"About Me" activities are important in a classroom as you get to know your students. They can give you an idea of what they like, and what they're interested in learning about. Letting students choose their own themed worksheet can tell you something they might not be able to express in words (are they outgoing? are they athletic?).
One-on-one, however, I decided that my time would be better spent engaging with my students and letting them talk about what they love. For quiet students, this can be challenging--and as a teacher you might not have a strong idea up front of what their likes and dislikes are. However, the solution might not be in asking the right question, but in developing a relationship of openness, because all students ultimately want to share what makes them unique.
I spent at least fifteen minutes talking with each student and taking notes about what we talked about. I added things that their parents had asked me to review with them, and what their particular areas of concern were.
Having prepared the assessments, I explained to students that my goal was for us to have fun learning together. In order to do that, however, we would have to have a "boring day" first so that I could get an opportunity to learn about things we would work on. I gave them each a packet of math problems based on the Common Core standards. During the next session, I assessed their reading levels and asked more in-depth questions about what they enjoyed reading.
I spent time reviewing my early notes and taking new ones based on their assessment results. Having all the results can be overwhelming. Which pieces of evidence are the most important to consider as you plan learning goals for students? Whi
One-on-one, however, I decided that my time would be better spent engaging with my students and letting them talk about what they love. For quiet students, this can be challenging--and as a teacher you might not have a strong idea up front of what their likes and dislikes are. However, the solution might not be in asking the right question, but in developing a relationship of openness, because all students ultimately want to share what makes them unique.
I spent at least fifteen minutes talking with each student and taking notes about what we talked about. I added things that their parents had asked me to review with them, and what their particular areas of concern were.
Having prepared the assessments, I explained to students that my goal was for us to have fun learning together. In order to do that, however, we would have to have a "boring day" first so that I could get an opportunity to learn about things we would work on. I gave them each a packet of math problems based on the Common Core standards. During the next session, I assessed their reading levels and asked more in-depth questions about what they enjoyed reading.
I spent time reviewing my early notes and taking new ones based on their assessment results. Having all the results can be overwhelming. Which pieces of evidence are the most important to consider as you plan learning goals for students? Whi