I read this quote in 9th grade - it was at the top of a sheet of paper that described the requirements for a research paper. At that moment, at the ripe old age of 15, I realized that my teacher was not being evil by giving me a deadline (gasp!) but actually that if I wanted to lead a life of excellence, I better pay attention to the deadline.
Deadlines are integral to powerful assessment, from simple exit tickets to 30-page research papers. Deadlines create a sense of urgency and create space for excellence.
Debra Dirksen, in her article entitled "Hitting the Reset Button," states that assessment methods can "take advantage of quick-write prompts, where students are given three to five minutes to write anything they want about a question or topic. This can be used to gather formative assessment data."
For example, several weeks ago I walked into a 9th grade English class. Students were busy writing, and a timer was projected to the front of the class. The seconds ticked down. This timer was a simple yet powerful way to let students know exactly how much time they had. This created urgency and allowed for students to become clear in their reflections on a question or topic.
On the other end of the spectrum, one could assign a 5 page paper to students that is developed over a period of weeks. Without deadlines to assess where a student is at in his or her process, the creative process loses momentum. Does the diagram below feel familiar?
I am sure we've all experienced for ourselves this Creative Process. When we are teachers, we need to set a series of deadlines for students so that that "Mess Around" portion is less, and the green portion of "All the Work While Crying" is more (hopefully minus the "crying" bit). As a teacher, it is imperative to stick to deadlines and also the consequences of when those deadlines are not met. It's a fact of life - students will turn in homework, papers, and projects late, late, late. So set consequences for when students are late.
Deadlines bring out the knowledge and learning that is within a student, whether in a quick-write, research paper, group presentation, or portfolio. Let those deadlines make whooshing noises. And cheer along with a job well done!
We just need to hold students accountable period. Whether it is for daily assignments or projects. If not, how are we preparing them for the future and reality!
ReplyDeleteI think you make an excellent point! We have to keep in mind that our students are still students; they aren't adults yet. Part of what it means to be a teacher is that we don't only teach our students content related to the subject we teach, we also teach them how to be good students, and productive people in general. Therefore it should go without saying that time management is a lesson that should most certainly be taught by all teachers. It comes with the job.
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