Teaching Artifacts

Explanation: I monitored student learning and adjusted my teaching on the spot in this artifact. During a whiteboard review of where nonmetal, metal, and metalloid elements are on the periodic table and whether a compound is ionic or covalent, I noticed many students tuning out. Heads were down; some had a glazed-over look on their faces. On the spot, I decided to play a “Simon Says” type game where different motions corresponded to element locations on the periodic table, and combos represented bonds. The whole class stood up and participated in the game, activating the student's kinesthetic intelligence and engaging them in learning. The spirit of competition was enough to move the class through this important review session that was energizing and fun.

Explanation: Next Generation Science Standards recommend using “storylines” to explore anchoring phenomena like “why are their lizard fossils in the arctic or how do astronauts create oxygen in space?” Learning is more profound, and units are often longer when answering these questions. Without any reinforcement or connections to prior knowledge, information is quickly forgotten—roughly 56 percent in one hour, 66 percent after a day, and 75 percent after six days. Completing the activity summary board with the class was an informal assessment and a way to reinforce and connect the days learning goals to prior knowledge. What had the students retained? What do they need to be reminded of or possibly revisit? The activity summary board was a great way to help students monitor their learning, and our progress towed the anchoring phenomena and driving questions. The quality of their activity summary boards would clue me into topics that may need to be reviewed, revisited, or retaught before taking the formative assessment.

Explanation: I was hesitant to call home and include parents in their child's learning because many spoke little or no English. Ending the call because I couldn't communicate was disheartening when I wanted to celebrate or collaborate with them to support their student. I used a translator before and had positive, but “clunky” interactions with parents as the conversation slowed in this game of telephone. Securing a translator takes time. So, to find more independence, I started texting parents using google translate to communicate in their preferred language.

A Spanish-speaking parent told me she had never spoken to one of her students' teachers before. Her student was an exceptional individual who was flying under the radar with straight A’s. Another student who frequently got out of their seat and distracted another student made a fantastic transformation after I began to text home.