MISSION STATEMENT: Our Philosophy

We are committed to the act of teaching as being one of social activism and the promotion of social justice. We see ourselves as agents of social change. It is our mission to assist our students in their development with particular attention given to specific social, behavioural and learning needs in order for them to be able to make their place within our democratic society as thoughtful and sensitive agents of change.

As educators, we will provide all students with a solid foundation of skills and knowledge that is necessary for their growth and success in their development as life-long learners. We are accountable to parents, our students and their achievement; we believe in an assessment system that not only gauges our level of instruction, but one that also evaluates student knowledge, skills and performance. However, educators cannot strive to such ends alone – parents play an integral part of their child’s success and the school community. An active partnership between parents, teachers and the community makes a profound impression on a child’s progression.

We recognize our responsibility to the children, parents, the community, curriculum and to the future of our society. Our commitment to excellence is ensuring all students receive a rigorous, challenging and relevant core curriculum that reflects what students need to know and demonstrate in the 21st century, including an appreciation and competencies in the use of technology. Our aim is for a cohesive education; one that fosters individual student achievement and empowers students to excel in an environment of collaboration, responsibility and mutual respect. Our students need to be knowledgeable and skilled in a rapidly changing global society.

Children are one third of our population and all of our future. – Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

LEGAL MATTERS

Tips: How To Avoid False Allegations
Never be alone with a student (not in a classroom or a car). Never give a student a ride home. If you can’t avoid being alone with a student at school, keep the door open and stay in plain sight. Watch out for after-school detention, keeping a student in from recess, make-up tests and tutoring.

Don’t socialize with students. Always maintain a professional demeanor and distance. That means no flirting, teasing or joking about sex. Don’t give gifts, unless you give one to every student, and don’t single out any one student for special attention or flattery. Never send e-mails, text messages or cards to students unrelated to school work, and don’t ask students about their social lives or comment on their personal appearance.

Maintain your “personal space.” You cannot permit students to invade your “personal space.” This simply means that you cannot allow students to touch you, stroke your hair or hang on you to gain your attention. This sets the tone that you will respect the students’ personal space as well.

Physical contact is often a tricky area. Younger children often seek out and need physical comfort from their teachers. In the early elementary grades, an occasional hug is probably OK. But as a general rule, it’s best to avoid most forms of physical contact, especially kissing, hair stroking, tickling and frontal hugging. And use common sense: a “high five” to acknowledge a job well done is fine; a slap on the bottom is not.

Nip crushes in the bud; never allow a student to obsess over you. While crushes can be flattering, they also can be fatal. An unfulfilled fantasy can result in a student acting out to gain attention or retaliating for being ignored.

If a student expresses a love interest, respond with an unambiguous “no.” Don’t equivocate and certainly don’t encourage the student by acting pleased by the attention. It’s also advisable to share this information with another adult and your union representative. In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to tell your supervisor and ask that the student be transferred.

Don’t discuss sexually explicit topics. You cannot afford to be drawn into conversations regarding sexually explicit topics, song lyrics, jokes or movies. You should always discourage and try to stop such conversations in your presence.

There’s no guarantee that you won’t be the victim of unfounded charges. If the unthinkable happens, remember this: Never give an oral or written statement to school officials without first consulting with your union representative. Even innocent statements can be misconstrued.

Sources: Daniel, Y. and Egbo, B. “The Art of Teaching: Foundations, Policies, and Practices”. Pearson: 2006.

“Falsely Accused”
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3617/is_200610/ai_n16756238

“Staying Out of Trouble: Part 2 – Student-Teacher Relationships”
http://heyteach.org/ht_trouble_pt2.cfm

ETHNIC DIVERSITY

Creating Cultural Harmony Within The Classroom
Strategies To Go By
• Question yourself!
Recognize any biases or stereotypes you may have absorbed.
• Avoid labels!
Treat students as individuals; respect them for who they are.
• Never assume anything!
Rectify any language pattern that demeans any group.
• Nothing is static!
Terminology changes as ethnic groups find their own identity.
• Be open!
Invite students to convey their feelings on the class cultural climate.
• Include the school!
Introduce discussions on diversity at meetings.

Overcoming Stereotypes And Biases
• Become more aware about the history and culture of groups other than your own.
• Express the same level of respect and confidence in the abilities of all students.
• Don’t try to “protect” any one group of students based on ethnicity or gender.
• Recognize the achievements of all your students.
• Avoid generalization and recognize the complexity of diversity.

Teaching Material
• Select readings with language that is free of stereotypes and is gender-neutral.
• Curriculum should be inclusive, inclusive, inclusive!
• Not all students will recognize cultural or historical references familiar to you.
• Bring in an expert! Professionals of different ethnic groups can enrich your teaching.

Class Discussions
• Different approaches and viewpoints are important.
• Encourage them to evaluate their own beliefs.
• Value all comments! Students should feel free to voice their own opinions.
• Make it safe! Encourage all students to participate in class discussions.
• Behaviour can be unconscious! Monitor your own when responding to students.
• Reflect and re-evaluate your pedagogical methods for teaching in a diverse setting.
• Speak up! If a student makes a distasteful remark, don’t let it go unnoticed.
• Avoid singling out students as spokespersons.

Assignments
• Be sensitive! There are students whose first language is not English.
• Assign group work and collaborative learning activities.
• Explore! Recognize students’ diverse backgrounds and special interests.

Sources: “Fostering Diversity in the Classroom: Teaching by Discussion”
http://www.colorado.edu/ftep/diversity/div02.html

“Teaching about Ethnic Diversity”
http://www.thememoryhole.org/edu/eric/ed273539.html

TECHNOLOGY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Technology experiences in the elementary school are designed to help children learn and achieve the educational goals of the total elementary school program. These experiences orient students to technology, develop psychomotor skills and provide the basis for informed attitudes about technology’s influence on society. Technology-based activities, integrated into the curriculum, motivate students and reinforce learning while students gain a technological awareness. The focus of using technology in education at the elementary level is to develop a technological awareness and to reinforce learning.

The elementary school child with technology experiences will:
• explore how people create, use and control technology
• apply knowledge in mathematics, language arts, social studies, science, health and the arts in solving problems associated with technology
• use tools and materials to explore personal interests with technology
• exhibit self-confidence through the use of technology

Source: “Elementary School Technology Education”
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/CTE/te/este.html

“Technology's Impact”
http://www.electronic-school.com/0997f3.html

CLASSROOM CULTURE

What is classroom culture?
Six areas of classroom culture:
1. trustworthiness
2. respect
3. responsibility
4. fairness
5. caring
6. citizenship

Students should be comfortable to:
• provide feedback to continuously improve classroom teaching and learning
• learn from their mistakes to enhance their achievement
• set goals to maximize their potential

Acceptance & Trust >> Empowerment >> Motivation >> Realizing Potential >>

How is the culture developed?
To develop acceptance and trust, teachers must:
• model acceptance and respect as students offer ideas to improve the classroom culture or learning system
• encourage students to participate and engage in process thinking
• act upon students’ suggestions to reinforce the value of student input

How to get students to participate and communicate:
• Ask students to share their feelings about school at the beginning and end of the first week of school
• Invite students to establish their own classroom rules and guide lines

Why is a classroom culture important?
Without acceptance and trust, students may lose focus from learning. Their energy would be shifted to protecting themselves.

A trusting environment supports students as co-producers of their learning:
• they understand explicitly the expectations of the curriculum
• see the curriculum as a basis for developing their mission
• formulate goals that will help them realize their mission
• monitor their achievement towards their goals
• accept feedback in a positive and constructive manner

Learning accountability will help prepare students for lifelong learning and achievement and being responsible citizens in our democratic society.

Sources: “The Classroom Culture”
http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/info/baldrige/staff/classroomculture.shtm

“Tone of Decency and Respect”
http://www.essentialschools.org/cs/resources/query/q/918?x-r=runnew

“U.S. Classroom Culture”
http://www.sfsu.edu/~studyabr/j1/FormsDocs/ClassroomCulture.pdf

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Behaviour management and classroom management are two different topics.

“Behavior [sic] has to do with discipline. Classroom management has to do with procedures and routines.” – Harry Wong

A classroom is managed best with procedures and routines. Ineffective teachers discipline with punishments and consequences and as a result the students do not learn. For learning to occur, students must be on task and completing their work.

The only way to achieve this would be to start with a classroom management action plan from the very first day. The rest of the year can be devoted to teaching and learning.

“It is how you begin that is the most important.” – Plato

Structuring your classroom prevents students from structuring the classroom for you.

An effective teacher has success when classroom procedures and routines are:
• developed for every possibility
• taught
• practiced
• enforced
As with any lesson, if the students know what is expected of them, the students will perform better. Communication is the key. Students should know what is expected of them right from the beginning.

Six practices to help establish effective control of the classroom:
1. Get off to a good start
The first “honeymoon” encounter between the teacher and the students is when they formulate their impressions of the teacher. Students sit quietly, raise their hands to respond and are generally well behaved. The teacher is easily misled into thinking that this is an ideal class and may relax their vigilance. Within a week, students will begin to test the waters to see what they can “get away with”. It is during this period that the effective teacher will establish the expected ground-rules for classroom behaviour.

2. Learning school policies
Prior to meeting the class for the first time, the teacher should become familiar with school policies concerning acceptable student behaviour and disciplinary procedures. The teacher should know what the school expects from both student and teacher in regard to discipline.

3. Establishing rules
Establish a set of classroom rules to guide the behaviour of students. Discuss the rationale of these rules with the students to ensure they understand and see the need for each rule. Keep the list of rules short. The rules most often involve paying attention, respect for others, excessive noise, securing materials and completion of homework assignments.

4. Over-planning lessons
“Over plan” the lessons for the first two weeks of school. It is important for the teacher to impress on the students from the outset that he or she is organized and confident of their ability to get through the syllabus.

5. Learning names
Devise a seating arrangement whereby students’ names are quickly learned. Calling a student by his or her name early in the year gives the student an increased sense of well-being. It also gives a teacher greater control of situations. “John, stop talking and finish your work” is more effective than “Let’s stop talking and finish our work”.

6. Be firm and consistent
A teacher can be firm yet still be supportive and friendly with students. A firm teacher can provide an environment where the students feel safe and secure. Many teachers report that it is easier to begin the year in a firm manner and relax later, than to begin in a lax manner and then try to become firm.

Sources: “Classroom Management”
http://www.theteachersguide.com/ClassManagement.htm

”Classroom Management and Management of Student Conduct”
http://www.adprima.com/managing.htm

BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

Strategies:
• Choice. Give students some control of the situation.
• Partial agreement.
• Take-up time. Make your expectations clear.
• When-then direction. “When you have finished your work, then you can go out.”
• Tactical ignoring. Concentrate on the student and not the behaviour. Praise the nearby student.
• Privately understood signals. These will help draw the class together.
• Consequences and sanctions. Implement clearly and consistently and in line with school policy.
• Redirect behaviour. Avoid discussing what the students are doing wrong.
• Deferred consequences. One-to-one situation will have a positive outcome.

Use a hierarchy of strategies:
• Eye contact, non-verbal, proximity, calling out the student’s name
• Question, support, choice, reminder, redirection
• Warning, clarify consequences
• In-class consequence
• Follow-up

Question yourself:
• Do you make the learning objectives and expectations of behaviour clear that suit the lesson context?
• Do you have a clear and focused lesson and behaviour plan?

Three relationships to consider:
• Relationship with the curriculum
• Student behaviour and curriculum progress are linked
• Make the curriculum meaningful

Relationship with self:
• A student must feel confident that they will learn and succeed.
• They are more likely to engage in the challenge of the learning.

Relationship with others:
• All behaviour has context.
• Behaviour is triggered by the interaction with others.

Sources: “Behaviour4learning”
http://www.behaviour4learning.ac.uk/

“Behavior Management”
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-management/behavior/5806.html

“Dr. Mac’s Amazing Behavior Advice Site”
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/

SPECIAL EDUCATION: The IEP Process

As a new teacher concerned with lesson plans, testing, assessment and extracurricular activities another important issue is accommodations for exceptional students.

In your classroom you may have a number of students in special education which is “an educational program that is based on and modified by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation and that includes a plan containing specific objectives and an outline of educational services that meets the needs of the exceptional pupil” (Education Act, Section 1). The school principal is required to ensure that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed for each student who has been identified as exceptional by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), within 30 school days of the student’s placement in a special education program.

At this point you may be asking your self, “Who is an exceptional child?” Exceptional children differ from the norm (either below or above) to such an extent that they require an individualized program and related services to fully benefit from their education. Thus, “exceptional” is an inclusive term that refers to children with learning and/or behavior issues, children with physical disabilities or sensory impairments and children who are intellectually gifted or have a special talent (Heward, 2006, 10).

You may have students in your class that fall in the following categories of exceptionality that require an IEP:
• developmental disabilities
• learning disabilities
• emotional and behavioral disorders
• Autism
• communication disorders (speech and language disorders)
• hearing impairments
• visual impairments
• physical and health impairments
• multiple disabilities
• giftedness and special talents

What is an Individual Education Plan (IEP)?

An IEP is…
• A written plan describing the special education program and/or services required by a particular student, based on a thorough assessment of the student’s strengths and needs – that is, the strengths and needs that affect the student’s ability to learn and to demonstrate learning;

• a record of the particular accommodations (supports or services that are not provided to the general student population but that are required by individual students with special needs to help them achieve learning expectations and demonstrate learning), needed to help the student achieve his or her learning expectations, given the student’s identified learning strengths and needs;

• a working document that identifies alternative expectations, if required, in program areas not represented in the Ontario curriculum;

• a record of the specific knowledge and skills to be assessed and evaluated for the purpose of reporting student achievement of modified and/or alternative expectations;

• an accountability tool for the student, the student’s parents and everyone who has responsibilities under the plan for helping the student meet the stated goals and learning expectations as the student progresses through the Ontario curriculum.

The IEP process involves the following five phases:

1. Gather information
• review the student’s record
• consult with parents, the student, school staff and other professionals
• gather information through observation of the student
• consolidate and record information.

2. Set the direction
• begin work on the IEP (e.g., record the reason for the IEP, record personal information, list relevant assessment data)
• indicate the student’s areas of strength and areas of need on the IEP
• establish a collaborative approach – the IEP team.

3. Develop the IEP as it relates to the student’s special education program and services
• record decisions about program exemptions, course substitutions and eligibility for a diploma or a certificate
• determine accommodations; record subjects or courses with accommodations only
• determine teaching strategies and assessment methods
• record information about evaluation, reporting and provincial assessments
• record information about the IEP development phase (including details of parent/student consultations); secure principal’s approval.

4. Implement the IEP
• share the completed IEP with the student, parents, school staff, and other professionals (providing a copy to parents and to the student, if 16 years of age or older)
• put the IEP into practice
• continuously assess the student’s progress
• adjust the IEP as necessary (recording any changes in goals, expectations, accommodations, teaching strategies, and so on)
• evaluate the student’s learning and report to parents.

5. Review and update the IEP
• update the learning expectations at the beginning of each reporting period
• review the IEP regularly and record revisions
• plan for the transition from elementary to secondary school, or for a transfer to another school.
A list of accommodations the student requires to help him or her learn and demonstrate learning includes the following:

Instructional Accommodations: adjustments in teaching strategies required to enable the student to learn and to progress through the curriculum.
• buddy/peer tutoring
• note-taking assistance, duplicating notes
• ability grouping
• graphic organizers
• manipulatives, concrete/hands-on materials
• more frequent breaks

Environmental Accommodations: changes or supports in the physical environment of the classroom and/or the school.
• alternative work space
• strategic seating, proximity to instructor
• reduction of audio/visual stimuli
• minimizing of background noise, quiet setting
• special lighting

Assessment Accommodations: adjustments in assessment activities and methods required to enable the student to demonstrate learning.
• extended time limits
• alternative settings
• more frequent breaks
• prompts to return student’s attention to task
• extra time for processing
• reduction in the number of tasks used to assess a concept or skill

Sources: “About: Special Education”
http://specialed.about.com

“The Individual Education Plan (IEP), A Resource Guide” http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/guide/resource/index.html

“Individualized Education Program”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualized_Education_Program

“Special Education”
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/speced.html

“Wythe County Special Education: The Special Education Cycle”
http://wcps.wythe.k12.va.us/public/speced/pages/sped1.htm

PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION

Many Ways To Reach Parents
For those times when face-to-face conferences are not possible or necessary, teachers can communicate effectively in other ways. Telephone calls, newsletters and handwritten notes are all effective ways to maintain communication with parents.

Phone Home!
Telephone calls are the next best thing to being there. They are an effective tool for maintaining good school-to-home communication.

When calling a student’s home:
• Make a practice of calling at least one parent a week to relay good news. Keep track of these “sunshine” calls and make sure each family receives at least two during the school year.
• Telephone etiquette requires that we address the person we are calling by name. Many students have different last names from their parents. Make sure you know the name before you call.
• Keep track of all calls made – good news or bad. Note the date, nature of the call, parents’ responses and outcomes.
• Make your first call to any home a positive one. It’s a good idea to make welcoming calls just before the new school year begins. These welcoming calls not only help establish good rapport with parents, they ease young students’ anxieties about going to school.
• Try to call those parents who don’t respond to a written invitation for group or individual conferences. A call lets them know you’re interested, and it could encourage those who are hesitant.

The Written Word
Pre-planning and thought are required to send home a written communication that will be effective. A record of written notes needs to be kept for future reference.

Forms of written communications are:
• welcome notes prior to school beginning
• happy notes
• letters or notes of commendation/congratulations
• form letters pertaining to attendance, routine events
• newsletters of classroom activities
• schedule of important dates/assignments
• outlines of classes/criteria
• formal letters concerning necessary discipline action

Newsletters
Parents want to know what’s happening around their child’s school. School newsletters are considered a useful source of information for parents. Classroom newsletters are even more helpful.

A classroom newsletter can include some of the following:
• announcement of upcoming events
• invitations to class activities or open houses
• reminders
• lists of items parents could collect or save for class projects
• thank-you notes to families who help out
• descriptions of study units and suggestions of ways parents can supplement units at home
• library schedule
• reprints or articles you think are important
• explanations of grading policies, standardized testing and other means for assessing and evaluating performance
• explanations of behaviour standards and consequences for misbehaviour
• highlights of community resources such as a museum exhibit, play, concert or television show
• children’s writing and artwork
• news about classroom pets, trips, celebrations

The format can be as simple as a typed letter to parents or as complicated as a professional-looking document with headlines and columns. No matter which format you use, use the same one each time so the newsletter becomes instantly recognizable. Keep the format clean and uncluttered. Headings help parents locate different topics, and simple graphics, such as boldface, help to summarize main points and capture attention.

Personal Notes
First contact with parents should always be positive. This way, you can gain parents’ trust and confidence before you have to enlist their help if a problem should develop.

Share good news about individual children with their parents. This can go a long way in cultivating good relationships with both parents and students. Has a child accomplished an academic goal? Helped you or someone else? Finished her or his homework on time? Tutored a younger child? Led a group? Let parents in on the good news. Good-news notes allow you to recognize and reward the efforts of individual children.

Keep track of the good-news notes you send out so every student occasionally receives one.

Unfortunately, not all your personal notes will be good news. Perhaps you’ve noticed that a child seems sick or constantly tires. Another is having difficulty in math and risks a failing grade. A shy child seems to be withdrawing more every day. You need to tell parents. But if you have already contacted them on a positive note, it is likely that they’ll be more responsive now to problems. Always let them know you share the problem.

No matter what the nature of your personal note, always invite a response. Urge parents to call you, schedule an appointment or write back. If they don’t, call them to show that you care.

Your Own Class Homepage
When individualized communication is not necessary, you can easily post messages to all parents on your own Class Homepage. For instance, rather than sending a monthly newsletter home with your students, you could put the letters up on your Class Homepage and simply ask parents to visit every month.

MyClassInfo is a free online service for parent-teacher communication (http://www.myclassinfo.org/app/login).

Parents In The Classroom
If you decide that you want parents to be involved in your classroom, you need to decide in advance:
• How do you make it meaningful for students and parents?
• How do you ensure that involvement enhances and does not interfere with your program?
• Think about issues of confidentiality

There are several options to explore:
• The occasional helper for field trips, guest speaking, special performances
• The weekly helper who assists with teacher preparation of centre activities, works with children and assists in small group activities
• “Authentic” educational experiences in parents’ areas of expertise

Parent involvement will not “just happen”. It needs to be pre-planned and created as a trusting environment for children and adults. Adults must gain satisfaction from the tasks that they do in the classroom.

Source: “Communication with Parents”
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/parentconf/

Strategies To Support Parent Involvement
• Communicate openly and regularly with parents in language which is free of jargon.
• Clarify how parents can participate.
• Give parents the opportunity to specify how, and to what degree, they wish to become involved in their child’s educational program.
• Contact parents by telephone as well as through written communication to notify them of meetings.
• Advise parents of the topics which will be discussed at the meeting and who will be in attendance.
• Send home a rough draft of goals and objectives prior to the meeting.

Teacher Tips For Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences
“Always begin with something positive about the child, then work your way into what needs to be improved upon.”
- Joanne Badour, Grade 4/5 Teacher, Begley P.S.

“To prepare myself and the parents for conferences, I send home a form with the conference invitation that asks the parents to write down their concerns and questions about their child or school policies, and return it to me before conferences. I also include a list of major topics we have covered and what I expect each child to be able to do. That way, parents can review what their child has done from papers sent home, and it won’t be a surprise if their child isn’t doing well. Then, I spend conference time working with parents on a plan to help their child. I also keep work samples on hand for conferences.”
- Rick Onslow, Grade 4 Teacher, Marlborough P.S.

“Don’t talk down to parents. Be honest and truthful. Try to speak in the positive, not always negative. Offer positive ways to help a struggling child. Make at-home ideas and games to be used by the parents to work with the child. Listen to what the parents have to say. Thank them for taking time to come and meet with you on the day of the conference.”
- Colleen Glover-Klym, Grade 1 Teacher, Marlborough P.S.

“As an administrator I encourage my staff to “be prepared”. Send home brief questionnaires to parents asking them if they have a specific area or concern they wish to talk about. Have plenty of work samples, especially if you are going to talk about an area of weakness, plus, have some specific suggestions ready for the parent when they ask “What can I do to help?” Remember… you are the instructional expert.”
- Doug Greeves, Principal, Marlborough P.S.

Sources: “Communication With Parents”
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/parentconf/

“Parent Teacher Communication”
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/succeed/09-communication.html

ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION: Improving Student Achievement

What is the difference between assessment and evaluation?
Assessment: The process of gathering information from a variety of sources.
Evaluation: The process of judging the quality of student work and assigning a value.

What do we assess?
Overall expectations
• Enduring knowledge, skills and understandings
Specific expectations
• Clarifies the overall understandings
TACK
• Thinking, Application, Communication, Knowledge/Understanding

Program Planning: What do you want students to know, understand and do?
• start with expectations and link them to the Achievement Chart categories (TACK)
• choose the appropriate assessment methods
• choose the teaching/learning strategies that link directly with the expectations
• choose your topic/themes/resources

Why Assess?
• Diagnostic Assessment (plan for instruction) – occurs before instruction
• Formative Assessment (assessment for learning, motivation) – ongoing during instruction to provide feedback and motivation to students
• Summative Assessment (assessment of learning) – occurs at end of a block of learning/unit/course

What To Assess?
• Learning targets – overall and specific expectations from curriculum turned into student-friendly statements
• include knowledge/understanding targets, thinking/inquiry targets, communication targets and application targets

Methods Of Assessment
• Paper & Pencil
• Performance Tasks
• Personal Communication

Paper & Pencil: Written response to specific questions
• Assessment strategies: tests, quizzes, exams consisting of selected responses, essay, true/false, short answer
• Assessment tool: marking schemes
• Best for assessing knowledge and understanding targets. Can also be used for thinking and communication targets.

Performance Tasks: Demonstrations of what students know and can do
• Can result in a performance or product
• Assessment strategies: projects, presentations, experiments, role plays
• Assessment tools: rubrics, checklists, portfolios
• Best when assessing the targets of application and thinking. Can also be used for communication.

Key Characteristics of Performance Tasks
• Students perform, create or demonstrate some significant skills or knowledge
• Tasks clearly address key expectations
• Tasks are meaningful activities
• Specific purpose and audience
• Real-life problems
• Real-world connections and applications
• Students have choice selecting or shaping the tasks
• Tasks clearly identify performance criteria
• Tasks measure what they claim to measure

Rubrics/Checklists/Anecdotal Records
Rubrics: Used to assess the quality of targets in the performance task and are criterion-referenced.
Checklists: Used to record the presence or absence of targets in a task.

Personal Communication: Conversation or personal writing
• Assessment strategies: conferences, interviews, journals, learning logs
• Assessment tools: conference records, anecdotal observations, rating scales
• Best when assessing thinking/inquiry and communication targets. Great way to determine what students have understood after a lesson.

Designing Personal Communication Assessments
• Be clear about the purpose
• Aligned with targets
• Audience is clearly defined
• Models are provided

Example of Personal Communication Assessment
Journal Writing
• Encourages self-reflection of their ideas/learning
• Use prompts to point the way
• Can be used across the curriculum at all divisions

Journal Prompts For:
Math
• The most important thing I learned from this is…
• This was a challenge because…
• I think the answer is… because…

Science
• This relates to my world…
• I can explain that…
• Through my observations I learned…
• Write about your favourite season. Why do you like that season? What are some activities you like to do during that season?

How To Communicate?
• Keep a confidential record of assessments – never post student grades or announce them in class.
• Feedback during formative assessment is essential to improve student learning – can be verbal (conferences, models) or written (notes, comments)
• You need to be able to clearly communicate what the student is doing and how he/she can make it better
• Students need many opportunities to use the feedback to improve before a summative assessment

How To Involve Students?
• Make learning targets clear – student-friendly language
• Help student set goals for learning
• Have students self-assess their own learning

Evaluation
• Assigning a value to the assessments for reporting purposes
• Results of Diagnostic Assessments are never included in the report card grade
• Results of Formative Assessments are sometimes included in the report card grade
• Results of Summative Assessments are always included in the report card grade
• Grades must reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement

Sources: “A discussion paper on assessment, evaluation and reporting for Ontario’s Beginning Teachers”
http://www.oecta.on.ca/agms/agm2001/other/discassessmt.pdf

“Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind” (Webcast)
http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/april27.html

GROUP REFLECTION

The purpose of creating a handbook for teachers in the 21st century was to compile key concepts, philosophical underpinnings and helpful advice for new educators in a way that would be accessible to all first-year teachers. This also includes a particular focus on the challenges for teaching in diverse settings.

As a group, we had decided to create brochures covering each of the key understandings of the teaching profession that would be made available to new teachers. Upon deeper reflection, we came to the conclusion that technology will play a key role in the future of the teaching profession and wanted our document to include that element. We decided to create a blog that is interactive, progressive and up-to-date. This is a practical way for new teachers to receive information on important aspects of the teaching profession in a magazine-style, at-a-glance format.

The idea to compile this information onto an online location makes it available to all teachers with an internet connection; it is certainly the way of the future. The blog site holds information that is current and up-to-date. It can also be further developed and added to as needed by the members of the blog. Any visitor to the site can post a comment. This will garner responses to create an online community that offers teachers a place to ask for advice and post their own lesson plans and teaching strategies. Many of the sections have interesting documentaries posted and helpful books and websites for teachers. Veteran teachers, professors and board administrators can be invited to participate in the blog, and provide their own invaluable information to individuals starting in the profession. The depth and range of content is truly endless. This is an accessible document that is quick and easy to use. It’s written and complied by teachers for teachers.