Criterion number three is: Recognizing individual student learning needs and developing strategies to address those needs.
The teacher acquires and uses specific knowledge about students’ cultural, individual, intellectual, and social development and uses that knowledge to adjust their practice by employing strategies that advance student learning. To score a four on the Danielson rubric it states “Teacher actively seeks knowledge of students’ levels of development and their backgrounds, cultures, skills, language proficiency, interests, and special needs from a variety of sources. This information is acquired for individual students.”
This criterion is usually non observable and will probably be discussed in the pre and/or post conference. Consider evidence like sub folders, IEPs, and on-line grading programs like Skyward. Make sure to update sub folders with medical and learning needs periodically. Document discussions with teachers, counselors, and other professionals.
Gather evidence that you are actively seeking knowledge of students’ backgrounds from a variety of sources. Consider giving interest surveys at the beginning of the year to get to know student backgrounds and interests. There are several ready-made interest surveys available from TPRS practitioners on line.
Personalization is key to engaging students. In my class we have a student greeter each day. After the greeting the greeter answers questions about themselves in the target language. This allows us to build on spontaneous events and student interests and get to know the class members better while practicing follow up questions. It states in the frameworks “The teacher seizes an opportunity to enhance learning, building on a spontaneous event or student interests, or successfully adjusts and differentiates instruction to address individual student misunderstandings.”
One way to keep students engaged is to provide them with choice in assignments and assessments. Choice boards are one way to provide students with structured choices. A menu type activity also gives kids some choices. Learning centers are another way to provide choice and individualization. Check out the station ideas at The Creative Language Classroom.
Keep a list of help professionals. Some evaluation tools state that the teacher can cite others in the school and beyond who s/he has contacted for assistance in reaching some students. Document conversations with others around students of concern, or any student. Consider offering a study club before or after school. Study club allows for extra time and extra opportunities for retakes. It also helps connect with students and discover things about them that I would not learn in class. The distinguished teacher persists in seeking effective approaches for students who need help, using an extensive repertoire of instructional strategies and soliciting additional resources from the school or community.
In addition, criterion three requires teachers to establish appropriate student growth goals for subgroups of students not reaching full potential in collaboration with students, parents, and other school staff. The goals identify multiple, high-quality sources of data to monitor, adjust, and evaluate achievement of goals. Multiple sources of growth or achievement data from at least two points in time show evidence of high growth for all or nearly all students. I have students do a 5 minute timed write on the first day of school. They write in the target language or list any words they know in the target language or write about themselves in English if they don’t know any of the language yet. They write again at the end of the first semester and at the end of the year and evaluate their growth.
