Have you ever been in the middle of teaching a class, glanced at your students, and caught them staring into space? Just when you think you’ve created the perfect lesson plan or engaging activity, you may find that your students are unfocused … Continued
While stress caused by common core concerns has dominated the recent education landscape, dealing with ‘Difficult’ Students remains the number one source of constant tension for most teachers. Continual exposure to students who won’t behave or produce can quickly erode … Continued
Give students a sense of control – While guidance from a teacher is important to keeping kids on task and motivated, allowing students to have some choice and control over what happens in the classroom is actually one of the … Continued
Developing a SMART Goal SMART stands for Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Relevant (and rigorous, realistic, and results-focused); Timely (and trackable). Learning how to frame goals as SMART goals and being willing to adjust them to get SMARTer is an important skill … Continued
by Terry Heick The difference between assessment of learning and assessment for learning is a crucial one, in many ways indicative of an important shift in education. Traditionally, tests have told teachers and parents how a student “does,” then … Continued
by Terry Heick Say you’ve got some students. Two or 122. Doesn’t matter–they’re there. What should you do with them? Oh, lots. There’s lots to consider. First, you have to see them. Really see them for who they are, where they are. … Continued
by Terry Heick Students can be a lot like cats. This occurred to me recently when teaching a group of 8th graders about the wonders of the preposition. Cats are curious, aloof little prima donnas, capable of great feats of … Continued
How do you measure what a student understands? First, Determine The Purpose Of The Assessment If all students are all going to have their height and weight measured, a common standard makes sense; If students are all going to … Continued
Teachers don’t get to set the culture of their school, but they do define the world inside the four walls of their classroom. With every word and gesture, they determine the how-we-do-things-in-this-room, from conversational style to turning in work, … Continued
While assessment gets all the press, it is feedback for learning that can transform a student’s learning. When feedback is predominately negative, studies have shown that it can discourage student effort and achievement. As a teacher, most of the … Continued