Reading passage should not be too long
Provide 4 different note-taking strategies/student select 2 to complete.
Low-level questions on the back of the reading.
Summarization/Paraphrasing as either a question or a strategy
Address reading on the beginning of next class.
IB: Cornell Style Notes
Indicate what information should be included in their notes.
Verbal Quiz based on information to check for attention.
Draw a Flyer, Design and print a flyer, create a commercial/youtube short.
Design the best study guide that is both visually appealing and informative. Best 2 in each class can be used for an upcoming test.
One Pager/Modeling
Flow Charts
Don't lose points if don't complete guided notes, but will be used for final exam/can be used for quizzes if you spend table points.
Default Canvas assignments to 0 if missing, give 1/2 points on Sunday
Include how points are assigned to students (2.5 = missing credit, 3.5 = missing more than 1 part, 5 = almost exactly what I am looking for) or Credit/No Credit
Google sheet self-correcting assignment.
Larger assignments at the end should have a checklist so students know what their final products should include.
Going over examples/other student’s work to be graded.
Add "challenging" conditions for the advanced students to include
Challenge students to do something without talking or asking questions
Role-Reading in pairs/small groups
Unit Portfolio Project to keep progress of their learning.
Fill-in-the-blank reading
provided article, identify errors and make changes.
Combining worksheets/assignments into 1 graded work.
After submitting major assignment, include in comment reason for points being removed. If grade was <75%, allow chance for resubmission with a 90% max
Brain Dump: Two minutes to write down everything they just learned.
Pre-activity flipped assignment as a buy-in for more interesting activity during class time, post activity assignment can be completable without the activity but student skip out on the fun.
Command Terms
Firm Due Date: >1 day late = 85% max, >2 days late = 70% max.
If you want to come to my learning center to ask for help or complete work, fill in the sign-in sheet. If student is seen not working, they are sent back to their class.
Have practice quizzes for students to complete/review before the real quiz.
Rapid Review - Student close computers and notebooks, and see what they remember in the last 15 minutes of learning.
One Pager/Modeling
Case Studies
Classroom Management:
Greet Student at Door
establish, maintain, and restore relationships - focus on solutions to problems
Reminders and cues
behavior-specific praises
clear expectation
supervise
consistent with rules
Feedback
Focus on the work, not on the student (avoid using you)
everyone gets feedback
Blind feedback with success criteria: Students first complete a brief task—solving a math problem, drafting an introductory paragraph, sketching a diagram, etc. Only after finishing do they see the success criteria. Then, they self-assess: Where does my work meet expectations? Where does it fall short?
Dot protocol: Instead of marking errors or circling strengths, place a small dot on a specific part of a student’s work. The dot isn’t labeled as “good” or “bad.” It simply signals a place to look. The student then interprets: Does this section align with success criteria? Does it need revision?
Encourage Students to Use Work-Centered Protocols
Without structure, feedback conversations between students blur the lines between identity and ideas. Students may default to vague positive remarks (“It’s good”) or personal comments (“You’re a great writer”). Protocols act like guardrails, keeping attention on the work itself.
One powerful approach is the tuning protocol, often used in project-based learning or writing workshops. In this structure, classmates are instructed to follow clear steps:
The author presents their work without commentary.
Classmates respond with “I notice…” and “I wonder…” statements.
The author reflects on which bits of feedback to apply.
This process directs attention to observable features of the work, clarity of thesis, precision of evidence, or logic of steps, as opposed to attributes of the student. In a high school English class, feedback like “I notice the evidence is strong, but it doesn’t clearly connect back to the claim” is more effective than “You didn’t explain yourself well.”
Even simpler protocols like sentence stems (“The solution is clear because…” or “One part that could improve is…”) help train students to give work-centered feedback. Over time, these habits normalize critique as a collective examination of ideas.
Using Videos in Class: https://www.edutopia.org/article/active-learning-strategies-videos
Quotes to use in Class:
I believe in you.
We missed you.
I’m listening.
Oops, I made a mistake.
We’ll figure it out together.
“You’ve really improved…” and “I really admire…”
“I’m sorry.”