Thoughts about feedback
Constructing summative evaluations and having conferences to discuss them has got me thinking. I'm also thinking about preparing kids for the transition of ending the year and starting a new one.
First I recognized that preparing summative evaluations is just like your work on end of the year student progress reports. I've given thought and time to hopefully writing a summative comment that will be specific to you and meaningful. They take time and I know you do the exact same thing on report cards. I also have learned that the comments are likely not nearly as meaningful to you as the conversations we have. I know that there is so much for you to do at this time of the year and that report cards are daunting. So, I'm wondering - could you take some blocks of time and sit and prepare them with kids? Instead of writing the comments ahead of time (which is so time consuming) could you have the reports filled out and go over them with each student. Then, together write the comment for the parent? The student would get your feedback and would also help you construct the comments? You could even set it up by saying something to students like -"What's important for us to share with your parents about your progress and what we know about you as a learner?"
Would this be a natural link to student-led conferences? Could this eliminate the great deal of time on your evenings and weekends writing comments?
Also wondering - while you are having 5-10 minute conferences with kids (maybe set a timer?) might kids be working independently on writing to the next grade level teaching team? Maybe after they meet with you their thinking would be activated to write the teaching team about the progress they can identify that they've made and what they want to continue to work on? They could share a bit about themselves (interests, passions, expertise) and what they have discovered about themselves as learners? They could even let the next teaching team know the kind of things they are wondering about. It might even make it easier for the teacher (once Crews are assigned) to write a welcome letter after having some input from incoming students? (Hey! This could be an authentic writing sample for the next grade level team!) Just as it is for us, this is a good time of year for students to be reflective. Perhaps their letters might also inform our decisions about student placement for next year?
I'm not sure if 5-10 minutes is a realistic chunk of time and I know that it would mean some creative thinking about what you would have to not do in order to create this time. Could this be an opportunity though to let kids do some things we generally don't have the time to explore? Things like building with blocks, or art, or problem solving, or painting, or other exploratory options? All great stuff for our kids and things we yearn to do? Maybe we could ask them for their ideas?!
Kids have been engaged in so much testing - don't you think they wonder how they are doing? I know we don't have the testing results to share, but we can share what we know about their progress and achievement. Some of you met with kids at the beginning of the year and talked with them about their TCap results. Maybe a good time to revisit and give them some feedback on their progress? I know you don't have those results, but you likely know.
Kids have been engaged in so much testing - don't you think they wonder how they are doing? I know we don't have the testing results to share, but we can share what we know about their progress and achievement. Some of you met with kids at the beginning of the year and talked with them about their TCap results. Maybe a good time to revisit and give them some feedback on their progress? I know you don't have those results, but you likely know.
Maybe this is a terrible idea...just something I've been wondering about in relationship to the work I've been doing with all of you. What ideas do you have for managing the end of the year reports with authentic feedback to kids? What role could kids take on?
If we try something new, it might not work at all. But hey, we decided we are good with that!
Makes Me Smile...
(From Jody)
The other day Dax asked me why we say duck when we want people to duck their heads. I didn't know so I thought that I would ask the kids what they thought. Attached are the answers they gave us.
Will P. – if you say ‘duck’ and your by a pond they might say I should go get that
duck then if you say duck down they will put their head down
Dax- I think duck is duck down because whoever made it up thought it sounded like
duck down and they thought hey maybe I just made that up
Madison- maybe because when you say duck down it means down and if we say
duck they might think one is in the ocean or something
Andra – I think it is a different kind of duck because if you say duck down they will
do it and if there is a pond and you say duck they will just go get it
Brianna – I think its just spelled a different way
Michelle – If you have a pet duck and your playing dodge ball at your house outside
when they say duck they might think you are going to get the duck
Mitchell – because other animals jump and ducks don’t
Calendar
April 28 - May 2nd:
Tuesday:
* RTI meeting 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday:
* Fourth grade leaves for Sand Dunes (return Friday)
(Julie, Kristin & Deborah out on this field work)
* All School Meeting
* PD - planning
May 5 - May 9th:
Tuesday:
* RTI meeting 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday:
Third Grade Portfolio Presentations 1:30 - 4:00
Friday:
* Hearing and Vision re-screening 9:30 a.m.
Mother's Day Weekend (just in case you lose track of these things like I do!)
Important Reminder:
Once again, we have some amazing volunteers working very hard behind the scenes to acknowledge our wonderful staff every Tuesday in May. Rather than just one day, they want you to feel the love all month!
They've been working months to plan. You received an email with a link - they need your input.
Please be sure to do this by Friday.
Thanks!
Here is the email you recieved:
Hello Renaissance Teachers and Staff,
Kristen
DeBeer and I, along with a group of parent volunteers (including your
awesome Crew Parents), are eagerly preparing for Teacher Appreciation
Tuesdays in the month of May. Our theme this year is “Reaching New
Heights”. Please help us create a new Teacher Appreciation Display by
clicking on the following link and answering 4 quick, personal questions
that will help our REMS community get to know you better. It would be really helpful if you could answer the questions by April 25.
Kristen
DeBeer and I, along with a group of parent volunteers (including your
awesome Crew Parents), are eagerly preparing for Teacher Appreciation
Tuesdays in the month of May. Our theme this year is “Reaching New
Heights”. Please help us create a new Teacher Appreciation Display by
clicking on the following link and answering 4 quick, personal questions
that will help our REMS community get to know you better. It would be really helpful if you could answer the questions by April 25.
Poetry is a source of inspiration:
(Thanks for sharing Jill!)
Famous
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.
The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.
The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.
The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.
The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.
I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.
I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
Have a great three day weekend!!!
Deborah
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