![]() Telling a student that she had scored 72 percent on a WWII test containing a dozen targets was tantamount to my doctor informing me that I was 72 percent healthy following my physical. Historically, I provided students with a single score, on a 100-point scale, that supposedly reflected their mastery of an array of learning targets. Something else I never noticed was that my unit tests failed to give useful, specific feedback to kids. Struggling learners found that the clear targets provided greater focus and accessibility. Those students facing heavy course loads appreciated the efficient study guide. To fix this oversight, I started with one single Assessment for Learning element and established clear learning intentions for it.īased on Rick Stiggins’ work, I highlighted what students needed to know, reason, demonstrate, and produce. I never noticed that my learning targets were hidden from sight and actually quite nebulous should anyone succeed in uncovering them. Each one has helped me to see the need for change and enact it effectively. With that idea in mind, here are a few epiphanies I’ve had along the road to better teaching. In some respects, I could have titled the book Things I Never Noticed Before. My own experience in this area served as the impetus for writing Grading Smarter, Not Harder: Assessment Strategies that Motivate Kids and Help Them Learn. Grading Smarter Starts with Awarenessįor many teachers, what stands in the way of change is not a lack of willingness but a lack of awareness. ![]() I think the same issue exists in schools. It wasn’t that I was unwilling to fix my dog-chewed doorframe, but, ironically, I saw it so often that I did not actually see the problem. He suggested two changes for my home and, after I recovered from the subtle sting of criticism, I appreciated the analysis. This friend told me, “Myron, you don’t notice things that jump out at me immediately-you are oblivious to the familiar.” However, there is often an even bigger hurdle to leap when it comes to change-we simply don’t see the need for it.Ī home-improvement friend of mine suggested that I get someone unfamiliar with my home to point out things that could use a little TLC. ![]() We find ourselves entrenched in old habits, and, therefore, much of what we do is simply what we have always done.
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