Final Data (during Finals Week)

Last piece of information from our survey.  Conveniently timed during finals week.  Actually, strategically timed during finals week to help you remember that there is, indeed, a light at the end of the tunnel!  We have finished putting together the data on what you would like to see from teachers and staff in terms as ways to alleviate stress (I know, right now that seems like an impossibility).  The good news is, we are hearing some good stuff from you and, even though in the midst of your third all-nighter this might not seem like something we are making progress on, I promise you that we are.

I checked in with many students and heard many teachers made efforts to reduce Winter Break homework.  This is a great start.  During the preparation for finals, many teachers offered Exam Jam sessions and we had several hundred students each day attending.  Another positive.  We are working as a staff to look at our testing day schedule and consider how we can feel comfortable committing to this.  It is complicated.  For example, what constitutes a "test"?  I suspect each student might answer this differently.  Do quizzes count?  What about papers?  Presentations?  Assignments worth a lot of points?  We are discussing these topics because we want to be able to commit with fidelity, and to do this we need clarity and consensus.  

My favorite part about the responses to this question was that students, overall, valued the learning.  Very few kids responded that it was too hard.  Instead, you wanted engagement, hands-on activities, interesting content.  Makes me proud.  You guys are pretty boss.

In terms of a block schedule, it is worth sharing that there is a District-wide committee meeting to discuss this.  I am attending these meetings, along with several of your teachers, fellow students, and parents.  The climate is ripe right now for this discussion.  I will share more as we continue.  Right now, we are in the process of setting up visits to schools with different types of block schedules to see how this looks and how it was implemented.  More to come.

Thanks for your honest feedback and being patient as we put it together for you to see.  Go Mats.

The top responses to this last question are listed below:

1. Give us less homework, if possible.  We like having time in class to get started and we want to know the purpose of the homework that we are assigned.  If it is important, tell us why.  Homework free breaks and long weekends help us to recharge.
2. Follow testing days.  It is hard to do well on tests when we have so many on the same day.  The test days help us prepare more effectively for our tests.
3. Support us.  It is really helpful when teachers are flexible.  Sometimes it is impossible to get all the work done or we don’t do well on tests.  We like being able to ask for extensions when we need it and we like to be able to retake tests.  Review tests are very helpful in preparing for tests.
4. We like our classes to be engaging and we want direct instruction from our teachers.  Hands on activities help us learn and keep it interesting. We want to learn.
5. Connect with us, listen to us, care about us.  We want to know you and we want you to know us. 
6. Give us feedback.  Updating assignments on school loop helps us feel less stress because we know how we are doing and what we need to do to do better. We also like to know what is coming up in advance so we can plan ahead.
7. Communicate with other teachers.  Sometimes we have multiple teachers assigning things at the same time.  It would be helpful if you could work together.
8. Consider a block schedule.  This would really help us to be less stressed.
9. Try to reduce the pressure on us.  Help us learn how to reduce our stress.
10. Make it easier.

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What Students Say

More data to share, folks.  We have reviewed all the data in the category regarding what students can do to alleviate stress.  This category probably felt a little weird for some students.  After all, students aren't assigning homework, putting pressure (necessarily) on themselves to get As, and, generally, in control of many of the exterior factors that contribute to stress.  When we brainstorm on root causes of stress, very nebulous causes, like the culture of Orinda, come up.  What can students do up against these factors?  Well, this is precisely what we wanted to explore when we asked you the question. Certainly, students play a role in developing their community.  And in that, students have power to change their reality.  Perhaps not absolute power, but power, nonetheless.

Here is what students are saying:

1. Stop comparing yourself to others. Stop competing with classmates. Stop sharing grades.
2. Be more kind and accepting. Support each other to do well and collaborate on work.
3. Procrastinate less. Eliminate distractions and plan ahead.
4. Stop stressing out all of the time. Things will work out, you will get into college. Be resilient.
5. Don’t do drugs, stop cheating, talk to your teachers. There are a lot of small things that we can do.
6. Take easier courses that are the best fit for you. Eliminate activities if you are overwhelmed. Be realistic about what you can handle.
7. Engage in self-care. Relax. Take time for yourself.
8. Sleep!
9. Work harder. If you do better in class, you will be less stressed.
10. Have more school spirit! This should be a fun place to be.

And, because I just really am a sucker for a colorful chart, the distribution is as follows:

Could we do this?  Could we stop comparing ourselves to each other?  Could we celebrate successes without diminishing those who are struggling?  The two top responses are to stop being competitive and to be more kind and accepting. Interestingly, these are really both saying the same thing.  Work hard, be nice. It doesn't sound outside of the realm of possibility.

Thank you, students, for sharing your thoughts.  Your teachers and parents will be looking at this and thinking about it with you.  And, because you all are generally more eloquent and astute than me, I will finish this post with a student quote from the survey:

“I think that students at Miramonte are so caught up in trying to do well at everything all the time.  I think we need to make things to look forward to, even if it is just something like having a good lunch or wearing your favorite clothes. But, above all, sometimes we need to not demand so much from ourselves. Yes, always try your best, but if it is 3:00 am and you still have more work to do, just accept that it wasn’t possible to finish it, get sleep, and look for other ways to make it up later.”

Awkward Potty Talk

I am very happy to announce that we have toilets!  Although you may already know about the various bathroom locations around campus, the new facilities exist in every classroom.  Thanks to Andrew Johnston and Jesse Wilkinson, we now have portable, emergency bathroom facilities in the form of bright orange buckets.  I should emphasize that these are for emergencies, such as lock-down or shelter-in-place situations, only.  See below:

I know.  This is pretty darn exciting.  The buckets contain plastic bags, a toilet seat (for added comfort), a privacy screen, toilet paper, first aid materials, and several water bottles.  Although we hope never to have another lock-down, it is good to know that we will be prepared in the event of an emergency.  Just thought you should know.