Chris Frost - Articulating Outcomes: Thinking Like an Assessor - M5U2A2

In my four years of substitute teaching, and in my five months of full-time teaching, I have grown accustomed to certain procedures followed district-wide by teachers in grades 2 and up.  At the end of a mathematics or reading unit, a District Formative Assessment (DFA) is given to students to evaluate student learning.  Ironically, our summative assessment is called a formative assessment, which caused some confusion for me when I first read this assignment.  The DFA contains five questions and is graded.  It is up to teachers how much weight the DFA carries and, frequently, grade-level teams will decide how to treat them.  Some grade-level teams weigh DFAs more heavily since they do serve as the summative assessment for an entire unit.  Others weigh them similarly to graded classwork or homework.  As a parent, I have never been a fan of the DFA because it only contains five questions.  If one question is missed, students receive an 80% or B-.  If two questions are missed, students receive a 60% or D-.  If a student has a teacher who weighs the DFA more heavily, it can be very detrimental to an overall grade.  In my classroom, and in 3rd grade overall, DFAs carry the same weight as classwork or homework.  In fact, all of our graded work carries the same weight, including quarterly benchmark tests.  Because some students struggle with testing, we don't want grades to be too adversely affected.  It's our feeling that there are better ways to assess understanding.  Because we are required to administer and grade the DFA, it does serve as our summative assessment at the district level.  Students receiving a 60% or below must spend time in reteach.  Reteach is often conducted by the classroom teacher during specials or recess.  After reteach, students take version two of the five-question DFA.  The goal is to have all students pass with an 80% or above, but this is rarely the case.  Often, there is a handful of students, even after reteach, who score 60% or below.

When I took over my class mid-year, I was against group work.  I knew this class had the reputation of being very chatty, so my goal was to temper this.  While I did manage to gain more classroom control than my predecessor, I realized something along the way.  I realized that there is great value in students working collaboratively, as long as students are grouped appropriately and staying on task.  My low students seemed to benefit the most, which was a blessing for them and me.  They seemed to respond more favorably to peer instruction and correction.  As a result, my formative assessment during a unit often consisted of group observation.  I would provide instruction to students prior to assigning groups.  When students broke into groups to begin work, I would walk around the classroom to check in and ask questions.  These questions helped me assess their understanding and create future lessons.  For those students needing more of a challenge, I would ask them higher-level questions.  I didn't realize until this assignment that observation is considered a tool for formative assessment.  In fact, I didn't realize until this assignment how many tools are available for formative assessment.  After reading 60 Formative Assessment Strategies (Lambert, 2012), I am excited to try new formative assessment strategies next school year.  By experimenting with some of the strategies, I am sure I will find ones that work better for different units.  Also, some may work better for one class vs. another.  

Two strategies, in particular, are of interest to me for purposes of the standard I am focusing on.  The standard reads: Model the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of.  I really like the Think-Pair-Share strategy (ReadWriteThink, 2017).  In this strategy, I will give students a higher-level question about a topic that relates to the standard.  They will have 1 to 3 minutes to think about the question individually.  Next, for 2 to 5 minutes, they will be paired with another student to discuss their thoughts and ask questions of each other.  Finally, we will meet as a class to share thoughts and ask questions.  I will ask each member of a pair to share what they discussed and learned.  That way, I hear from all students and can assess each student's level of understanding.  

The second strategy I would like to use for formative assessment is a Journal Entry (Lambert, 2012).  The 3rd and 4th grade teachers at my school agree that writing is not emphasized enough.  Time is often a factor, but my hope is to incorporate writing into every subject next school year, including mathematics.  By putting thoughts on paper, I can assess where students need language assistance.  Also, it will give students a chance to practice their cursive writing.  By including writing in lessons, I will be able to assess students in a variety of ways, including their understanding of the topic, their language skills, and their handwriting.  It seems like an efficient way to provide a thorough evaluation.

As far as a summative assessment goes, well, I am somewhat bound by our DFA.  It doesn't have to be the only summative assessment, but time often prevents extending a unit to include additional assessments.  As teachers, we must wrap up a unit and move on to the next.  For the standard listed above, what I would like to see is a summative assessment where students are provided with real-world problems and can choose the strategy (repeated addition, arrays, a number line, or groups of) they feel most comfortable with to solve them.  The summative assessment would ask students to explain, in writing, why they chose a particular strategy and how they used it to solve the problem.  This would incorporate choice and writing into the assessment.  If time permits, I would meet with students one-on-one to have them explain to me how they solved a problem and why they prefer one strategy over another.  This would improve communication skills, which is important in the workforce.  I would encourage eye contact, which many students have difficulty maintaining.  Unlike the DFA that serves as my district's summative assessment, my ideal summative assessment would consider the whole child.  Each student has unique strengths and weaknesses and, by including choice, writing, and spoken communication, students could shine in a variety of ways.  It also indicates areas where students need additional assistance.  

My assessments are SMART, meaning specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.  Using backwards mapping, I would ensure that students are learning what they are supposed to be learning.  Why?  Well, because I know the stakes are high when it comes to benchmark tests and state-mandated exams.  Assessments need to be specific to the standard.  My formative assessments, including Think-Pair-Share and Journal Entry, ask questions that are directly related to the standard, as well as push students above and beyond in terms of higher-level thinking.  My summative assessments are measurable and graded.  Assessments are attainable in that students will be asked to answer questions and solve problems for which they have had instruction. There should be no surprises.  Performance goals will be set that are reasonable and well-suited for my particular group of students. Assessments are relevant in that they relate directly to the standard.  Also, my ideal summative assessment is relevant in terms of real-world scenarios.  To engage students, what they are learning must be relevant to their own experiences and interests. And, finally, my assessments are time-bound.  Formative assessments would be given at the end of instruction on a particular topic.  Summative assessments would be given at the end of instruction on an entire unit.  

References

Lambert, K. (2012, April). 60 Formative Assessment Strategies. Retrieved from  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzYfzjQoASL_bXVxYUg4SE1lSk0/view

ReadWriteThink. (2017). Using the Think-Pair-Share Technique. Retrieved from

 http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/using-think-pair-share-  30626.html

Chris Frost - Understanding and Applying Standards - M5U1A3

I wish I had completed M5U1 back in December.  That is when I took over for a 3rd grade teacher who decided to retire early.  I knew taking over a class mid-year would be a challenge in and of itself, plus it was widely known that my predecessor had "checked out," had an unruly class, and was behind in teaching the standards.  The class I inherited had scored the lowest of the 3rd grade classes on Q2 benchmark exams, and I knew I had a lot of work to do. Despite my lack of formal training, I was humbled by the fact that school and district officials were confident in my ability to face these challenges.  

As a four-year veteran of substitute teaching, I was fairly comfortable in the classroom, but I never had to plan any lessons from scratch.  I would arrive on my scheduled day and find plans waiting for me.  I mainly had to worry about carrying them out successfully.  Occasionally, I had to improvise, but I never had to unpack standards or engage in backwards mapping.  In December, without much notice, I became responsible for everything.  Needless to say, I felt quite overwhelmed the first several months on the job.  Trying to balance full-time teaching, full-time school, and family rearing left me more than a little frazzled at the end of each day. 😔

Fast forward to now.  This is the last week of my first year of teaching.  My students seem happy, their parents seem happy, my employer seems happy, and I couldn't be happier for summer break.  The countless hours I spent learning the tools necessary to do my job paid off, as I managed to close some gaps.  On Q3 benchmark exams, my students scored the highest of the 3rd grade classes, which made me smile both inside and out.  This wouldn't have been possible without the help of my mentor, my colleagues, my family, and my dedication to learning the standards. 😊

The school year moves at a very fast pace.  There is little down time, and the standards we are expected to teach can't be taught at a leisurely pace, unfortunately.  There are quarterly benchmark exams and state-mandated exams that assess students on what they have learned through a given period.  As a result, planning has to be efficient and effective.  Unwrapping the standards, or breaking them down into smaller components, makes me feel less overwhelmed.  It helps me identify what concept I am teaching, like multiplication, division, elapsed time, shapes and attributes, etc.  Also, identifying the verbs in the standard helps me understand what students need to be able to do with the concept.  For example, explain, use, partition, show, create, solve, interpret, etc.  Unwrapping a standard also provides a context for the concept.  For example, a standard may ask students to model the process of multiplication using arrays and a number line.  The context is arrays and a number line.  If I planned all of my lessons teaching students how to model the process of multiplication using repeated addition, I wouldn't be preparing them for what they are expected to know.  As a result, it is very important to identify the concept, skills (action), and context of each standard I am expected to teach.  

After starting in December, I quickly learned the value of looking at the final assessment as part of the unwrapping process.  Often, I would read the standard, then go straight to the assessment to learn more about what is expected.  We also did this as a grade-level team during our Friday meetings.  This was essential for me in the first few months of teaching because time was extremely scarce.  Knowing what students would be seeing on their District Formative Assessment (DFA) helped me narrow down my lesson planning. Instead of feeling so overwhelmed, my direction was clearer. Backwards mapping helped me back into lessons that would get students where they needed to be.  I must say, however, that I did feel guilty about doing this at times.  I sometimes felt like I was teaching to the DFA.  While I feel backwards mapping is extremely beneficial, I think we must prepare lessons that challenge our students to think outside the box or test.  We must strive to prepare engaging lessons that give students an opportunity to work collaboratively.  We must challenge students according to their proficiency level and learning style, and ask students to share what they've learned, regardless of subject.   

I am fortunate that my district subscribes to Beyond Textbooks, which was created by neighboring Vail Student District.  In fact, I just learned yesterday that my district was part of the pilot program and its first user.  Beyond Textbooks takes the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards and unpacks them fully. Standards are broken down by concept, skills, big ideas, essential questions, common misconceptions, etc. Assessments are provided and teachers share resources and lesson plans for each standard.  I was unaware of how extensively the standards are unwrapped in Beyond Textbooks until M5U1, which is why the assignments in M5U1 would have benefited me back in December.  I knew where to find each standard, the teaching timeline, the DFA, and some lesson plan ideas.  My research this weekend opened a whole new world for me that will make life much easier going forward.  I now know where to find the concept, skills, big ideas, essential questions, common misconceptions, expectations based on proficiency level, etc.  Unwrapping a standard takes time, and Beyond Textbooks does much of the work for users.  In a sense, M5U1 helped me unwrap Beyond Textbooks, and has given me more confidence heading in to next school year. 

Chris Frost - Standards and Backwards Mapping - M5U1A2

Standards

I am currently teaching 3rd grade at Benson Primary School in Benson, AZ.  I teach the subjects of mathematics, ELA (reading, language, and spelling), and social studies.  A specials teacher teaches 3rd grade science outside of the general education classroom.  I will be in the same role for the 2017-2018 school year.  Benson Unified School District subscribes to Beyond Textbooks, which was created by the Vail School District in neighboring Vail, AZ.  Beyond Textbooks takes the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards and unpacks them for its subscribers.  All teachers within a subscribing school have access to Beyond Textbooks where, for each standard, they can view the timeline, skills, knowledge, cognitive processes used, big ideas, essential questions, common misconceptions, assessments, etc.  In addition, teachers have the ability to share lesson plans, PBL activities, worksheets, pre-assessments, etc.  All teachers at subscribing schools can use these resources.  If I am struggling with ideas for a lesson, I can ask a colleague, search the Internet, or check what's available on Beyond Textbooks. As a new teacher, it is truly is a blessing for me to have so many resources.

The standard I will be focusing on for this assignment is for 3rd grade mathematics.  It reads:
Model the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of.  

I chose this standard because it's one of the first I will be teaching in the 2017-2018 school year and, because I didn't start teaching full-time until December, I did not teach this standard this school year.  I want to be prepared and, for whatever reason, I have a more difficult time motivating myself to prep for math lessons.  One reassuring thing is that both my son and daughter have recently been through 3rd grade, so many of the concepts are somewhat familiar to me and them.  I count on them regularly to help when I am struggling to find a way to teach a particular concept.

Student Proficiencies

I am providing four proficiencies for this standard since the standard contains four components.  Below the proficiencies, I have indicated the performance outcomes for the Minimally Proficient student, Partially Proficient student, Proficient student, and Highly Proficient student.

1. Model the process of multiplication using repeated addition.

2. Model the process of multiplication using arrays.

3. Model the process of multiplication using a number line.

4. Model the process of multiplication using groups of.

Minimally Proficient student: Models the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of with visual support.  Factors are less than or equal to 5 for all problems.

Partially Proficient student: Models the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of with visual support.  Factors are less than or equal to 9 for all problems.

Proficient student: Models the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of.  Multiplies within 100 to solve single-step word problems using the aforementioned strategies.

Highly Proficient student: Models the process of multiplication using repeated addition, arrays, a number line, and groups of.  Multiplies within 100 to solve multi-step word problems using the aforementioned strategies.  Students will use provided context to create an equation to solve a word problem.

Assessments

After providing instruction to my students, and allowing them to model the process of multiplication using the four strategies, I will be ready to assess what they've learned.  My assessments are described below.

1. Before any formal assessments take place, I will informally assess students during a classroom learning experience.  Students will work collaboratively on an assignment related to this standard.  While they are working, I will traverse the room to check in with each group, see if they have any questions, and also ask my own questions.  Listening to students work through the problems, asking them questions, etc. will provide me with feedback regarding their level of comprehension.  Students will be grouped strategically so that those needing extra support receive it.  After my informal assessment, I will determine if afternoon reteach time needs to be dedicated to one or more of the proficiencies/components and plan accordingly.

2. Students will be assessed on their individual performance on worksheets related to the proficiencies/components of this standard.  Students will be graded on two worksheets.  One will be given during our morning math block, and the other will be given during afternoon reteach.  One worksheet will cover multiplication using repeated addition and multiplication using groups of.  The other will cover multiplication using arrays and multiplication using a number line.  Both worksheets will be graded that day so I know what students are and aren't comprehending.  This will help me plan future lessons.

3. Available on Beyond Textbooks is a practice District Formative Assessment (DFA).  The practice DFA will be given to predict how students might perform on the DFA.  The practice DFA includes five questions that cover multiplication using arrays, a number line, repeated addition, and groups of. This will be entered as a quiz grade and I will base future lessons on student performance.

4. Also available on Beyond Textbooks is the DFA for this standard, which will be the final assessment.  It contains five questions that are very similar in nature to the questions on the practice DFA.  Results of this assessment will be entered as a test grade.  Students receiving a 3 out of 5 or below will attend reteach during specials or recess and be given a chance to retake the DFA.  Beyond Textbooks provides a second version of all DFAs for this purpose.

Learning Experiences

The learning experiences I plan will be based on what students are required to know.  This will require me to unpack the standard, as well as do backwards planning.  I will look at all aspects of the standard, including the DFA.  While most have heard the phrase, "Teaching to the test," there is validity in looking at the test to plan lessons.  One of the things I have learned in my brief time of teaching is that teaching moves at a fast pace.  You have to be strategic in your planning.  Often, when looking at a DFA, something jumps out at me that I suspect will be tricky for students.  In my planning, I am sure to provide more instruction in that area so that students are prepared.

1. My students' first learning experience is a PowerPoint presentation that will be projected on the classroom whiteboard.  Students will need their personal whiteboard and a dry erase marker.  The PowerPoint first indtroduces the terminology associated with multiplication, including factors and product.  Next, it demonstrates multiplication using repeated addition.  Students will have an opportunity to do practice problems with a partner using their whiteboards.  Then the PowerPoint demonstrates multiplication using a number line.  Again, students will have an opportunity to do practice problems with a partner using their whiteboards.  At the end of the PowerPoint, both strategies are reviewed and students will independently do practice problems on their whiteboards.  This learning experience introduces two of the four proficiencies/components associated with this standard.

2. My students' second learning experience will be the following day and is a continuation of the same PowerPoint presentation.  The slide introducing the terminology will be reviewed so that students start to commit the terminology to memory.  Next, the PowerPoint demonstrates multiplication using arrays.  Students will have an opportunity to do practice problems with a partner using their whiteboards.  Then the PowerPoint demonstrates multiplication using groups of.  Again, students will have an opportunity to do practice problems with a partner using their whiteboards.  At the end of the PowerPoint, both strategies are reviewed and students will independently do practice problems on their whiteboards.  This learning experience introduces the remaining two proficiencies/components associated with this standard.

3. My students' third learning experience involves completing a "Problem of the Week" in a group.  The "Problem of the Week" is found on Beyond Textbooks and exists for most, if not all, standards.  It can be printed and handed out or projected on the classroom whiteboard for students to solve on their own whiteboards. Groups must read the problem and solve it using repeated addition, groups of, an array, and a number line.  Groups must also create an equation using one of the multiplication models they created.  This lesson is a great way for students to work collaboratively to demonstrate what they learned from the PowerPoint presentation and practice problems.  While students are working, I will make my way around the classroom to check in with groups.  This will be a good way for me to assess their understanding and plan future lessons.

Chris Frost - Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures - M4U5A1

When I took over a third grade class mid year, I knew I would face some challenges.  The students were already used to the rules and procedures of my predecessor, which didn't necessarily fit my teaching style.  To make things more challenging, my predecessor had been struggling to manage behavior effectively.  Therefore, the students had a lot of freedom and control.  I didn't want to come in like a tyrant, but I knew changes needed to be made.  Student learning was at risk and I needed to gain control quickly.

While I do feel that the rules and procedures I implemented have led to increased student learning, I still have a lot of room for improvement. As a result, this post will focus on my plans for next school year.  This year has been quite a learning process for me, and I look forward to starting next school year from the beginning.  I will be able to set the tone from day one, and work to forge positive bonds with students and parents from the get-go.

Our school year begins on a Thursday, which is a wonderful way for teachers, students, and parents to ease back into the school routine. Teachers use Thursday and Friday to get students settled into their new environment by distributing supplies, outlining rules and procedures, engaging in get-to-know-you activities, etc.  In these first two days, my plan is to form rules and procedures with my students.  This provides students with a voice, and gives them a more vested interest in the classroom.  I want to hear what motivates and demotivates them.  I want to hear what actions by others bother them.  I want to hear which rules and procedures they feel are important to foster an environment in which they can learn and feel safe.  Third grade is a big year for students at my school because it is the first year of state-mandated testing.  As a result, the academic bar is higher and more is expected of them.  It's a good year for students to become more responsible for their actions, both academically and behaviorally.  Once we have developed classroom rules and procedures, I will prepare posters for the classroom that weekend.  They will be on display in the classroom on Monday, which is the first full week of school.

What I have witnessed in my own classroom is that most students respond to positive reinforcement, which doesn't have to be costly.  My predecessor had a cable extending from one side of the classroom to the other.  It wasn't being utilized for anything, so I decided to use it to display student work.  It adds so much life and color to our room, and students strive to have their work displayed on this cable.  I pick and choose based on the quality of the work.  I do take into consideration the capabilities of each student and what is their personal best.  This is an example of non-verbal positive reinforcement.  More non-verbal positive reinforcement strategies include smiling, giving the thumbs up sign, and giving high fives.  These go a long way and, again, don't cost a thing.

When I see students doing the right thing, I make a point to say how nicely they are working.  I include what they are doing correctly so that all students can hear and procedures are reviewed.  It's amazing how many students follow suit who may not have been on task prior.  Verbal recognition can be given in front of the entire class or individually.  Just last week, a student of mine who normally struggles on spelling tests received a 100%.  I called her up to my desk and flipped the test over to surprise her with the results.  I told her how proud I was and that I know she studied hard to earn that score.  We were both elated and I gave her a big hug.  Verbal recognition is a powerful tool because it makes students feel good.  It helps create a positive bond between student and teacher.  It can be used in conjunction with non-verbal positive reinforcement and, again, does not cost a thing.

Another powerful positive recognition strategy is contacting home to report positive behavior and academic success.  Too often, being contacted by a teacher is the result of a negative occurrence at school.  To be perfectly honest, most of the phone calls I have made and emails I have sent this year are due to behavior and academic issues.  Just recently, I was elated to hear that a student's STAR reading score had doubled.  This student was previously homeschooled and her parents decided it was time for her to return to a traditional school.  Her parents recognized that she was starting to fall behind and needed extra support.  She tested very low in reading and math upon enrolling, but has made great strides since then.  I was so thrilled to hear the news that I sent a Facebook message to her mother informing her how much her daughter's reading score had improved.  The mother responded by saying I had "made her day."  I realized then the power of positive communication from school.  My school also has preprinted postcards that can be mailed to parents at any time to report positive news.  I do not mail them often enough, and have set a goal to mail at least one per student next year.  Even those children who struggle with behavior exhibit positive qualities.  It is important to recognize and encourage those qualities so they continue.

A tangible positive recognition strategy I would like to implement is a ticket system.  After spending time in a lot of classrooms as a substitute teacher, and seeing many different techniques, this seems like something I can handle.  While some teachers issue tickets for specific behaviors and accomplishments, I prefer to do it in a more random fashion.  When I see a student on task, I may present him or her with a ticket.  If I see a student take the initiative to help another student, I may present him or her with a ticket.  This keeps students alert and motivated as tickets might be presented at any time.  Tickets may be redeemed on Friday afternoons for a snack or prize, or saved for a prize worth more tickets.  Some prizes will include lunch with the teacher, computer time, extra recess, etc.  Students must keep track of their tickets and make decisions on how and when to redeem them.

While positive reinforcement goes a long way, there are times when it's not enough.  There must be consequences for undesired behavior.  As a teacher, I must be vigilant in tracking what is going on in my classroom.  Even when I am working one on one with students, I must continue to scan my class to ensure students stay on task.   It never fails that some will take advantage.  My first response is a stern look in their direction.  Often, eye contact is enough to stop the undesirable behavior.  If that fails to work, I will make motion toward students.  This adds a sense of urgency and is often when I see students shoving things into their desks like toys or notes 😀.  Next, I will pause from teaching and, in front of the class, confront the behavior.  If the behavior persists, the student will be asked to take a time out on the bench outside of our classroom.  This allows me to finish my lesson uninterrupted.  Persistent behavior issues will lead to loss of privileges, including lunch in the cafeteria, recess, and specials.  Instead, students will spend this time in the office's Bobcat Citizen room.  There, they will be monitored by office staff and expected to complete their work.  This often has a big impact on students who value their privileges.  If the undesirable behavior continues, parents will be contacted and a home contingency plan discussed.  I have several parents I communicate with by text and/or email on a regular basis.  It has really helped students with behavior and academic issues.  The students know a partnership exists between home and school and, as a result, work harder to stay on track.  If behavior issues cannot be resolved via the above methods, the office will arrange a meeting that includes parents, teacher, and principal.  If necessary, special education teachers and/or reading specialists will also be asked to attend.  The goal is to discuss what has been tried, where we are, and how to best help the student going forward.  If school property has been damaged as the result of behavior, overcorrection might be discussed as a means of restitution.  I like this approach because the student not only has to make right what he or she damaged, but must also make improvements above and beyond.  The hope is that students learn the value in treating things respectfully, and how much time it takes to fix or clean things.

Below you will find a flowchart outlining the enforcement of rules and procedures in my classroom.  This flowchart follows a logical order and includes both positive and corrective reinforcement.