Failure to Launch (Rethink, Relaunch)

So yesterday (Tuesday) I launched my project with my 3^rd period freshmen. For my launch and entry event, I put this flyer up on the projector and had the kids read it. I have to say that I’ve changed this project from how we did it last year. I was a little wary of the changes I’d made, but I forged ahead and launched it anyway. After the kids read the flyer I knew it wasn’t going to go well. I had kids that were distracted and not reading what I put up there, and I think even if I’d given them a physical copy of it they wouldn’t have paid attention to it. So to try to recover the launch I read it out loud and then tried to spark a discussion with them. To make a long (and painful) story short…I did not capture their attention, which is the entire purpose of an entry event. I went on to explain the project, try to calm some of their frustration, and attempt to bring them back to me. I think I “salvaged” it, and I use that phrase very loosely.

I went home last night and the first thing I said to my husband was, “Ugh, I hate this new project already and the kids hate it, too!” I was so disappointed. That’s when I decided that I could still recover and save the project in my 7^th period. I immediately decided how I was going to change the launch and add to the entry event to try to capture their attention better than my 3^rd period students.

I came in today very nervous, and of course had to wait all the way until 7^th hour to launch. (Dan’s rocket fuel coffee this morning did not help calm my nerves, so thanks for that Dan!) After explaining the first step of PBL (Launch, Entry Event) I went into the new, and hopefully improved, launch.

This time I told the kids we were going to have “story time”. I told  them to put everything away and out of sight, including their phones, and then I asked if they wanted to sit in their desks or on the floor. Of course they opted for the floor. They all crowded around the chair I have in the front of the room and I explained the them that I was going to read them a story, and all I needed them to do was to be respectful and listen. I told them if they wanted to close their eyes while they listened they could but they had to stay sitting up.

I began to read (and attempted to hide my shaking hands as I went). Nine pages later I put down the final page and looked around. The kids were silent. I asked them what they thought. Some responses include, “I want to know what happens because it didn’t really have an end.” “I like the theme.” “I feel bad for the main character, the story sounds sad.” “I want to know what happened to her brother.” Etc.

Then I told them how much I’d loved to write in elementary school, but, much like my love of reading, I lost that love when I moved on to MS and HS. Then I told them that what I’d just read them was the first chapter of my book. (They know I’ve been writing because sometimes I share examples or my struggles with them, but I haven’t told them much more than that.) They were speechless. One girl asked, “YOU wrote that?!” After answering questions and details about length, plot, theme, etc. I told them that the reason I read it to them was because they were going to have to, on a much smaller scale, write a story like I am. J

I am so proud to say that I did not hear ONE. SINGLE. “Ughhhhhhh, are you kidding? No way.” SO EXCITED! I asked them to go back to their seats and THEN I showed them the attached flyer. At that point they started to ask questions and picked up on the idea that we’re going to try to publish it. We’re going to read our stories to others just like I did, and that we’re going to have an autograph session.

The last five minutes of class students were coming up to me with their ideas and questions. “Can I write about my life?” Sure. “Can I write about talking animals?” Why not? “Can I do a graphic novel?” I think that’d be really cool! “Can I bring in a story that I started last year but never finished?” Sure, that’d be a great starting point.

Yesterday was a failure.

Today was a huge success.

I just wanted to share that I don’t have this all figured out. I don’t know what I’m doing 100% of the time. But I’m willing to try things. I’m willing to fail. And I’m willing to try again. Not saying that you all are not (I don’t’ want it to come off that way), but I just felt like I needed to share that it’s so important to be ok with that. There is no perfect formula. There is no one, exact right way to do PBL. That is HUGE of this process and I can’t even begin to stress what an important part it is. I even shared my frustrations with my 7^th period before the launch and then asked for feedback at the end. Overwhelmingly, the class said that the launch was successful and grabbed their attention.

On that note, I want to invite anyone in on Friday who has 7^th period prep or if you can get someone to cover your kids. If you’d like to see step 2 of the project come on down!

Now that we’ve launched and the kids have their “Driving Question”, our next step is to write our “Problem Statement”. This is the part of the project that, as a class, we figure out how we’re going to answer the DQ. The statement is formed by filling in the blanks for the following statement.

We as __________ will __________________________ so that ______________________.