We know that "assessment" is a buzz word that we can't get away from...we talk about standardized testing.  About rubrics.  About standards-based assessment tasks.  About--YOU fill in the blank. One of the often under-used assessment strategies is SELF-assessment.  This can be something as simple as a "thumbs up" if a student understands but can be far more involved and useful.  Interested in some of the brain research on this?  Check out this GREAT article by Jo Boaler!  Today I want to talk about some of the issues related to self-assessment--and to give you some suggestions on how to create a culture where students will be able to make the most of the opportunities you provide them. Culture for honesty and risk taking One thing I have definitely discovered is that if students don't feel "safe" in our classroom environments, there is no way for them to open and honestly assess themselves.  It's hard to admit that you don't und......

There are so many ways to use questioning!   It all depends on your purpose. I wanted to talk about 3 different ways that you can use questioning in your classroom immediately. I am going to give specific examples related to math because I that is what I love, but the listed questioning purposes can be the same for any subject: learning about your students, informing instruction and reviewing important skills. Purpose #1 – Use Questions to Learn About Your Students A Fun Getting to Know You Math Activity Make the connection between numbers and real life while learning more about your students with this Mystery Numbers math activity.   Students first choose several facts about themselves that include numbers. Then they generate and record questions and numbers in the Mystery Number Booklet. Their partner must guess which questions and numbers match. Here are some sample questions and answers that your k......