The Unexpected Surprise

The chairs were all left askew, students having rushed out of the classroom after finishing their Social Studies final exam. The proctor had left in a hurry too, and had neglected to have the students straighten the desks and put up the chairs as is customary in our classroom at the end of the day.
On days such as these I always take a few minutes, in the quiet that follows dismissal, to put the chairs up and prepare the room for the upcoming day. Often I find artifacts that have been left behind by students: a water bottle, a crumpled paper, a notebook. Today, however, I found something much more profound. I found a drawing on one of the tables where a student had been taking their exam.

Kilroy was here

This whimsical illustration lead me to believe that whoever had scribbled it on the table had more of an understanding of history than could be measured by the test they had just taken. Had they been fascinated by events in WW II? Did they draw the connection between these drawings and playful graffiti that servicemen scrawled across Europe and beyond? Maybe this was the one thing that "stuck" in this student's head all year and was something that they'd always remember.

I have no idea who the student artist is and no way to find out, but one thing is clear. This drawing represents the opportunity and obligation to discover new, more interesting ways to measure student interest, and understandings. Without connecting all the dots in my idea, what if students were able to demonstrate their understandings by drawing a mural like this? Would it be so terrible if it was on the desk? In the majority of situations and contexts this artistic expression would surely result in some sort of behavioral consequence. I am challenging myself and others to see past that and find the intelligence, connection to content and enjoyment in this unexpected surprise.