Classroom Non-Negotiable Focus: Lesson Includes Checking for Understanding

This week's Lyon Academy Instructional Blog post focuses on the classroom non-negotiable of Lesson Includes Checking for Understanding.

Throughout a lesson, it is necessary to establish whether or not all students are exhibiting and displaying understanding. There are numerous assessment types and strategies that teachers can use to evaluate a student's progress towards a learning target or learning objective. An effective Check for Understanding involves gathering data constantly and acting on this data immediately.

In Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov outlines a number of principles for an effective Check for Understanding in a lesson. The following two websites give an overview of the technique:

http://teachlikeachampion.com/tag/check-for-understanding/ 

http://specialed.about.com/b/2010/09/06/teach-like-a-champion-technique-18.htm

Earlier this year, I shared the following Check for Understanding resources with the staff: 

https://sites.google.com/site/lyonblowpd/weekly-instructional-strategies/weekofaugust18th-22nd

Socrative is another resource that may be useful for teachers to incorporate technology with the process of Checking for Understanding. http://www.socrative.com/

This week, I observed Checking for Understanding in a number of classrooms. Here are a few visual examples that can be used in the classroom:

In these two images, Ms. Colacino monitors students' progress in Writing Workshop by having students self-assess their progress and move their clothespins up and down the chart to represent their stage of work. This is an effective way to identify students who need additional support. 

Ms. McCord uses a KWL Chart to assess what students learned over the course of a lesson about fossils. 

Here are some techniques that can be implemented to support Checks for Understanding throughout various stages of a lesson and make them more effective:

Questioning

• Develop whole class responses to student answers (for example, snap if you agree, stomp if you don't) to engage 100 percent participation.
• Use cold call: Avoid just calling on students with hands raised. 
• Move from ping-pong to volleyball: Instead of responding to every student answer yourself, get other students to respond to each other: "Do you agree with Sam?" "Why is that answer correct (or incorrect)?" "What would you add?"
• Script questions in advance of the lesson to make sure they scaffold appropriately and address rigor at varied levels. 
• Have an observer record teacher questions: highlight where students are succeeding and where they can grow.

Addressing Student Error

• Have a student who struggled initially repeat the correct answer eventually produced by the whole class.
• Use whiteboards to have every student write down a response to question: whole class shows answers simultaneously so teacher can immediately check to see how many students answered correctly. 
• Write questions in plan to specific students who are struggling with a standard and jot down their responses in the plans during class.
• Note in your book or lesson plan what questions students answer incorrectly; call on them again when you revisit that sort of question later in the week.
• Choose "No Opt Out": do not let students off the hook when struggling with an answer.