Crescendo: Another Name for Ending the Trimester
Now, you are probably asking, “What do crescendo and end of the trimester have in common?” Well, I think plenty! Crescendo means the highest point reached in a progressive increase of intensity, in our world, the last week of the trimester was this peak.
Throughout a host of secondary classrooms that I visited, I observed gallery walks- including a unique one done virtually, poster sessions, student-created videos, podcasts and even a rap. If you ever wanted to see state and national curriculum standards, come to life in authentic and creative ways, this was it! These projects represented inquiry, problem-solving, interpretations of novels, research focusing on climate change and much more. The level of enthusiasm and engagement was off the charts, and the finished products were generally outstanding.
In a couple of classes, students were asked to judge their work using a rubric and to submit their grade before they presented. While looking at yourself - and your work - in the mirror is often uncomfortable, it doesn’t lie. It is no secret that some went back to the drawing board before they turned in their final product!
Students had a lot of choices in the project including selecting their work groups, their topic or novel, and what media to use to express their learning. Finally, students received immediate feedback from peers as well as a chance to self-reflect. How motivating!
While these projects did not replace exams, they provided students with another chance to show what they had learned. I will speculate that for many, it boosted their self-confidence. They realized they’d learned more than they thought, and thus they were mentally more prepared for tackling the exams.
The first trimester definitely ended on a crescendo!
