Assessment

Assessment and checking for understanding

Strategy for Lesson

Strategy for training from mentor

When receiving students' responses through questioning

Expect and welcome errors: 'I'm really glad that you made that mistake because it helps us to see that___.'

Script some generic phrases the teacher can use to share and promote taking a risk and being the first person to try to answer a question. Drill these in relation to a lesson that the teacher is going to teach in the next week.

When receiving students' responses through questioning

When taking answers from students, be very firm with unsupportive students or those who laugh at anothers' answer: 'Everyone gets it wrong sometimes, and we never ever fail to support them if they do.'

Script the following: 1) deliver a quiet sanction to the student and a reinforcement of expectations to the rest of the group, 2 )Whole class response designed to encourage making errors and risk taking. Role play using these sanctions until the teacher has internalised them.

DPR as a plenary

Update judgements in front of the class.

Use the visualiser to show how a student has improved then make this change on the DPR. A powerful motivator!

Ensure that teachers specifically plan this into their lesson. Show examples of how this is done in different subjects. You could suggest having a screenshot of the DPR at the end of every lesson as a reminder. Once this has been done a number of times it will become habit

DPR as a plenary

Self-reflection tasks: ask students to RAG themselves against the DPR key objective at the start of the lesson then after.

Ensure they have evidence to show how they have improved and use whole class questioning to check this understanding is secure. Change judgements accordingly. Have it up so they make the visual connection of its importance to their progress.

Explain the importance of self-reflection as a tool to help students metacognition skills. The following questions could be asked:

Are students aware of their progress towards securing the lessons DPR key objective?

Do they know what to do independently outside of the lesson to continue working on that lesson’s KO?

Why is it important to have a self-reflection task against the DPR judgements at the end of the lesson?

DPR as a plenary

Plan in a couple of minutes to check students' understanding of the homework set on DPR. Show the class homework analytics data and exemplars of quality assignments to reinforce expectations

Go through DPR assignments data. Ask the following questions: Are all students aware of the homework assignment expectations? Is the homework differentiated and accessible to all? Do you share model examples of homework? How can you use plenary DPR time for this? Do you regularly update your class with the DPR analytics? How can this be a powerful motivator and re-iterate high expectations if planned into your lessons?

Checking for understanding

Ask a series of pre-planned questions to a random (or pre-selected) sample of students to check for understanding.

For an upcoming lesson, work on planning a series of questions designed to test understanding. Work with the teacher on pre-selecting a student sample and creating a plan of how to respond to the data.

Checking for understanding

Make sure you choose a good sample (top, middle, bottom) when you collect evidence of learning from students.

Go through class lists for upcoming lessons and pre-plan appropriate students to ask assessment questions.

Whole class response systems

Use pre-planned 'finger plenaries' (students display correct multiple choice answers on their fingers), voting cards or mini-whiteboards to efficiently gather student data live.

Help teachers develop a slick system for students to give data i.e., brighten the lines using "ready, go" to create a punchy response for students to respond with fingers up corresponding to number (1-5) on the board. Practise roll out to a class and DO IT AGAIN procedures to perfect routine.