An Effective Learning Environment

PED 3141 Learning Blog Reflection, November 2019

"Redefining Fair anticipates and answers every question that any teacher might have about putting differentiation into action: Why is differentiation essential? How do curriculum and assessment connect in a mixed-ability classroom? How do you assess diverse, mixed-ability learners? What is the most effective way to link assessment to instruction in order to get best results? And the big one—what is the best way to handle grading and reporting to students and parents so that grading is seen as both fair and motivating for further learning?"

-Michael Fullan, foreward of Redefining Fair

Cooper, Damian. Redefining Fair: How to Plan, Assess, and Grade for Excellence in Mixed-Ability Classrooms . Solution Tree Press. Kindle Edition.

Create Relevant Content

With Redefining Fair, Damien Cooper works to do as the title suggests and redefines the concept of “fair” in a classroom, through a reframing of how teachers approach planning, assessing, and grading in mixed-ability classrooms. The readings in this textbook and subsequent learning logs for PED 3141 have honestly been a highlight on a week-to-week basis, and not just because the chapters are short. Cooper’s redefinitions are laid out simply and concisely, and the case studies emphasis highly effective learning environments and their benefits to students and teachers both. 

As a first-year teacher candidate at the University of Ottawa, I have been placed in a grade 7 Integrated Studies classroom. Here, because of the knowledge and expertise of my associate teacher, I’ve been able to watch and be a part of an effective learning environment where there’s a mutual respect between teachers and students, there’s authentic learning going on, and technology is used to enhance the classroom. This can all be traced back to my associate teacher, Ms. B and how hard she works to create a safe environment.

Cooper plainly states: “[p]erhaps we need to ensure that the tasks we set for students are innately engaging” (Chapter 4) and from my short time as a part of two dynamic classes in my CSL, as well as my previous experiences in Korean classrooms, you’ll find me nodding along to Cooper’s statement. Students who are not engaged don’t learn. Effective classrooms and learning environments then need to ensure that students don’t disengage from the curriculum. Ensuring that students are engaged in the content can be done through a series of assessments that would occur before the lessons, during the lessons, and of course with the infamous teaching reflection on the lesson after its been taught.

“Perhaps we need to ensure that the tasks we set for students are innately engaging.”

Pre-assessment occurs as teachers are trying to get to know their students at the beginning of the year. As first year students, we missed the first weeks of class that the second-year education students get with their placements. However, from talking with Ms. B and the second year who shares the same classroom as me, I have been able to get to know the students. I’ve also been able to get to know them on my own, asking about their interests and watching how they interacted with each other. This gave me a good idea as to who the students were and where their language, history, and geography levels are. At the beginning of terms while I was an EFL teacher, I often had students fill out interest surveys. This served the duel purpose of allowing me the chance to tailor lessons to students’ interests, but also to gauge their written English skills. 

Tomlinson's equalizer tool

Tomlinson’s equalizer framework can be used to assessment during lessons, as instructions are adjusted to suit skill level. Knowing how to adjust instructions is essential for successful lessons, as it ensures that students don’t find that they’re way out of their depth, or that they’re bored of the instructions and therefore disengage from the activity altogether. Ms. B has used a sort of equalizer tool to differentiate between her two grade 7 classes, as one is a “gifted” class that would otherwise be bored of the material if they were not challenged to think more abstractly. 

Reflection on lessons is of course essential to teaching good lessons, and it’s through the lens of redefining fairness in the classroom that I want to be able to reflect on my own lessons. My teaching philosophy has always included creating a safe environment for students to learn and going forward it will now also include creating an effective learning environment for all students, no matter their ability.

"My teaching philosophy will always included creating a safe, effective learning environment for students"

Sources

Cooper, Damian. Redefining Fair: How to Plan, Assess, and Grade for Excellence in Mixed-Ability Classrooms . Solution Tree Press. Kindle Edition.