Keepin it 100

I finally feel old. I've seen and heard it numerous times, but never openly admitted I had no idea what it meant. Then a 2nd grader said it to me this week and I finally poked the bear. Here's how it went down:

Me: 'so why do you feel so sad today sweet girl?'

2nd grader: 'I'm just keeping it 100 Mrs. Johnson'

Me: 'oh sure, I gotcha, now what exactly is 100?'

2nd grader: 'you know, keeping it real. I'm telling you the truth, math makes me sad.'

Me (thinking about paying taxes): 'Well, math makes me sad too sometimes...'

Isn't that amazing? A student keeping it 100.

Her true, authentic self coming out as she is learning math. As educators, we throw the word 'authentic learning' around constantly. It's meant to remind us that students will connect with learning when we apply it to their real lives. When the concepts become real, that's when the learning sticks. Here's one of my favorite stories:

I was still in college and I was doing my first classroom observation. It was in a rural school in Missouri, a building that was 5th-12th grade. I was asked to help grade the teacher's most recent test, which I was super excited to do! I quickly became horrified as I read essay after essay about Benjamin Franklin and his great accomplishments as one of our most profound Presidents. (disclaimer for those of you who hate history: he was never President) I went to the teacher and said that I didn't understand how she wanted me to grade them when the information wasn't accurate. She looked me straight in the face and said "He wasn't?! are you sure, he's on a $100! I spent a whole lesson on the $100!" She was truthfully shocked to find out he wasn't ever President. She then explained the whole lesson:  How a person gets their face on money in the U.S. She had had the students write and share about what contributions they could do to society to get on a $100. Then she had taught them briefly about Benjamin Franklin.

The good teacher in her was making the connection for her students, that real life sticking point. And obviously it worked, I mean at least half the class named his bifocals as the single greatest accomplishment of his Presidency. I watched her do that over and over.  And although she shrugged off this epic fail of fact accuracy, she always found ways to tie the learning to the real world.

That's being authentic. 

Morale of the story: Be authentic as a person, as an educator, and maybe learn some of our former President's names. I'm just keepin it 100.