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Sunset Ridge Families,
Last week, I shared a Winter Data Snapshot to describe how we analyze our math and reading data trends, plan professional learning, and make adjustments to help all kids succeed.
So this week, I'm thinking about the parents out there whose children are not at the top of the proficiency bands in math and reading, but they still (rightfully) see their kids as talented and intelligent. And I'm thinking about the families whose kids are at the top of those proficiency bands but they're struggling with friendships, impulsivity, anxiety, or something else.
I had a student who was so profoundly impacted by anxiety that he spent most of his year crying and hiding next to a water fountain in the hallway, and he scored higher on reading tests than any other kid. I also had a gregarious, creative, relational go-getter who talked a bunch of adults into funding a start-up project to make skateboarding more accessible and appealing to girls (but he bombed on all tests).
Is it right to say the first student is a "success" and the second "failing?" I don't think so. And, as someone who really discovered my academic skills as a junior in college (when I went to Oxford University and got to direct my own learning), I'm sensitive about how we think about kids' talents and abilities, and the values we place on the metrics we have.
Angela Duckworth, who is famous for her work around "grit" and "non-cognitive skills" and their predictive ability, writes that "not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Said another way, it would be really hard to measure the gregariousness, creativity, and ability to woo others of that student who bombed on tests, but that doesn't lessen his talents.
And, finally, people go through phases. I was a skater, and a jock, then a rock-n-roll guitarist, then an academic, then a Peace Corps volunteer, and then - in a surprise to everyone in my family, including me - an educator. People change, and grow. Some things might be areas of relative weakness or strength for a lifetime, but some might not have fully manifested yet.
It's a treat for us to spend our days with your wonderful children at this phase of their lives, and we hope each child feels like they are recognized for their enormous inherent talents and potential!
Brett Wilfrid
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