Be DEMANDING: Articulate and Maintain High Expectations for Learning (Items 1-4)
ITEM ONE: I Use Standards to guide every learning opportunity
Standards are used to provide a consistent and clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. The Common Core
Standards are designed to be relevant and rigorous by aligning them with postsecondary and workforce readiness skills.
In order to be an effective with aligning your lessons with standards, its important to unpack the standard, and begin with the end in
mind. Check out the video on unpacking the standard for more insight:
Source: http://youtu.be/0W452p7sgQ8
ITEM TWO: I ensure students set personal learning objectives for each lesson
In 1962 Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky presented to the world his radical new theory on Social Development and the Zone of
Proximal Learning. Vygotsky’s learning theory would remove the rigidity of instruction, reverse the roles of teacher and student and
would encourage learning frameworks in which students play an active role in learning. Throughout collaboration with students,
learning becomes a reciprocal experience for the entirety of the classroom. Research has shown that educators who incorporate and
expand upon Vygotsky’s Learning Theory; The Theory of The Zone of Proximal Development or Scaffold Learning, along with Goal
Setting Templates, educators will be successful in creating a learning environment that creates powerful strategies to empower
students and instill a belief in their own abilities.
Vygotsky’s theory emphasizes The Zone of Proximal Development which is closely tied to Scaffolding. I plan to utilize Scaffold Learning
in cooperation with the Zone of Proximal Development with graphic organizers for each lesson in a goal-setting template. Hubbell and
Goodwin state that “One way to help students of all ages understand the big picture of what they are learning, as well as mete out the
step-by-step processes, is to provide them with a graphic organizer that shows which steps must be accomplished successfully in order
to achieve the overarching goal” (Goodwin & Hubbell, p.21).
Source: http://youtu.be/7Im_GrCgrVA
ITEM THREE: I peel back the curtain and make my performance expectations clear
Goodwin and Hubbell make an excellent point in Item 3 of The 12 Touchstones, as they explain the importance of Teachers showing,
not just telling students what mastery looks like. An effective tool for educators to utilize in this item is a Rubric. Utilizing rubrics in the
classroom can make a significant impact on students motivation as it will improve their assessment of themselves, as well as their
reception to feedback. Research has shown that emphasizing clarity in the classroom will also encourage higher levels of effort and
achievment.
Source: http://youtu.be/JMn-5Ito4D8
ITEM FOUR: I measure understanding against high expectations
According to Goodwin & Hubbell when it comes to grades in the classroom, an effective teacher should reflect upon what the final
course grades actually represent. Are they a reflection of students’ demonstrated abilities to meet high expectations… or something else altogether? In their book The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching they emphasize the methods teachers can incorporate in the
classroom in order to measure understanding and have students excel with higher expectations. A few tools teachers can implement in
their classroom are to Have students track their own efforts, and utilize effort rubrics, and utilizing assessments that challenge students.
Demonstrating a Can Do Attitude every day in the classroom can make a world of difference. Showing students you care and believe in
them by providing them with a pep talk is also a great idea.
Source: http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o
