Planning Assessments

Planning thoughtful formative and summative assessments is an essential part of the teaching process. Formative assessments keep the teacher constantly informed about how well a student understands the material. Formative assessments can range from something as simple as calling on students to answer questions, to a brief exit ticket, to a group project. In contrast, summative assessments are used to provide the teacher with a final understanding of student learning. Summative assessments include unit exams or state testing done at the end of the year.

In this post, I am going to focus on the importance of developing effective and informative formative assessments. The assessments will revolve around helping students to meet a specific objective:

Students will be able to find the perimeter of any given rectangular shape, building, or room by applying the perimeter formula. 

In planning my formative assessments, I will keep several things in mind:

1- Timing: Is this assessment going to easily fit into my busy schedule? Is it reasonable to think that I will be able to get this down in a timely manner?
2-Accuracy: Is this assessment going to provide me with accurate information about where my students are at with the material?
3- Consistency: Is this assessment going to be consistent with providing data and feedback? Will I be able to use this assessment for all students so I can compare their learning and level of understanding?

Next, it is time to plan my formative assessments for the objective. I have selected four formative assessments that I think will meet the above criteria, and benefit my students learning while providing me with valuable information. The assessments are provided in the order in which I would use them in my lesson:

1. Bell Ringer: Students have 3 minutes to answer 3 questions about perimeter. This will be quick, straightforward, and fairly simple. Students will turn the sheet in as soon as it is finished, so I can quickly scan their answers and see how they are doing with perimeter. Students should already know the perimeter formula. The focus in 4th grade is on application. Therefore, three simple questions asking students to compute perimeter for rectangular shapes should be a reasonable task. The information will let me know if students already know perimeter. If they don't I will be able to quickly reteach the formula. If they do, we can move on and get into the application problems sooner than later.

2. Partner Perimeter Race: Students will have a partner. Each partner will have a ruler and together the students will share 10 cutout rectangular shapes. The shapes will be made of laminated, colored, construction paper. Students will use rulers to find the length and width of the shapes, and compute the perimeters. Partners will write down their final answers, including units (feet, inches, centimeters, etc) on a sticky note (with their names of course!). Students will stick the note on the door as they leave for recess. I will review the answers at recess and see how students are doing. Then I can make an assessment about where to go from there. IF students are ready and have mastered these simple perimeter problems with measurement, we can move on to word problems.

3. Perimeter Jeopardy: Students will be split into groups of four. I will have created a jeopardy game with questions about perimeter. The questions will include easy problems, such as simply computing perimeter when given a picture of a shape, and more challenging problems such as word problems describing real life situations. All students will be required to answer the questions, even if it is not their groups turn to choose a category. I will be able to quickly gauge which students have mastered the concept, and provide additional instruction when needed throughout the game.

4. Exit Ticket: I will have a poster on the wall at the back of the classroom. As students are dismissed to get their backpacks at the end of the day, they will put a sticky note on the poster answering TWO of the following:
-What is one thing that you liked from today's lesson on perimeter?
-Describe what perimeter means?
-What is the perimeter formula?
-If you have a question about perimeter still, what is it?
-Create your own perimeter problem and solve it!

Understanding and Applying Standards

The process of unpacking a standard can feel daunting at first, but by following careful methods and putting in the work, it is absolutely worth it. As a teacher, I must focus on first unpacking standards to ensure that I have a plan for covering everything my students need to know. Next, I must focus on backwards mapping so that students can arrive at the end goal. Teaching is not simply about putting information out there for students to absorb. Teaching is about finding a way to teach a student something that they can use and apply later. If the end goal is not always in sight, teaching efforts may be useless. In addition, writing out SMART goals is an excellent way to provide both the teacher and student with a goal that can be easily met. 

In activity one, I chose to unpack two 4th grade mathematics standards based on the California Common Core curriculum. I found this process to be a bit overwhelming at first, as I wasn't sure where to begin. The videos I watched helped me to understand what it meant to "unpack" a standard. From there, I was able to break down each standard and pick out the important nouns and verbs. Next, I was able to think about the end goal, and possible projects or ways that students could achieve the goal. I found this activity to be very helpful. As a new teacher, unpacking standards will be very important as I begin to dive into the curriculum. Standards often contain a lot of content, and the process of unpacking helps to break down the important topics and give direction for planning. 

After selecting and unpacking two standards, I began activity two. In this activity, I learned about the process of backwards mapping, and then applied it to my selected standards. I love the idea of backwards mapping. It ensures that the teacher is keeping the end goal in mind at all times. No activity or assessment is done without purpose. Students can buy into this idea. Valuable instructional time is not wasted, and lessons are taught thoughtfully. I absolutely plan to use backwards mapping when I begin unit planning as a teacher. After looking at standards, it was very helpful to first consider the skills and proficiencies that students should acquire. From there, I considered how I could best help students to achieve these skills. Finally, I considered what assessments I would need to create and administer to let me know, as the teacher, that students have mastered the skills. 

The last activity was especially helpful as I begin to think about unit planning. Be able to write clear objectives that meet the SMART criteria is an important skill. Objectives not only help the teacher, but provide the student with a sense of what they should be working toward. Objectives are key to success, and keep the classroom and the lesson goal oriented at all times. 

Overall, I felt that the activities this week really helped me to gain a greater understanding of the importance of unit planning. I picked up several extremely helpful skills and methods that I plan to use. 

Backwards Mapping

As a California resident, I have chosen to take a closer look at the Common Core State Standards adapted for California. I hope to teach elementary school, so I have selected a standard for 4th grade mathematics. The California math standards can be accessed at:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf 

Standard 4.MD.3 (The abbreviation should be read - 4th Grade.Measurement and Data.Standard 3) Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real-world and mathematical problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an unknown factor.

I selected this standard because it focuses on applying mathematics to a real world problem. Common Core curriculum is focused on application and helping students to reach an endpoint where they are successful mathematicians who can apply their learning to life outside the classroom. To me, this standard has a clear endpoint and can also be taught in exciting ways. There is no need to teach this standard traditionally. Instead, students will be able to explore through measurement and real life calculations. This standard will allow me to create several fun, engaging lessons for a 4th grade class.

Common Core has developed 8 standards of mathematical practice. When beginning the backwards mapping process, I have found it is very important to first take a careful look at these practices. Common Core has created these practices as an end result for all students, whether they are in Kindergarten or in 12th grade. The chart below details the mathematical practices: 

With these ideas in mind, I can move forward with the backwards mapping process and take a careful look at my selected standard: 

Apply the area and perimeter formulas for rectangles in real-world and mathematical problems. For example, find the width of a rectangular room given the area of the flooring and the length, by viewing the area formula as a multiplication equation with an unknown factor.

First, I must consider the skills or proficiencies that students should develop by the time they have completed this unit. 

• Students will be able to find the area of any given rectangular shape, building, or room by applying the area formula (A=lw).
• Students will be able to use their knowledge of multiplication and division to find the length of a missing side when given one side and the area of a rectangular shape. 
• Students will be able to find the perimeter of a rectangular shape, room, or object when given only two side lengths. 
• Students will understand the two perimeter formulas and how to apply them. They will also understand that the formulas mean the same thing, but sometimes one formula is more beneficial to use than the other. (P = 2L + 2W or P = L + L + W + W). 
• Students will be able to find the missing side length using multiplication and division when given the perimeter and the length of a different side. 

Next, it is time to plan assessments that will ensure that students have learned the material and can apply their knowledge. 

• Karl's Garden: This will be an assessment to ensure students understand area, but it does not cover perimeter. Please see- https://www.illustrativemathematics.org/content-standards/tasks/876
• Quiz: Students will take a quiz where they are given 6 word problems. 3 will be dealing with area and 3 will be dealing with perimeter. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by drawing diagrams of the situation and calculating the correct answers. 
• House Design: Students will be given a floorpan of a house on a piece of rectangular land. Students will be asked to use their knowledge of area and perimeter to find how much carpet they would need (in square feet) to re-carpet the entire house. Students will also have to find the perimeter of the yard, so that a fence can be installed. This will be the final assessment for the unit. 

Finally, it is time to plan the learning experiences that will take place so that students can learn the content: 

• Area Exploration Activity: Students will be given clipboards, yardsticks, pencils, and a data recording sheet. They will be instructed to go around the room and find the area of 5 rectangular objects. They will fill in the length of each object and the width of each object, and record the data. Students will then compute the area of the object. 
• Perimeter Exploration Activity: Students will be given clipboards, yardsticks, pencils, and a data recording sheet. They will be instructed to go around the room and find the perimeter of 5 rectangular objects. They will fill in the length and the width of each object, and record the data. Students will then compute the perimeter of the object. 
• Missing Sides Activity: Students will work in partners for this assignment. Each set of partners will be given a basket with 3 rectangular items. There will be missing information from each item. The idea is that students will explore how to find missing lengths when given the area or perimeter. Students will need to think a bit deeper and figure out how else they can apply the formula. The items will be as follows: 
• Textbook with a label indicating the length of one side of the textbook and the area of the textbook. 
• A small square box indicating the perimeter of the box, but no side lengths.
• A picture frame listing the length of one side and the perimeter of the frame. 

The procedure of backwards mapping is an excellent way to make sure that I, as the teacher, have thought through the learning process carefully. As I worked on this task, I carefully considered what activities and assessments would help students to achieve the end result. 

Chart was accessed at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug2013.pdf

Behavior Checklist

Student Behavior Checklist

In Class: 

Morning-

• Entered classroom quietly and started morning work.
• Quietly completed morning work.
• Stayed in seat during morning work.
• Did not need redirection during morning work. 
• Attentive during group instruction
• Productive during literacy centers
• Worked quietly without distracting peers
• Needed no redirection during morning

Afternoon-

• Came in quietly after lunch
• Began independent reading without being asked
• Completed math classwork
• Appropriately interacted with peers during group work (no excessive talking)

Behavior-

• Had a great day!
• Had a good day, but needed a few reminders.
• Not such a good day. Tomorrow will be better.  (Check which applies)
• Too much talking
• Off task
• Disruptive
• Did not complete assignments
• Other: _____________________________________________

Teacher Comments-

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

At Home: 

• Completed homework
• Worked quietly 
• Productive while working
• Did not spend an excessive amount of time on assignment

Parent Comments-

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Applying Classroom Rules and Procedure

Behavior management in a classroom can be a challenge, but a well thought out behavior plan can help a classroom to run smoothly. Managing behavior is crucial because students cannot learn when they are out of control or misbehaving. A well managed classroom is essential for providing the very best type of learning environment, where students can get the most out of every second of instructional time. 

Providing Positive Reinforcement to Well Behaved Students:

Once classroom procedures, norms, and rules have been established, it is important for the teacher to reinforce good behavior on a regular basis. Students should be recognized for making good choices, for being kind to each other, for working quietly, and so on. Although these behaviors may be “expected” I believe that there is no such thing as too much positive reinforcement. Verbal reinforcement is very important at all ages. When a student makes a good decision and the teacher recognizes that choice, the teacher is not only providing that particular student with reinforcement, but is providing the entire class with a reminder that good behavior will be recognized. In my classroom, I plan to give verbal reinforcement as often as possible. 

Aside from verbal reinforcement, there are many other positive reinforcement strategies that can be used. Personally, I like token economy systems. I think that they work well for rewarding students for good behavior, and help students to work toward long term goals. If a student is on task, he or she may receive a “token” for their behavior. Students keep the tokens until they collect a certain number, or until the teacher has a special day where students can redeem tokens. Tokens can be redeemed for anything the teacher sees fit. As an elementary teacher, I plan to allow my students to redeem tokens for the following activities or rewards. Here are some ideas for “prizes”:

1. Lunch with the teacher
2. Sit in the teacher’s chair for the day
3. First to leave for recess 
4. Choice of PE activity for entire class for one day
5. A book from the teacher’s library

Example of Using Positive Reinforcement: 

Johnny is a 4th grade student. He is doing a great job sitting quietly at his desk waiting for the teacher to give instructions. Some of his classmates are talking with one another, but Johnny is waiting patiently and quietly without even being asked. His teacher notices his good behavior and says, “I see Johnny is ready to learn!” She quietly hands him a raffle ticket to use in the classroom token economy system she has set up. The rest of the class grows quiet as they see that Johnny is setting a good example, and was even rewarded for his excellent behavior. 

Response to Students When Rules are Broken and Procedures are not Followed: 

When class rules are broken, the teacher must deal with it quickly and directly. I believe that the student should first be given a verbal warning. If the student continues to break the rule or misbehave, then I would go to the next step in my behavior management process. In an elementary classroom, I like the idea of using a clip chart to manage behavior, in addition to the token economy described above. I would ask that the student move his clip down is he did not respond well to the verbal warning. From there, the student has the choice to improve his behavior or to move the clip down again. If the student is defiant, it may be necessary to take him aside, out of the earshot of other students, and have a private conversation. First, I would point out what behavior I saw. Next, I would give the student a chance to correct the behavior, apologize, or speak up, depending on the circumstance. Many times, this is all it will take to get a student back on track. If this doesn’t work though, the student may need further consequences. At this point, I would take away minutes from the students recess. I think that this is often a good strategy in elementary school. I don’t believe in taking away the whole recess, as students need time to get out their energy, but taking away even 3 minutes can have the necessary impact most of the time. In the case that the student continued to misbehave throughout the day, I would make parent contact. In elementary school especially, parent contact is very important. I want parents to be on board with what is going on in the classroom at all times, academically and behaviorally. 

Example of a Consequence: 

Sarah is a 2nd grader. The teacher asks for students to quietly come to the carpet for read aloud. All of the students stand up from their desks, walk to the carpet and sit down. Sarah stands up, starts talking across the room to a classmate who does not respond, and then stops on the way to the carpet to get a drink of water without permission. The teacher walks over to Sarah at the water fountain and reminds her that she needs to walk directly to the carpet quietly. Sarah gets upset and argues with the teacher. The teacher asks Sarah to move her clip down, and to think about changing her behavior so that she does not have further consequences. Defeated, Sarah moved her clip down and takes her place on the carpet quietly.