QUESTION:

I want to implement DWS in my classroom this year. My concern is the fact that I’m required to send home weekly behavior reports rating behavior, completed work, homework etc.  Do weekly reports match this approach?

RESPONSE:

DWS is based on promoting internal assessments––students reflecting on their own behavior. Typically, schools that use daily/weekly reports base them on external assessments by the teacher.

The DWS Hierarchy is meant as a tool of self-assessment.  It’s intended purpose is for an individual to use it to assess their own behavior. It’s not intended to be used by a teacher to report on a child. Although reporting to parents is part of our teaching job, the DWS level chart is not the best tool for assessing someone (other than yourself.)

Here’s one important reason:

The top two levels (both acceptable,) are defined by motivation. Motivation involves what the child is thinking more than it does their actions. We can’t see what other people are thinking. Operation at Level C and D often look the same to an observer. If you walk into a classroom where everyone is on task and working, you wouldn’t know which students were operating on Level C and which ones were operating on Level D. Those operating on Level C are keeping themselves on track because the teacher is in the room, while those operating on Level D are the ones who would keep themselves on task whether the teacher is in the room or not.

Another example:

If you witness a child doing something kind for another student, you couldn’t know for sure on which level they were operating––Level C or D?  Is the child genuinely wanting to be kind (D)? or is the child acting kind, to impress someone else perhaps (C)?  While we can accurately assess our own motivations (as long as we choose to look with honesty,) we can only guess at the motivations of others.

If children are aware that they will be marked on a report card with the DWS levels, then it could easily change their motivation level––to something lower!  A child who normally would be operating in a genuine way (Level D,) may be influenced to put on an act (Level C,) simply to impress the teacher in hopes of being marked as Level D. This is counterproductive to the whole purpose of DWS.

Therefore, a different tool is needed to report to parents; a tool that describes only observable behaviors and not motivation levels. If you want to stay true to the DWS philosophy––but must also meet school requirements for weekly reports––use a different assessment tool designed for that purpose. Sending a report home about homework and completed class work is straightforward––either the work is done, or not.  This is very easy to assess and  observe. As I said, behavior is a trickier matter, but can be externally assessed by using a tool that allows you to assess whether their observable behavior is appropriate––or not.

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posted On: August 16, 2009: 10:41 am: By Kerry Weisner
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