Ohio Teacher Evaluation Documentation for AGillespie: Knowledge of Students, Classroom, and Learning Environments

The standards represented here are:
Standard 1: Students

Standard 5: Learning

Standard 6: Collaboration and Communication

Know the Children, Know Thyself

Middle school is a special grade band because it embodies the second-largest growth spurt in a child's life. The brain and body grow and change more between the ages of 11-14 than it does at any other time in life, second to infancy and toddler years. When considering lessons, these brain and body changes must be considered.

In my classroom, I utilize spiral lessons because my students' brains are under construction and synaptic connections are being disrupted in the process. Ergo, something they know and can demonstrate today they may not be able to next week.

Second, friends and communication are a high priority to adolescents. This means I build in opportunities for communication and collaboration within my lessons. I do allow friends to choose one another as partners (I know, gasp!) because I believe in giving students an opportunity. I find it makes the fight easier to win when I've given them an opportunity to show they can do what they want to do with the teammates they want to work with. When it's proven that this does not work, they have little to argue about when changes are made.

Below, you see another strategy I use. I find that it is important for students to get some autonomy and choice when it comes to educating themselves. I offer what I call "PayDay Friday," where students use their Liveschool Points to purchase time for which they make the choice on what they are doing. In years past, I have also used Genius Hour time, where students were given autonomy but within the confines of a choice board.