A Question of TIme

I've had a question arise recently that has given me pause for reflection.  If students appear engaged in the classroom, yet some are not meeting target dates for meeting standards, is this okay?  Is it okay to let this go, focusing solely on interventions for those students and not the fact that they are "behind".

In a fully implemented MCL system, my answer would likely be, "Yes, learning is the constant; time is the variable."  However, when the MCL classroom exists as part of a traditional school system, there are time limits placed upon teachers and students that are hard to ignore.

The irony is that the overwhelming majority of students may be learning far more and achieving to a higher level than before an MCL implementation, including those who are not working at an expected pace.  The dominant concern could be the time it might take some students to progress, not the progress itself.

Perhaps it is okay to "note and nudge" in this case.  In other words, I could make note of each student's current status (I do this anyway) and nudge those who need it in some ways that don't disrupt the positive feel of the MCL classroom.  Putting student names on the board as a special caution flag along with the suggestion that those students work during break or after school as they see fit seems a good step.  I had tried this as a mandatory step, and it really felt like I was dragging mules, not my intent!  I much prefer the offer as opposed to the command, and the students appear to feel the same way.  I'm yet to have an empty room during break since I made that switch.

Another way to nudge is the parent phone call.  Some students find an extra gear when they learn a call home is imminent (noted by their name being written in a different color on the board), making the call unnecessary.  Others benefit from the extra nudge at home.  At very least, the parent becomes informed of the situation and the opportunities for assistance available.

What gives me great comfort is the reality that being "behind" doesn't mean what it used to.  Being behind used to mean missing work along with a assessments that could include very low scores that were indicative of a student failing to meet not just the standards linked to the missing work, but potentially even the work that was "complete".  In the standards-based classroom in which I am implementing an MCL approach, a student may be a few standards behind.  However, the difference rests in the prior standards.  ALL of the prior standards will have been met or exceeded.  That's not just work completion but work completion with an appropriate level of quality.  That's a huge difference and I'll sleep easy because of it!