Unware of Struggles Early
Ms. E's concern:
Unit tests show a lack of understanding, but it's too late...
"Even though I check for understanding along the way by asking questions and even prompting students to let me know if something isn’t clear, I often get to the end-of-unit test and find that some students are really not getting it. These are the students who do not raise their hands or volunteer to answer questions. I wish I had a way to know sooner what they are having trouble with."
Why is this happening?
Whole-group questioning is one of the most common ways teachers check for understanding during instruction. However, hearing from a few students, even when teachers make an effort to call on different students, does not necessarily provide a clear picture of what everyone understands. Students who are confused may not volunteer to respond, and this can be particularly true for ELs who are still developing confidence using English to explain their thinking in front of the class. Teachers may also unintentionally call on students they know are likely to respond successfully or ask ELs questions that require only brief or surface-level responses. As a result, misunderstandings can remain hidden until a graded assignment or unit assessment reveals them.
Addressing Ms. E's concern:
How might teachers workshop this dilemma?
Ms. E describes the scenario in more detail to his colleagues:
I feel like I'm checking for understanding all the time. Right now, we're studying the causes of the American Revolution. As I'm teaching, I stop and ask questions like, “Does everyone understand why the colonists were upset about taxation?” or I'll ask someone to explain what we just talked about. Usually a few students raise their hands, and their answers sound pretty good, so I keep going.
Sometimes I call on students who haven't volunteered, but that can be uncomfortable. A few of my ELs get really nervous when I call on them unexpectedly, and sometimes I can't tell whether they don't understand the content or just aren't sure how to explain their answer in English. I've also tried asking, “Does that make sense?” and usually everyone nods.
Then we get to a quiz or unit test, and I realize that several students have major misunderstandings. For example, some students can tell me that the colonists were angry about taxes, but they can't really explain why taxation became such an important issue or connect it to ideas about representation and government. At that point, we've already moved on. I need a way to find out what all of my students understand while we're still learning it, not after the unit is over.
Ideas offered by colleagues:
Get a Response from Every Student
I’ve been using an exercise I call “quick write.” I either use individual white boards or index cards, but I want to try incorporating digital responses. At least once a week, I have students write a one- or two-sentence response and hold up their white boards. It gives me a much better sense of who is getting it and who needs more support before I move on.
Listen in on Partner Talk
I use partner talk a lot, but I’ve started being much more intentional about listening to what students are saying. I give them a specific question to discuss and then circulate while they talk. I can usually tell pretty quickly which ideas they understand, where the misconceptions are, and whether they have the language they need to explain their thinking.
Use an Exit Ticket
I like exit tickets because they give me information I can actually use to plan the next lesson. I usually ask one question that gets at the most important idea from the lesson, not just a vocabulary definition. If I see that several students have the same misunderstanding, I know I need to address it before we move forward.
Which teacher move would you try?
A Coach's Comments:
I really like the ideas you all have shared because they move beyond simply asking, “Does everyone understand?” and give students different ways to show what they are thinking. They also help you hear from students who may not be comfortable responding in front of the whole class.
The important thing to remember is that formative assessment is not just about checking whether students are paying attention or can recall a fact. You want to gather evidence about what students understand about the most important idea in the lesson. So, instead of asking students to define a vocabulary word, ask a question that requires them to explain a relationship, make a connection, or use evidence. It is also important to think about what you will do with the information you collect. If you notice that several students share the same misunderstanding, that tells you something about your next instructional move. You might need to revisit an idea, provide another example, or give students another opportunity to discuss and explain their thinking before moving on.