12.6.22 The best of Teach. Learn. Grow. in 2022 Nearly three years since COVID-19 shut down schools across the US, things feel somewhat normal again. Kids are having field trips. Masks are optional most everywhere. No one is worried about running... Read more
12.1.22 Translanguaging as part of the writing process Like many in the US, I studied Spanish in high school as part of my graduation requirement. While in college, however, my motivation for continuing with the language became decidedly more personal.... Read more
11.22.22 25 Teach. Learn. Grow. posts to help you build an equitable classroom Equity in education benefits all students. In the simplest terms, equity in the classroom can be defined as providing all students with what they need to feel welcome, safe, supported, and empowered... Read more
8.16.22 What you need to know when establishing success criteria in the classroom If you’re a practitioner of formative assessment, you may have heard of establishing success criteria in the classroom. Before students can take responsibility for their own learning, they need... Read more
7.5.22 Inspiring learners to act on formative assessment evidence As you may have seen in my previous post, I like to replace the word “data” with the term “learning evidence.” This helps me stay focused on making sure information is gathered and used in... Read more
3.15.22 Proof that student self-assessment moves learning forward I admit it. When I first began teaching, I thought I knew how to effectively engage students in self-assessment. In retrospect, I realize we may have just gone through the motions at times. It took... Read more
1.18.22 27 easy formative assessment strategies for gathering evidence of student learning A few years ago, I came across "10 assessments you can perform in 90 seconds" by TeachThought and really enjoyed the formative assessment strategies they outlined. Using formative assessment... Read more
8.24.21 75 digital tools and apps teachers can use to support formative assessment in the classroom There is no shortage of formative assessment strategies, techniques, and tools available to teachers who use formative instructional practice in their classrooms. Here is an extensive... Read more
4.27.21 The importance of student self-assessment Want to know a secret? I didn’t mean to become a secondary ELA teacher. One of the reasons why an ELA endorsement wasn’t originally at the top of my list was this persistent worry: How does... Read more
4.8.21 Formative assessment is not for grading There’s something to love about the first pancake that comes off the grill in the morning. The first pancake usually comes out a little more lumpy, misshapen, or overdone than the rest. Yet... Read more