# data[].attributes.headline
Benchmark- Character Development Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.subject
Benchmark- Character Development Lesson Plan

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Livs ELM-211 BENCHMARK Lesson Plan - Copy

# data[].attributes.headline
Evidence Based Instructional Strategies - 3.5.25

# data[].attributes.subject
Evidence Based Instructional Strategies - 3.5.25

# data[].attributes.body
Setting clear goals

Provide specific feedback

Checks for understanding

Collaborative learning

Allow for more practice opportunities/time to succeed

Nurture metacognition

# data[].attributes.headline
The 10 Best Tech Tools for Student Assessment

# data[].attributes.subject
The 10 Best Tech Tools for Student Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Assessment is at the heart of our teaching practice. We use backward planning and start with the end in mind. We ask ourselves questions like, "what do we want our students to know?" and "what will our students be able to do?" Because assessment is so important, it's no surprise that there are a ton of tech tools for assessment. Trying to find what you're looking for is time-consuming! That's why we've picked the ten best tech tools for student assessment, keeping your goals in mind.

Goal: I want to find out what my students learned

I wish we could read students' minds, but since we can't, we use exit tickets. If you rely on this best practice to plan your next instructional move, you have a lot of options. I love Google or Microsoft Forms. They are easy to use, and you can create multiple choice or short answer questions for students to complete. All the data is there for you.

Learn more:

Goal: I want to hear from my students and watch them share what they've learned

Flipgrid is a social media-style video discussion platform great for generating class discussion around topics, videos, or links posted to the class grid. Students can video record their responses to share with the teacher or class. It's a great tool for supporting your students to make their thinking visible.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to do a quick check in during my lesson

Mentimeter lets you add polls, word clouds, Q&As, and more to presentations and create an interactive experience for students, who can vote on/respond to questions and engage with the presentation in real time. This made our list because there's so much variety in the types of formative assessments you can give in real time.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to see my students' thought process and their answer

Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that is compatible with the GSuite services. It's a game changer for emphasizing the process of learning over the product. Math teachers love how students solve and explain their solution. If you don't use Google, Padlet is our runner up.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to listen to my students' read to assess fluency

Students read aloud and answer questions on their device (almost any device works). Within 24 hours, you get a running record with scores for accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. A free basic account includes 10 reading assessments/month.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to include checks for understanding as my students learn

EdPuzzle is a video editor that allows both teachers and students to add voice-overs, comments, resources, and quizzes to existing or self-created online videos. Best part? All the students' answers are gathered for you so you can quickly assess.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to put checks for understanding in my slides

Pear Deck is an interactive presentation and lesson delivery tool. Students use their devices to follow along with the teacher's slideshow on a classroom screen. Throughout, teachers can pause at points where they've added interactive questions and collect real-time data about student understanding.

Goal: I want my students to give each other feedback

Once you set up your assignment, pick a feedback rubric (or create your own), and select your assignment. Your students take it from there. They submit work, review each others', and then act on the feedback. Best part? There's a teacher overview where you can see it all.

Learn More:

Goal: I want to give a quiz or test

There are a lot of options with this tool. You can include multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions. I love how you see students' results in real time, and you can add explanations if students get a question wrong. Students can get instant feedback, or you can make the quiz self-paced or lead it yourself. My favorite feature: Space Race, a group quiz where students "race" to cross the finish line.

Learn More:

Goal: I want grading to take less time

No matter what grade and subject you teach, grading takes time that we don't have. Enter Floop. This tool is a cloud-based website where students get annotated feedback from you and their classmates. Using any internet-connected device, students upload images of an assignment to the platform, and you put markers in places where you want feedback. Students are able to see and respond to comments, creating a feedback loop.

Learn More:

Goal: I want one tool that does different types of assessment

Spiral is a free suite of four apps. Use Quickfire to give a formative assessment in real time and hear from all of your students. Discuss makes your slides more interactive for students. Team Up supports student collaboration, and Clip turns public-facing videos into a live chat with questions and quizzes.

Learn More:

Plus, check out 50 Free Seesaw Activities and Resources For Every Kind of Classroom

Want more articles like this? Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you can get our latest picks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 10 Best Tech Tools for Student Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Assessment is at the heart of our teaching practice. We use backward planning and start with the end in mind. We ask ourselves questions like, "what do we want our students to know?" and "what will our students be able to do?"

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Formative assessment-discovering what students know while they're still in the process of learning it-can be tricky. Designing just the right assessment can feel high stakes-for teachers, not students-because we're using it to figure out what comes next. Are we ready to move on? Do our students need a different path into the concepts? Or, more likely, which students are ready to move on and which need a different path?

When it comes to figuring out what our students really know, we have to look at more than one kind of information. A single data point-no matter how well designed the quiz, presentation, or problem behind it-isn't enough information to help us plan the next step in our instruction.

Add to that the fact that different learning tasks are best measured in different ways, and we can see why we need a variety of formative assessment tools we can deploy quickly, seamlessly, and in a low-stakes way-all while not creating an unmanageable workload. That's why it's important to keep it simple: Formative assessments generally just need to be checked, not graded, as the point is to get a basic read on the progress of individuals, or the class as a whole.

7 Approaches to Formative Assessment

1. Entry and exit slips: Those marginal minutes at the beginning and end of class can provide some great opportunities to find out what kids remember. Start the class off with a quick question about the previous day's work while students are getting settled-you can ask differentiated questions written out on chart paper or projected on the board, for example.

A quick way to see the big picture if you use paper exit tickets is to sort the papers into three piles: Students got the point; they sort of got it; and they didn't get it. The size of the stacks is your clue about what to do next.

No matter the tool, the key to keeping students engaged in the process of just-walked-in or almost-out-the-door formative assessment is the questions. Ask students to write for one minute on the most meaningful thing they learned. You can try prompts like:

What are three things you learned, two things you're still curious about, and one thing you don't understand?

How would you have done things differently today, if you had the choice?

What I found interesting about this work was...

Right now I'm feeling...

Today was hard because...

Or skip the words completely and have students draw or circle emojis to represent their assessment of their understanding.

2. Low-stakes quizzes and polls: If you want to find out whether your students really know as much as you think they know, polls and quizzes created with Socrative or Quizlet or in-class games and tools like Quizalize, Kahoot, FlipQuiz, Gimkit, Plickers, and Flippity can help you get a better sense of how much they really understand. (Grading quizzes but assigning low point values is a great way to make sure students really try: The quizzes matter, but an individual low score can't kill a student's grade.) Kids in many classes are always logged in to these tools, so formative assessments can be done very quickly. Teachers can see each kid's response, and determine both individually and in aggregate how students are doing.

Because you can design the questions yourself, you determine the level of complexity. Ask questions at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy and you'll get insight into what facts, vocabulary terms, or processes kids remember. Ask more complicated questions ("What advice do you think Katniss Everdeen would offer Scout Finch if the two of them were talking at the end of chapter 3?"), and you'll get more sophisticated insights.

3. Dipsticks: So-called alternative formative assessments are meant to be as easy and quick as checking the oil in your car, so they're sometimes referred to as dipsticks. These can be things like asking students to:

write a letter explaining a key idea to a friend,

draw a sketch to visually represent new knowledge, or

do a think, pair, share exercise with a partner.

Your own observations of students at work in class can provide valuable data as well, but they can be tricky to keep track of. Taking quick notes on a tablet or smartphone, or using a copy of your roster, is one approach. A focused observation form is more formal and can help you narrow your note-taking focus as you watch students work.

4. Interview assessments: If you want to dig a little deeper into students' understanding of content, try discussion-based assessment methods. Casual chats with students in the classroom can help them feel at ease even as you get a sense of what they know, and you may find that five-minute interview assessments work really well. Five minutes per student would take quite a bit of time, but you don't have to talk to every student about every project or lesson.

You can also shift some of this work to students using a peer-feedback process called TAG feedback (Tell your peer something they did well, Ask a thoughtful question, Give a positive suggestion). When you have students share the feedback they have for a peer, you gain insight into both students' learning.

For more introverted students-or for more private assessments-use Flipgrid, Explain Everything, or Seesaw to have students record their answers to prompts and demonstrate what they can do.

5. Methods that incorporate art: Consider using visual art or photography or videography as an assessment tool. Whether students draw, create a collage, or sculpt, you may find that the assessment helps them synthesize their learning. Or think beyond the visual and have kids act out their understanding of the content. They can create a dance to model cell mitosis or act out stories like Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" to explore the subtext.

6. Misconceptions and errors: Sometimes it's helpful to see if students understand why something is incorrect or why a concept is hard. Ask students to explain the " muddiest point" in the lesson-the place where things got confusing or particularly difficult or where they still lack clarity. Or do a misconception check: Present students with a common misunderstanding and ask them to apply previous knowledge to correct the mistake, or ask them to decide if a statement contains any mistakes at all, and then discuss their answers.

You can use sticky notes to get a quick insight into what areas your kids think they need to work on. Ask them to pick their own trouble spot from three or four areas where you think the class as a whole needs work, and write those areas in separate columns on a whiteboard. Have you students answer on a sticky note and then put the note in the correct column-you can see the results at a glance.

Several self-assessments let the teacher see what every kid thinks very quickly. For example, you can use colored stacking cups that allow kids to flag that they're all set (green cup), working through some confusion (yellow), or really confused and in need of help (red).

Similar strategies involve using participation cards for discussions (each student has three cards-"I agree," "I disagree," and "I don't know how to respond") and thumbs-up responses (instead of raising a hand, students hold a fist at their belly and put their thumb up when they're ready to contribute). Students can instead use six hand gestures to silently signal that they agree, disagree, have something to add, and more. All of these strategies give teachers an unobtrusive way to see what students are thinking.

No matter which tools you select, make time to do your own reflection to ensure that you're only assessing the content and not getting lost in the assessment fog. If a tool is too complicated, is not reliable or accessible, or takes up a disproportionate amount of time, it's OK to put it aside and try something different.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Within these methods you'll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they're still learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
7 Tips for Creating Motivating Assessments

# data[].attributes.subject
7 Tips for Creating Motivating Assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
7 Tips for Improving High School Assessments

1. Secure success by making it achievable: Student learning has been affected by the pandemic, with learners who need additional support being most negatively impacted. As a result, these students are now trying to build new knowledge and skills on shaky or absent foundations. Of course, we try to adapt our classroom teaching to account for this and support our students as best we can. So it follows that we should also adapt our assessments with student success in mind.

Assessments that students score poorly in can be hugely demotivating, resulting in negative associations with the subject, as well as embedding fixed mindsets-we have all heard students say things like "I just can't do it" and "There isn't any point in trying" after doing poorly in a test.

Research shows that a success rate of 80 percent is optimal for learning -it motivates students by helping them to feel successful. It gives them confidence and shows them that there is still room for progress in the future. Designing our assessments with this 80 percent benchmark in mind may require us to increase the accessibility for students by reducing the challenge until they're ready to tackle more complex questions and tasks.

2. Make sure your students know how to study: As we make our way through the ceaseless curriculum, we sometimes overlook the importance of teaching students how to study independently. Prioritize teaching study skills-whether you spend a small chunk of a time here and there or devote whole lessons to it. It will probably be more impactful in the lives of your students in the long run than the depth of content you might have to sacrifice in that period of time.

In my own practice, I teach a unit of work, which usually comprises around 10-15 lessons, following which I give students an end-of-unit assessment. About a week prior to this assessment, I will devote an entire hourlong lesson to study skills and revision. This can include, for example, modeling how to construct a concept map, revision games, showing students where to find study resources such as Quizlet, and encouraging them to share ideas and practice using new learning techniques in a supportive and safe environment.

3. Make sure your students know what to revise: Prepare a list of topics that might come up in the assessment, and share it with your students. If you have a class that is struggling with confidence, the more detailed you can be with this study list, the better. Help them to feel that their time spent studying is worthwhile in order to build them up to a place where they have the motivation to study on their own, even when they know not every topic will be assessed.

4. Complete the assessment yourself first: It goes without saying that you should proofread assessments before students take them, and it's even better to complete the assessment yourself. I find this most useful for open-ended assessments that I've written myself, as it allows me to put myself in the student's place. I can assess whether it's clear or confusing, and if it has covered an appropriate range and depth of topics on the study list.

I've found that doing this has been really important in reducing the stress and frustration that my students might feel when they're given a suboptimal assessment, and it has strengthened their trust in the assessment process.

5. Model and scaffold: When completing your assessment, make a note of the skills and exam techniques required to answer the questions. Then consider if you and your students have covered these techniques in enough detail. Just like with the content of the test, there shouldn't be any surprises. For each skill and technique, make sure that students have been exposed to models of good work, so that they know what success looks like. They'll also feel more confident during future assessments if they previously had the opportunity to apply these skills and techniques in a supported environment so that they know that they're capable of achieving success.

6. Allow students to make mature decisions about the assessment date: When assessment dates aren't fixed, give students some options for dates and times. You can also encourage students to take more responsibility for organizing their time in the run-up to the assessment by asking them to point out potential clashes with other deadlines or important dates.

7. Factor in choice within the assessment: Within the assessment, you might be able to provide students with a choice of questions to answer or tasks to complete. I usually give my high school students a choice of two extended-answer questions to complete in their end-of-unit assessments. I then set the question they chose not to answer as an open-book homework task.

The downside of providing choice within an assessment is that it can be harder to standardize, but the upside is that you confer a much greater feeling of control to the student, which in turn can be highly motivating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Tips for Creating Motivating Assessments

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1. Secure success by making it achievable: Student learning has been affected by the pandemic, with learners who need additional support being most negatively impacted. As a result, these students are now trying to build new knowledge and skills on shaky or absent foundations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Unpacking the Mathematics and ELA Standards 

# data[].attributes.subject
Unpacking the Mathematics and ELA Standards 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Unpacking the Mathematics and ELA Standards 

# data[].attributes.headline
ABCD Method - Writing Objectives 1.22.25

# data[].attributes.subject
ABCD Method - Writing Objectives 1.22.25

# data[].attributes.body
Audience - Describe who is performing the behavior. (ex. Students)

Behavior - What do you want the audience to be able to do? (ex. Blooms Taxonomy)

Condition - Describe what the audience will have access to. (ex. Calculator, paper, etc)

Degree - How well do you want them to perform ( ex. quality, accuracy, time, speed)

# data[].attributes.headline
Different Approaches to Standards-Based Grading

# data[].attributes.subject
Different Approaches to Standards-Based Grading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
JumpRope: Different Approaches to Standards-Based Grading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore different approaches to unpacking standards to write clear learning targets to guide instruction and assessment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lesson Planning With Your Objective in Mind

As an educator, your lesson plans are the very foundation upon which your students' education is built, but how effective are your lesson plans? To answer this question, one must first identify the objective(s) to be achieved and evaluate the success of reaching said objective(s). This type of lesson planning is called Backwards Design, a method of lesson planning that is derived from student-centric learning objectives rather than solely focusing on state and national standards.

Traditional Lesson Plans vs. Backwards Design

You may be wondering what the difference is between traditional lesson plans and lesson plans that were created using Backwards Design. Using traditional methods, teachers tend to begin the planning process by reviewing state and national standards and learning objectives, planning instructional activities around them, and implementing assessments that aren't always tied directly to the activities students engaged in or the standards that have been set. Oftentimes, assessments using this method are more of an afterthought and may not be implemented at all. Lesson plans created using Backwards Design, however, begin with the end in mind. Lesson plans using this method require the teacher to create content objectives and plan the corresponding assessment(s) first, creating lesson plans that are more effective in obtaining favorable results.

Backwards Design: A Step-by-Step Process

Step One: Creating Student-Centric Learning Objectives

To create student-centric learning objectives, one must first ensure that they are clear, specific, and easily measurable. As such, each objective consists of three parts: the desired behavior you would like the student to do, the method by which they will perform this behavior (a formula, a learning tool, etc.), and the specific level of performance to demonstrate content mastery (percentage of correct responses, amount of action taken during a time limit, etc.). Once determined, you can take a look at your standards and begin to formulate the building blocks of your student-centric objectives. Want to put this into practice? Here's an example of a third-grade state reading, writing, and communicating standard:

"Apply knowledge of spelling patterns (orthography), word meanings (morphology), and word relationships to decode words and increase vocabulary."

This standard isn't necessarily specific or measurable in its current state, so the goal is to break it down to the three elements of a student-centric learning objective to make it easier to apply in the classroom and evaluate success. First, let's take a look at the desired behavior, which is to apply knowledge of spelling patterns, word meanings, and word relationships. To make this a little more specific, perhaps a teacher could identify a real-world application such as writing a letter to a pen pal. Taking such action requires the student to apply what they have learned about spelling, demonstrate their knowledge of the word meanings, and form relationships among words based on their level of understanding.

Next, we have to determine the method by which students are to complete the desired action. Using the above example, the teacher knows that their students will need to be provided vocabulary pertinent to the subject matter of the letter to equip students with what they need to properly execute the task. As such, providing a list of vocabulary words and their meanings would be the method students will use to arrive at the correct answer.

Last but not least, teachers will need to determine how they will evaluate mastery of this concept. Perhaps the teacher decides that their students will need to write a letter to a pen pal in a different country. As such, the teacher's student-centric objective will be:

"When given the proper vocabulary list, students will write a letter to a pen pal that uses correct spelling, word meanings, and connections among words."

This objective is clearly linked to state standards but takes it a step further in providing specificity in how it is to be demonstrated, the means by which to take action, and the metrics to evaluate mastery.

Step Two: Determine Assessment Methods

Now that you have decided on an appropriate student-centric objective, it is time to determine what type of assessment will provide an accurate depiction of student mastery. It is important to note that this does not refer to a single evaluation or test, but rather refers to assessments on an ongoing basis prior to introduction to new content. There are three types of assessments to consider when completing this step:

Pre-assessment: This type of assessment focuses on measuring prior knowledge students have of a particular subject to determine if they are prepared to be exposed to the content in question. Using the example above, a teacher may ask their students to write a journal prompt about the desired subject matter. Once received, these responses will allow the teacher to cater their lesson to fill the gaps in understanding.

Check for understanding: As previously stated, assessments of mastery should be ongoing, even while the information is still being taught. A check for understanding focuses on the progression of student understanding, identifying misconceptions your students may have, and allowing an opportunity to provide immediate feedback to combat them. This allows you to guide the learning process even while it is still underway as another means of keeping things on track. In alignment with our example above, the teacher may check in weekly on student progress using a multiple-choice activity at the end of class regarding the vocabulary their students are currently learning and use what they learn to cater to the gaps in understanding they find.

Final assessment: This assessment focuses on depicting the level of student mastery of the concept. This is where a teacher may pull in the mastery measurement they deemed sufficient such as successfully using the vocabulary words properly in their letter to a pen pal.

Step Three: Targeted Activities

Once you determine what your student-centric objectives are and how you plan to evaluate student mastery of these objectives, you are ready to create your lesson plans. With objectives in mind, teachers are able to determine the proper instructional methods. These instructional methods could include a variety of tactics such as direct instruction, watching informational videos, or interactive games to continue to build their skills.

No matter what the goal is, using Backwards Design lesson plans truly helps teachers focus on the goals they hope to achieve, making their time in the classroom more intentional and their lesson plans more effective in the production of the desired result.

References:

1. Model Teaching. "Backwards Design in Lesson Planning - Model Teaching." Model Teaching, Model Teaching, 19 Aug. 2019, https://www.modelteaching.com/education-articles/lesson-curriculum-planning/backwards-design-in-lesson-planning.

2. "2020 Colorado Academic Standards Online." Colorado Academic Standards Online, Colorado Department Of Education, 2020, https://www.cde.state.co.us/apps/standards/4,8,11/6,5,0/6,2,0.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Effective Lesson Plans: The Backwards Design Way | Learning A-Z

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Lesson Planning With Your Objective in Mind As an educator, your lesson plans are the very foundation upon which your students' education is built, but how effective are your lesson plans? To answer this question, one must first identify the objective(s) to be achieved and evaluate the success of reaching said objective(s).

# data[].attributes.headline
ELM 201 - Personal Values, Ethics, and Professional Growth in Teaching

# data[].attributes.subject
ELM 201 - Personal Values, Ethics, and Professional Growth in Teaching

# data[].attributes.headline
COE - Educator Professionalism, Dispositions and Ethics

# data[].attributes.subject
COE - Educator Professionalism, Dispositions and Ethics

# data[].attributes.headline
MODEL CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS (MCEE)

# data[].attributes.subject
MODEL CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS (MCEE)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
www.nea.org needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Eliminate Implicit Bias in Your Teaching Instruction

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Eliminate Implicit Bias in Your Teaching Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Eliminate Implicit Bias in Your Teaching Instruction - Graduate Programs for Educators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We’ve all dealt with our share of implicit bias and its effects, so how can we combat it? Learn how to eliminate implicit bias in your teaching instruction.

# data[].attributes.body
Anecdotal Records -

Sticky Notes

Files

Notebooks

Ipad

Portfolios -

Produce facts and data

Add certain assignments to the files

Build rapport with parents

Unbiased information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers have long known that feeling safe and secure in school helps students focus their energy on learning. And the research bears that out: A 2018 study found that when teachers deliberately foster a sense of belonging by greeting each student at the door of the class, they see "significant improvements in academic engaged time and reductions in disruptive behavior."

Edutopia covered that study last year, and we've shared many other ideas from teachers for ensuring that every student in the classroom feels like they belong.

Some of the activities below take less than five minutes. They're divided up among the grades, but many can apply across all of the years from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Elementary School

Shout-Outs: This is a quick way for students to celebrate each other for doing a job well or for attempting something difficult. Shout-outs can be incorporated at any point in a class. First-grade teacher Valerie Gallagher of Providence, Rhode Island, rings a chime when she wants to get the class's attention to ask who has a shout-out.

"It's not just me as the teacher saying, 'You're doing well'-it's a way for them to interact with each other and celebrate positivity," says Gallagher.

Friendly Fridays: Elizabeth Peterson, a fourth-grade teacher in Amesbury, Massachusetts, uses Friendly Fridays as a simple way for students to lift each other and themselves up. Peterson has her students write a friendly, anonymous note to a classmate, practice using positive self-talk, or use storytelling to give a peer a pep talk.

Sharing Acts of Kindness: Fifth-grade teacher Marissa King, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, shares two activities that encourage kindness. In the first, the teacher gives students secret kindness instructions, such as writing an anonymous note to a peer who is struggling in one of their classes.

The second activity revolves around noticing others' acts of kindness: When a student sees a peer tidying up in the classroom, for example, they can post a thank you note on a shared digital "kindness wall." Both activities coach students to be kind to their peers in the hope that they'll begin to practice kindness unprompted.

Middle School

Paper Tweets: To build community in her seventh-grade classroom, Jill Fletcher of Kapolei Middle School in Kapolei, Hawaii, created a bulletin board modeled on Twitter. Students use a template to create a profile, and they enlist at least three followers-a friend, an acquaintance, and someone they don't interact with much.
Courtesy of Jill Fletcher
When the class does this activity-which takes about 45 minutes to set up the first time-Fletcher has them respond to prompts about their current mood or new things happening in their lives, and then their followers respond.

Class Norms: Bobby Shaddox, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at King Middle School in Portland, Maine, has his students develop a set of norms for themselves-adjectives that describe them as a community of learners. Having students come up with their own norms creates "a pathway toward belonging for every single student in that class," says Dr. Pamela Cantor, founder of Turnaround for Children.

"Instead of a top-down list of rules that a teacher gives a class, these are words that we generated together," says Shaddox. "It helps us own the behavior in the classroom."

Group Salutes: A moment shared between two or more students at the beginning or end of an activity, a Group Salute is a teacher-prompted interaction that is a quick, low-prep way to cultivate community. The shared gesture can be physical-like a high five-or social-a teacher could ask students to express gratitude to their group members.

There's some interesting data supporting this idea: Researchers found that NBA teams whose players touch the most early in the season-high fives, fist bumps, etc.-had the best records later for the season.

High School

Morning Meetings: Morning meetings have long been a staple of elementary classrooms, but they can help students in all grades transition into class. Riverside School, a pre-K to 12th-grade school in Ahmedabad, India, uses a version of morning meetings at every grade level as "a pure relationship-building time." Bonding exercises led by teachers or students include physical or social and emotional activities, or discussions of sensitive topics like bullying.

Appreciation, Apology, Aha: As a quick, daily closing activity, students gather in a circle and share an appreciation of one of their peers, an apology, or a light bulb moment. The teacher models the activity by sharing and then asks for volunteers to speak.

"Those types of appreciations and community recognitions can go a long way toward building bonds," explains Aukeem Ballard, an educator with Summit Public Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.

"A low-stakes thorn might be 'I feel tired.' Yet many students choose to share more personal items, like 'My thorn is that my dog is sick and I'm really worried about her,'" writes Alex Shevrin Venet, a former school leader at a trauma-informed high school.

Snowball Toss: Students anonymously write down one of their stressors on a piece of paper, crumple it up, gather in a circle, and throw their paper balls in a mock snowball fight. When that's done, they pick up a snowball and read it aloud.

"The idea is that we're moving around. We're able to have fun, laugh, scream, be loud, and then have that discussion about stress," says Marcus Moore, an advisory leader at Urban Prep School in Chicago.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These community-building ideas for the classroom can help teachers ensure that students in every grade feel like they belong.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Intake | SPT: Appropriate Interventions and Referral Topics

# data[].attributes.headline
20 Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List]

# data[].attributes.subject
20 Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
20 Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As students with diverse learning styles fill the classroom, many teachers don't always have the time, or spend additional hours to plan lessons that use differentiated instruction (DI) to suit students' unique aptitudes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.subject
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Each student comes to school, not only with unique academic needs, but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is differentiated instruction?
Carol Tomlinson provides a concise explanation of what it means to differentiate instruction.

Two misconceptions about DI - that there is a disconnect with standards and that DI is only for certain students
Carol Tomlinson explains how learning standards and differentiation are aligned with one another and that DI is not a restrictive approach designed for certain types of students.

A misconception about DI - that it is an 'add-on' activity
Carol Tomlinson addresses a common misconception about DI by clarifying that it is not an extra thing to do in the classroom.

A misconception teachers sometimes have - "I already differentiate."
Carol Tomlinson discusses a common misconception of teachers who lack a clear understanding of DI - they often believe they already differentiate.

Four common misconceptions about DI
Kristina Doubet discusses some misconceptions about DI, clarifying that whole-class instruction occurs in a differentiated classroom, that DI is not a case of high-level versus low-level students, that it is a proactive approach to meeting the varied learning needs of students, and addresses students' differing interests and learning preferences as well as readiness.

Engaging resource specialists in planning differentiated lessons
Kelly A. Hedrick explains the important role resource specialists can play in collaboratively planning differentiated lessons with classroom teachers.
Barriers that teachers may encounter when implementing DI
Catherine Brighton describes barriers that elementary and secondary teachers often encounter as they begin to differentiate instruction in their classes.
Cindy Strickland describes a way to differentiate professional development for teachers using tiered activities designed for different readiness levels.

These experts on differentiated instruction appear in our video clips.
Video Archive
Catherine Brighton - Associate Professor, UVA School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia

Marcia Imbeau - Associate Professor, Curriculum & Instruction, University of Arkansas

Kristina Doubet - Assistant Professor in Middle, Secondary, & Mathematics Education, James Madison University

Jay McTighe - Author and educational consultant

Monica Harrold - Principal, Northside Elementary School, Ann Arbor, MI

Cindy Strickland - Educational consultant and ASCD faculty member

Kelly A. Hedrick - Director of Gifted Education & Academy Programs, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, VA

Carol Tomlinson - William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor Emeritus, UVA School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia

Jessica Hockett - Educational consultant

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is composed of Vitamins C and K and minerals like generic viagra sale iron and manganese. It's very important to stick to a pill at pfizer viagra online amerikabulteni.com least 30 to 60 m...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Getting Started With Culturally Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.subject
Getting Started With Culturally Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Culturally Responsive Teaching

Understanding students' lives can help teachers foster a sense of belonging and ensure that all students feel respected and challenged.

The world of education is buzzing with talk of being more culturally responsive, but what does that mean, and how important is it really?

When I talk about culture, I'm talking about norms, beliefs, and behaviors that are passed down from one generation to the next-the things that explain why a student might answer a question the way he does or why another might not feel comfortable looking you in the eye when you're speaking to her. These aspects of culture are among the most misunderstood in the teacher-student dynamic and are often the things that cause students to get into the most trouble in the school discipline system. Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) attempts to bridge the gap between teacher and student by helping the teacher understand the cultural nuances that may cause a relationship to break down-which ultimately causes student achievement to break down as well.

In her book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, Zaretta Hammond writes that "by third grade, many culturally and linguistically diverse students are one or more years behind in reading." CRT is one of the most impactful tools for empowering students to find their way out of that achievement gap. This alone makes being culturally responsive one of the most important things you can learn at this moment.

Getting Started

The first step in being culturally responsive is to do an internal audit-yes, you read that right, an audit: truly digging deep inside of ourselves and recognizing and naming those things we don't want to look at or talk about. The experiences we've had along our journey in life have formed stereotypes which have then turned into implicit bias. These unintentional, unconscious attitudes impact how we relate to our students and their parents, and how we choose curriculum, assess learning, and plan lessons. Harvard University's Project Implicit has an online test you can take to examine your implicit bias.

Culturally responsive teachers also have to be aware of the sociopolitical context schools operate in and dare to go against that status quo. Students need to understand the system that is working around them in schools. Give them context and don't be afraid to talk about the tough subjects that may not be addressed in your school. In addition to Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, another great resource is Affirming Diversity by Sonia Nieto. The most important part of this work is a willingness to do something different to get different results, with the goal of increasing academic achievement.

For your audit, take some time to ask yourself hard questions and reflect on past and current practices. Are you operating from a place of critical care within your classroom-a place that marries high expectations with empathy and compassion? Are your students, regardless of socioeconomic status or background, being held to high standards? Has your past interaction with a particular race of people impacted your ability to communicate with parents? Identify those places in your instructional planning where you might have allowed your implicit biases to prevent you from pushing your students to achieve at optimal levels. Answering questions like these might be hard, but in order to create change, you have to identify and unearth the roots of your teaching practice.

Now that you have conducted an internal self-audit, your curriculum will need one as well. What books are students reading? Do they have a voice in what they read, where they sit, how they interact with each other?

Encourage students to make a social media campaign that champions their favorite cause, and have them bring evidence of their results to class to discuss the role social media plays in social change.

Use current songs that students might love to analyze the use of literary techniques and imagery in music videos. Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" is a great one. Better yet, instead of assigning a song, ask students for their suggestions.

Watch and discuss documentaries like Race: The Power of an Illusion.

Zaretta Hammond shared three simple strategies you can use to make lessons in any subject more culturally responsive.

Empowering students to take ownership of not just their learning but the environment itself is another critical component of CRT. One strategy for fostering a student-centered environment is having students create a classroom agreement that answers the question: "How will we be together?" Allowing students to answer this question will give you a window into how their cultures dictate the ways in which they want to feel respected, heard, safe, and included in the classroom and in their interactions with one another and with you. This reinforces the idea not only that they belong but that the way they show up at school every day, with all of their outside experiences in tow, has value.

Finally, put some thought into your lesson planning. You have taken the time to reflect and really look into your own biases that may have been getting in your way. You have revamped your classroom environment to reflect your students' voices, their various cultural needs, and their choice. Now let's have some fun. For example:

Our students need us now more than ever, and we have to roll up our sleeves and do what we must to close the achievement gap. Culturally responsive teaching is one step in the right direction. The outcome is a student body that loves learning, excels academically, and has teachers who respond to their needs.

Being culturally responsive encourages students to feel a sense of belonging and helps create a safe space where they feel safe, respected, heard, and challenged.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Getting Started With Culturally Responsive Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Understanding students' lives can help teachers foster a sense of belonging and ensure that all students feel respected and challenged.

# data[].attributes.headline
Using Differentiation to Challenge All Students

# data[].attributes.subject
Using Differentiation to Challenge All Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Differentiation to Challenge All Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whether students are ahead of their peers or behind, differentiation should ensure that all learners engage in critical thinking.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Challenge

View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 2:06).

Transcript: Challenge

Mr. Shelton has taught high school honors and Advanced Placement or AP mathematics courses for the last twenty-three years. He primarily has used whole-group instruction to present concepts and to model problem-solving processes on the board. His students seemed to learn the information and performed well on in-class tests and AP exams.

Two years ago Mr. Shelton began teaching Algebra I, a required course for all students. Although he is teaching the concepts in the same manner as before, many of his Algebra I students are not performing well. Some of them score poorly on in-class tests, others look bored or even fall asleep during class. Mr. Shelton has heard other teachers talk about things like this in the past but has never experienced them in his own classroom.

Seeking possible reasons for this difference in student performance, he speaks to several Algebra I teachers in his district whose students are performing well. They point out that Mr. Shelton's Algebra I class probably has students with a wider range of ability levels than he is used to. They explain that they use an approach called differentiated instruction to achieve their results.

Mr. Shelton is not sure what differentiated instruction is so he sets out to learn more.

Here is your Challenge:

What is differentiated instruction?

How do teachers differentiate instruction?

How do teachers prepare their students and their classrooms for differentiated instruction?

What does differentiated instruction look like in the classroom?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
View the movie below and then proceed to the Initial Thoughts section (time: 2:06). Transcript: Challenge Mr. Shelton has taught high school honors and Advanced Placement or AP mathematics courses for the last twenty-three years. He primarily has used whole-group instruction to present concepts and to model problem-solving processes on the board.