First Goals Reflection 10/19/16

Classroom Environment
Expectations for learning and attainment
     I think I would be at proficient - but the language on this entire scale is hard to judge.  There is a difference between where I think I am expecting students to perform and whether or not they choose to do these things.  I have some students meeting my expectations, but some who are choosing not to for many reasons outside of my control.

But, on the whole if this is about migrating to a proficiency based system, I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this is encouraging students to keep pushing.  The concept of practice work vs mastery work seems to be encouraging students to work hard, although I'm still dealing with a few students who think that as long as the assignment isn't graded there is no value in doing it.  But, more often I am having the conversation with students that go something like "I didn't do very well on the test because I didn't do the practice work for the assignment.  If I want to get my grade to passing, next test I need to make sure I do my reading assignments".  I think they are starting to realize the new culture.  I've also seen some great things with students who stress about high grades.  I am able to push them with things they've never done before, they don't achieve proficient on the task first try and they don't crumble into pile of tears.  Instead they are looking at the feedback and making adjustments.  Its not perfect yet.  On a recent mastery assessment, I probably had about 1/3 of students who did not make any adjustments to the note taking techniques that I had given them feedback on.  So, they got low scores on the assessment.  This then leads to the conversation that you need to make the adjustments I suggested.  So, its taking some longer than others to figure it out - but we've got to start somewhere.

Using Assessment
   All Rows
Basic

I feel like I'm hitting basic on all of these for one reason that impacts them all.  I'm still trying to do too much to make this work.  If I have too many targets that I am trying  to achieve then its just taking too much time to do each of these things to the quality of what they should be.  Its the end of the first quarter and I'm still in the first unit.  When you have 10 targets you are trying to achieve you don't have enough time to go over all the scales with students ahead of time, I'm collecting too many formative assignments and with student numbers it takes me hours per assignment to look at the work and provide feedback. (although I'm making progress on techniques to provide more group feedback) and by the time we finish all this work we are just out of time to do the level of personal reflection that I'd like.  This is the area that I feel like I'm working the hardest but I'm drowning in trying to make it work.  Its not sustainable.