1.   Use activating strategies to access prior knowledge.

2.   Review expectation.

3.   Call attention to essential questions and standards.

4.   Have students fill out an interest inventory sheet.

5.   Consider giving extra points for having parents sign classroom expectations and procedures.

6.   Create a Writing Assignment: “What do you need from this classroom environment to facilitate your learning?”

7.   Consider taking pictures of your students and create a classroom collage or webpage

8.   Have students write a letter telling you about who they are and what they would like to learn.

9.   Greet students at door – make it a welcoming environment.

10.   Share your philosophy of teaching with your students & create a classroom mission statement

11.   Tell about your family, and share your current interests.

12.  Let your students see the enthusiasm you have for your subject and your love of learning.

13.   Get attention!  Use an object, a special event, and unusual gesture, a fresh location,

 crazy costume, special visuals, unusual staging, wild decorations to introduce new

 topics.

14.   Take advantage of first impressions:  you have 30 seconds!

15.   Open with 3 key words you’d like the audience to remember…and they will!

16.   Give Immediate WIIFM – “What’s in it for me?”  Announce a benefit of the content.

17.   Start new topics by making sure you use a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic preview.

18.   Start class on time.

19.   Keep students aware of school happenings and events –invite them to participate.

20. Take roll – class pictures /roll call/clipboard/sign in by using a seating chart

21. Check on students by calling , writing a personal note, email, blogs, wikis  etc.

22. Praise students for behavior you want.

23. Organize. Post daily schedule.  Remember the state of your desk reflect the state of   

         your teaching/ life.

24. Find out what your students are thinking, feeling and doing– (eg. Monday morning:     

         weekend highlights, five minutes to find out.)

25. Use assessment for student learning.

26. Gather information from your class: read feelings & concerns, read the audience.

27. Take quiet time before class to gain a focus.

28. Create RUBRICS and clear expectations for assignments and tests.

29. The Brain thinks in color – use them!  Boost attention span and recall by using color in your notes, transparencies, chalkboard, room, etc. 

30. Utilize pre-exposure:  Make sure the students get prior-knowledge  to subjects long

      before they really need to; from hours to weeks in advance, drop hints, make

 references.

31.   Honor multiple intelligence’s:  Teach and assess to include the 8 ways of being 

smart:  logical-mathematical, interpersonal, scientific, bodily kinesthetic, musical-rhythmic,  interpersonal and verbal-linguistic.

32. Graphic Organizer:  Prior to learning, provide the brain with a “map” of the material that provides the connections and possibilities intrinsic to that subject.

33. Establish tutor-student relationships.

34. Build teacher-student relationhips.

35.  Use some form of unique greeting and/or saying good–bye. ( Sign Language is always great!)

36.  Stay in your room between classes to engage in social conversation with students.

37.  Differentiate your instruction .

38.  Pace your classroom.

39.  Consider incorporating community resources: plays, concerts, government agencies. 

  businesses, the outdoors into your curriculum.

40.  Hand out study questions or study guides.

41.  Students should have multiple learning opportunities by using project based learning.

42.  Use non-graded feedback (informal assessments) to let students know how they are doing: post answers to ungraded quizzes and problem sets, exercises in class, oral feedback.

 43.  Maintain an open gradebook with grades kept current during lab time so your 

  students can check their progress at any time.

44.  Consider having students keep “learning logs”, reflecting on what they are learning

45.  Explore the use of collaborative learning strategies.

46.  Learn names. Make sure everyone knows each other

47.  Set up a  system so students can contact each other about assignments and

  homework, or help them form study groups to operate outside the classroom- a  

  classroom wiki is ideal

48.  Form small groups for getting acquainted; mix and form new groups several times.

49.  Involve students in creating classroom experiences.

50.  Use  a suggestion box  for students input or tickets out the door.

Can you suggest more…..

Black and William (1998b) define assessment broadly to include all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning. Under this definition, assessment encompasses student observation, classroom discussion, and analysis of student work, including homework and tests.  An assessments become formative when the information is used to adapt teaching and learning to meet student needs. It is a diagnostic tool  and its purpose is to provide feedback to students and teachers. It is different than a summative assessment, which generally takes place after a period of instruction and requires making a judgment about the learning that has occurred (e.g., by grading or scoring a test or paper). Summative assessments should be designed before the lesson is delivered. This is called Backward Design.  Grant Wiggins is the guru. 

Benchmark testing is an organizational tool used for teacher accountability. Benchmark Test should be standardized for the school system. The purpose is to base system decisions regarding curriculum design, delivery and professional development. It evaluates student progress toward identified objectives and provides diagnostic information to help teachers adjust the delivery of curriculum to address learning gaps for all student groups identified. Benchmarks are a descriptions of minimum skills required to make progress. It is also used to assess students. Students below the benchmark are deemed to be at risk of not making AYP (annual yearly progress). It used in early identification of students at risk and in need of intervention. Dibles is a benchmark test used frequently at in the early grades. One of my systems is using Yearly ProgressPro.  I have  systems in my district that have adapted/ modified the Gainesville City School Model and use Testgate.

Why all this testing?  NCLB  (No Child Left Behind Law). The implementing of NCLB assessment and showing accountability has changed the focus of education. One of my teachers asked is it part of the Standards Based Classroom? Here is an excellent example of Duvall County’s lesson plans that are Standards Based lesson plans & assessments. Unfortunately lots of implementation is done without a clear understanding of why. I call it “The jerk reaction”.