Assessment doesn't have to be all about telling your teacher exactly what they want to hear. We're not robots. Assessments, both formative and summative, can be opportunities for students to learn further and express their own ideas about the content.…
by Andy Bell I look at the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) graphic organizer and one word stands out to me, engagement. It's in the top box of the first column, "provide multiple means of engagement". Some days it seems like that topic comes up in…
by Andy Bell In my classroom, we try to build as many flex days in to our schedule as possible. These are days when we can catch up on things we've missed in previous lessons and help students who are struggling catch up as well. Part of making…
by Andy Bell I observed another math class last week where students were learning about the volume of prisms. They were shown three rectangles in two dimensions, one small, one medium, and one large. Then the teacher asked "If these rectangles were extended up, out of the paper, in…
CER is an acronym for claim, evidence, and reasoning; a basic writing format taught to students in schools. It's one of several acronyms used for teaching students to construct a written argument or answer. Students start with CER and then add additional components such as a counterargument (CERC)…
by Andy Bell Does this student look the way you feel teaching the last period of the day? Cognitive Rigor: The portion of the unit overview that deals with cognitive rigor is the Unit Learning Goals section. In the math example there are seven numbered goals written as personal statements…
by Andy Bell First and foremost UDL is about inclusion. UDL helps ensure that all students have access to information and materials that engage them academically. It isn't for any specific learner but all types of learners.UDL gives students choices in engagement, representation, and action and expression.…
by Andy Bell Quote: PARKER PALMER We lose heart, in part, because teaching is a daily exercise in vulnerability. I need not reveal personal secrets to feel naked in front of a class. I need only parse a sentence or work a proof on the board while my students doze…
There are lots of reason to have fun in your classroom but here are a few that you may not have thought of: (Source: https://www.veritasacademy.com/headmasters-blog/why-your-childs-learning-experience-should-be-fun...and-how-to-make-it-so ) 1. Our brains are wired that way When a lesson starts with humor, there is more alerting, and the…
One way we can practice self care is to remember the things in life for which we're grateful. Gratitude can be obligatory or it can be given freely as a way of thanking others. We usually show gratitude as a way to return a good feeling that we&…