Jennifer Gonzalez (@cultofpedagogy) recently published a podcast/blog titled Frickin' Packets that struck a chord with me. While reading through the blog post, I found myself nodding along and silently praising Gonzalez for her unabashed, well, bashing of those frickin' packets. If you haven't read the post, click the link above and read it before continuing.
Honesty is the best policy
That YouTube video got me. I agree, the student was disrespectful, but the point he was making was valid. What is the point of giving students packets? Gonzalez herself named the http link 'busysheets', and in my personal experience as a student, that is all those packets were! The teachers that gave packets were the ones that students disliked the most, and in almost every case the only thing I remember about the class was trudging through those packets in an effort to get the effing things done so I could turn it in and forget it. There was no #growthmindset or building upon the concepts taught. The grades went in, and I (as well as the rest of the class) moved on!
Worksheet Continuum
As I continued to read through the blog I came across an amazing graphic that discussed the 'Worksheet Continuum', basically organizing the range between what Gonzalez terms 'busysheets' and 'powersheets'. The spectrum includes
Challenge Accepted
At the end of the post, Gonzalez set readers the task of completing an audit of the worksheets that they provide for their students: every time you assign/give students a worksheet or packet, clearly identify whether your worksheet is 'contributing to student learning', and if it's not, then replace it with a more meaningful teaching technique or activity. I have taken the challenge, as I provide my students 1 packet for each unit that we experience (5 in total for the semester). Below is a breakdown of the types of worksheets that are in the packets.
Coversheet of each packet: Unit Student Learning Map. The SLM (pronounced slim in my room) contains the unit & lesson essential questions, as well as vocabulary for each concept taught.
Map of region: A black and white outline of the region is provided with a list of countries, cities, and physical features that students are tasked with labeling. This is turned in for a grade, and students are later quizzed on their map labeling.
Timeline of the unit: A way to keep me accountable as well as help students with extracurricular early dismissals know what they may be missing. It also helps to answer the question "What are we learning today?"
The bulk of the packet- individual lesson worksheets: The rest of the packets include graphic organizers for my lessons (usually scaffolded and differentiated across the Levels I teach) and handouts for activities that need to stay with their accompanying graphic organizer.
Audit Takeaway
After taking a look through my packets and the uses for each of those pages, I have come to the conclusion that my packets range from Powersheets (my graphic organizers and planning sheets for projects) to little more than Busysheets (the maps). My takeaway from this audit is that I utilize the format of a packet purely to help my students; * by keeping everything stapled together in a packet, I help my students with organizational issues avoid the nightmare of three-ring binders
* providing a timeline and all relevant notesheets at the beginning of the unit helps those students with anxiety cope about getting work done and also makes it possible for students to work ahead and/or get caught up
* for the most part, the graphic organizers are useful forms of differentiating the information I am providing my students, but some of my graphic organizers are not effective beyond copying down info from the board.
Moving Forward
A personal task for me will be to only include notesheets that are purposeful and necessary, rather than assuming every lesson requires a piece of paper. As I work to create more engaging and meaningful lessons for my students, I need to come to terms with the idea that students must copy down my notes. If I provide activities where students are active participants in their learning, why should they have to take the time to write down what they have learned? Students should instead be tasked with taking the information from the lesson and transforming it into something meaningful to them on an individual level.
Have you taken the challenge?
Happy Teaching!
Emily