingly slow. A few students acknowledged the role that snow days played in the pacing, but it was definitely an area of concern and challenge for them.
Many mentioned that they felt motivated to try new things and push themselves to do more rigorous work at first, but that when they saw how it impacted their grade when they weren’t perfect, it was discouraging.
I Say: I think supportive rigor is an area wherein I can grow the most as a teacher of advanced learners; mostly, I think I need to work on providing more intentional pacing and scaffolding, especially in the first semester, to build up the trust they need in order to approach the complex tasks they need to do.
My plans to provide that scaffolding and deliberate pacing were waylaid during a months-long family emergency, but one action step I can take for next year is to ensure that my planning is done further out so that my curriculum can be more resilient in the face of the unexpected. This will allow me to establish and maintain the trusting relationship we will need to survive the year.
A further action step is to incorporate more principles of ungrading into my curriculum, making room for more attempts at trying new things in an academically safe and authentic environment. I am grateful to lean on the resources and expertise of my colleagues in that arena.
If there is any level of disappointment I feel about my teaching this year, it centers squarely on the fact that I broke trust with my students when I graded their literary criticism essays, the culmination of a month and a half of really hard work, with a rubric that punished them for not being perfect. I won’t be doing that again, and I’m committed to revamping my practice to honor their learning and labor first.
Final Thoughts
The process of reflecting on student feedback pushed me, but it also solidified what I want the cornerstones of my teaching practice to be. I know more now about what it feels like when equity, engagement, and rigor are unbalanced, and I have some ideas of how to find more of a balance in the future.
Although this school year was rife with professional challenges and personal crises, in many ways it was a gift. I also feel such a gratitude for the students on this journey with me. They were so funny, earnest, and authentic that it made the year more bearable — and sometimes even enjoyable. I’ll never be able to thank them enough for helping my growth as teacher and for showing me that I need to kill my perfectionism just as much as they do.
It was an honor to walk beside them through this challenging year, and I look forward to continuing to implement their feedback even as they grow out of my classroom and into their futures.
