And we’re back out. Long before we’ve taken down the Christmas tree or cleaned up the confetti from our New Year’s Eve party. Some of us might still be reeling from the overindulgence of the festive holiday season so we’re ‘sucking it up’ and holding our breath as we button those work pants and skirts. Ain’t nobody got any money to buy new clothes. This is January, the month with ninety-nine and a half days.
Blurry-eyed and reaching for that coffee at the drive-through like our lives depend on it (or our students’ do 😀), we’re heading into a new term with at least a few new resolutions. We spoke about those last week, and I really hope you have at least one wellness AND one professional goal heading into 2024.
Still, there are some things that you should do, regardless of it being a new year. Every time you head back to the classroom after a break, you need to engage in some reflexivity and set a course of action, step by step.
Here are some things you should consider doing, at the beginning of the term:
1. Analyze the assessment data: If you haven’t already, you need to sit down with your students’ test papers/ review their online scores to determine what topics were well done and which weren’t. Look for patterns, similar errors and problematic questions (which will either need to be removed/ modified if used in future). I always recommend making notes while/ right after correcting an exam as it’s fresh in your mind and you will pick up on things during the process. But if you haven’t done this, that’s okay. Just carve out some time and review the data.
2. Engage in departmental discussion: One thing I appreciate about working with the team that I do, is the way we sit down together and compare notes. So, after we analyze our own personal data, we bring the stats and our findings to one another. Did your class do this question well? Did your students make this error? Yes, it calls for honesty and integrity amongst colleagues, but the outcome is, or at least should be, open communication about what’s happening in our classes. It’s not a judgmental meet-up, it’s a safe space where we share what worked and what didn’t, when it comes to teaching and learning. If you don’t feel like this is something you can do with your whole department, at least get together with a trusted colleague who teaches the same subject and level you do, swap findings/ notes and come to some conclusions. In a sense, this discussion is part of a professional learning community (PLC), something that all educators should be a part of.
3. Review topics that were not well done in the exam: Now I’m not suggesting that you re-teach topics in their entirety. I’m well aware of time constraints, the need to finish the syllabus and the million and one interruptions that occur during each term. But if we’re scaffolding lessons (which we’re supposed to be doing), we can’t just ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’. Don’t pretend that the problem doesn’t exist and start a new topic like it’s nobody’s business what your students didn’t grasp. It is YOUR business. Use the first/ second week of the term to review problematic areas and discuss with your students WHY the area was problematic. Was it simply the wording of the question or was it that they really didn’t know what to write? It may be that they didn’t have enough practice before the test or quite simply, they didn’t even realize that they didn’t understand the topic.
Suggestion: When you review the topic, don’t just stick to the old script (which clearly didn’t work) when you first taught it. Again, engage in discussion with your colleagues, do some research online and maybe adjust your teaching method/ pedagogy. Sometimes it may not be the topic that’s the issue, but how we taught it. No one is perfect, no matter how senior a teacher you are.
Another piece of advice? Don’t berate your students for not grasping the topic, or worse, compare their performance to another class in a negative way. There should be no:
“I can’t understand how YOU all don’t get this. It’s so simple!” ⇒ this can make students feel dumb and eat away at their confidence.
“My other form 3 did so well, I don’t know why YOU all couldn’t answer this question.” ⇒ again, this can deflate students’ will to try and encourage them to think that something’s wrong with them or their brain.
Instead, try: “So WE didn’t do too well on this question. Let’s see how WE can figure it out together.” “It’s okay, I’ll go over this topic with you.”
4. Adjust your scheme of work as necessary: It’s surprising to me that many educators don’t know that a scheme of work is supposed to be a ‘working document’. That means, it’s not set in stone. At the start of the academic year, we submit a scheme for the year, no problem, that’s standard procedure. But at each term interval, we should be able to sit down, review the scheme, and look at how to shift topics around for a better flow. Or maybe it’s a case of us not managing to cover certain topics because time ran out on us. Therefore, it’s imperative that we go back to the drawing board, and chart a course forward. We need to make decisions about what definitely needs to be taught and what we can save for later, i.e., ‘if there’s time’. Don’t go full steam ahead without looking at WHAT you need to teach and WHEN it’s best to teach it.
5. Pick an area to work on with your students: Reflexivity tends to go hand in hand with some form of ‘action’ (research). After marking exams, you surely have identified an area that needs an intervention (or two, because remember, AR has at least 2 cycles). For example, I realized that my Form 1 class had numerous spelling errors in their written piece. I reflected and realized, okay, we did a lot of oral practice in class, but not so much writing. So going back into term 2, I’ve decided they need to use virtual/ online flashcards to learn vocabulary (intervention 1), I need to check their spelling with regular quizzes/ formative checks and also, I can play more spelling games in class e.g. hangman, wheel of fortune, word puzzles etc. (intervention 2).
I’ve picked an area, and you should too. Continuously perfecting your craft is part of the job and from class to class, it can mean something else. One group might have numeracy problems, another literacy. My point is, identify, intervene and analyze results. Teaching involves a lot of research and it shouldn’t end with your Dip. Ed., Masters Degree or Doctorate in Education.
With all this said, allow me to wish you a wonderful term, on behalf of the entire 21st Century Educators team. We will continue to be here for you in the New Year and we always look forward to hearing from you. If you have tips for starting the new term right, please feel free to share them with us, because we always love hearing from you.
Cheers to 2024!