Mrs. L's Blog
Find ideas, free resources and examples of student work with proficiency scales. Sign up for Email Updates5 Ideas to Post Learning Objectives with Scales
The greatest benefit of posting learning objectives is to increase student engagement! Post learning standards to create a VISUAL focus that students can refer to throughout a unit. Post learning goals to give your students access to the curriculum so they can take...
Metric Olympic Math Games in the Classroom
Students seldom get enough experience with measurement for the content to really stick. Especially American students, learning about the metric system. Research says that students' attention and retention are highest when they are emotionally engaged. What better way...
Best Strategy to Introduce New Content – Learning Scales!
Have you ever struggled to engage your students attention in a lesson? Most kids decide on their interest or engagement level in the first minute. If they feel unfamiliar, overwhelmed, or don’t see the relevance of content they can immediately turn off. You find...
Grade with Scales and Escape the Grading Trap!
Have you ever felt like the grades you were giving students were not carrying the messages you wanted to send? I used to feel like I knew my students pretty well. After all, I spent 7 hours a day observing and interacting with them. When it came time for assessments,...
Leveled Assessments Support Growth Mindset
Struggling to track student progress to show growth? Questions like how do you document a student's knowledge before and after learning to track proficiency? Where do you start and how do you make sure their getting instruction at their own level? Leveled Assessments...
Math Madness! Fun Math Standards Review for Grade Levels
I have always loved using games in the classroom. My students have always loved them too, whether they're the 3rd grade elementary cuties or the big 8th grade middle school kids. I would use games every day except they're not always easy, convenient, or have enough...
Geometry Activities for Vocabulary Mastery
Are you struggling to find engaging review activities for standardized math testing? As a visual-spatial thinker, I always found geometry really fun and easy to teach because I could SEE what was being described. The biggest challenge for my to my 4th and 5th grade...
Rock your Teacher Evaluation with Successful Classroom Routines
How do you know that your classroom routines are working? Do you have a classroom that could run itself if you step away? Think about the rules, expectations, rules, routines and procedures in your classroom. Do you feel as though your system functions like a...
Supporting Gifted Learners with Differentiated Scales
Differentiation, Documentation, Affirmation = Motivation! Are you a gifted resource teacher struggling to meet the needs of all of your gifted and talented students? Do you find it difficult to make individualized lessons for students in multiple service areas and...