TC practice: Getting to know your students as learners
Getting to know your students as learners is more than formally assessing students’ content knowledge. It requires a targeted and systematic inquiry into your students’ ways of thinking, how they “do school” and how they understand the subjects you are teaching. This includes knowing about your students’ prior learning experiences and resulting habits of mind, their cultural norms and social status within the class, their self-esteem and sense of efficacy, and also their dispositions and attitudes — and goes hand in hand with getting to know students as individuals.
The accompanying tool helps the TC understand a particular student as a learner in the classroom. It poses questions like: What is working well for this student: strengths & interests? (e.g., likes to work alone, with a friend, in groups; fast in answering questions vs. mulling over ideas; likes to doodle, to move around, to help others; etc.). What is this student avoiding or needing help with in class: struggles & dislikes? (e.g., sharing ideas publicly, reading long paragraphs, listening to other’s ideas, etc.). This sketch of one learner allows the TC to ask effective questions and allow them insights about how to serve them better.
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Download PDF > TC Guide: Getting to know your students as learners
Download PDF > Tool- Structured reflection on student as learner
Download Word version > Tool- Structured reflection on student as learner