Meeting Diverse Needs:
The image above depicts a lesson I taught in late September. In this lesson, students had one inflexible means of meeting my learning goal. I expected them to write a prediction about what would happen to the seed. At the beginning of the year I had students who were non-writers and I knew this was not a realistic goal for all students, but I did not understand how to differentiate.
The assessment plans above identify three means through which students may demonstrate mastery.
When I began providing students with flexible means of demonstrating their understanding, I began to notice a significant difference in their engagement and work.
The images above depict student work completed by the same student when provided with a single means of demonstrating mastery vs. flexible means of demonstrating mastery (drawing, labels, or writing).
Classroom Management:
My classroom management has grown significantly as I have taken on a greater role in teaching this spring. My ability to manage and respond to student behaviors has grown significantly as I have developed trusting relationships with my students.
February and Early March: 7 evacuations, calling for level two behavior support 5-6 x per day, and using only restorative justice (in response to conflict)
Late March and April: 0 evacuations, calling for support a maximum of 2x per day, and using restorative practices frequently (not just in response to conflict).
Not only has my ability to respond to behaviors improved, but I have learned that clear scaffolding to support more challenging times (transitions) can help reduce dangerous and disruptive behaviors.
Personalization:
Over this year, my ability to personalize learning to center students has grown tremendously. In December at my initial CAP, I used my own personal experience visiting the Grand Canyon to frame my science lesson on weathering and erosion. In April, I gave students the opportunity to share images from living in different climates as examples for what students might wear. Sharing my life and my experiences as a lens for learning has translated to empowering students to frame their learning through their unique life experiences.
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Teacher Clarity:
Over the past year, I’ve grown tremendously in designing lessons that are clear and aligned with the standards. The stated learning goals from October to April illustrate how I have grown in developing clear goals for short lessons.
These learning goals were planned for a lesson I taught in October 2022.It is also clear that I have grown through how I connect student goals (“I can…”) to my stated learning goals (“students will be able to…..”).
My teacher clarity has translated to how I communicate learning goals and objectives with my students. Early in the year, I did not share my stated learning goals or objectives with my students, now I begin every lesson by sharing them in writing, reading them, and having students say it with me.
