3 Tips for High Quality Student Conferences

Lindsay LyonsBlog, Differentiate Better, Grade Better, Lesson Plan Better, Mastery Done Better

TL;DR: Make student conferences a part of your unit arc. Give high quality feedback outside of your conferences. Invite students to lead and give them ownership in conversations about their grade. These tips can support the regularity, efficiency and effectiveness, and student ownership of conferences. For the last half of my teaching career, weekly student conferencing has been a staple … Read More

Grading in the New Normal

Teach Better TeamBlog, Engage Better, Manage Better

TL;DR: Maintaining student motivation and accountability in a gradeless classroom. Using grades to communicate and provide feedback. Grading practices that promote a passion for learning, a willingness to take risks, and an increased investment in progress. Education has undergone monumental shifts over the past few months. Whether you are in the classroom, in a leadership role, a district office, or … Read More

Humanizing School: 3 Ways to Make Students Feel Valid and Valued

Jeffrey AustinBlog, Engage Better, Innovate Better, Lead Better, Manage Better

HUMANIZING SCHOOL - Jeffrey Austin

We can try to humanize school with help from students. Students provided feedback through student-centered discussions on humanizing schools. Students were more interested in foundational changes than they were in educational technology or systems. The 3 major categories students’ responses fall into are trusting students, valuing their knowledge, and providing meaningful feedback. Recently, in a training with a local non-profit, … Read More