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Co-Constructing School Direction: The Power of PLCs

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If student agency is the key to an inclusive classroom, then, by extension, teacher agency is the key to an inclusive, purposeful school.

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Formative assessment is the piece of the teaching puzzle that allows us to quickly (and hopefully, accurately) gauge how well our students are understanding the material we've taught. From there, we make the important decisions about where our lesson will go next. Do we need to reteach, or are our students ready to progress? Do some students need additional practice? And which students need to be pushed to achieve the next level?

The best formative assessments will not only answer these questions but will also engage students in their own learning. With that in mind, here are 25 formative assessment techniques that will have your students looking forward to showing you what they know.

1. Doodle Notes

Have students doodle/draw a pic of their understanding instead of writing it. Studies have shown it has numerous beneficial effects on student learning.

2. Same Idea, New Situation

Ask your students to apply the concepts they've learned to a completely different situation. For example, students could apply the steps of the scientific method to figuring out how to beat an opposing soccer team. They observe data (the other team's plays), form theories (they always rely on two main players), test theories while collecting more data (block those players and see what happens), and draw conclusions (see if that worked).

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3. Tripwire

Tripwires are things that catch people off guard and mess them up. Ask your students to list what they believe are the three misunderstandings about the topic that are most likely to mess up a peer. By asking students to think about the key understandings from this angle, we can get an excellent view of how well they comprehend the topic.

4. Two Truths and a Lie

No longer just a get-to-know-you game or icebreaker, this well-known activity also makes a great formative assessment. Ask students to list two things that are true or accurate about the learning and one idea that sounds like it might be accurate, but isn't. You'll be able to assess each student's understanding when they turn in their responses, and going over them with your class the following day makes an excellent review activity.

5. Popsicle Sticks

Formative assessment doesn't need to be complicated or time-consuming to be meaningful and engaging. Have each student put their name on a popsicle stick in a jar or box on your desk. Let them know you'll be pulling popsicle sticks to see who will be answering questions about the lesson. Knowing their name could be pulled makes students who might let peers do the talking focus on the learning. It dispels notions of favoritism and identifies learning gaps. And, most importantly, provides real-time feedback teachers can use in their lesson planning.

6. Explain it to a Famous Person

Ask the student to explain the day's lesson to someone famous in an analogy that would make sense to that person. For example, the Revolutionary War was fought between the colonies and Great Britain. The colonies wanted to be independent and, after winning the war, renamed themselves the United States of America, just like when Prince left his record label and had to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol in order to break contractual obligations (I'm dating myself with this example, aren't I?).

7. Traffic Light

Printing on post-it notes is actually pretty simple and fun! Slap a clip-art picture of a traffic light on there and you have a perfect formative assessment tool that students can complete when time is short at the end of class.

8. 30-Second Share

Challenge students to explain what the lesson they learned was all about to a peer, a small group, or the entire class in 30 seconds. At first, you might want to start at 15-seconds and build their stamina. But by encouraging students to explain everything they can for a set and relatively short amount of time, you'll be building their confidence and public speaking skills at the same time as you get a good grasp on how much they've remembered about the lesson.

9. Venn Diagrams

An oldie but a goodie. Have your student compare the topic you just introduced to a tangential topic you taught in the past. This way, you're getting a formative assessment on how well they understand the new topic and they're getting a review of an older topic as well!

10. Poll Them

Polls are a great way to quickly assess student understanding. You can do this in person, or you can use apps like Poll Everywhere, Socrative, or Mentimeter to make free polls students can answer using their phones or computers.

11. S.O.S. Summaries

A great, quick formative assessment idea that can be used at any point throughout a lesson is the S.O.S. summary. The teacher presents the students with a statement (S). Then, asks the students to give their opinion (O) about the statement. Finally, the students are asked to support (S) their opinion with evidence from the lesson. For example, a teacher might say to the students, "Complete an S.O.S. on this statement: The Industrial Revolution produced only positive effects on society."

S.O.S. can be used at the start of a lesson to assess prior knowledge or at the end of a unit or lesson to determine if students' opinions have changed or if their support has grown stronger with the new information they've learned.

12. FOUR-Corners

This activity can be used with questions or opinions. Before asking the question/making the statement, establish each corner of the room as a different potential opinion or answer. After giving the prompt, each student goes to the corner that best represents their answer. Based on classroom discussion, students can then move from corner to corner, adjusting their answer or opinion.

13. Jigsaw Learning

Perfect when teaching complicated subjects or topics with many different parts. In this formative assessment, teachers break a large body of information into smaller sections. Each section is then assigned to a different small group. That small group is in charge of learning about their section and becoming the class experts. Then, one by one, each section teaches the others about their part of the whole. As the teacher listens to each section being taught, they can use the lesson as a method of formative assessment.

14. Anonymous Pop-Quiz

All the formative assessment power of a pop-quiz with none of the unnecessary pressure or embarrassment. To use this tool, simply quiz your students on the essential information you want to ensure they understand. Instruct each student NOT to put their name on their paper.

Once the assessment is complete, redistribute the quizzes in a way that ensures no one knows whose quiz they have in front of them. Have the students correct the quizzes and share out which answers most students got wrong and which answers everyone seemed to understand the most. You'll know right away how well the class as a whole understands the topic without embarrassing any students individually.

15. One-Minute Write-Up

At the end of a lesson, give students one minute to write as much as they can about what they learned through the lesson or unit. If needed, provide some guiding questions to get them started.

What was the most important learning from today, and why?

Did anything surprise you? If so, what?

What was the most confusing part of the lesson, and why?

What is something that will likely appear on a test or quiz, and why?

Challenge them to write as much as they can and to write for all of the 60-seconds. To make it a bit more engaging, consider letting students do this with a partner.

Students love to watch videos and, because of this, we end up showing a lot of short video clips. While they're engaging, it's often tough to determine if our students are getting the information we hoped they would get out of watching them. EdPuzzle solves this problem. The free app allows you to link to a video and add questions that stop the video at times you determine. So you can show your students the video of the Dust Bowl, but stop at various points to ask them what they think life might have been like during this time. You can ask them to make comparisons between what they watch and the characters they're reading about in class. All of this information is then available for you to view and use for formative assessment.

17. Historical Post Cards

Ask students to take on the role of one historical figure you've been learning about in class. Have them write a postcard/email/tweet (as long as it's short) to another historical figure discussing and describing a political event.

18. 3x Summaries

Have students write a 75-100 word summary of a lesson independently. Then, in pairs, have them rewrite it using only 35-50 words. Finally, have them work with a small group to rewrite it one last time. This time, they may use only 10-15 words. Discuss what different groups decided was the most essential information and why they chose to omit certain information. The conversation about what they left out is just as useful as seeing what they left in.

19. Roses and Thorns

Ask students to write or share out two things they really liked/understood about a topic (the roses) and something they didn't like/didn't understand (the thorn).

20. Thumbs Up, Down, or in the Middle

Sometimes things stick around because they just work. Asking students to give you a thumbs up if they understand, thumbs down if they don't, or thumbs somewhere in the middle if they are so-so about it, is probably one of the fastest formative assessments around. It's also very easy to keep track of if you're the teacher standing in the front of the room. Just make sure that you follow up with the thumbs down or thumbs in the middle folks to help them with any confusion.

21. Word Clouds

Ask your students to provide you with the three most essential words or ideas from a lesson and plug them into a word cloud generator. You'll quickly have an excellent formative assessment that shows you what they thought was most worthy of remembering. If it doesn't line up with what you think was most important, you know what you need to reteach.

22. Curation

Ask students to gather a bunch of examples that correctly demonstrate the concept you taught. So if you're studying rhetorical strategies, have students send you screenshots of ads that demonstrate them. Not only will you be able to tell immediately who understood the lesson and who didn't, but you'll also have a bunch of great examples and non-examples ready to go for those students who need additional practice.

23. Dry Erase Boards

Another time-tested method of formative assessment that teachers often overlook is individual dry erase boards. They really are an awesome and fast way to see where each student's level of understanding is at any given point.

24. Think-Pair-Shares

Like so many teacher tools, this one can get stale if overused. But, if used as a method to encourage all students to find their voice and share their learning, it's perfect for formative assessment. To ensure its effectiveness, ask a question of the class. Have every student write down their own answer. Pair students up with a classmate and give them time to share and discuss their answers. After pairs have had a chance to discuss, have them share out with a larger group or the class as a whole. Circulate, listening to groups who have students you know might be more likely to struggle with the current topic. Collect the papers for extra accountability.

25. Self-Directed

This one can intimidate some students at first, but it can be incredibly powerful to let students themselves choose how they want to demonstrate learning. You can support students by giving them managed choice, but let them decide if they want to show you they understood the essential parts of your lesson by drawing a picture, writing a paragraph, creating a pop quiz, or even writing song lyrics. This shows you're putting them in charge of their own learning.

What's your go-to method of formative assessment? Tell us in the comments.

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25 Formative Assessment Options Your Students Will Actually Enjoy

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Formative assessment is a vital tool in lesson planning and teaching. Check out this list of ways to get students to show you what they know.

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These six monosyllabic words provide a simple yet impactful formula for improving teacher clarity and student learning. Dr. John Hattie’s meta analysis indicates that teacher clarity is an evidence-based strategy and has the potential to accelerate learning. Figure 1: I Can…This Means…Here’s How formulaIf you’re anything like me, you may have a love-hate relationship with learning targets. You may have wondered if at best they are worth your time and effort and if at worst they are detrimental t

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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NOTE: You might also be interested in My Best Posts On The Basics Of Small Groups In The Classroom You might also find my Education Week Teacher post, Response: Do's and Don'ts for Better Project-Based Learning, useful. Also: Different Ways Of 'Learning By Doing' Q & A Collections: Project-Based Learning is the headline of one of my Education Week Teacher columns. It contains links to all my posts on Project-Based Learning from the past five years - in one place! THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING HOW USE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING & PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Here are my choices for The Best Sites For Cooperative Learning Ideas:

Powerful Learning: Studies Show Deep Understanding Derives from Collaborative Methods is an excellent Edutopia article by Brigid Barron and Linda Darling-Hammond. You can also download an expanded version of their article here.
Why Use Cooperative Learning?
Evidence that PBL Works comes from Edutopia.
Surprise, Surprise! Study Says Cooperative Learning Is More Effective Than Lectures Cooperative Learning Techniques The Jigsaw Classroom
An article by Spencer Kagan on using cooperative learning in the ESL classroom.

Unleashing the "Brain Power" of Groups in the Classroom is a great article about the neuroscience of cooperative learning groups. It appears in The Harvard Education Letter.

I write in my book, English Language Learners: Teaching Strategies That Work, about how I used problem-based learning in the classroom. It's very engaging, and very effective on a number of levels.

Apparently, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agrees.

You can now read the list of questions the CIA recommends to use in order to define problems and develop a solution to them.

I think they're pretty good, and being able to attribute them to the CIA will only make them more attractive to students. I can see giving students the lists and having them pick the ones that they're most interested in answering.

Watch Problem Based Learning in Action: Apollo 13 is a nice post (and video clip) by Peter Pappas.

Edutopia has some great resources on Project-Based Learning.

The Buck Institute For Education, which has created a number of Project-Based Learning resources that are on list, have recently had Common Craft, the wildly popular animation company, to create a video on PBL. Here is how Buck describes it, and I've embedded the video below the explanation. I'm also adding it to the previously mentioned "The Best..." list:
The Buck Institute for Education commissioned the cutting-edge advertising agency, Common Craft, to create a short animated video that explains in clear language the essential elements of Project Based Learning (PBL).
simple video makes the essential elements of PBL come alive and brings to light the 21st Century skills and competencies (collaboration, communication, critical thinking) that will enable K-12 students to be college and work-ready as well as effective members of their communities.

I published a post about a recent study that found that a group of people who had good social skills would outperform a group of individuals with higher native intelligence but fewer interpersonal abilities (see And Is Why We Have To Help Our Students Learn How To Work In Small Groups). NPR ran a more extensive story about the same research. Go to Collaboration Beats Smarts In Group Problem Solving.

I know that some studies have said that three or four students are the best number for student small groups in the classroom. However, I've always found that - at least for ninth-graders - working in pairs works best (though sometimes near the end of the school year I'll have them do a project in three or four after they've matured a bit and gained more experience in pair work).

You might also be interested in some past posts about student small groups:
What Do You To Make Sure Small Groups Work Well In Class? And Is Why We Have To Help Our Students Learn How To Work In Small Groups
Thanks to Sheryl NussbaumBeach, here's an excellent video describing the steps of problem-based learning.

The Marzano Research Laboratory has released a study on their website that concluded:
on the average, the use of cooperative learning by teachers in the action research studies was associated with a gain in student academic achievement of 30 percentile points over what was expected when teachers did not use cooperative learning.
Not bad...

What Makes A Good Project? is by Gary Stager.

How to Refine Driving Questions for Effective Project-Based Learning comes from Edutopia.

I'm also adding another post titled How To Write Driving Questions

Don't Lecture Me: Rethinking How College Students Learn is a commentary on research in a college classroom, but it certainly can also pertain to K-12, too.

Problem-Based Learning in K-12 Education: Is It Effective and How Does It Achieve Its Effects? is a new study highlighting the effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning. Unfortunately, the link will only allow you to access the abstract and you have to pay to see the full report.

Physicists Seek To Lose The Lecture As Teaching Tool is an NPR Report about the successes of a professor who has stopped lecturing and, and instead, has begun using small groups. American Radio Works has a more extensive feature on the results.

The Muppets Guide to Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a great post from Michael Milton.

Think-Pair- Variations is from Teacher Cast.

Co-operative learning: what makes group-work work? is by Robert Slavin, and provides a good overview of cooperative learning research.

Cooperative Learning Ideas From Nobel Prize Winner Carl Wieman

Getting Started with Project-Based Learning (Hint: Don't Go Crazy) is by Andrew Miller and appeared in Edutopia.

Practical PBL: Design an Instructional Unit in Seven Phases is from Edutopia.

For Authentic Learning, Start With Real Problems is from The New York Times Learning Network.

Research Supports Collaborative Learning is from Edutopia.

How to Refine Driving Questions for Effective Project-Based Learning is by Andrew Miller at Edutopia.

Why Problem-Based Learning Is Better is by Tim Holt.

Yong Zhao Makes the Case for Creativity is by Suzie Boss.

Project-Based Learning vs. Problem-Based Learning vs. X-BL is from Edutopia.

The Difference Between Projects And Project-Based Learning is from Teach Thought.

Supporting ELLs Through Project-Based Learning is a video from The Teaching Channel:

Personalized PBL: Student-Designed Learning is by Andrew Miller.

What Project-Based Learning Means for Your High School Child is from US News.

A World of Project Ideas (You Can Steal) is by Suzie Boss.

Slides from our #PBL session yesterday here: http://t.co/g625WJXAtU Google Doc w/links here: http://t.co/uyaJ6JE8vN #iste2014 #pblchat

- suzieboss (@suzieboss) July 1, 2014

The Power of Collaboration and Active Engagement for ELs is by Judie Haynes.

English Learners and Project-Based Learning is from Ed Week.

Time to Debunk Those PBL Myths is by Suzie Boss at Edutopia.

The Importance of Project Based Teaching is from The Buck Institute, and provides a unique historical perspective on Project-Based Learning.

What the Heck Is Project-Based Learning? is by Heather Wolpert-Gawron.

8 Steps To Design Problem-Based Learning In Your Classroom is from TeachThought.

Project Based Learning vs Problem Based Learning (by @art_schultz) #edchat #engchat #elearning #mathchat pic.twitter.com/FSvByUFJOp

- Alex Corbitt (@Alex_Corbitt) May 28, 2015

4 Levels of Collaboration pic.twitter.com/tSkLEQeyTp

- John Miller (@agileschools) July 18, 2015

10 Ready-to-Borrow Project Ideas is by Suzie Boss at Edutopia.

Want active discussions? Try instructional carousels: http://t.co/LLHIbBnz5Z by @CriticalSkills1. pic.twitter.com/MD1RTEtPnL

- edutopia (@edutopia) August 1, 2015

Q & A Collections: Project-Based Learning is my latest Ed Week Teacher column. It brings together all my posts from the past four years on Project-Based Learning - in one place!

"Dreamdo Schools" Is A Platform To Share Project-Based Learning Projects Internationally

New Study Finds Advantages To Collaborative Learning

Good Overview Of Advantages & Disadvantages Of Group Learning
Project Based Learning in the World Language Classroom is from CASLS.

As Project-Based Learning Gains in Popularity, Experts Offer Caution is from EdWeek.
The New Study Headlined "Group Work Harms Memory" Doesn't Mean What You Think It Does This Is Interesting: Hattie Says Jigsaw Strategy Hits a Homerun
ESL Jigsaws by Nancy Callan has some great ideas about how to use the jigsaw strategy with ELLs, along with offering excellent materials.

New Study Shows the Impact of PBL on Student Achievement is from Edutopia.

FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT-BASED is from The New School.

In History Projects, Point of View & Context Matter is a very good piece by Anthony Cody on project-based learning in Social Science classes.

Second Set Partners: A Turn and Talk Strategy is from The Teaching Channel.

New FreeBIE Resource: English Learner Scaffolds for PBL is from The Buck Institute.
New Study Finds A Specific Form Of "Collaboration" Gets The Best Results
The Jigsaw Method Teaching Strategy is from TeachHub.

Cooperative learning is essential for all Ss, but especially ELs. Here are some tried and true (and relatively new) strategies that @irina_mcgrath and I love to use to promote interaction. @MsSalvac@ShakeUpLearning @KaganOnline@edtechteam #ELLChat https://t.co/nu0TsiDnjS pic.twitter.com/uIthCi5iZ1

- 𝕄𝕚𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕪 (@michelleshory) January 29, 2019

Projects have been around for...forever. Here's how PBL is different from them. pic.twitter.com/68MDDgUfSA

- edutopia (@edutopia) May 29, 2019

5 ways to make PBL work in ELL is from SmartBrief.

Your PBL Journey: A Guide for Teachers is a new publication from PBL Works.

10 real-world project examples for PBLL [Project Based Language Learning] is an interesting post from Musicuentos.

How Collaboration Unlocks Learning and Lessens Student Isolation is from MindShift.
BIG NEW STUDY FINDS THAT INQUIRY & PROBLEM-BASED INSTRUCTION IN MATH/SCIENCE IS EFFECTIVE
3 Common PBL Problems-and Solutions is from Edutopia.

"Doing a Project" vs. Project Based Learning is from PBL Works.

Feeling Stuck? How to Get Started with Your First Project is from PBL Works.

How to Create a Project Based Learning Lesson is from Cult of Pedagogy.

A Simple, Effective Framework for PBL is from Edutopia.

3 Steps to Getting Started With PBL is from Edutopia.

Huge project, years in the making by my @CESRUSC colleagues finds substantial positive impacts of project-based learning on AP exam scores in both government and environmental science. Impressive work! https://t.co/LuuYBtGDHl

- Morgan Polikoff (@mpolikoff) June 11, 2022

5 Fantastic Ideas for Collaboration Projects is from Cult of Pedagogy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THINK, PAIR, SHARE (AND HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY) is from InnerDrive.

Think, Pair, Share is a powerful technique to promote collaborative & productive talk. This summary captures the 'what?', 'how?' & 'why?' of the process & is partly based on blog posts by @teacherhead & @Inner_Drive @BradleyKBusch

Download the PDF here: https://t.co/to98KgNSv4 pic.twitter.com/Drm4r3PzDA

- Jamie Clark (@XpatEducator) December 9, 2022

Think and pair before share: Effects of collaboration on students' in-class participation is a new study.

Slides from my presentation this morning on collaborative and cooperative learning at the @learningandtheb conference on "Teaching Social Brains" in New York are here: https://t.co/onEtHofaGB.

- Dylan Wiliam (@dylanwiliam) April 22, 2023

A Simple Way to Build Rich Tasks for Group Work is from Edutopia.

Additional suggestions are welcome.

If you found post useful, you might want to consider subscribing to blog for free.

You might also want to explore the 400 other "The Best..." lists I've compiled.

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The Best Sites For Cooperative & Collaborative Learning Ideas

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NOTE: You might also be interested in My Best Posts On The Basics Of Small Groups In The Classroom You might also find my Education Week Teacher post, Response: Do's and Don'ts for Bett...

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Discover what happened on September 23 with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births a…

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Douglas Fisher & John Almarode: Teacher Clarity Webinar

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6 High-Impact Teaching Strategies to Boost Your Students’ Results

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Would you like to have a larger impact on your students’ learning? Discover 6 High-Impact Teaching Strategies that you can use to make it so.

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I’d like to start this article with a confession: I’m a big fan of concept maps. As a learner, researcher, and educator, I’ve depended on concept maps to become more intentional with my time and to better understand topics. Why? My top two reasons are their efficacy across subjects and age groups and their versatility in application. Here, I delve into what concept maps are, why they are effective, and how we can leverage them in different ways.

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School and District Improvement, Assessment, Curriculum and Staff Development Consultation

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Why Kids Should Nature Journal at All Grade Levels

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A 2023 review makes a strong case that hands-on observation of natural phenomena has both academic and psychological benefits.

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How to Engage Students in Science Easily - Bright in the Middle

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How to engage students in science - This is a topic that I get questions about a lot from teachers. How do you engage your…

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When teachers give retakes and shift the way they talk about grades, students concentrate on the skills they're gaining-not their scores.

PhotoAlto / Alamy Stock Photo

My middle and high school students eagerly walk into class with their homework fully completed, ready to ask follow-up questions. They have no desire to earn a grade for this work. They did it for the sake of learning... and then I wake up from this lovely dream.

How many points off if I forgot units?

How much will you take off for spelling?

What can I do to get my average up to an A?

The reality is they check their grades online constantly. They ask questions like:

After decades of this reality in my math classes, I began to reflect on how my behavior contributed to the grades-obsessed culture. I am embarrassed to admit that I used to praise students based on their grades rather than their effort and improvement. Conferences with parents generally focused on number grades rather than student learning.

As part of my reflection, I found a community of teachers at my school who also were fed up with the grades obsession. We shared strategies and resources that helped us de-emphasize grades in our classes, even though we still had to give them.

5 Adjustments to Shift Class Culture Away From Grades

1. Adjust your language (with kids and parents): When a student was unmotivated to complete an assignment, I threw out threats like, "You have to do it because this will be a grade!" I now make statements of encouragement such as, "You did really well with simplifying radicals. I'm looking forward to seeing how you apply that skill to the Pythagorean theorem." Does this work perfectly every time? Of course not. But being mindful of my language that focused on learning rather than scores started to shift the culture of my class.

My language with parents also shifted. I would email or call with information about the concepts or skills their child was demonstrating rather than emphasizing grades. If I was pressed for a number grade, I would reply, "Devon earned 35 out of 42 points on his last assessment. I recommend that he practice prime factorization to be better prepared for the material in the next chapter." Maybe this is mathematically sneaky, but giving a grade of 35 out of 42 de-emphasizes the undeserved stigma that may come with earning a low B.

2. Delay the grade: I first encountered this idea in Kristy Louden's blog post on how to get students to pay more attention to teacher feedback than to grades. Louden writes, "Delay the delivery of the actual grade so student focus moves from the grade to the feedback."

Another math teacher and I both experimented with this strategy. In our classes, we would grade tests with usual marks and brief notes, but we did not write any point deductions or a grade on the test itself. After handing back the tests, the students were asked to reflect and make corrections. As I assisted the students with their corrections, I would discuss the concepts and feedback, but never points.

This irritated the kids at first, but over time they began to focus on their actual performance. I would conference with each student at their request a day later if they wanted to know the number grade (I still had to give grades as a school requirement.)

3. Lower the stakes: Research suggests that homework or formative assessment should never be graded for accuracy. Most teachers I know record completion grades for homework. A few years ago I stopped that. (I did keep a record of who was doing their homework for future student/parent conferences.) I emphasized that homework was a chance to practice and explore. To lower the pressure even more, I advertised to my students that their lowest quiz grade would be automatically dropped each term. This eliminated a lot of anxiety and tears.

4. Provide retakes: I am a big fan of Starr Sackstein's blog, where she writes often about standards-based grading. In a recent post, Sackstein writes, "Tests and other 'one and done' situations are never going to get the best out of students particularly because of the nature of time and memorization." My high school's math department had a policy of offering a retake test per term to replace the lowest test grade. If your school doesn't have a redo policy, advocate for one. Or get creative in your class on ways to offer retakes for the sake of learning-not just for a grade replacement.

5. Allow self-grading: As a secondary teacher, I often hear the pushback, "If we don't give traditional grades, are we preparing them for college?" Naturally, we can't predict what our kids will encounter in postsecondary education, but there seems to be a trend toward "ungrading" among some college professors. A 2019 Inside Higher Ed article noted that there are "sound pedagogical reasons to do it [ungrade], given the litany of research finding that grades play to extrinsic (not intrinsic) motivation, decrease enjoyment of learning and increase fears of failure. More than that, grades aren't necessarily a good measure of student learning. And, based on additional research, we know they're subject to rampant inflation."

Teachers can counter some of these detrimental effects of grades by giving students more ownership of their assessment. When assigning a rubric-assessed project, ask the students to complete their own rubric, and then take a moment to conference with them about their self-assessment. Sometimes their grade will be lower than what you would have given, which is a great start to a productive conversation. Additionally, self-assessment gives students ownership of their own learning and enhances their metacognitive skills.

In my dreams, we stop giving grades altogether, and students joyfully complete their assignments for the pure pleasure of learning. But in reality, grades, however flawed, determine placements and ranking. Still, we, as teachers, can get creative within the walls of our own classrooms to make grades more accurate, collaborative, and much less stressful.

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5 Ways to Help Students Focus on Learning Rather Than Grades

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When teachers give retakes and shift the way they talk about grades, students concentrate on the skills they're gaining-not their scores.

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These extension activities for all grades will help teachers keep fast finishers engaged in meaningful work.′

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3 Strategies for Asking Better Questions

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By reframing your questions slightly, you can create more opportunities for students to think deeply, reflect, and engage.

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Simple Ways to Make the Most of a Check-In

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When done effectively, quick check-ins can help you better understand how your students are doing and strengthen your classroom community.

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The Exemplary Teaching Video Library is a professional development tool comprised of curated videos showing concrete examples of great teaching and learning practices in our district. Enjoy learning from your colleagues! We are proud of our partnerships with Partner Offices across SDP. Click to see recent work across disciplines and content areas.

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Photo by Ashley L. Conti, Friends of Acadia, NPS

Ranger-Led Distance Learning Programs

Grades K-2: Adaptation Olympics

Join a park ranger to learn about the amazing adaptations of the animals in Acadia. Students have the option to move along with the ranger; they'll only need a small space to jump, wave their arms around, and try the ant plank! (30-45 minutes)

Grades K-3: What do you Notice Videos?

On Your Own or With a Ranger!
Sometimes called "I Notice, I Wonder Videos!" Complete with 1-page Fast Fact reference pages!Share these ~1-minute non-narrated video clips of Acadia's resources with students who can then generate "I Notice, I Wonder, & I'm Reminded of" statements. These observations, questions, and connections can be shared with their class, and teachers can utilize fast fact reference sheets to expand on their ideas. Or teachers can schedule a 15-30 minute "I Notice" Share Chat with a Ranger; these informal talks give students the opportunity to also share their thoughts with a ranger.

Grades K-3: Wonderful Birds

From feathers to beaks and feet, birds vary quite a bit! In this lesson, we will explore and appreciate the great diversity of our feathered friends. (30 minutes)

Grades 2-4: Shoreline Discovery

Learn about the wildlife that live along Acadia's rocky shoreline during this interactive program. An introductory skit showcases challenges encountered here, and shells, replicas, and images of different animals will be used to highlight various adaptations. (45 minutes)

Grades 3-4: What Do Rangers Do?

Investigate various jobs that rangers do in National Parks. Learn about the variety of jobs it takes to keep Acadia running! What Do Rangers Do? is the prerequisite for completing the Junior Ranger Program and earning a Jr Ranger badge. Request your copy of our Jr. Ranger Book ahead of time, so you can choose the pages you want your students to work on. (30 minutes)

Grades 3-4: Junior Ranger Awards Ceremony

After participating in the What Do Rangers Do? Program and completing five pages in the Jr Ranger Book, Third Grade students can attend a Jr Ranger Ceremony, interview a ranger, and earn their Acadia Jr. Ranger Badge. Older students will need to complete additional pages; see inside cover. This program works best if you schedule early so we can mail you badges ahead of time. (30 minutes)

Grades 4-5: Sedimentary Sleuths

Wind, waves, and ice! Become a sediment detective and investigate how weathering and erosion have shaped the landscape of Acadia National Park over time. (1 hour)

Grades 4-6: The World of Birds

From feathers to beaks and feet, birds vary quite a bit! In this lesson, we will explore and appreciate the great diversity of our feathered friends. (45 minutes)

Grades 3-6: Amazing Animal Adaptations

Explore the diversity of animals in Acadia and learn about the remarkable adaptations that help them survive! From talons to tongues, we will take a close look and learn wild facts about some local Maine creatures. (45 minutes)

Grades 3-12: Overview of Acadia Slideshow

What makes Acadia... Acadia? Invite a ranger to your virtual space to present a slideshow showcasing the resources protected here. This overview acts as a great introduction to the Park! (30 minutes)

Grades 4-6: Habitats of Acadia

Venture from forest, to ocean, to fresh water as we explore the three distinct habitats of Acadia and learn about the animals who call these places home. (45 minutes)

Grades 4-8: Mystery Parks, Geography Sleuths

Short video clues to start your day or start your week with! Students watch a 2-5 minute video/narrated PowerPoint of clues from a National Park somewhere in the U. S. Then, they research the clues to see if they can figure out the park. Once they think they have an answer, they watch a 2-minute video revealing the park's name and discovering why it was preserved. Program clips highlight different ranger jobs, U.S. history, workforce diversity, biomes, and geography. With ~5-10 minutes of video presentation/park site, you can decide how you want to meter it out during the autumn. An optional conclusion program can be scheduled with a live ranger to discuss NPS Mission, park diversity, and students' favorite parks.

Grades 4-8: Carroll Homestead

Learn about the daily life of Mount Desert Island settlers in the mid-1800's. Join a ranger for a tour of the Carroll Homestead, examine historic tools and toys, and learn about the chores children were responsible for. (50 minutes)

Grades 5-6: Pond Ecology/Citizen Scientists at Work

Learn how scientists track the health of Acadia by looking at who is living in a pond! Discover how you can help inventory the plants and animals that live near you! (45 minutes)

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Distance Learning - Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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Grades K-2: Adaptation Olympics Join a park ranger to learn about the amazing adaptations of the animals in Acadia. Students have the option to move along with the ranger; they'll only need a small space to jump, wave their arms around, and try the ant plank!

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Your Students Will Be Obsessed With This Easy, No-Prep Heads-or-Tails Game

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From kindergartners to grown adults, everyone finds this TikTok teacher’s simple game strangely riveting!

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Quizzes aren’t only good for assessment — taking them actually makes students learn.

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The 2x10 strategy: a miraculous solution for behavior issues?

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The 2×10 strategy is simple: spend 2 minutes per day for 10 days in a row talking with an at-risk student about anything she or he wants to talk about.

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Virtual field trips are a game changer. Not only do they fill in for real field trips when budgets and other roadblocks prevent in-person options, but virtual field trips also open doors to educational experiences all over the country and the world, both past and present. No fundraising or permission slips required!

(Note: For anyone who needs it, YouTube offers a closed-captioning option. Just click the CC button in the bottom right-hand corner.)

Amazon Career Tours are free virtual field trips that inspire students to pursue careers of the future. Tour whenever, wherever on Kahoot! Each tour comes with a Teacher Toolkit that includes a facilitation guide and student worksheets.

2. The Zoo

There are so many amazing online options when it comes to zoos that we couldn't narrow it down to just one. Most zoos have live webcams in some of their most popular exhibits, such as the KC Zoo Polar Bear Cam and the Giant Panda Cam at Smithsonian's National Zoo. However, some zoos offer a more in-depth look. You'll definitely want to check out the San Diego Zoo as their site for kids includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories, as well as a variety of printable activities and online games. Check out our full list of virtual zoo goodness.

3. The Aquarium

It's a similar story with aquariums. You have your pick of live webcams, but our favorites are the Georgia Aquarium's Ocean Voyager webcam (wait for the whale shark!) and the "Jelly Cam" at Monterey Bay Aquarium (so soothing). The Seattle Aquarium even has a 30-minute video tour. Want more under-the-sea fun? Here's our ultimate list of virtual aquarium field trips.

4. The Farm

The classic preschool field trip goes online! You can have your pick of dairy farm field trips, but we like this one from the Dairy Alliance and this one from Stonyfield Organic. Farm Food 360 gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in Canadian farm and food tours-from raising pigs to making milk and cheese. We're also loving these virtual egg farm field trips from the American Egg Board.

5. An Art Museum

We found 20 art museums with virtual tours, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art's # MetKids and its awesome Where's Waldo? setup. And you can't miss the world-famous Louvre in Paris (no passport needed!). Check out the current virtual tours: Traveling Materials and Objects, the Advent of the Artist, the Body in Movement, and Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader!

6. A National Park

From webcams at Hawaii volcanoes to a virtual run along the rim of the Grand Canyon, you have tons of options here. Our top pick would have to be Yellowstone. The interactive maps are a great way to see the Mammoth Hot Springs and Mud Volcano, but we think kids will be psyched about the Old Faithful Geyser livestream and the opportunity to make their own predictions for its next eruption. Check out everything the National Park Service has to offer virtually.

7. A Planetarium

Through Stellarium Web, kids can explore over 60,000 stars, locate planets, and watch sunrises and solar eclipses. If you enter your location, you can see all the constellations that are visible in the night sky in your corner of the world.

Take your students on a virtual field trip of a recycling center and a modern landfill. Plus, there's a full-on curriculum that includes lesson plans, take-home handouts, and more.

Nickelodeon teamed up with two astronauts on the International Space Station to demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity and had kids reproduce those same demonstrations back here on Earth. It makes for an amazing 15-minute virtual field trip.

The Nature Conservancy has a virtual field trip entitled "You're the Scientist! Citizen Science, Frogs & Cicadas." Check out their full library of videos on topics like climate change and water security.

Discovery Education hosts a variety of virtual events -each with a companion guide with hands-on learning activities. Current offerings include "Night Navigators: Build for Bats" and "Mission Possible: Re-powering the Future." Stay tuned for their upcoming civics virtual field trip, "The American Ideal."

This virtual field trip from Great Lakes Now has three components: coastal wetlands, algae, and lake sturgeon. Each video is a quick five minutes long.

Explore online exhibits and discover the history and evolution of play. Check out board games that changed play, sports video games that shaped digital play, and the making of Monopoly to name a few.

Kids can learn about the most recent U.S. Census and how census data is collected and used. This virtual field trip also features interviews with subject matter experts and an interactive challenge.

The "Museum of We the People," the Constitution Center serves as a headquarters for civic education. Check out the Interactive Constitution section, and be sure to watch the virtual tour.

Houston, we have a virtual field trip. Three, actually. All with companion educator guides. The star of the show is the behind-the-scenes tour of the Johnson Space Center.

The Georgia Department of Transportation hosts this awesome virtual field trip to explore great destinations across the state of Georgia. Check out River Street in Savannah, the Appalachian Trail, MLK Jr. Park, and much more. Students will get to select their car and explore these destinations while completing road safety tasks.

This living-history museum provides a look into life in an early American community. The website offers five different webcams featuring areas such as the tavern and the armory.

This virtual experience of George Washington's home is incredibly well done. Enter the different buildings-from the opulent mansion to the chilling slave quarters-and click on different items for video and text explanations.

This virtual tour comes with a real tour guide! Blaine Kortemeyer is the Assistant Chief of Interpretation and Education and lends his expertise on the building of this national monument. The 3D Explorer is also an excellent tool.

Take a visit to the National WWII Museum for "a cross-country virtual expedition to discover the science, sites, and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb." Don't forget to download the classroom guide!

For a look inside the iconic building, check out the 360° tour of some of the most historic rooms of the People's House, from the Situation Room to the Oval Office. Examine each room and check out the contents up close.

The National Museum of Natural History's virtual experiences are self-guided, room-by-room tours of permanent, current, and past exhibits. Be sure to send kids to the second floor Bone Hall so they can take a look at all different kinds of skeletons.

A collaboration with over 1,200 leading museums and archives, Google Arts & Culture is an incredible storehouse of monumental works of art. We recommend the Street View and Play sections.

Boasting the world's largest collection of 360° image videos, 360 Cities provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the globe, including their video of the ice floe on the Vistula River in Poland.

It's the official residence of the king of England, and boy, is it opulent! Get a peek inside the gorgeous Grand Staircase, White Drawing Room, Throne Room, and Blue Drawing Room.

See one of the wonders of the world with this amazing, thousands-year-old fortification system known the world over. This virtual tour has four scenes available (you have to pay to get access to all 14). The bird's-eye view of Mutianyu Pass is a highlight.

Most of us recognize the giant stone statues of Easter Island, but what's the story behind them? Nova's online adventure "Secrets of Easter Island" delves into the mystery with a virtual tour.

This interactive 3D map of Mount Everest uses the latest satellite technology to check out some of the most heavily climbed routes to reach the top of this monstrous mountain.

You don't need a time machine! Discovering Ancient Egypt has a ton of free resources, but it's the interactive pyramid map and 3D temple reconstructions that really give it a field trip feel.

Virtually visit Turn Back the Clock, a museum exhibit that ran for two years at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Through compelling personal stories, innovative interactive media, and pop culture artifacts, the exhibit takes guests through seven decades of history-from the dawn of the nuclear age to significant policy questions our leaders face today.

No, really! You can absolutely "go" to the red planet. With Access Mars, you can see the actual surface of Mars, recorded by NASA's Curiosity rover. Trust us-don't skip the intro. And if your kids liked that, check out this 4K tour of the moon. These may go down in history as some of the best virtual field trips your students get to experience.

Take a virtual tour of this historical battleship located on the Camden waterfront. This battleship has traveled more miles than any other!

No need to travel to Rome! Take in the amazing art and architecture located in the Vatican Museums with these 360-degree views.

Download the app and climb aboard the virtual tram line! Take a virtual walk through the Space Center Houston with informational stops along the way.

Virtually visit museum rooms in the famous Louvre, located in Paris. Check out The Louvre kids' site for student-friendly galleries and stories. You can't visit the Louvre without seeing the Mona Lisa, so check out their immersive Mona Lisa experience available in the app store.

This interactive tour of Ellis Island lets students explore places like the Baggage Room and the Stairs of Separation through short stories, historical photographs, videos, and audio clips. Students can also hear the stories of real kids who recently immigrated to the United States, explore colorful charts and graphs with immigration data, and watch a 30-minute movie that includes a Q&A with National Park Service Rangers who explain what coming to America was like for many immigrants.

38. Plimoth Patuxet Museums

Travel back to the 17th century with options for free, on-demand, digital resources or a live, 1-hour virtual school program led by a Plimoth Patuxet Contemporary Indigenous Museum Educator. Students explore Wampanoag daily life and history; discover the real history of Thanksgiving and the legend behind it; meet a 17th-century Pilgrim; get an interactive sneak peek into 17th-century wardrobes; and learn about simple machines and water power at the Plimoth Grist Mill. There are also options for virtual hands-on history workshops, including Wampanoag Pottery and Write Like a Pilgrim.

When you can't visit the museum in person, 3D virtual field trips to the Children's Museum Houston are the next best thing. All videos are produced and curated by museum educators and feature hands-on activities that can be done in the classroom. Topics include nutrition, math, states of matter, forces and properties of water, and more.

Beyond the Battle Field is a virtual field trip for grades 2-8 hosted by Lauren Tarshis, author of the "I Survived" historical-fiction series for kids. Students will meet a museum educator as well as the museum curator, and explore artifacts and documents from the American Revolution. Plus they'll hear the stories of teens who served during the war. There's also a Classroom Kit available with a vocabulary list and discussion questions by grade level.

If you liked this roundup of the best virtual field trips and want more resources like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

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All posts by Kimmie Fink, M.Ed., Curriculum & Instruction

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40 Amazing Educational Virtual Field Trips

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You can't always get there in person, but lots of places will let you "visit" online. These are the best virtual field trips out there!

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Samantha Cleaver, PhD, Special Ed & Reading Intervention

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Teachers Share Their Best Classroom Strategies for Handling Post-Pandemic Behavior

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A majority of public schools say student behavior is worse since the pandemic. Here’s how teachers are adapting.

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What is WOOP, and Why Does It Help with Student Motivation? - Dave Stuart Jr.

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Is there anything more motivating than setting, striving for, and achieving a meaningful goal? From what I see in the classroom with my students, at home with my children, and in my own pursuits as a person, successful goal-setting is one of the best ways to get me pumped up. When I reach a goal, […]

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How Math Bulletin Boards Can Build a Sense of Community in Your School

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Hallway bulletin boards are a fun entry point for students, teachers, and staff to engage in math-centered activities together.

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Using Hexagons to Build Critical Thinking Skills

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16 Variations on Think-Pair-Share to Keep Students Engaged

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Teachers and students use this classic learning strategy often. To keep it from getting stale, try these tweaks.

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How to Build a Literacy-Focused Community

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Schools can support relationships among students, staff, and the wider community through engaging opportunities that promote literacy.

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I could list all of the things that fill your time...but this article would turn into the "Great American Novel" real quick!

So I won't do that. Let's just accept that you are busy and you're doing the best that you can. This means that the behavior management strategies you've created are largely out of necessity. You need your students to behave because you simply don't have the time to waste.

Let's also give that same grace to your colleagues. They're busy too. They've created behavior management strategies that suit them and their needs. They had to.

But these solutions born out of necessity have presented your students and the school as a whole with a problem. You lack consistency between classrooms.

Those rules, structures, routines, and procedures can't carry over to the hallway, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, or auditorium. Your colleagues, your students, and your school need a consistent behavior management plan.

That's why schools are structuring their behavior management plans around the term "CHAMPS".

What is CHAMPS?

CHAMPS stands for Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, and Success. It is a proactive approach to classroom management that helps teachers create a positive and productive learning environment.

The acronym helps teachers to focus on the following elements of classroom management:

Conversation

The teacher sets the tone for the classroom by modeling appropriate conversation skills, such as speaking in a quiet voice and listening attentively. This is where you want to define things like voice level and create consistent language that can be replicated throughout the school.

Your students need to know that silent, partner, and group voice levels mean the same thing everywhere in your building. That starts in the classroom.

Help

The teacher makes it clear how students can get help if they need it. This could include providing clear instructions, offering one-on-one assistance, or creating a system for students to ask questions.

This could be as simple as "Raise your hand if you have any questions".

Or it could be more specific like my standing rule during independent work that students "ask two before me". This was my expectation that students would ask their shoulder partners for clarifications on directions if they missed something.

Without this, I would spend crucial time repeating directions to each table instead of helping those who needed content and skill-specific assistance.

Activity

The teacher ensures that while students are engaged in appropriate activities they understand the specific expectations on those activities.

You should have different procedures for quiet reading time vs small group instruction and science labs should require different prompts than journaling. This is where a high degree of flexibility comes into play and it's also what makes CHAMPS so easy to translate room to room.

You as a teacher have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to content. You also have a high degree of knowledge and expertise when it comes to your students. Make these your own and set your students up for success within the structure.

Movement

This refers to how the teacher allows students to move around the classroom in a way that is safe and appropriate for the activity. Particularly when it comes to transitions between activities you should utilize pre-corrections as a means to deter possible distractions.

By mastering classroom management skills like this one, teachers can deter many issues before they ever begin. This also applies to everyday activities such as arrival and dismissal.

Participation

The teacher provides opportunities for all students to participate in activities and discussions. That participation should look different for each activity.

Should students be taking notes? Should they be discussing the content with a shoulder buddy? Students need to know the level of participation that is expected of them.

Success

The teacher celebrates student success and provides positive reinforcement. This can be done with rewards but more often than not simple praise is sufficient for motivating students in the classroom.

When students meet the expectations, let them know they have! Thank them for helping create a better learning environment for everyone. It can be as simple as a fist bump or a high-five!

Ok...you probably now agree that the CHAMPS acronym is a helpful tool for improving classroom management...but weren't we discussing behavior management? Yes! Let's dive into why this process carries over outside of your classroom.

Why Schools Should Use CHAMPS for Behavior Management

There are many reasons why schools should use CHAMPS to improve behavior management.

Here are five of the most relevant reasons that schools choose CHAMPS:

1. It allows the school to plan before they act.

CHAMPS is a proactive approach to behavior management. It focuses on preventing problems before they happen, rather than reacting to problems after they have occurred.

This can help to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend dealing with misbehavior, and it can also help to create a more positive and productive learning environment. That consistency allows the conditions for learning to not just be present in one classroom, but all classrooms.

2. They get more of the behavior that they reinforce.

CHAMPS is a positive approach to behavior management. It focuses on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior.

This can help to build positive relationships between students and teachers, and it can also help to motivate students to behave appropriately.

This also serves as a reinforcement for teachers as they hear the language that their colleagues use and feel more comfortable prompting or redirecting students in the same manner.

3. It provides the flexibility that teachers need to succeed.

CHAMPS is a flexible approach to behavior management. It can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. This makes it a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of settings.

4. It creates a sustainable structure of support.

CHAMPS is a sustainable approach to behavior management. It does not require a lot of time or resources to implement. This means that it can be used by schools of all sizes and budgets.

5. It improves teacher efficacy.

An underrated benefit of CHAMPS is that ensures that the teacher doesn't forget to communicate expectations. By going through the acronym, you're ensuring that you're covering all of your bases.

The more you use the program, the more you communicate it with your students and the better you get at communicating those expectations. That's the kind of edge a new teacher could use!

CHAMPS can be a great resource for all schools, but it is particularly suited for younger students. Utilizing CHAMPS as the base for your elementary behavior rubric can lead to some great results.

For example, Del Valle Elementary School was able to reduce referrals by 82%! You can see their behavior rubric here and more details on their plan here.

@whyliveschool The LiveSchool Road Trip continues in the Lone Star State! At Del Valle Elementary we got watch a GREAT group of educators use CHAMPS and LiveSchool points to motivate and engage their students. The 2 big takeaways for me: leadership matter a great deal when you establish structures like PBIS and the consistency your staff uses those structures will ultimately determine your level of success. DVE was FANTASTIC at both! #pbis #elementaryschool #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok #edutokmotivation ♬ Vibes - ZHRMusic

Tips for Using CHAMPS Behavior Management In Your School

The CHAMPS system is based on the idea that by focusing on those six elements, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment where students are more likely to behave appropriately.

CHAMPS is a flexible tool that can be adapted to meet the needs of different classrooms and different students. By using CHAMPS as the basis for their behavior rubrics, teachers can create a positive and productive learning environment for all students.

Here are some additional tips for using the CHAMPS system effectively:

1. Be consistent

The more consistent you are with the CHAMPS system, the more effective it will be.

2. Be positive

Focus on rewarding students for good behavior, rather than punishing them for bad behavior. CHAMPS works great in conjunction with other positive approaches like PBIS. If your district has adopted PBIS, CHAMPS can be a great way to mold those positive behavioral intervention strategies to the unique needs of your students and your building.

3. Be flexible

Be willing to adapt the CHAMPS system to meet the needs of your students and your classroom.

4. Be patient

It takes time to see the benefits of the CHAMPS system. Don't give up if you don't see results immediately.

Success With CHAMPS and Behavior Management

As you review your plans or draft new ones, always remember your goal when designing behavior management protocols: what conditions must be met in order for learning to happen?

With CHAMPS, you have the ability to define those conditions from classroom to classroom and beyond.

Keep your plan centered around that. Keep the main thing, the main thing! That's how you really get the most out of your behavior management plan.

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Crafting a Consistent Behavior Management Plan With CHAMPS | Article

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How to create a learning environment so positive that it crosses over into every facet of your school.

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: Teach Like A Champion techniques

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Most rubrics require a 'renovation' that shifts them away from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what's next.

If you've spent any time around an infant or toddler, you probably have a clear picture of how learning to walk goes. It looks something like this:

1. The baby crawls.

2. The baby pulls to a stand.

3. The baby becomes a toddler, taking steps while holding onto something.

4. The toddler takes a few steps without holding on.

5. The toddler takes steps fluently without falling too often.

My question is this: Is crawling what's wrong with walking? Is crawling what's missing from walking? Is crawling a failure of walking? Of course not! But a deficit approach to walking, applied to a rubric, might look something like this:

Deficit Rubric

Crawling is just a normal part of the development of gross motor skills. And so is the development of any skill or understanding. There's a sequence or progression of all skills and understanding, just like there's a developmental progression of walking. "Really not walking" and "crawling" may seem like subtleties, but the meaning in language of judgment versus the language of growth is enormous. The meaning doesn't feel the same.

So why is it that there are still so many deficit rubrics like this walking one for assessing student work? Why do we write rubrics and grading scales that are oriented to what's missing instead of where a student is on a developmental path? It's true that many grading scales are written with categories of "beginning," "approaching," "meeting," "excelling," and this sounds incredibly growth oriented. But if we pull the curtain back and go behind the scenes to take a peek at the rubrics and other measures driving those grades, the substance behind those words on the scale still are often about what's wrong. And guess what that means for the grading scales? It means they are actually deficit based, too. Here's an example from our summarizing target:

Deficit Rubric

We can see from this example that the model, what we want to see, the "4," was written first, and then each level below was written by chipping away at the "4" until a great deal is missing and you have a "poor" performance or product in the "1" column. Not very growth oriented, is it? And, yet, this is a frequent approach.

Not only is this type of rubric not growth oriented, it doesn't communicate steps to arrive at some target performance or product. It isn't helpful for a rubric to include mostly of, "Do less of what's wrong." A mastery rubric speaks in terms of what the student did do instead of what they didn't do. Just like walking. It's definitely easier to write a deficit-based rubric, but to what end?

Adapting the rubric from above, we can take a mastery approach that's descriptive of stages, like benchmarks, rather than 1, 2, and 3 simply having less of what is in the 4.

Mastery Rubric

Instead of being calibrated on an exemplar and every other level describing "what's wrong," the mastery version is all about "what's next." Even in the column the farthest to the right, there is a "Next, I need to."

I have words in the header of the rubric, and there isn't a symbol attached to the columns, but there could be if needed for a gradebook. To be clear, we really don't have to add a symbol for every single assignment-and we shouldn't. Many of these assessments can be for feedback only. Paring down the number of grades that we give makes life easier for you, is healthier for your students, and in no way precludes the ability to assign a grade for a report card or transcript.

When you do add symbols to rubrics, try to make them more growth oriented, implying steps or milestones, not traditional 1, 2, 3, and 4. Changing the symbol doesn't change the meaning, but it's awfully tempting for people to break out the calculators when there are numbers there, and this is a massive mistake. Using words (one, two, three, four) or Roman numerals can be helpful for removing the calculator temptation. Even though symbols don't change meaning, when you change the meaning, it can be useful to follow with a change in the language to send the message that, "traditional grading has left the building." Words like "first step," "second step," and so on may reinforce an understanding of the positive approach we're taking. Again, only changing the symbol isn't what makes the real change.

Here's another example "rubric reno," this time from a writing target on organization:

Deficit Rubric

Next Level with Hyper-rubrics

Rubrics offer the opportunity to share so much more than only words with students. With tabs and bookmarks and all things Google, the options for sharing resources with our students are endless. By simply adding hyperlinks, we can bring a wonderful new power to our rubrics ( Gonzalez, 2021). Imagine all of the "next, I need to" cells in the rubric being linked to a resource.

With hyperubrics, we have placed directly in students' paths resources on paragraph breaks, chunking, headings and subheadings, foreshadowing, self-assessment, organization, point of view, and revising. Your own mini video lectures, existing articles, examples of student work, all make for a vastly richer rubric that's more than a sentence, but a learning tool itself, that gives specific direction, and opportunity for self-direction.

Eliminating grades could prevent many of the negative outcomes associated with grading, but tracking student learning remains necessary for most of us. Fortunately, rubrics provide a solid solution for measuring learning, while deemphasizing grades. Most rubrics require a "renovation" that shifts them away from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what's next. By scaffolding self-directed learning through the use of mastery rubrics, and minimizing our use of grades, we can encourage students to take ownership of their learning and boost their motivation and engagement in the learning process.

Lee Ann Jung, PhD, is CEO of Lead Inclusion, Clinical Professor at San Diego State University, and a consultant to schools worldwide. Before beginning a career in higher education she worked in special education in the roles of teacher and administrator. Lee Ann leads the International Inclusive Leadership Program, a professional learning and graduate program for educators in international schools in partnership with San Diego State University. You can follow her on Twitter at @leeannjung. This contribution is based on her forthcoming Corwin Press book.

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Most rubrics require a 'renovation' that shifts them away from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what's next.

If you've spent any time around an infant or toddler, you probably have a clear picture of how learning to walk goes. It looks something like this:

1. The baby crawls.

2. The baby pulls to a stand.

3. The baby becomes a toddler, taking steps while holding onto something.

4. The toddler takes a few steps without holding on.

5. The toddler takes steps fluently without falling too often.

My question is this: Is crawling what's wrong with walking? Is crawling what's missing from walking? Is crawling a failure of walking? Of course not! But a deficit approach to walking, applied to a rubric, might look something like this:

Deficit Rubric

Crawling is just a normal part of the development of gross motor skills. And so is the development of any skill or understanding. There's a sequence or progression of all skills and understanding, just like there's a developmental progression of walking. "Really not walking" and "crawling" may seem like subtleties, but the meaning in language of judgment versus the language of growth is enormous. The meaning doesn't feel the same.

So why is it that there are still so many deficit rubrics like this walking one for assessing student work? Why do we write rubrics and grading scales that are oriented to what's missing instead of where a student is on a developmental path? It's true that many grading scales are written with categories of "beginning," "approaching," "meeting," "excelling," and this sounds incredibly growth oriented. But if we pull the curtain back and go behind the scenes to take a peek at the rubrics and other measures driving those grades, the substance behind those words on the scale still are often about what's wrong. And guess what that means for the grading scales? It means they are actually deficit based, too. Here's an example from our summarizing target:

Deficit Rubric

We can see from this example that the model, what we want to see, the "4," was written first, and then each level below was written by chipping away at the "4" until a great deal is missing and you have a "poor" performance or product in the "1" column. Not very growth oriented, is it? And, yet, this is a frequent approach.

Not only is this type of rubric not growth oriented, it doesn't communicate steps to arrive at some target performance or product. It isn't helpful for a rubric to include mostly of, "Do less of what's wrong." A mastery rubric speaks in terms of what the student did do instead of what they didn't do. Just like walking. It's definitely easier to write a deficit-based rubric, but to what end?

Adapting the rubric from above, we can take a mastery approach that's descriptive of stages, like benchmarks, rather than 1, 2, and 3 simply having less of what is in the 4.

Mastery Rubric

Instead of being calibrated on an exemplar and every other level describing "what's wrong," the mastery version is all about "what's next." Even in the column the farthest to the right, there is a "Next, I need to."

I have words in the header of the rubric, and there isn't a symbol attached to the columns, but there could be if needed for a gradebook. To be clear, we really don't have to add a symbol for every single assignment-and we shouldn't. Many of these assessments can be for feedback only. Paring down the number of grades that we give makes life easier for you, is healthier for your students, and in no way precludes the ability to assign a grade for a report card or transcript.

When you do add symbols to rubrics, try to make them more growth oriented, implying steps or milestones, not traditional 1, 2, 3, and 4. Changing the symbol doesn't change the meaning, but it's awfully tempting for people to break out the calculators when there are numbers there, and this is a massive mistake. Using words (one, two, three, four) or Roman numerals can be helpful for removing the calculator temptation. Even though symbols don't change meaning, when you change the meaning, it can be useful to follow with a change in the language to send the message that, "traditional grading has left the building." Words like "first step," "second step," and so on may reinforce an understanding of the positive approach we're taking. Again, only changing the symbol isn't what makes the real change.

Here's another example "rubric reno," this time from a writing target on organization:

Deficit Rubric

Next Level with Hyper-rubrics

Rubrics offer the opportunity to share so much more than only words with students. With tabs and bookmarks and all things Google, the options for sharing resources with our students are endless. By simply adding hyperlinks, we can bring a wonderful new power to our rubrics ( Gonzalez, 2021). Imagine all of the "next, I need to" cells in the rubric being linked to a resource.

With hyperubrics, we have placed directly in students' paths resources on paragraph breaks, chunking, headings and subheadings, foreshadowing, self-assessment, organization, point of view, and revising. Your own mini video lectures, existing articles, examples of student work, all make for a vastly richer rubric that's more than a sentence, but a learning tool itself, that gives specific direction, and opportunity for self-direction.

Eliminating grades could prevent many of the negative outcomes associated with grading, but tracking student learning remains necessary for most of us. Fortunately, rubrics provide a solid solution for measuring learning, while deemphasizing grades. Most rubrics require a "renovation" that shifts them away from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what's next. By scaffolding self-directed learning through the use of mastery rubrics, and minimizing our use of grades, we can encourage students to take ownership of their learning and boost their motivation and engagement in the learning process.

Lee Ann Jung, PhD, is CEO of Lead Inclusion, Clinical Professor at San Diego State University, and a consultant to schools worldwide. Before beginning a career in higher education she worked in special education in the roles of teacher and administrator. Lee Ann leads the International Inclusive Leadership Program, a professional learning and graduate program for educators in international schools in partnership with San Diego State University. You can follow her on Twitter at @leeannjung. This contribution is based on her forthcoming Corwin Press book.

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Author and consultant Lee Ann Jung explains why most rubrics need a "renovation," shifting them from a focus on what's wrong to a growth-oriented conversation about what's next. By scaffolding self-directed learning in this way, we encourage students to take ownership of their learning and engage in

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The creators of this app can review your usage, never share personal information.AI is not intended to give professional, legal, medical or financial advice. By using this app, you agree to Playlab’s

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Learning progressions allow teachers to differentiate content based on increasing levels of complexity.

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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.

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7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment

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Within these methods you'll find close to 40 tools and tricks for finding out what your students know while they're still learning.

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Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently

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Excessive grading stresses out kids and teachers, stifles innovative teaching, and fails to deliver as a true measurement of learning.

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An In-Depth Look at the Binder System This Teacher Swears By

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It’s like a living portfolio and interactive notebook all in one!

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AI Tool Demo: Creative Uses for ChatGPT in History and ELA

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9 Differentiated Curriculum And Instruction Strategies For Teachers

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Discover 9 easy-to-implement strategies for differentiated instruction you can start using in your math classroom today

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23 Brilliant Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques

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Techniques for designing and maintaining your own ideal classroom learning environment.

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Recently, I had a chance to visit a classroom management training for new teachers.

The trainer was an expert in a program that has gained popularity in recent years.

I won't mention the program by name, but at its core, it's a token economy, whereby students are rewarded in exchange for "good" (i.e. expected) behavior.

I've written about this strategy before, but because we've received so many questions about it since, I decided to revisit the topic.

If you've been a reader of SCM long enough, then you know how strongly we feel about token economies.

They send the message that expected behavior-that which is minimally required for success in school-is worthy of special recognition, turning what is inherently rewarding into work students deserve to be paid for.

They also encourage unethical behavior like cheating and stealing. They weaken the student-teacher relationship, making it coldhearted, transactional, and even hurtful.

They make creating a happy and productive classroom harder, not easier.

Worst of all, though, token economies snuff out intrinsic motivation. You can read more about this topic, including what the research really says about external rewards, in The Happy Teacher Habits.

But on this day, as I stood in the back of the room, the trainer was demonstrating how to handle misbehaving students using a form of praise called "caught being good."

The way it works is that if you notice a student misbehaving and off-task, instead of holding them accountable using a predetermined set of rules and consequences, you would praise the students around them.

In other words, you would ignore the misbehaving student, but effusively inform those in proximity how wonderful they are for doing what they're supposed to do.

The idea, in theory, is that the student in question would also want to receive praise, and thus would be compelled to stop their unwanted behavior.

So what's the problem?

Well, besides being dishonest, it communicates that fulfilling the barest minimum is somehow special and on par with what is truly exceptional-lowering the bar of excellence down around the shoe tops.

It's also cruel and demeaning and, in this case, uses well-behaved students as pawns to elicit compliant behavior from the misbehaving student.

Furthermore, it offers no genuine feedback they can use to improve their behavior in the future.

That this method is endorsed, taught, and even promoted in school districts around the country is tragic and shameful.

It takes the high calling of being a teacher and tosses it into the gutter of trickery and manipulation, ripping apart both its heart and its soul.

Teaching isn't about just getting through the day. It isn't about curbing misbehavior momentarily or deceiving students into doing what you want.

It's about inspiring real change in students and making an impact that lasts a lifetime.

So what's the alternative?

Be straight with your students. Establish a boundary line of behavior that protects their right to learn and enjoy school and then defend it to the hilt.

Do what you say you're going to do. Hold them accountable fairly and respectfully and give them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.

Praise only what is praiseworthy. Look for legitimate improvement, new learning, or greater effort than they've given before, and then let them know you notice.

Smile and make eye contact from across the room. Leave a note folded over and attached to their desk. Tell them they did well.

Shine a light on concrete evidence of their progress.

Treat every student with dignity, eschewing all forms of false praise, bribery, and disingenuousness-which only set them up for future failure and disappointment.

Be the same dependable, consistent teacher every day. Build relationships based on love and forgiveness, kindness and honesty, humor and humility.

Look your students in the eye and tell them the truth about their successes and mistakes, as well as their failures and triumphs. Give them feedback they can use.

Prepare them for life beyond the classroom by being a leader worthy of their respect and admiration.

This way, your words of praise will mean something to them, firing their intrinsic motivational engines deep within their heart.

They'll know that if you said it, it must be true.

And the truth will set them free.

If you haven't done so already, please join us. It's free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

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One Of The Worst Classroom Management Strategies I've Ever Seen Smart Classroom Management

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Recently, I had a chance to visit a classroom management training for new teachers. The trainer was an expert in a program that has gained popularity in recent years. I won't mention the program by name, but at its core, it's a token economy, ... Read more

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Why You Shouldn’t Shush Your Students; And What To Do Instead Smart Classroom Management

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When you hear a teacher shushing students, it’s a good sign things aren’t going well. Behind tight shoulders, tired eyes, and index finger poised over puckered lips, you’ll find a teacher struggling to keep his or her head above water. Shushing students to quiet ... Read more

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This Teacher Uses a “Secret Student” Strategy for Classroom Management, and We’re Taking Notes

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Bolster a sense of community and responsibility in your classroom.

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How To Get Your Students’ Attention Fast Smart Classroom Management

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The ability to get your students’ attention anytime you need it is critical for good teaching. Because . . . It saves time. It allows you to give further instruction. It’s a sign of a well-behaved class. The signal you use is unimportant. It ... Read more

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"When you offer choices in exchange for not disrupting the class, when you lighten the workload and remove responsibility, you are in every sense giving up on them. You are in every sense telling them that they’re not worth holding accountable."

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Why You Should Never Give Choices Instead Of Consequences Smart Classroom Management

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A perplexing trend in classroom management is for teachers give students choices instead of consequences. This is a huge mistake.

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6 Tips for Running Science Labs Smoothly and Safely - Emmatheteachie

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We asked 6 veteran teachers for their BEST science lab tips so you don’t have to. Read now and glean their pearls of wisdom for your own labs!

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If we ran the world, we'd give teachers discounts on every single thing. Fortunately, lots of businesses and organizations agree with us! Teachers can save on school supplies, clothing and shoes, tech like laptops and printers, and more if they know where to look. We update this list on a regular basis, so bookmark it and check back so you never miss a chance to save!

Know of a discount for teachers we should add to our list? Contact us here!

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All posts by Jill Staake, B.S., Secondary ELA Education

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100+ Best Teacher Discounts, Deals, and Perks in 2024

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Use these teacher discounts and deals to save on on everything from school supplies and technology to travel and entertainment.

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When students clearly understand classroom expectations, they're better able to assess and improve their performance.

Photo by Allison Shelley for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action

The third-grade classroom is busy. Students are in the middle of making slime, and you can sense the level of engagement across the class. The teacher is working very hard to make sure that students are clear on the goals of learning: to understand the relationships between solids, liquids, and gases. The students can see success criteria posted on the wall and examples of successful work spread across the room. Visiting teachers are engaging in random checks of understanding to ensure that students are clear on expectations.

As part of the school's improvement process, teachers and principals are visiting classrooms and interviewing students on their understanding of the expectations of learning, the students' self assessment on their progress, and what next steps they need to take to meet established goals. The team was in the third-grade classroom and filmed student interviews; they discussed the key findings with the teacher after class.

Here are samples of two interviews of students in the same classroom.

Teacher: What are you learning?

Student: We're learning about slime.

Teacher: How do you know if you are successful?

Student: We don't want the slime to stick to us.

Teacher: What are you learning?

Student: We're learning about solids, liquids, and gases.

Teacher: How do you know if you are successful?

Student: We can define and relate each phase. Right now we're learning about solids, liquids, and gases by creating slime.

The teacher is doing great things. The question is whether all students are following the teacher's lead. Building student clarity is a constant pursuit: We never arrive, but it's worth our focus.

Clarity Research Snapshot

When students are clear on expectations of learning, they tend to double their rate of learning. Moreover, when students are clear on expectations, they have a better chance of assessing their current performance and using feedback accurately. As John Hattie explains in Visible Learning, self assessment, feedback, and student clarity yield substantial growth in student learning. Yet the implementation of this idea is extremely difficult.

Let's take a look at some challenges and solutions to implementation.

Challenge 1. Novices don't really understand rubrics: Experts love rubrics because the bullet points clearly delineate the core expectations that they want students to learn. Novices don't fully appreciate the bullet points because they simply don't have a concrete example of what's written. As such, they scan the tool for items that are familiar to them: activities (such as getting into groups), tasks (such as completing six problems correctly), and contexts (such as exploring bridges). Because of this scanning for the familiar, students begin thinking about group work, assignment completion, and bridges and are therefore less likely to be any clearer on the standards they're learning about.

To focus students on the actual learning, teachers are encouraged to start with examples of great work that meets the expectations of the teacher. The more students see examples of great work in multiple contexts, the better able students are to use rubrics to evaluate their own work as well as to give, receive, and use feedback. This also makes it easier for them to focus on the core content that the teacher is after.

Challenge 2. Telling people the expectations clearly doesn't mean the expectations are clear to them: As a school leader, I have found that simply sending a clear message to people doesn't ensure that they are clear on my message. Almost every message I send must be followed up with clarifying emails, meetings with parents and/or faculty, and a series of communication check-ins. As such, developing clarity isn't one way. Clarity is interactive and built through multiple engagements.

Providing students with work samples that illustrate success

Asking students to identify the parts of the work sample that make it successful (i.e., criteria for success)

Writing out the criteria for success with students

Co-construction is an interactive process that enables students to build clarity of expectations. Co-construction is the active involvement of building success criteria with students rather than presenting success criteria to students. Here is one example of co-construction:

Use the fishbowl protocol to share their feedback, and process the accuracy of the feedback to the expectations of the lesson or unit

Begin units with discussions on what mastery looks like, and have students evaluate the differences between various levels of mastery

Challenge 3. The classroom is mostly hidden from teachers, and students give each other inaccurate feedback: As Graham Nuthall tells us in The Hidden Lives of Learners, the majority of the classroom experience is hidden from the teacher's observation. In the hidden classroom, kids typically give and receive most of the feedback to and from their peers, and most of that feedback is incorrect. To address this, we should consider having students do the following:

Students' achievement and attitude improve when they have the tools to own their own learning. As educators, it's up to us to provide those tools.

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Making Learning Targets Clear to Students

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When students clearly understand classroom expectations, they're better able to assess and improve their performance.

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Difference Between Learning Targets and Success Criteria

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Difference Between Learning Targets and Success Criteria

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Learning Targets and Success Criteria Explained

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Pressley, M., El-Dinary, P. B., Gaskins, I., Schuder, T., Bergman, J., Almasai, L. and Brown, R. (1992). Beyond direct explanation: transactional instruction of reading comprehension strategies. Elementary School Journal. 92, 511-554.

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The Teaching Moves of a Strategic Teacher

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Research demonstrates the effectiveness of the 12 strategic teaching moves described in this article. On any given day in any given classroom, the strategic teacher employs all of these moves - whether with the whole class, a small group, or just one student.

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Retrieval practice is a powerful research-based strategy that boosts learning by pulling information out of students' heads, rather than cramming information into students heads. It's a no-stakes learning opportunity that is flexible and quick, with a huge impact on long-term student achievement.

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Retrieval Practice: A Powerful Strategy for Learning - Retrieval Practice

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With retrieval practice, focus on getting information OUT of students' heads. Challenging learning creates powerful long-term learning.

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7 Ways to Show Students Their Academic Growth

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Teacher-tested, motivating activities that get students out of their own performance loop and make learning visible—even when they struggle to see the forest for the trees.

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Switch from reviewing to retrieving in 5 minutes or less – Retrieval Practice

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It’s exam time. Here’s how to switch your review sessions to *retrieve* sessions with a 5-minute brain dump. Reduce anxiety, increase confidence, improve metacognition, and boost students’ memory for course material beyond their final exam.

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THE laziest teacher hack to get your kids to finally read instructions. AND they try to get to class early just to find my mistake so less tardies & less confusion all bc I never proof read #teacherhack #teachertip #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #hsteacher 

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@christina_pina
THE laziest teacher hack to get your kids to finally read instructions. AND they try to get to class early just to find my mistake so less tardies & less confusion all bc I never proof read #teacherhack #teachertip #teachertok #teachersoftiktok #hsteacher
♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) - 山口夕依

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Coach!!! I had a great planning session with two of our encore teachers. I am falling in love with talking instruction with educators! #instructionalcoach #instruction #teacherleader #edutok #teachersoftiktok #learningtarget #middleschool #highschool

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@mr_jrm3
Coach!!! I had a great planning session with two of our encore teachers. I am falling in love with talking instruction with educators! #instructionalcoach #instruction #teacherleader #edutok #teachersoftiktok #learningtarget #middleschool #highschool
♬ original sound - Mr. Johnson

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Replying to @frothylittlebubble if you’ve already used your preventative management strategies, it’s time to follow up with a consequence. 

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@teachthenseetheworld
Replying to @frothylittlebubble if you’ve already used your preventative management strategies, it’s time to follow up with a consequence.
♬ original sound - teachthenseetheworld

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Attention getters can be so effective, but they can be frustrating for teachers and students when they don’t work. Here’s how I avoid over using my attention getters.  #classroommanagement 

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@teachthenseetheworld
Attention getters can be so effective, but they can be frustrating for teachers and students when they don’t work. Here’s how I avoid over using my attention getters. #classroommanagement
♬ original sound - teachthenseetheworld

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The Coaching Corner - Formative Assessment

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A collection of strategies teachers employ to get clarity on what they will be teaching and to assess how well students have learned what they are teaching. The understanding teachers gain from formative assessment then serves as the foundation for teachers to make adjustments to the way they teach so students will learn what is being taught.

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Samantha Cleaver, PhD, Special Ed & Reading Intervention

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100 Attention-Getters for the Classroom (Free Printable)

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A student doodles during class instead of completing their assignment. Classmates shove each other as they get in line for recess. Between periods, a group of students runs down the hall to get to class. A student talks over a teacher's instructions. Do any, or perhaps all, of these situations sound familiar to you? Most teachers have run into at least one of these issues before, and so are familiar with the sense of frustration and even anger that can accompany this kind of misbehavior. In the moment, an educator has two options for a response:

1. They can enforce compliance through punishment.

2. They can teach students to build internal controls and learn socially responsible behaviors through logical consequences.

What Are Logical Consequences?

Logical consequences are an effective way to respond to misbehavior in the moment. For that reason, they are an important element of the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline. Unlike punishment, logical consequences are respectful of the child, realistic for the child (and teacher) to accomplish, and related in a way that allows the child to take responsibility for their actions and learn socially responsible behaviors.

The types of logical consequences used in the Responsive Classroom approach are:

Loss of Privilege

Loss of privilege can be used when a student's behavior does not meet preestablished expectations. The student loses the opportunity to participate in an activity or use a tool or material that is related to the misbehavior for a brief period of time.
For example, if a group of students continues to talk instead of completing their group project, a logical consequence would be for the students to complete their part of the assignment independently.
Break It, Fix It

Break It, Fix It is used in situations when something has been broken or a mess has been made, either accidentally or intentionally. The student responsible for the mistake takes responsibility for fixing it.
For example, if a student rushes to be first to the whiteboards and grabs a whiteboard from the bottom of the stack, causing all the other whiteboards to fall to the floor, a logical consequence would be for the student to clean up the whiteboards and then allow the other students to get their whiteboards first.
Positive Time-Out

Positive time-out (elementary school) is used in an elementary school setting when a teacher believes that a student needs a way to calm down and regroup-or the student feels that way. The student moves to a designated calming space in the classroom, takes a moment to regain self-control, and then rejoins the class. Time-out is used before a behavior escalates, making it easier for students to regain control.
For example, if a student calls out an answer just as the student who was called on is about to respond, a logical consequence would be for the student to be directed to a designated space for a brief time to regain self-control before rejoining the group.
Space and Time

Space and Time (middle school) is used in a middle school setting as a strategy to help students regain self-control and practice calming themselves. This strategy gives students an opportunity to have space to pause and redirect their energy toward a responsible course of action. Similar to a time-out, Space and Time is used before a behavior escalates, making it easier for students to regain control.
For example, if a student shows signs of being frustrated during an activity, a logical consequence would be for the student to go to one of the areas of the room designated for Space and Time for a few minutes to regroup before rejoining the class.
How Do Logical Consequences Differ From Punishment?

Teachers often ask, "How are logical consequences any different from punishment?" It is a critical question because there are some basic and important differences between the two-differences that must be understood in order to use logical consequences well.

Here are some of the fundamental differences in the two approaches:

The Goal of Punishment

The goal of punishment is to enforce compliance with the rules by using external controls or authoritarian discipline.

While effective in stopping the misbehavior of the moment, punishment does little to increase student responsibility.

Punishment often leads to feelings of anger, discouragement and resentment, and an increase in evasion and deception.

The Goal of Logical Consequences

The goal of logical consequences is to help children develop internal understanding, self-control, and a desire to follow the rules.

Logical consequences help children look more closely at their behaviors and consider the results of their choices.

Unlike punishment, where the intention is to make a child feel shamed, the intention of logical consequences is to help children develop internal controls and to learn from their mistakes in a supportive atmosphere.

An Example of Punishment

Six-year-old Jacob is zooming around the classroom when suddenly he trips and falls into Michelle's block building. Michelle lets out a scream and the teacher comes over. Feeling irritated, the teacher looks at Jacob and says loudly in front of the other children, "I have told you over and over again not to run in this classroom. Now see what you've done with your carelessness. Go sit in that chair and don't move until it's time for lunch."

What might be going on for Jacob? He might be thinking, "I wasn't even running. The teacher doesn't know what she's talking about. She's always picking on me. Now everybody's looking at me. I hate this school. It was a stupid building anyway."

An Example of Logical Consequences

Now, here's what might happen with a teacher who uses logical consequences. The teacher, although also feeling irritated, takes a deep breath and makes herself begin by describing what she sees: "Michelle is very upset right now because Jacob knocked over her building. I need to talk with Jacob first and then we'll figure out how to help Michelle."

The teacher takes Jacob aside and begins by asking him a question.

"What happened?"

"I just tripped and fell into it accidentally. I didn't mean to knock it over."

"Hmmm. So it was an accident. I did notice that you were running before it happened. Could that have been why you fell?"

"Maybe."

"When kids run in the classroom, accidents often happen. That's why our rule says to be safe. What do you think you could do to help Michelle?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe she would like some help putting the building back up."

Jacob nods and the teacher walks back with him to the block area. Michelle accepts Jacob's offer to help and together they build for the rest of the period.

Now, what might be going on for Jacob? He might be learning, "When I knock things down I have to help build them back up. I can fix things when I mess up. My teacher helps me solve problems. I have to remember to walk in the block area."

The Benefits of Logical Consequences

Logical consequences come with a number of benefits for you, your students, and your classroom community. Here are a few.

Respectful of Students' Dignity

While punishment often calls upon an element of shame, logical consequences respond to the misbehavior in ways that respect the dignity of the child. The message is that the behavior is a problem, not that the child is a problem. The teacher's tone of voice is critical in distinguishing logical consequences from punishment. There are many ways to say to a child that they've spilled their juice and should clean it up. If the tone is angry or punitive, then it's no longer a logical consequence. Additionally, the same consequence can be respectful in one situation and demeaning in another. Mopping the floor is a respectful consequence for the child who chooses to have a water fight at the drinking fountain, but not for the child who fails to complete his work.

Logical consequences are related to the child's behavior; punishment usually is not. Leaving the group is related to being disruptive in a group; missing recess is not. Cleaning up graffiti on the bathroom wall is related to drawing the graffiti on the wall; being suspended from school is not. Logical consequences require that the teacher gather more information before reacting. The teacher takes time to assess the situation and determine, sometimes with input from the child, what will help fix the problem.

Belief in the Goodness of Student Intentions

The belief underlying the use of logical consequences is that with reflection and practice children will want to do better, whereas the belief behind punishment is that children will do better only because they fear punishment and will seek to avoid it. Teachers using logical consequences begin with a belief in the basic goodness of children and the knowledge that every child is a learner, struggling to establish meaningful relationships with us, each other, and the school community. These teachers expect that all children will from time to time lose their control and make mistakes. The use of logical consequences helps children fix their mistakes and know what to do next time.

Assessment Questions

Here are a few questions teachers might ask themselves when trying to assess a situation in which you plan on using logical consequences:

What are the developmental issues at work here?

Is it clear to the child what is expected?

What rule is being broken?

What problem is the behavior creating?

What will help to solve the problem?

Learn More

You can find out more about how to use logical consequences in Teaching Self-Discipline and Seeing the Good in Students.

Jane Cofieis the director of curriculum and instruction for Center for Responsive Schools and the author of the book Strengthening the Parent-Teacher Partnership.

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How Logical Consequences Are Different From Punishment

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Learn to use logical consequences instead of punishment, helping students develop internal controls and socially responsible behavior.

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All learners need time to process new ideas and information. They especially need time to verbally make sense of and articulate their learning with a community of learners who are also engaged in the same experience and journey.

In other words, kids need to talk!!

Problem is, sometimes it's hard to stay on subject without a little guidance. That's why structured discussions really work best with children, regardless of their maturity level.

These ten discussion techniques (and a little purposeful planning) go beyond the traditional turn and talk/think-pair-share to give students an opportunity to deepen their understanding while practicing their verbal skills.

1. Double Think-Pair-Share

This technique is great for collaborating and generating many ideas on a topic. Note: Make sure students have paper and pencil handy.

Arrange students into pairs (teacher or student choice).

Pose a question that has many possible answers. For example, what are some ways our school can become more "green"?

Pause for "think time."

Partners do traditional think-pair-share, brainstorming as many ideas as they can in a set amount of time and writing their answers down on a piece of paper.

After the allotted time, each pair then finds another pair to share answers with. As the first team reads their answers aloud, the second team adds new ideas to their list or puts a check mark next to items they also thought of. The second team then shares answers that were missing from first team's list.

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2. Mingle, Pair, Share

A great activity to get kids up and moving and encourage them to interact with all of their classmates.

3. Sticky-Note Storm

This activity is great for brainstorming, reviewing, and thinking outside the box. It's also a great way for students to teach and learn from one another. It works best when kids are seated in small table groups. Note: Have a supply of sticky notes available for each table.

The teacher poses a question, sets a time limit, and gives students a moment to think before writing. For example, "In two minutes, how many math problems can you write down that have the solution 23?" or "In 45 seconds, write down as many adjectives as you can."

Each student writes down as many answers as they can think of-one idea per sticky note-and sticks it to the center of the table.

The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible and cover the table with sticky notes! At the end of each round, students review one another's ideas.

4. Sage and Scribe

In this activity, one student plays the role of teacher, and the other plays the attentive student. Explaining concepts clearly is a difficult skill that requires a lot of practice, and recording information helps students build note-taking skills.

Students work in pairs. One student is the sage (speaker) and one is the scribe (silent writer).

Pose a question and allow a few moments for sages to think. For example: "Explain how the water cycle works."

When the teacher says "go," the sage explains the process clearly to the scribe.

The scribe records the sage's thinking on paper.

When time is up, the sage and scribe switch roles with a new question.

5. Inside-Outside Circle or Parallel Lines

Also called Tea Party, Face to Face, Serpentine, Ladder

6. Detective

This activity is great for reviewing learned material or trying new versions of familiar problems. It can be used for math concepts, science lab follow-up questions, grammar exercises, reading summaries, etc. It is also good as a team-building or getting-to-know-you activity. Students will need a worksheet, a pencil, and a clipboard (if you have them, students can also write on desk surfaces).

7. Quiz, Quiz, Trade

This activity is great for test review. It gets your students up and moving. They get to ask and answer not just one, but many questions. They may even come across the same one more than once, reinforcing the concept. Kids love it because unlike drill-and-kill review sessions, this feels more like a game.

Prepare review cards with questions and answers. (This sounds time consuming, but it can be as simple as cutting up one review sheet into individual cards or having students be involved in preparing the cards.)

Pass out one review card per student.

Students stand and circulate with one hand in the air, searching for a partner.

Once they pair up, partner 1 asks partner 2 the question on their card. Partner 2 answers. If they get the answer correct, partner 1 offers praise. If not, partner 1 coaches partner 2 until the correct answer is revealed.

Partners switch roles and repeat the question-answer process.

After both partners have asked and answered, they trade cards and set off to find a new partner. The process continues for whatever amount of time the teacher determines is appropriate.

Note: The last three activities work best if students are seated in table groups of four.
8. Flash

Another great review activity. Again, you (or you and your students) will need to prepare question and answer cards. Each student will also need a dry-erase board and a marker or scrap paper and a pencil. Explain the concept of "think time" to your students before you begin so that slower processors don't feel anxious. Assign one student in each desk group to be the captain.

9. Write Around

This is a fun activity for creative writing or story summarizing. Each student needs their own piece of paper and pencil.

Ask each student to copy the sentence starter and finish the sentence on their own piece of paper.

After they have written their answer, each student passes their paper to the team member on their right.

Next, the student reads the paper they have received from their neighbor and adds a new sentence to that page.

Again, they pass the paper to their right.

After a few go-rounds, four great stories or summaries emerge.

Give students time to read their final versions add a conclusion and/or edit their favorite one to share with the class.

10. Team Huddle

This a great whole-class activity for team building and relationship strengthening. Each member of the group must cooperate and participate for the team to be successful. This activity is best used with questions that have definite right answers, not opinions. Each team needs a whiteboard and marker.

Have students in each table group to number off in their teams from one to four.

Announce a question and a time limit. For example, "How do you spell the word conservation? You have twenty seconds." or "What are three properties of a rectangle? You have forty seconds."

Students at each table group put their heads together to come up with one answer. Tell the students to speak softly so that other groups won't overhear their answer.

One student will record the group's answer on the whiteboard.

When time is up, call a number (1-4) and ask the student from each team with that number to stand at their table group holding their group's answer sheet.

When you say "reveal," each designated student will turn over their answer sheet, and the students can look around and survey the groups' different answers.

Recognize correct responses and elaborate through rich discussion. If you want to make the activity a competition, you can keep track of team points for correct answers.

We'd love to hear your think-pair-share alternatives! Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, creative ways to pick partners.

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10 Fun Alternatives to Think-Pair-Share - We Are Teachers

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Kids need to talk to learn. These structured discussion techniques are fun and mix things up from the usual think-pair-share tactic.

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Using Hand Signals for More Equitable Discussions

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Five Discipline Strategies That Preserve Dignity

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Here are five ways you can preserve students’ dignity by turning their misbehavior into opportunities for connection and growth.

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7 Ways to Balance Joy With Rigor in Math Class

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A few straightforward shifts and strategies can help create math classrooms where even the most reticent learners find their footing.

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At youcubed, we inspire, educate and empower teachers of mathematics, transforming the latest research on mathematics learning into accessible and practical forms.

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Samantha Cleaver, PhD, Special Ed & Reading Intervention

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For kids who have challenging behaviors, a behavior intervention plan can make all the difference.

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During the course of a school day, sometimes you just need a break. Does that break have to include a video of a cat riding a Roomba? We're going with yes, which is why we put together this list of school-appropriate funny videos for kids that we think your students (and you, for that matter) will get a real kick out of. Enjoy!

Tiny Dog, Big Stick

Bosco is a dachshund living in London who doesn't seem to know his size. Watch him navigate the park with a stick bigger than he is.

Emmanuel, Don't Do It!

Emmanuel the emu has gone viral for interrupting his human Taylor Blake's educational farm videos. We're so glad he's on the mend!

Cat on a Roomba

As promised. But this one is even better because the cat is wearing ... wait for it ... a shark suit.

The Savannah Bananas

The Savannah Bananas are an exhibition baseball team based in Savannah, Georgia. Check out their antics in these top 10 Banana Ball moments!

Pumpkin Dance

Halloween has come and gone, but it's always a good time for the pumpkin dance.

LEGO Star Wars Can't Touch This

The mash-up you didn't know you needed.

Buzz and the Dandelion

Just a baby laughing. I dare you not to laugh along.

Dog Meets Ball Pit

Yorkshire terrier Wicket lives his best life in his very own doggy paradise.

The Duck Song

We're just here for the increasing frustration on the lemonade seller's face.

Dance-Cam Mom

And your student thought their parents were embarrassing.

Taylor Swift Goats

Got any Swifties in your class? They may or may not forgive you for this.

Minions Banana Song

We apologize for this earworm.

Chewbacca Mask Lady

An oldie but goodie.

I Like To Move It Move It

King Julian (voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen) leads his people in dance to this banger.

Talking Twin Babies

What are they saying?

Mahna Mahna

You know the one. It holds up pretty well.

Charlie Bit My Finger

A classic.

Talking Kitten

So tiny yet so vocal.

Ultimate Dog Tease

We're suckers for dubbed animal dialogue.

Gummy Bear Song

Kids love this one. No accounting for taste.

Evian Babies

Is it a commercial? OK, you got me. But it's also roller-skating babies. So there's that.

Potter Puppet Pals

"What is that mysterious ticking noise?"

Noodles and Butter

I love this song from Caspar Babypants (aka the guy from The Presidents of the United States of America).

Elmo vs. Rocco

A rivalry for the ages.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

"Not my gumdrop buttons!"

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All posts by Kimmie Fink, M.Ed., Curriculum & Instruction

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25 School-Appropriate Funny Videos for Kids

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In these funny videos for kids, we've got amusing dogs and cats, silly songs, cringey dancing, and so much more!