They finished… (last?)

Yes. They were always the last to finish. It didn’t matter if it was the STAAR, MAP (or any other acronym). They took their ENTIRE allotted time.

But…they scored well. Very well.

Not because I was teaching a different curriculum or I’m that amazing…it’s because they wanted to take every opportunity to revise, check over, or problem solve.

In fact, it wasn’t just tests.

They actually saw tests in the same way they saw their everyday learning. It was learning, which meant effort, and they knew how to LEARN.

I credit them completely. 

But I did set them in motion, using The Learning Mountain – a learning framework that starts with the teacher and then becomes theirs.

First, I taught them that this space prioritized learning. Every routine, every lesson. Second, they had a place where they belonged as a learner, and that involved them. They were responsible for not just their learning, but those around them. Collaboration. Contribution.

Once we understood our shared goal, we went to the next level.

The silhouette of a mountain. A process, not a series of products or performance. This is where they built confidence. Learning takes time and practice.

Below the shape of the mountain lives the invisible piece in us all – our emotions. We normalized them, looked for patterns, and built a repertoire of ways to accept and regulate. Emotions met the moment of learning – they could see cause and effect - and see the feelings as information, not cause for alarm.

Finally, the last piece lives atop the mountain. It’s ways we coach ourselves. As adults, we learn how our inner voice is so important in understanding our attitudes, perspectives, and ultimately shape our actions. I teach that to the kids. They get it. FAST.

This metaphor isn’t simply a poster on the bulletin board. It’s an interactive, co-created reminder that we are humans learning here. They refer to it, I reinforce with it…

And it’s a sticky visual that lives in their heads.

Why do it? 

I am no longer carrying the load. They are. They want to, because they SEE how it works. 

Still not convinced? Go back to the top. They achieve in ways no amount of external motivation or teacher nudging could.