Two of the challenges that exist in any classroom are being able to see how scholars meet the teacher’s expectations of the classroom and being able to see how the scholars grow over the course of the year. Most teachers have a general understanding of how their scholars respond and where their scholars are developmentally. But, teachers can address both issues by making sure that their classrooms are ones where all work habits are observable. At Classical, a top NYC Charter School, we pay close attention to the work that scholars put on paper, and this attention has led to our strong results on the Math and ELA State Tests.
What Makes a Work Habit Observable?
For a work habit to be observable, a teacher should be able to see the habits on the page in a quick lap of the classroom. This means that the teacher emphasizes clear labeling strategies for work. For example, in English classes, an observable work habit is not only underlining what they consider important information but also writing a brief note to themselves about why they have underlined the information. In Math instruction, an observable work habit can be listing the steps of the problem beforehand. Scholars could also label the problems steps so that the teacher can see what scholars did during each part of this process. Regardless of the class, the work habit should be clearly on paper. The teacher should set an expectation to follow the model that they have given the class.
How Observable Work Habits Help Teachers Monitor Participation
At Classical, we are dedicated to impactful Professional Development centered around scholar work. Because the teacher can see the habits on the page, the teacher can quickly assess how many scholars are opting in to instruction and how many are opting out of instruction. This noticing lets the teacher probe further into scholar difficulty. They can then ask whether the scholar is not participating because of an issue with understanding the expectations or because of an issue of defiance. That recognition gives teachers immediate next steps. Carefully reading the scholars’ habits gives teachers opportunities to celebrate and to confer further with scholars. Because the work is observable, teachers can immediately take the paper and project it to the class. In the same vein, teachers, if something is incorrect with the annotations or the work, can confer with the scholar individually to make sure that, in future work, scholars complete the habits. If many scholars are demonstrating the work habit ineffectively, the teacher can also pull the class back and remodel the work habit so that all scholars can improve.
How Observable Work Habits Help Teachers Monitor Progress
By promoting observable work habits, teachers can also give in-the-moment feedback to scholars. This feedback, when consistently given, can then either be checked off every day if accomplished or revisited if not accomplished. This daily accountability gives teachers and scholars another touchpoint to connect. The more that teachers model and enforce observable work habits, the more quickly scholars will develop and the better teachers will be able to monitor progress. At Classical, this focus on scholar work put us at the forefront of the educational landscape in New York City.
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