Beyond the test: helping students learn grand rapids herald-review: news
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7/30/15, 2:25 PM Beyond the test: Helping students learn - Grand Rapids Herald-Review: News Page 1 of 4 http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/news/beyond-the-test-helping-students-learn/article_5ab4a2f8-b04c-11e3-918f-001a4bcf887a.html Updated: July 28 BOVEY 3 BDRM Home sits on 10 wooded acres, has $895 posted: July 28 1 BR Lake Home $700/mo; GR 2 BR garage $850/mo; 2 BR lower duplex. $750/mo utilties incl 4 miles N $750 Homes Home About Us Subscribe e-Edition 77° Few Clouds July 30, 2015 Search this site... Go Welcome! Login | Signup Expand Ad Home News Story Commenting Tweet Tweet 0 0 1 Print Font Size: Beyond the test: Helping students learn Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2014 11:26 am By Christina Brown Deer River High School Math Teacher Karen Teff works hard to get to know her students. She also works to make sure they know themselves. In addition to assessing what the students are learning, Teff requires her students to assess how they feel about their progress. The self-assessment helps Teidentify students who need extra help. Teff’s approach to teaching is one that ensures students will not only learn the material, but learn how to learn. It’s also an approach that fits well with a Pathway to Student Success goal established by the Itasca Area Initiative for Student Success: Every student will demonstrate competency or mastery at current learning level. “You have to believe that all students can be successful,” said Teff. “And that means that sometimes you have to modify how you teach. With everything I do, I ask myself why am I doing this? How will it affect kids? Instead of just getting through the content, why not ask ‘What can I do better?’” Teff makes sure students are able to learn a variety of ways from encouraging collaborative problem solving to supplemental math classes with more personalized instruction. “One of the biggest thrills of my job is when students have that “A-ha” moment,” said Teff. “They realize ‘I’m 0 Recommend Recommend Thank you for reading Grand Rapids Herald-Review. Because you have already viewed this article, you may view it again as many times as you would like without subtracting from your remaining free article views. Remaining 9 Homes Cars Jobs Submitted Pathway to student success The IAISS Pathway goal of mastery at learning level plays out in the classroom every day, as teachers and students work together to build the confidence that extends beyond the walls of the classroom into a successful future. News Sports Obituaries Grand People Entertainment Media Schools/Education Opinion Online Ads Community Voice E-Edition Rewards Facebook Twitter Email Print Gmail Favorites More... (293) Powered by AddThis
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7/30/15, 2:25 PMBeyond the test: Helping students learn - Grand Rapids Herald-Review: News
Page 1 of 4http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/news/beyond-the-test-helping-students-learn/article_5ab4a2f8-b04c-11e3-918f-001a4bcf887a.html
Updated: July 28
BOVEY 3 BDRM Home sits on 10 wooded acres,has$895
posted: July 28
1 BR Lake Home $700/mo; GR 2 BR garage$850/mo;
2 BR lower duplex. $750/mo utilties incl 4 milesN$750
Homes
Home About Us Subscribe e-Edition 77° Few CloudsJuly 30, 2015
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Beyond the test: Helping studentslearn
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2014 11:26 am
By Christina Brown
Deer River High School Math Teacher Karen Teff workshard to get to know her students. She also works tomake sure they know themselves.
In addition to assessing what the students are learning,Teff requires her students to assess how they feel abouttheir progress. The self-assessment helps Teff identifystudents who need extra help.
Teff’s approach to teaching is one that ensures studentswill not only learn the material, but learn how to learn.
It’s also an approach that fits well with a Pathway toStudent Success goal established by the Itasca AreaInitiative for Student Success: Every student willdemonstrate competency or mastery at current learninglevel.
“You have to believe that all students can besuccessful,” said Teff. “And that means that sometimesyou have to modify how you teach. With everything I do,I ask myself why am I doing this? How will it affect kids?Instead of just getting through the content, why not ask‘What can I do better?’”
Teff makes sure students are able to learn a variety ofways from encouraging collaborative problem solving tosupplemental math classes with more personalizedinstruction.
“One of the biggest thrills of my job is when studentshave that “A-ha” moment,” said Teff. “They realize ‘I’m
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Pathway to student successThe IAISS Pathway goal of mastery at learning level plays out inthe classroom every day, as teachers and students work togetherto build the confidence that extends beyond the walls of theclassroom into a successful future.
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Updated: July 28
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starting to get this and you’ll wait for me to get there allthe way.’ Students know they’ll get where they need tobe because they know I believe in them.”
With words like “competency” and “mastery” it would beeasy to assume that the Pathway goal is about meetingstandardized testing goals, but Gene Roehlkepartain,Vice President, Research and Development at theSearch Institute, explains that it’s really more than that.
“Other factors are at play here that go far beyond thetest,” said Roehlkepartain. “If a student’s self-confidence, attitude toward learning, and theirperceptions of their grades are all strong, chances aregreater that they will also be making progress towardgrade-level competency or mastery.”
Tony Pierce agrees.
“The teachers are teaching the standards,” said Tony Pierce, Cohasset Elementary School Principal and formerspecial education teacher at the Robert J. Elkington Middle School. “But the test is just a measurement of thestandards. Teachers look beyond the tests to see students demonstrating mastery in a lot of ways - creating work,collaboration with other students, art integration, acting things out. When teachers incorporate all the other waysthat students can understand things it’s exciting and engages them on a whole other level.”
Pierce said the inclusiveness of the Pathway goal is important to students.
“One of the things that I really like about this Pathway goal is that it focuses on current learning level, not currentgrade level. “This looks at each individual child at their own learning level and gives that child an opportunity togrow at their level.”
Jill Wheelock, a parent and elementary school teacher from Grand Rapids said it’s that ability to adapt to a child’slearning level that helps students succeed.
“When learning is at a level that is just right for the student, they are able to take it to the next level, feel successfuland have fun,” said Wheelock.
“You may have some students who are behind, but you need to remember to watch for growth,” said Wheelock.“That’s a huge accomplishment. As a teacher you always have a goal in mind, and each and every day and weekand year you’re building upon each level to get students to those goals. It fits with the Pathway.”
Teff said helping students gain confidence helps them move forward not just in school, but in life.
“All of the Pathway goals together are helping students be successful in the real world, to have satisfying careersand be contributing members to society,” Teff said. “It’s about creating lifelong happiness for our students.”
This is the fifth in a series of articles that show how community members are using the Pathway to Student Success.The Pathway was created and endorsed by local youth and adults as a guide to engage everyone in building strongcommunity by supporting youth on their journey to becoming the next generation of skilled workers, engagedcitizens and civic leaders. To learn more, visit http://www.itascastudentsuccess.org
More about Pathway To Student Success
ARTICLE: Preparing students for a changing worldARTICLE: Education after graduation: A key to successARTICLE: Acceptance helps teens find pathARTICLE: Beyond the bell: out-of-school opportunities enhance learning
Posted in News on Thursday, March 20, 2014 11:26 am. | Tags: Pathway To Student Success
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