Week 2- Post 3- Response to Therese Josephson

Week 2 Reading: "White Sheets"


I read The Art of Possibility several years ago, and now that I am re-reading it, I realize that I need to revisit it more often. There are so many wise strategies for being happy and successful, and as I read, I find myself thinking, “Oh yeah! I forgot about that!”


One part of the book that has always stuck with me is the idea of the white sheets. I have always aimed to have ensembles where the students feel that they have ownership. And while I don’t always use the “white sheet” strategy, I have used it on occasion--especially when I feel like things just “aren’t working” in rehearsal.


My first year teaching in the school district that I am currently in was not easy. I was coming from a program where students and parents adored me and I could do no wrong. I was expecting some resistance from students in my new job at first, but nothing like what I actually received. The kids were mad. Mad that their previous teacher had left, mad that I had “replaced” her, and mad that I did not do things the way (they claimed) that she had.


I decided to bring out the white sheets. It wasn’t easy for me to read what they wrote. I still remember the note with pictures of tear drops on it that said, “These are the tears that I cry because you came here and changed everything.” And, in their anger, a lot of the suggestions were not realistic or do-able (or even suggestions, really). But, I gave them an opportunity to vent in a safe environment, and on the occasions that they did provide a reasonable suggestion, I made sure to make a point of trying it.


By the end of the year, we had made some pretty great strides in that class. Things were in no way perfect, probably from my perspective or theirs, but we reached an understanding and were able to make some great music. Students presented me with thank you notes, and even an apology or two. I do believe that the white sheets played a role in this. The students were able to feel like they were being heard. I gave them all the opportunity to have a voice.



Ali Baxendale
Therese,
This is my first time reading The Art of Possibility, but I was also very inspired by the white sheets. I am sure that your willingness to listen to your students that first year, meant more to them than they could express to you. I know that this is one area that I need to reemphasize in my classroom. When I started teaching I worked at an inner city school teaching k-6 Spanish. I was treated as a "special" and say the kids once every three or four days. While there, I developed a Profe's box for my students to put any kind of note in. They could tell me about a problem they were having in class, a topic they were struggling with or something that was going on in their personal lives. Many of my students took advantage of the Profe box, even if it was just to say hi. They liked being able to tell me things. Four years ago, I moved to a suburban high school. I still have the Profe box, but it is not used by my students. I think some of them would really benefit from a place to voice their opinions or concerns. As I am planning for next year, I want to make sure to incorporate the Profe box into my first day of school information, so that all of my students know that there is a safe place to be heard.