# data[].attributes.body
I teach a fairly traditional class. However, I've taken pieces of inspiration from the approach.

But I give students a degree of choice and autonomy. I recommend assignments, but always provide more optional assignments. And, in fact, the way I grade makes all assignments technically optional. I don't grade homework daily. I grade homework that is turned in on the day of the test. I provide keys, though not full solutions, so that students get immediate feedback.

I give recommended assigned dates in a course calendar.

I always give time at the end of a unit to ask any catch-up questions. And I give time (usually 1-2 weeks) between the end of a unit and a summative assessment. I almost always move on to new material...and make an effort to make the new unit connect to the old unit so that I am doing a bit of a review with building into new content during that time.
-Jeff.

# data[].attributes.body
students sometimes take the choice to not do something that is "optional" or where not completing the assignment doesn't have immediately obvious grade consequences.

Opting out of assignments has consequences for performance on summative assessments.

The hard part is to be patient with this. I build in the metacognitive lessons about why I approach instruction this way. I encourage students to develop the habits of mind that will help their learning for mastery. I tell them (anonymized) stories of past students and how they approached the course. Usually these are a combination of cautionary tale and discussing how they discovered a path to success.
-Jeff.

# data[].attributes.body
my homework strategy is a self-running spacing experiment. Some students work all through the course of the unit, keeping close to the recommended calendar. Some try to play catch-up and do all of the practice right before the test. Spacing things out definitely works better and this is something that I emphasize throughout the class while still giving student space to run the experiment for themselves.
-Jeff.

# data[].attributes.body
I am fortunate that my school has open time in the schedule intended for 1-1 (or small group) student-teacher interactions outside of normal class meeting times. This is a great way to dive deeper into where a student is and work with them on individualized strategies to approach material, get to know them better, and learn what they need as individual learners.
-Jeff.

# data[].attributes.body
I'm a science teacher. Group learning is built into any course through lab.

The trick is not making a cookie cutter lab experience. When can be safely done, leave room for exploration and mistakes. Let students discover what they need to do and how to do it by working with the members of their group.

I know that I sometimes fall into the trap of telling them just what to measure or what to do with measurements. But letting groups of student figure out what to do on their own based on what we've previously done in class is powerful.
-Jeff.

# data[].attributes.body
Use more team-building activities before and during group work

# data[].attributes.body
I'm hypothesizing that by adding more team building activities to group work experiences, the teams will 1. have fun, 2. get to know each other better, and 3. recognize that value is being put on them meshing as a team -- that the team is important.

I want to do more than just this, and the article I read on making collaboration better was very rich with ideas, but this is the one that seems most doable now.

# data[].attributes.body
I am willing to try inductive learning. Students develop higher levels of thinking: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that this strategy will help the development not only of autonomous students but also of critical and collaborative students who enjoy learning.

# data[].attributes.body
Spend more time building the team for group work before diving into the work. It might pay off in the long run.
Justin

# data[].attributes.body
If groupmates knew each other better and had established good group dynamics first, it might allow them to work more efficiently overall.

# data[].attributes.body
I am willing to try to expand choice in the next project we will be introducing in our Ancient Greece Unit.

# data[].attributes.body
I think giving more choice will allow for more creativity. It will also allow me to individualize it more for the student in terms of guidance and feedback.