Before I let them quietly work on it for about 10 minutes, I had a discussion about how in life it's a useful skill to be able to give constructive feedback. I said that they'd be bosses or employees or students or teachers or whatever, and they wanted to help "improve" or "praise" someone else's work effectively, and we talked about good and bad ways of doing that. Anyway, I liked their comments. Some things that were good for me to know:
* "Don't just always joke around with 1 or 2 students; make sure you joke around with everyone to make them feel special.". This was good for me to hear. Usually, I just engage with kids that engage with me, and then I feel comfortable continuing that "razzing" throughout the year. I can see how it would feel exclusionary to others instead of, ha ha, I'm a part of this if only as an observer.
* "I like that you just take homework for a completion grade. That way I don't feel pressured when I'm trying to learn." Hmmmmm, that was my intent, but it has its flip side for some students and some years when they slack off because they think it doesn't count.
* "I like when you provided answer banks on the homework. That gave me instant feedback." me, too.
* and various other comments that reaffirmed what I thought didn't go well or did.
Here is the download of this sheet: (p.s. thank you to the commenter who taught me about Screen Print. I'm ALL about Screen Print these days :))
Hello,
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I am a high school math teacher in PA and I agree with your comment about homework completely. However, in the near future our school will most likely be making the move to standards-based learning and assessment. We were told that because of this we would not be able to "check" homework. We could still assign it and go over, but it can't be used as a part of the grade.
ReplyDeleteI am upset because this homework grade reflects the students' effort outside of class which I think, should be counted in. I was just wondering your thoughts, and your thoughts on standards-based reporting in general. Thanks.
I've started hearing more and more of this type of grading, but I haven't sat down to process it yet or see how I could effectively and manageably implement it in my class. Here are 2 places that might have more talk about it:
ReplyDeletehttp://101studiostreet.com/wordpress/?p=682
and
http://kissmyasymptotes.wordpress.com/
Also, don't you HATE when someone from above imposes the "latest thing" on you to use in your classroom without your input?
Ms. Cookie
Thanks for the websites, and yes, that is one of the most frustrating parts of the job.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of end-of-year student feedback regarding instruction. I ask for feedback periodically during the schoolyear but never thought about developing a form. Great idea! Also, I believe in giving homework. I give credit for effort but find some students still won't do the assignment. Any suggestions?
ReplyDelete