LTC 8625 Strategy Toolkit by Molly McClanahan

Word Walls

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-03 17:22:32 UTC

Vocabulary in Ancient World History can be difficult for students since many kids have no previous understandings of these terms, unlike pre-knowledge they might bring into an American History class. At my building, the Reading Specialists ask core teachers from all grades (6-8 Math, Science, Social Studies, & ELA) to compile a list of essential vocabulary words per quarter. They practice their understanding of these words with the students that they pull for small group work.

For next year, my goal is to create a word wall with a list of these quarter terms and their definitions. Not only will this help reinforce these new terms with those students who receiving reading intervention and work with the Specialists, but also will promote vocabulary development and reading comprehension for all students by making them easily visible and accessible.

Teacher to Student Dynamics

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-03 17:22:46 UTC

Often times, students feel a lack of autonomy and choice within their learning. This impacts their engagement in class and overall success in school. Offering opportunities for student voices to be heard is an effective strategy to improve teacher to student power dynamics in the classroom. For example, providing options for how students learn: working individually vs. with a group, or creating a presentation vs. writing and essay. Fostering student choice naturally increases their engagement by allowing them to be in the "driver's seat" and make decisions about their education.

In middle school, this is a crucial time for students to learn responsibility for their learning. By giving them more options of choice, they are learning what strategies they can be most successful with before they are swimming on their own at the high school!

Translanguaging

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-03 17:29:23 UTC

I discussed this instructional approach in our recent ELL Padlet Board. Translanguaging encourages language dynamics and development for ELLs, allowing multilingual students to use their home language during class work. This could include allowing ELLs to participate in classwork using their home language. These opportunities could used when taking notes, participating in discussions, and more. Using language in a diverse way actually leverages their abilities instead of hindering them.

Student to Student Dynamics

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-03 17:36:10 UTC

Circles are an impactful community building strategy that's supports a positive and empathetic student to student dynamic. Community circles build relationships and foster respect between classmates by sharing and listening to different perspectives and experiences. These can also become opportunities for "class meetings" where decisions can be made about classroom procedures or even for addressing issues that could be occurring.

I have held circles a few times throughout this year, but plan on incorporating them more often with my classes next year by having circles at the start of each new topic. This gives my students more opportunities to learn about one another while also practicing communicating in a low stakes environment.

Ownership of Learning

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-05 22:46:03 UTC

Guiding my students in goal setting has been an aim I've set for myself next year. Teaching students to reflect on their learning and identify areas of growth is a very important skill as they approach high school and the world beyond. Goal setting is also a opportunity for them to take ownership of their learning and witness their growth for themselves! Additionally, when students reach their goals these are new chances to celebrate their success with them!

Standards Based Learning

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-05 22:47:37 UTC

My school district recently transitioned to a Standards Based grade book for all grades K-7. This means that next year I will have a class of students who have never seen an A-F grading scale before!

The past two years have consisted in our PL days focusing on what Standards Based Learning looks like in classrooms who don't use SBG scales. To me, I'm trying to view this as a chance to provide opportunities for students to assess their own learning against clear criteria. I've recently adjusted my rubrics to reflect similar language to EE,ME,NM, etc. (without converting it to a percentage is a difficult task!) This promotes self-awareness for students and their learning, plus reduces their focus on getting a certain grade. My goal is that next year, students will easily be able to transition into this new A-F scale while still tracking if they are Meeting Expectations of specific skills or learning targets.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-05 22:54:41 UTC

This class helped remind me that there are a wide variety of students who fall under the umbrella of an ELL. Not only do students vary based on the different languages they speak, but also socioeconomic backgrounds and levels of academic preparation. Acknowledging that universal or one-size-fits-all approaches hinder academic development is the first step to effectively supporting ELLs growth. Another step for understanding the obstacles ELLs face is by addressing our own misunderstandings about multilingual learners in our community. . This includes learning the process of identifying and labeling ELLs, the change of trends in diversity, and percentages of these students in our classroom. This knowledge is essential for not only being a successful educator, but also to be an informed advocate for our students.

Pre- & Post- Assessments

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-06 01:04:26 UTC

Pre- and post-assessments are a crucial tool in building my instructional approaches! They are important for tracking growth of what students know before and after a new topic. I can then tailor my lessons based on their existing knowledge and needs. Being an educator means being an active reflective practitioner, and assessments are essential for guiding teaching (especially for those students who might need targeted/differentiated supports!) I usually panic and believe all my assessments need to be formally designed(quizzes, essay's), however pre/post assessments can actually be done in informal ways (discussions, exit tickets). This is an area of growth for mine going into next year!

Representation of Culture

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-06 21:29:18 UTC

I've loved learning new ways of creating an encouraging class environment from our course modules, especially as a brand new teacher. However, it's also been empowering to be reaffirmed of some tools I already have in my toolbox and use currently in my classroom!

Flags border the walls of my classroom (just like we saw in the ELL example in Week 13!). Students love pointing out which flags represent their family's culture or heritage. It's a great conversation starter and an opportunity to learn new things about my students.

I also love to have student samples hanging on my walls. There are a few student projects seen in this photo that I have hanging on my cabinets. They love having their hard work shown off and on display! I also represent some of the diverse cultures of the historic civilizations we learn about in class (seen in this picture are the paper mache Chinese dragon and 3D Buddha print, both gifts from other teachers so even extra special).

Displaying Learning Targets/Objectives

mlcmcclanahan — 2025-05-06 21:29:56 UTC

Another way to foster an encouraging environment is by displaying the learning targets of different topics for my students. I review these at the beginning of each new module and post them at the front of the room! I believe students appreciate having the reminder of their goals and seeing the "why" behind different lessons.