Learning Philosophy

A beacon provides
  • guidance
  • clarity
  • focus
  • shared language
  • accountability
  • direction

We suggest learning is increased when teachers, parents and students have a shared language, concept, goal, direction, focus, and accountability

It was not good enough watching my struggling students stay flat or get worse, and my advanced students wait and be stagnant. These guidebooks were created so that all students could have the best possible learning opportunity. Methods in using the guidebooks continue to evolve and we are committed to making the content and process more effective.

TEACHER USE

  • Download the PDF for your grade level
  • Print a chapter at a time and photocopy for each of your students
  • Display the content on a tablet if you have one
  • Check homework easily by looking at assigned linear pages
  • Let the parents of your students know what homework they should be completing

Students need coaching on how to think about learning, assessment and what their marks mean. Students must be coached on how to understand formative assessment.

Get parents emails. On the first day of class, we send around a sheet of paper asking for parents email. We get 90% of all kids emails this way. I am able to send integrade progress reports out to every parent in about the same time that it would take to write one email to one parent. After I send out a email to 200 parents, I usually get 10 to 15 emails. Email has lead to high homework completion rates. Email helps parents be parents and support their kid’s homework.

Does formative assessment create more work for teachers?

NO! I arrive at school each day at 8:15 and leave each day at about 4:45 everyday. I do not take any work home during the week and I do not do any work on the weekends. My class marks and provincial exam marks are above provincial averages.

Thoughts on Homework Checks

Homework checks confirm what we already know: “A” students do all of their homework and “C-“ students do not.
C- students are not motivated by HW marks. If they were they would do their HW and ultimately would not be C- students.
Homework checks are a waste of time for “A” students as well. Many “A” students are already doing too much homework.
Taking marks off for HW does not motivate kids to finish missing HW.

Homework Strategies that Work for me

Do not give daily HW marks.
The best consequence for not doing their homework is being asked to come in and do it. This request is not punitive. It respects the students. I assume that all kids want to do their best. If their homework is not done they either do not know how to do it or they did not have time(Obviously there are other reasons, however these assumptions help me remain positive)
Students who do all their hw are more successful than those that do not. Therefore if a student is not doing their hw, help them be successful by asking them to come in at lunch to get caught up.
Be positive and focus on how extra practice will help them be their best 


I eventually give HW marks.
I collect their homework on the test day.
Students learn at different rates and complete hw at different rates. This is why I give them until the day of the test to complete all work.
Using my workbooks makes it very easy to check homework. I take 1 mark off for every question or concept that they did not complete. If they have more less than 6/10, I do not give them a mark and require them to resubmit it when it is complete.
When final marks role around I use their test marks to bump up low hw marks. This gives students the freedom to do less work if they show mastery on the tests. This method is very respectful of students.

Thoughts on Quizzes

Quizzes should let the students know what they need to work on.
Quiz marks given half way through a unit should not count in the grade book. I primarily use test and retest results as the indicator of student understanding. Some people are concerned that this places too much stress on students. I have not found this to be the case. My math 12 results are above provincial averages on both class and exam marks.
Many students do not do their corrections.

Try 100% Quizzes
Give the students a quiz. Let them write it in isolation.
Put up the answers. Students mark their own paper and also give themselves feedback as to whether they made silly or real mistakes.
Student puts mark at the top of their page.
Here is the beauty. All I mark is their corrected version. They will get 0 or 100% on the quiz.
This system forces them to do their corrections. I like to think that this forces them to be 100% ready rather than 60% of 80% ready.
This system also encourages them to take responsibility for their errors and the errors of others. I encourage them to help their friends.



What Happens if a Student Does Not Hand in Their 100% Quiz.
They will be asked to come in at lunch to do it.
Their parents will be emailed.
After the test, they will receive their test % on any assignments that they got a zero on.

Thoughts on Retests
The last few years I have let my math 12 do unlimited retests. I was of course nervous that my exam spread would make me look like the worst grade inflater in Western Canada.
My exam spread was about 4%. Class moral is up and my students are in charge of their final mark.
Retests must be different questions. Retests must count. If I take my time to mark it, their retest will be their new mark. In most cases students do better. However on a few occasions, student’s marks have gone down after a retest.



OTHER RESOURCES

Math Specific Pyramid of Interventions - Click on the link below to view a strategy being implemented at Oak Bay High School to support students who struggle with math.
Sample: Pyramid of Interventions

Thoughts on Retests

How do your tests encourage learning?
How do your tests help build student confidence and class morale?
Click on the link below to read about supporting your students with assessment.

Download: Retests in the classroom