Transform Your Boring PowerPoint -- Learning Stations in the Classroom

For the first three years of my teaching career, I dreaded doing notes with my students. They were in their seats the whole time, would take so long to copy down what was on the board, and if I provided fill in the blank to speed things up, it seemed like they were so focused on the blanks that they weren't even paying attention the the rest of the notes. 

Not anymore! This summer, I created a Teacher Instagram and found my spark. I was so inspired by all the educators on Instagram sharing their ideas and came across the idea of learning stations. If you're interested in following me, you can find me @discoveredwithdestiny here 

At first, I did not want to invest in anymore time to my notes because I had finally got to a place where I didn't "need" to create new materials because this is my fourth full year as a teacher. However, I found a way to take what I already had, and add more finesse to my notes that I had already created. 

Here's how I do notes now: 

1. Start with the PowerPoint that you've already created (or found online) - Don't reinvent the wheel! If you've already created the PowerPoint, use what you have or make some minor adjustments to change it into stations. You can also find tons of resources online that are already created for you. Google is a good place to start, but you can also check out sites like Teachers Pay Teachers as well. 


2. Divide your presentation into sections, concepts, or categories - For example, if I were to do a lesson on nonfiction text structures, I would separate the presentation by each type of structure and have the students move around to write down each type and some examples or identifiers. 


3. Create task cards or instructions for each station - If you using a PowerPoint you've already created, I usually just have instructions listed on the board or SmartBoard for what to do at each station. Normally if I am using a PowerPoint from my resources or online, it is for the purpose of taking notes. 

If you are using a PowerPoint that you made specifically for learning stations, then you can list each station on a slide and print them as task cards or use computers to display the slides. 

Just for reference, you can see that in the stations I created for the historical background for WWII and the Holocaust that each station has a specific topic and task. If you're interested in this product, you can find it here

4. Provide an answer sheet and watch the magic happen! 

I hope that this post has been helpful and encourages you to use learning stations in your classroom! Ditch that boring PowerPoint and lecture style classroom and implement stations into your class!

You can find templates and more stations in my store, here

Classroom Management Tips For Teachers

One of the biggest struggles as a teacher is classroom management. There is no magical wand you can wave or a one-size-fits-all strategy that will work in your classroom with your specific group of students or even for your specific teaching style. The important part is finding what works for you and your students. 

I am no expert and still have much to learn; experience is one of the best teachers. However, I have learned a thing or two in my four years of teaching so far. I'd like to share some of the strategies that I use in my classroom: 

Tip #1: Build Relationships With Your Students
The first tip may seem redundant, but so important! Building strong relationships with your students helps you maintain and create an environment in your classroom that emphasizes respect. You will be able to understand how to deal with confrontation with each student in a better way if you know them more personally. It may also be helpful if you know some things going on outside of school that may contribute to their mood and behaviors within the classroom. 


Tip #2: Clear, Consistent Expectations and Behavior Norms 
Setting clear expectations with your students about what behaviors are considered acceptable or not (and posting them throughout your room) will help you redirect them when they are not meeting those outlined expectations. 

I have posted the group work expectations in my room and also use social contracts. Having the students be a part of the process of what they consider fair and include their own expectations is super important! They will be more willing to follow rules that they set themselves rather than just being told what to do. 


Tip #3: Plan Kinesthetic, Active Lessons:
Creating engaging lesson plans that have your students up and moving around the room can help students stay interested in what you have them learning. I know that as an adult, I don't like to be seated for many hours at a time and be expected to be quiet all day. When I first started doing learning stations and question trails, I would ask the students what they thought of the lesson on course evaluations and reflections and always got the same answer: "I really like that we got to move around and didn't have to just stay in our seats." 

*Yes, there will be some days when you have lecture, or quiet time, but making an effort to have the students move around will not only keep them interested, but can help them remember the information or lesson more too!  


Tip #4: Master Your Transitions:
In the picture above, you can see that I use 'Table Jobs' in my classroom. The way it works is that each desk in my room has a colored square in the corner and I use that for almost all my transitions: dismissing students to put away their notebooks, grabbing/putting away their computers, each color has a specific job when working in groups, and will even use them during lessons for grouping. This is just one way that I try to master my transitions. 

Things you can do to help your transitions: 

• Ensure that your students are listening before you give directions 
• I say "When I say go..." or "When I ask you to do so, I will need you to..." 
• Use timers or countdown yourself. I've found that it motivates students to move a little faster 
• Try to have your supplies or classroom materials organized so that your students know where to get them every time you dismiss them to get their supplies for your lesson. I use shower caddies to store our glue, expo markers for whiteboards, scissors and index cards. They are in the same place every day and I use the table jobs to have students grab what they need. 

Transitions are where you can lose a lot of your class time and it really adds up. Practice your transitions with your students early in the school year. 


Tip #5: Remain Consistent:  
No matter what rules or expectations you have in your classroom, you have to remain consistent in upholding them. Once you start to being inconsistent in your rules and expectations, students may feel that they aren't accountable for their actions which can lead to other issues. 


These are just some of the tips I could think of to help those looking for advice. If you have any other strategies you use or like, comment below! I'd love to hear them! 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your day! 

5 Ways to Get to Know Your Students

Getting to know your students is so important for a number of reasons. The better you know your students, the better you can help reach them and adjust your teaching style to cater to their individual needs as learners. It can also help with classroom management, assessment, and a variety of other things. 

But, you're wondering, how exactly can I get to know my students? Keep reading to find out! 

1. Personal Interviews/Conferencing: You can conduct personal interviews with your students in order to get to know a little bit about each student. How will I have time for this? You could do this in a few ways: 

• Complete this activity as a "Get to Know You" activity on the first day 
• Conferencing with the student asking them the interview questions in learning stations (You can find a learning stations template here) 
• Sending the questions home with your students and having them record their answers audibly 

Personal interviews are a little like surveys and inventories, but different because you can read the student's facial expressions or gauge their answers by the tone of their voice rather than just a written response. Sometimes knowing what topics are sensitive or excite them can really make a difference when writing your curriculum for that particular class or semester. It can also help establish a connection with them that you would have otherwise not had. 

2. Student Surveys/Inventories: Students really appreciate it when you take an interest in their lives and what they are actually interested in. On the first day of class, I have my students take an interest survey so that I can anticipate what they would like to see during the semester with me. This allows for me to see what their interests are, their dislikes, etc. I use this survey on the first day in my stations. It even comes with a Spanish version too! 



3. Myers Briggs Personality Test: There are 16 different personality types and each has its own unique qualities that it brings to the table. I am an ENFJ - "The Protagonist" 

Knowing what type of personality your students have can shed some light on to some of their behaviors. For example, last semester I had a first block class that just did not want to share their responses during lessons and I thought that it was because they were really sleepy in the mornings or something that I had done to upset them (I know, internalizing haha). However, it was neither! After they took the personality test, I found that more than three fourths of my students were introverts!

You can take the personality test here. I also have the students fill out a Google Form that just asks them about the strengths and weaknesses of their personality type, some famous people who share the same type, and what they learned about themselves from taking the test. You could do this electronically in a form like me, or use a paper worksheet as well. 


4. Learning Type Surveys: Figuring out as much as you can about your student's learning style will help you provide engaging lessons that students can retain and enjoy! There are three basic types of learners: 

• Auditory 
• Visual 
• Kinesthetic 

I have my students take a learning type survey on the first day as a part of our First Day Stations. There are so many surveys out there! Google "Learning Type Survey" and find one that best suits your classroom. Some are longer than others but at the end of the survey, you can figure out which type your learners are to better meet their needs in the classroom. 

And finally...

5. Spending time with your students outside of class: Being with your students all class long can be a window into who they are, but spending even more time with them outside of class can really go a long way in the process of getting to know each other. This could be done by: 

• Attending games, club meetings, or practices 
• Eating lunch with your students 
• Attending birthday parties 
• Being present before/after school 

I teach high school so even when students are not in my class anymore (or before they become my students; I teach 10th and 11th grade), I am sure to say hello and try to establish or maintain my relationship with that student. It really can go a long way. 

I hope that these tips were helpful for you and that you are able to develop deep, meaningful relationships with your students. I truly believe they are the key to success in the classroom! 

End of the Year Reflection & Recap

Hey, everyone! Hope you are enjoying the long weekend, or some of you are already out for the summer (jealous!). I haven't blogged in quite a few weeks, but we are preparing for exams so I know y'all feel my pain!

Whether you're counting down the days until the end, or starting your summer, this is the time of reflection and decompression from the school year. Reflecting is an important part of our practice and can help support your instruction for the following school year.

With the end of the school year arriving quickly, I give my students course evaluations and a survey about the implementation of standards based grading. I also have my students track their own mastery of their standards in their mastery notebooks. Get the tracker for FREE here. 

Based on the results and conversations with our administrative team, my Professional Learning Community made some changes to our scale for reporting grades. We will report grades using both traditional numbers and our numeric score scale for mastery of standards. In our reporting system (PowerTeacherPro), we are able to attach standards to assignments (graded using 0-4 mastery levels) and score the specific assignment (graded by averaging the mastery scores using traditional 0-100 scale).

0 (40) - No Evidence/Missing
1 (50) - Not Yet Mastered
2 (65) - Partially Mastered
3 (80) - Almost Mastered
4 (100) - Mastered

We are hoping this will help alleviate any confusion about what grades mean because our school is still on traditional grading. What do you think? Email through the site or comment below to let me know!

Communication and understanding how grades are calculated are very important if you or others are looking to implement standards based grading.

Apart from the PLC, I give my students a diagnostic test, a midterm and a mock final exam to measure their progress of the standards. If you're interested in seeing a post about that or more about "benchmark" style data collection and assessment, comment below as well!

Thanks for taking the time to read this and enjoy the rest of your week!

Research on Standards Based Grading

Where's the research? 

Hey there! So, I wanted to post some information of where you could find some more research on standards based grading. This research has been influential on the decisions that my SBG PLC has made in the two years that we have been implementing this grading system.

Rick Wormeli, author of "Fair Isn't Always Equal": 

"Fair Isn't Always Equal" by Rick Wormeli

Zeros On the Hundred Point Scale

Defining Mastery

Re-dos, Retakes, & Reassessments Part One

Re-dos, Retakes, & Reassessments Part Two

Robert J. Marzano, author of "Formative Assessment & Standards Based Grading": 

"Formative Assessment & Standards Based Grading" by Robert J. Marzano

Solution Tree: Marzano Explores Problems with Time Based Systems

Mastery vs. Learning

What Does the Research Say?

There are many authors and educational professionals out there that are using this system and advocate its use. I would also recommend doing personal research through blogs, Pinterest, and other school districts that have implemented this grading system school wide. 

What is SBG?

So, what exactly is standards based grading? 

Standards Based Grading (SBG) is a grading method that measures a student's progress by their mastery of the content or skill. Any skill or learning objective that a student has not mastered can be reassessed during learning center or a scheduled tutoring time. Reassessments allow for the student to try again to demonstrate their understanding.

There are three principles that my professional learning community has established through our implementation: 

• Grades should have meaning
• Students should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning based on feedback
• Non-academic behaviors should not be included in academic grades

What does SBG look like?

Align Content with State Standards

Conveniently, you already do this! We are required to teach specific state standards to students and align our lessons with them. You already teach the material - just need to determine what standard aligns with your assignments and assessments to measure your students' mastery levels.

Standards are Built into Classroom Culture

Students write down their mastery levels of each of the standards on a tracking sheet. This is NOT a requirement for SBG but does make implementation easier.

Assessments are Written Based on Standards

Pick the standards that you want to assess and ask a few question per standard. You should provide a rubric or another method of communication what mastery look like for that specific standard. Try to give a good mix of formative and summative assessments - formative assessments allow for teachers to give specific feedback that will help that student show mastery.

Grades are Tracked By Standard 

Each standard receives a grade and has feedback for how to achieve mastery if the student did not. This is where data trackers would be incredibly helpful (but again, not required). They help your students visualize and track their progress. Depending on the what reporting system you are using, the reporting of grades can vary greatly. 

  

In my PLC, we have decided to report grades to students and parents using this scale:

Numeric Score	What does that mean?
3	MASTERY Student has met or exceeded the expectation for skill and can tutor or assist others.
2	ROUGH MASTERY: student has met the expectation for skill, but can only do so with assistance from other students, teacher, or supplementary materials.
1	NOT YET Student has not provided any evidence that he or she understands the skill. They can and need to reassess the assignment or skill for a higher grade.

We use PowerTeacherPro in my district and this is what a student's view looks like: 

If you are interested in implementing this grading system or have any questions, please send me an email through the site!

Introductory Post

Hey, everyone!

My name is Destiny Clarke and I am currently a high school English teacher in Alamance county, North Carolina. This is my third full year of teaching, and I love it! I have been implementing standards based grading (SBG) in my classroom for about two (2) years with a hybrid semester in the beginning and many changes since then!

If you are unfamiliar with what Standards Based Grading is, you can check out my post HERE.

Basically, this is how it goes (I actually have this flowchart set up in my classroom as well):

Image from Cashmere School District

I am currently working in a PLC (Professional Learning Community for those of you who are unfamiliar with the thousands of acronyms in the field of Education) with three (3) other colleagues, one of which, I created the PLC with. We meet at least once a month to discuss our grade output technology, which is PowerTeacherPro, assessment ideas, implementation ideas, etc. There are currently two (2) ELA teachers, including myself, one (1) Chemistry teacher (who I started the PLC with), and a Social Studies teacher.

We all have different ways of implementing the system into our pedagogy and classrooms, but come together and agree on modes of assessment. There are tons of ways to implement standards based grading into your classroom, but it all comes down to assessing students on their knowledge of your state standards for your content area.

This blog will document my current implementation, resources, and information about standards based grading, in general. There will also be some lifestyle posts about teaching, technology in the classroom, and reflection.

I am excited to start this journey! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.