During my early years as a teacher, I believed that the most significant aspects were the big exams and essays, the material that was entered into the gradebook. I was concerned that the addition of more small check-ins would only increase the workload of all people. But I was totally wrong.
Now, I know that the secret sauce is low-pressure, fast check-ins, or the so-called formative assessments, as we teachers refer to them as well. It not only makes class better in your way, but it also makes me a better teacher. That is the way I attempt to use them in a manner that would be helpful but not overwhelming.
The "One Thing" Focus
You can get the impression that sometimes when you submit a large project, you are correcting the entire world at once: your grammar, your evidence, and your ideas. It is so much to write and so much to read on my part!
Now, I do things differently. We could write a paragraph, and I would tell them, "Today you just circle your topic sentence." That is one I am going to seek. Or, "Identify the evidence of the text you used. We shall see whether it is well-integrated or not.
This way:
Instead of 10 incoherent notes, you get one detailed, clear piece of feedback to do better.
In my case, I would be more capable of providing quality advice since I would be focusing on a single skill. It's a win-win.
You Become the Teacher: The Gallery Walk.
Exit tickets are fantastic. However, I had to write feedback about 70 of them every night; I would never sleep! Sometimes, the next day, following an exit ticket, we will have a "Peer Feedback Gallery Walk." I will grab some anonymous responses (occasionally I even create them myself) and put them all over the room. Your job, in small groups, is to:
Read the sample answers.
Determine their score (on our rubric).
Explain why and leave behind one unique, distinct piece of feedback.
Afterwards, we talked as a class. My scores were presented, and we talked about what constitutes a strong answer. Then, each took his exit ticket home and marked himself. You ask, "What have you done well?" What would you change the next time around?
This is not to say that I am a lazy person. It is that I give you the strength to know what good work is and that you need to do your own learning.
The Confidence Check-In
It is important to know what you know. However, it is also crucial to know how you feel about what you know.
That is why I usually put a final, easy question at the check-ins:
How sure are you of what you have just done on a scale of 1 (I do not know at all) to 5 (I could teach this)? Briefly explain why."
The minute inquiry enables me to have two superpowers:
I understand YOU better. I will be able to identify people who are feeling unsteady or those who are up to the task.
When confidence in the concept has a majority of the class giving me a "2," then I know that I need to reteach the concept in a different manner.
It is also useful in making you get used to thinking about your own thinking, which will come in handy forever.
The Big Picture: It is a Discussion
Learning in certain classes becomes like this: Study - Big Test - Get Grade - Move On. The discussion terminates at the grade.
I would wish our class to be different. It is a series of little check-ins that we make as we keep on talking about what you are learning. It's less about "Gotcha!"
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