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.

CSI & Tug of War

We used the thinking routines CSI and Tug of War to discuss the short story "Fresh" lat week. The boys have gotten used to the CSI routine, and it's incredible to see the complexity of their ideas. We looked at the connections between the characters, and it led to a fascinating discussion about the story. The visual of the tug of war rope really helped the boys to see the dilemma that the main character faced, and then they were able to generate "tugs" for each side of the rope. I am realizing every day how much more my students are capable of than I ever imagined, and I'm just trying to tap into that daily.

Ladder of Feedback

Untitled from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

LWW Project Presentation (4D) from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Yesterday we used the Ladder of Feedback routine to critique each other's final projects for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The boys did an excellent job presenting their projects, and instead of rushing through that part (even though it did take the whole class period-- so it was hard for me to slow down), I thought it would be more beneficial for the boys to give feedback to each other. They are beginning to see the difference between clarifying questions and concerns, and they were able to give valuable feedback about the depth of the work, the quality of the presentation, and how well the team worked together. I said very little the entire time because I realized the boys were saying all the things I would have said! It was pretty incredible to watch. We will continue to use this routine throughout the year to give feedback on projects and writing assignments.

Reflection Journals

I heard a lot of talk about reflection journals at Harvard, and Ron Ritchhart refers to them often in Intellectual Character. I talked to some coworkers about ways they use journals, but I quickly realized I was going to have to figure out on my own what worked best for my classroom. We have had the journals since the beginning of the year and have been using them sporadically at best. We have been using them more frequently lately, though, and I can se that the boys are becoming more and more comfortable with the act of reflecting. The first or second day of school I had them choose a throughline to reflect on, and I remember looks of complete confusion. They had no idea what to do. With time, they have become less worried about what they are "supposed" to write and are able to really sit down and put their thoughts on paper. This week they reflected on their understanding of pronouns after a pronoun test and on their strengths and weaknesses as writers after getting back their LWW contrast paragraph. Now my entire attitude toward tests has changed- even though they are summative assessments, I still want there to be formative aspects to them. Last year, I just sent tests home after they were graded and never looked at them again. This year, they are keeping their tests (after they've been sent home for parents to see), and I want them to refer back to this portfolio throughout the year so they can see their progress. I am amazed at how this simple practice of reflecting on their understanding after a test enables me (and them) to have a better gauge of where they are...it's now hard for me to imagine not taking the time for this!

VA Games

I've found that the boys develop a much better understanding of our VA words if I make sure to weave the words into everything we do during that week. I've also gotten some great ideas from other teachers who teach VA. Liz Parks shared a game called "If _____ is the answer, what is the question?" from Harvard. We used this in class the other day-- I had the boys work in groups, and they generated questions for several VA words and wrote them on index cards. We placed the cards around the room, and everyone tried to match up the words with their corresponding questions. They realized that the best questions used specific examples, and I will definitely use this routine again. I have attached several boys' reflections on this routine.

Untitled from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Pronoun Cafe

We did a cafe yesterday to review before our test on pronouns, and it was maybe the best experience I've had yet with a cafe. The four stations were as follows: 1) Write two sentences with your group- using 1 subject pronoun and 1 object pronoun in each sentence. Label the pronoun with subject/object, singular/plural, and 1st/2nd/3rd person ; 2) Use possessive pronouns to list items you might find in a gym; 3) Use reflexive pronouns to write sentences related to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; 4) Write a sentence using "its" and "it's" correctly and another sentence with "their" and "they're". As I watched the boys, I realized how much joy I get from watching their excitement. They have grasped some really difficult concepts, and I am much more proactive about talking about their understanding of concepts instead of rushing to the next thing. The stoplight cards have been really helpful with this as well as our conversations after a thinking routine or other experience. I have attached video of the cafe itself and of several boys' reflections after-- I asked them to reflect on how their understanding of pronouns has changed.

Pronoun Cafe from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.

Untitled from Courtney Humphreys on Vimeo.