Tag: exit tickets

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Habit Stacking: End of Term Reflections

I’m trying out a new end of term reflection.

You don’t know me well enough to know that this is not news.

I’ve tried a new end of term reflection approximately every other term of my teaching career. Obviously, I like the idea, but it rarely feels as reflective/meaningful/helpful as I hope.

This terms’ effort is motivated by three thoughts –

They need more scaffolding if they’re going to produce meaningful, helpful reflection

I need to pick something and stick to it (for my sake, and theirs)

It’s easier to stick to something by building on an existing habit, than creating new habits from scratch (aka habit stacking )

 

So, my new end of term reflection, for now and for future terms, in three steps

  1. Reread all of the metacognition they’ve already done.

I’ve been saving their exit tickets in a big pile on my desk (not sure what I’d need them for, but sure they would be good for something) + their homework folders and their review folders each contain a weekly comment about their progress or process.

Because, data helps.

And because it’s hard to hold a whole term in your head at once, and even harder to see yourself clearly.

  1. Write observations about themselves as learners this term, based on their review of the available evidence.

I’m structuring these as “I notice ____” to nudge them towards the specific, and asking for three.

  1. Give their future selves advice

I’m pointedly not taking these (although I’m taking a look) Instead, I’m asking students to put their advice someplace where they’ll notice it when they need it.

Here’s a copy of my end of term reflection

What I like about this plan:

It feels doable – for me and for them. 10 minutes of class time, I can do that. 3 sentence stems and some advice, they can do that.

It builds on what we’re already doing, so it feels connected. But also, I hope knowing they’ll be re-reading them and using them, nudges students to give more thought to the short metacognitive comments they were already writing.

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Metacognitive exit tickets (work in progress)

This was one of my teaching goals for the school year, a way to build in a tighter feedback loop so I’d understand something about my students’ thinking each class and so they’d start to understand something about it too.

I hoped they’d pay attention to when they struggled and when they had success, what study strategies or teaching modes they preferred, how they were progressing, all the big questions.

In August it seemed simple, hand out a quarter sheet of paper, write a question on the board, collect responses. Go. It would be great.

(Oh, August. Always so hopeful.)

In practice, it was ok.

But I had to come up with a question every week targeting some bit of metacognition. And truthfully, it was often the last thing I planned, on the fly, rushing to get everything ready. It didn’t always get my best thinking. (Hi there, decision fatigue).

And they had to understand the question well enough to write an answer so they could get out the door (at 8:30 pm, after a full night of math, when they were kind of fried)

So, this winter, we (I) got a little more structured. I stumbled across this article , and decided to adapt and adopt the traffic light exit ticket.

I’d ask my students the same question every week: identify one moment when you were stuck, when you were slowed down, OR when you were cruising along.

I’d save the bit of brain power I’d spent on other questions for something else, they’d get good at answering this one question, it would teach them to self-monitor. It would be great. (January, also hopeful.)

In reality, a few weeks in, some students are still better than others at it. Some are distinctly perfunctory.  Some are beautiful. Some go in my ‘reminders for a bad day’ file

DSC_1509

The common question is worth taking a decision off my plate, though, and has made it easier for the students to focus their thinking. And, I’m hoping I’ll be able to give each student their own pile of tickets at the end of the term and have them look for patterns in their thinking.

I may refine it for next year, but I think it’s already better than the previous version.  And both are better than nothing.

If you’d like to try it in your class, here’s a version of my ticket. (updated Jan. 2020)

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Classroom routines (aka: You will metacognate)

My first tries at incorporating metacognition were, umm, less than fully successful. I asked new students about their knowledge, their preferences, their goals. I asked the class to reflect at the end of the term. It was one-off, well intentioned, added in when I thought the calendar called for it.

Or, I’d drop in soapbox speeches about study skills, or lessons that included information about learning.

And they did their best, but mostly my students looked at me like I was a little odd. Their faces read: I don’t know? Why are you even asking?  or How should I know about learning? We didn’t do this in high school. My other teachers don’t make me do this.  or How will this help me get my HiSET?  or Aren’t you the expert, teacher?

They still think I’m a little odd that I keep asking about their thinking. But they’re no longer surprised.

Because, routines.

I love routines.  For many reasons. One reason: routines make sure my students get asked to think about their thinking at least three times every single class.  And practice makes, if not perfect, at least progress.

(Context reminder, my adult students have math one evening a week. If you meet every day, you might spread these out)

 

  • We start with a quick cumulative review (Every.Single.Week. Because I and my students are tired of them forgetting what they’ve worked hard to learn) They put it in a folder, and they write a comment. (Metacognition #1) [Updated: Here’s a description of our review system]
  • We end with an exit ticket. Not an assessment, a quick reflection. A sentence or so about what worked or didn’t work for them during class. (Metacognition #3) [Updated: Here’s a description of our exit tickets]

I’ll be honest. None of these metacognitive moments are guaranteed to be particularly reflective or deep. I get a lot of “It was good.” or “It was hard.” comments still.  And I content myself with building habits, and self-awareness, remembering slow and steady progress.

But, sometimes I get gold.

I get “It was hard but I kept going and I figured it out by doing X”.  Or I get the comments that keep me going, as much as the students, the ‘I think I’m starting to get it’ and the ‘math isn’t as hard as I thought’  and sometimes even ‘math is becoming fun’

Student writing: "taking what I know from what you've taught me and previous notes, math is becoming fun when you know how to do it :) thanks

Coming attractions:  I’ll be back with  more detailed descriptions of each of these routines