GET BETTER FASTER

Montezuma-Cortez School District implements Get Better Faster as the primary resource tool for teacher's development and evaluation.

Get Better Faster, Phase 1 (Summer PD and First 30 Days)

• Establish routines and procedures

• Create and post standards-driven learning targets

• Use modeling and gradual release during instruction

• Exit tickets

• Whole class resets

Exit Tickets are an effective way to check for understanding.  Use answers from the exit tickets to drive your next day's approach.  Here are some examples:

3-2-1  – Students write down on a note card 3 things they learned from today’s lesson, 2 questions they have about the topic and 1 thing want the teacher to know from today’s lesson.

Quiz – Of course a teacher can create a quick multiple choice quiz to asses student’s understanding, BUT it’s more fun if students create their own quiz questions.  Students can quiz each other or the teacher can compile all the quiz questions and create a quiz for the beginning of tomorrow’s lesson.

Journal Entry – Have students do a quick-write or summary of what they learned.

Postcards – Have students write a post card to an absent student explaining the key ideas presented  in the day’s lesson.

Pair / Share – “Tell the person next to you . . .” Have students verbally summarize main ideas, answer questions posed at the beginning of a lesson, and link both past and future lessons. 

Doodles – Students can sketch or draw 3 concepts they learned from the lesson using words or images.

Gallery Walk – Students create a graphic organizer or infographic to represent their learning.  Students then post them on the wall for students to get up and view different visual representations of understanding.