Appendix 8 – Teacher Self Assessment
The 8 Questions Teachers Need to Ask Themselves: To Make Sure Learning Doesn't Get Lost?
The questions below capture eight high-leverage practices teachers and principals need to constantly be asking themselves to ensure that the focus of schools and classrooms remains on learning. The questions can help individual teachers prepare for the beginning of the school year as well as reflect on his or her ongoing teaching practice. Principals can use the questions in discussions with teachers, collectively and individually, as both a tool for giving feedback and a vehicle for shaping a school-wide culture of thinking.
1. How do I develop, set, and communicate my expectations for thinking to my students?
2. How do I build relationships with my students that show I respect and value their thinking and ideas both individually and collectively?
3. How do I use the physical environment—of my classroom, school, and the community—to facilitate the processes of thinking and learning?
4. What kinds of routines and structures do I use to facilitate the thinking and learning of students in my classroom?
5. How do I make sure I am engaging my students in worthwhile learning activities and not just work?
6. How do I make my own thinking as well as that of my students more visible and evident to others?
7. How do I promote and support a language of thinking in my classroom?
8. How do I make time for thinking in my class and ensure that the way I use time communicates what I value? (Ritchhart, 2005)
The questions below capture eight high-leverage practices teachers and principals need to constantly be asking themselves to ensure that the focus of schools and classrooms remains on learning. The questions can help individual teachers prepare for the beginning of the school year as well as reflect on his or her ongoing teaching practice. Principals can use the questions in discussions with teachers, collectively and individually, as both a tool for giving feedback and a vehicle for shaping a school-wide culture of thinking.
1. How do I develop, set, and communicate my expectations for thinking to my students?
2. How do I build relationships with my students that show I respect and value their thinking and ideas both individually and collectively?
3. How do I use the physical environment—of my classroom, school, and the community—to facilitate the processes of thinking and learning?
4. What kinds of routines and structures do I use to facilitate the thinking and learning of students in my classroom?
5. How do I make sure I am engaging my students in worthwhile learning activities and not just work?
6. How do I make my own thinking as well as that of my students more visible and evident to others?
7. How do I promote and support a language of thinking in my classroom?
8. How do I make time for thinking in my class and ensure that the way I use time communicates what I value? (Ritchhart, 2005)