Getting Better Through Authentic Feedback

Getting Student Feedback about Our Teaching

Have you ever collected feedback from your students, either through anonymous surveys or otherwise? The feedback you collect from your students can be a powerful tool — not only for measuring your success this year, but also as a way to inform how you’ll set up your classroom and structure your lessons for the new school year next fall. Maybe the student data will confirm that you’re on the right track. Perhaps it will inspire you to shift your practice a little or forge a completely new learning path next year. No matter the outcome, student voice is an important piece of teacher reflection, so make sure you really think about what you want to learn. 

It does require, as Teacher Laureate Sean McComb reflects, you "as the adult, to have the courage to be vulnerable." Watch how McComb runs student-led focus groups as a way to really encourage students to share their honest feedback in this video at the Teaching Channel.

Here's the feedback form he used: Focus Group Feedback Form

Teaching Grammar: A Variation on Grammar Logs

Guided Self-Correction: A Positive, Focused Feedback System That Improves Writing

By Selina Ivy and Jim LeBuffe

If You Aren’t Frustrated, You Aren’t Learning: 

Flipping the “I Do, We Do, You Do” Strategy

This article really challenged my thinking about scaffolding... it made me think about those projects where I scaffolded TOO much and ended up receiving 100 identical projects or papers. Would love to hear your thoughts about this strategy... when you would use it, when you wouldn't. And if you're not familiar with the "I Do, We Do, You Do" Strategy, check out the embedded video to see an example of this strategy in action.

Click here to read the article.

Call for Submissions

We invite you to consider submitting an article for publication in our 2019 Primer Calendar: Literacy Instruction: Sharing Strategies for Success. Topics may include, but are not limited to cultural literacy, visual literacy, critical literacy, disciplinary literacy and other facets of reading and language arts. Deadline for Submissions is September 1, 2018. Please submit articles to: Jo Ann Thompson. Sample Primer Calendar Article Manuscript Submission Guidelines: Manuscripts are limited to 650-750 words including reference and other materials (tables, charts, etc.) Manuscripts must be double-spaced in 12-point font and should be saved as Microsoft Word Documents Manuscripts must be prepared according to the style specified by the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). Each manuscript must include a cover sheet containing (a) the manuscript title, (b) the author’s name, affiliation, position, preferred mailing address, email address, telephone number(s), and fax number. No identifying information should appear elsewhere in the manuscript

Class Discussion Strategies

15 formats for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging. If you’ve struggled to find effective ways to develop students’ speaking and listening skills, this is your lucky day.

Click here to read on.

Frickin' Packets

Please take the time to read this pointed critique about a common educational practice - we’ve all been there - and suggestions for how to do better. 

In this Cult of Pedagogy article, Jennifer Gonzalez shares a video of a student going off on his teacher about the “packets” she has students doing. 

If you feel she might be talking to you, listen up!

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/busysheets/

I echo the challenge the author issues at the end of the article!

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find...

Five Assessment Myths and Misunderstandings

Read this great article about the purposes and uses of assessment
Here are some highlights...