Domain 4.2 Grading Practices
Describe AND provide samples of how grading is consistent, meaningful, and how it clearly reflects student performance.
Each assessment, whether summative or formative, provides students with opportunities to practice, explore, and/or demonstrate their learning. The results are used for students to understand how and why improvement can be made. I use rubrics for nearly every written or oral presentation. In the case that a formal rubric is not developed for an individual assignment, I clearly explain to my students how I intend to evaluate them: process, mechanics, collaboration, insight, or quality and effort. In most cases, students receive the rubrics many weeks in advance and they practice scoring themselves and each other with the rubrics. Most written and oral work is scored with the same rubric (with only slight variations) so that students are familiar with expectations and terminology. Examples of student work can be viewed on my Room 100 Blog.
Each assessment, whether summative or formative, provides students with opportunities to practice, explore, and/or demonstrate their learning. The results are used for students to understand how and why improvement can be made. I use rubrics for nearly every written or oral presentation. In the case that a formal rubric is not developed for an individual assignment, I clearly explain to my students how I intend to evaluate them: process, mechanics, collaboration, insight, or quality and effort. In most cases, students receive the rubrics many weeks in advance and they practice scoring themselves and each other with the rubrics. Most written and oral work is scored with the same rubric (with only slight variations) so that students are familiar with expectations and terminology. Examples of student work can be viewed on my Room 100 Blog.
Domain 4.3 Routines, Procedures, and Expectations
Providing clear expectations for student behavior and establishing consistent classroom procedures allows for students to spend more time learning and teachers to spend more time teaching. A formal syllabus is provided to each of my students with an assigned task to have a parent/guardian read, sign, and return the syllabus to class. Classroom rules are clearly posted and oft referenced in class. The BYOD Contract and Digital Literacy policy allow students to understand consequences of poor decision making and make accountability clear. Lesson plans are a primary resource for communication with both students and parents.
Domain 4.4 Rapport With Parents
Most of the documents listed above in Domain 4.3 serve as communication tools for parents. My Weebly page is probably the first point of parent communication. Through my Weebly, parents can access lesson plans and testing information, syllabi, as well as view student work on the Room 100 blog. I attempt to involve parents as much as possible in their students' work. This year I even gave my AP Lit parents homework; I asked them to write letters to their students offering words of advice similar to the words of advice Polonius offers his son Laertes. Here is the assignment. I also use frequently use e-mail communication with parents. I attempt to correspond with each parent in a way I would want my own daughters' teachers to communicate with me - professionally and compassionately.
