More Swings at the Bat

I recently had a conversation with a good friend and colleague of mine; he is a very smart man and knows his stuff. We were discussing how to meet the needs of the varied children in the classroom. We both believe that all children learn, and that they come to the classroom with different skills and experiences, and they have different rates of growth. He has a good metaphor for this "some children just need more swings at the bat." As classroom teachers we need to figure out how to give those students more swings. As teachers we are responsible for providing opportunities for ALL our students to achieve success, it is not about "teaching to the middle and hope for the best" anymore. We need to make sure they all succeed. This can seem an overwhelming task with all the time constraints of the classroom, all the things that need to get done. A favorite saying around a hall I used to work on was "so much to do so little time." But it is not about working harder it is about working smarter. It is about knowing your students well and knowing the goals of your instruction. This may mean a re-working of what we do, but if we take it one unit/standard at a time and work together, over time we will have a more effective way of meeting the needs of all our students.

Below is a suggested way to look at refining what we do.

Step 1: Define the learning objectives: We have tools to help us be more effective these days. We have a clear curriculum set before us - the state standards (I work in Massachusetts) - these standards come with exemplars of what to teach, as well as, access to all the previous test questions. A teacher or department should start here. What are the curricular goals and objectives; to what depth do we need to teach? What do our students need to learn? These need to be clearly laid out and understood. This is the foundation of any good instruction, clearly defined goals and objectives.

Step 2: Determine what your students know: As a teacher I found a pre-assessment very helpful. It allowed me to focus on what my students were bringing to the classroom. We can then compare that to where they need to be. This helps focus our teaching. We will not waste precious time reteaching what they already know and it allows us to fill in the gaps of those in need. This knowledge helps us to develop a more effective and efficient plan and process of instruction.

Step 3: Frequent checks/Assessments: Whether we use formal formative assessments or an informal quick quiz at the beginning of class, we need to check the progress of our students frequently. Are they getting it, do we need to reteach something, are there any misconceptions creeping into the picture, are we moving to fast, to slow, who needs more swings at the bat?

Step 4: Re-Evaluate and Modify: Based on the information collected above we need to reassess the progress of instruction. What changes need to be made to facilitate success for ALL our students? Do we need to provide a little one-on-one for a few students, maybe adjust future lessons to reflect the outcome of the formative assessment? Should students be regrouped, assignments or readings modified for a few? Good teaching requires us to look at the information we have and to make adjustments as we move along.

Good teachers know these things and do these things everyday. They use their creative side, their finely tuned art of teaching to find ways to give each child "a few more swigs at the bat."