HAVE A FEDEX DAY In Chapter 4, we learned how the software company Atlassian injects a burst of autonomy into its workplace by setting aside a day each quarter when employees can work on any project they choose, however they want, with whomever they’d like. Why not try this with your students—or even your own sons and daughters Set aside an entire school day (or a family vacation day) and ask kids to come up with a problem to solve or a project to tackle. In advance, help them collect the tools, information, and supplies they might need. Then let them have at it. The next morning, ask them to deliver—by reporting back to the class or the family on their discoveries and experiences. It’s like Project Runway—only the kids come up with the project themselves, and the reward at the end of the day is the chance to share what they’ve created and all they’ve learned along the way. TRY DIY REPORT CARDS Too many students walk through the schoolhouse door with one aim in mind to get good grades. And all too often, the best way to reach this goal is to get with the program, avoid risks, and serve up the answers the teacher wants the way the teacher wants them. Good grades become a reward for compliance—but don’t have much to do with learning. Meanwhile, students whose grades don’t measure up often see themselves as failures and give up trying to learn. The Type I approach is different. Report cards are not a potential prize, but away to offer students useful feedback on their progress. And Type I students understand that a great way to get feedback is to evaluate their own progress. So try experimenting with the DIY (do it yourself ) report card. At the beginning of a semester, ask students to list their top learning goals. Then, at the end of the semester, ask them to create their own report card along with a one- or two-paragraph review of their progress. Where did they succeed? Where did they fall short What more do they need to learn Once students have completed their DIY report cards, show them the teacher’s report card, and let the comparison of the two be the start of a conversation on how they are doing on their path toward mastery. Maybe even include students in any parent-teacher conferences. (Parents If your child’s teacher won’t go for these DIY report cards, try it yourself at home. It’s another way to prevent school from changing your child’s default setting and turning him from Type Ito Type X.)
