Assessments and Reflections

After taking our verb test last week, the boys completed a reflection exercise to assess their understanding of the concepts covered on the test. In the past, I have had the boys reflect in their journals after a test and written questions on the board to guide them in their reflection. I decided to give them more guidance as this process is still very new to them. Afterward, I asked them how this process helped them (videos are below). We also broke into groups according to areas of most difficulty (the boys decided which concepts they were still confused about), and students led one of the groups as I led the other. I am realizing how crucial it is to not let the test be the final picture of my students' understanding, and I now grasp how to make a test an opportunity for more learning.

Verb Test Reflection from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Verb Test Reflection 2 from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Verb Cafe 12/2/09

We have completed our unit on verbs, and we have exposed the boys to some very difficult concepts like predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives. It has been challenging material for them, but it's incredible to see the progress they have made. Today we did a verb cafe to review the concepts we have covered, and a number of boys said they understood complements much better after the cafe. Again, I have seen the incredible advantage of letting the boys take ownership of their learning and giving them agency. Simply put, they learn and understand much more when they are in charge.

Verb Cafe Reflection from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Verb Cafe Reflection 2 from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Verb Cafe Reflection from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.