Strategies should be transferable. How do I know students can do the strategy again? Learning goes beyond one lesson, assignment or test. To become independent learners, students need to be prompted to use appropriate methods to strengthen habits.

Regardless of the level students enter my classroom, they deserve exposure to grade level-standards. Being aware of the various ways that I can assess students helps instruct students of all performance levels. 

Students deserve feedback and don't have to wait until after a test to receive it. Virtual tools have made it even easier to instantly preview student answers. Also, after a lesson, I reflect on the student outcomes and decide if students can move on, if I need to embed mini practice, or conduct a re-teach lesson.

I believe in order to foster student achievement, students need to feel engaged. I embed a multitude of activities in learning units so that all learners feel they can thrive in my classroom. Some enjoy verbal participation, some are strong writers, other students enjoy digital activities, and some like projects. Finding each student's strength helps develop a positive mindset towards the class and builds their confidence in other activities.

The Science of Reading reminds us how important background knowledge is in student learning. Students are not blank slates. They come to us with prior knowledge that can be used to make meaningful connections in class. Students get excited when they can contribute meaningfully to a lesson. It is my job to build their background knowledge for future lessons and reinforce strong vocabulary acquisition skills. In the model classroom students, can also discuss themes and experiences from previous units as a testament of their investment in making connections. 

Students engage more when they feel they have some decision-making in the classroom. The choices shouldn't change the shared outcomes for the whole class. However, students can do the same assignment with options. Examples are: choosing which book to read for SSR, selecting a warm up question to answer, choice in grade-level writing prompt to answer, and selecting project topics.  

Students' identities are a part of how they experience the world and content in classrooms. Students are allowed to make connections between texts and their own experiences to further expand their learning. The culturally responsive classroom views students' backgrounds as assets to the classroom. Students have opportunities through literature to read about characters from similar backgrounds, or read the works of writers who represent diverse backgrounds. The skilled teacher facilitates conversations but also knows how to introduce  conversations about more sensitive topics or discussions to help students understand historical and current events that are rooted in racial or ethnic dynamics. 

I am aware of the learning outcomes of a unit. I understand how lessons built onto one another. I am aware of the purpose of the scope and sequence and how to best expose my students to the skills in the modules. Additionally, I find multiple ways for students to engage with the themes to help draw similarities among texts, cultures, and characters. 

I take pride in creating a student-centered classroom which centers students' ideas. I facilitate meaningful conversation but also teach accountable talk habits so that students become better speakers throughout the course of the year. My lessons also embed moments where the cognitive load is placed on students. For example, when giving evidence students are demonstrating meta-cognitive thinking by analyzing the evidence they chose and what it proves. They are allowed to make mistakes because in the student-centered classroom, students are aware that they can always add on or revise their thinking. Peers are comfortable responding to one another and engaging in strong talk habits.

The curriculum tells "what" to teach and not how. I have to be aware of the diverse types of learners. I ensure that all students receive the same objectives but the method in which they arrive to objective mastery may vary. I also select grade-appropriate supplemental texts that are more effective in teaching certain standards than provided texts.