1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:03,600 Heidi: This is episode 246 of Teacher Approved. 2 00:00:06,060 --> 00:00:09,000 You're listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,780 educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I'm 4 00:00:12,780 --> 00:00:13,320 Heidi. 5 00:00:13,530 --> 00:00:16,680 Emily: And I'm Emily. We're the creators behind Second Story 6 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,650 Window, where we give research based and teacher approved 7 00:00:19,650 --> 00:00:22,260 strategies that make teaching less stressful and more 8 00:00:22,260 --> 00:00:25,680 effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from 9 00:00:25,710 --> 00:00:27,570 each episode at secondstorywindow.net. 10 00:00:28,470 --> 00:00:31,260 Heidi: We're so glad you're tuning in today. Let's get to 11 00:00:31,260 --> 00:00:31,830 the show. 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,180 Emily: Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today's 13 00:00:39,180 --> 00:00:43,620 episode, we are redefining what test prep actually is, because 14 00:00:43,620 --> 00:00:47,310 it doesn't have to mean packets and stress, and we're sharing a 15 00:00:47,310 --> 00:00:50,100 teacher approved tip for adding a little bonus prep time to your 16 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:50,520 week. 17 00:00:50,970 --> 00:00:53,610 Heidi: But let's start with try it tomorrow, where we share a 18 00:00:53,610 --> 00:00:55,590 quick win that you can try in your classroom right away. 19 00:00:55,950 --> 00:00:57,750 Emily, what's our suggestion for this week? 20 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:02,280 Emily: This week, try using intentional think time. So when 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,010 you ask a question, instead of immediately calling on someone, 22 00:01:05,010 --> 00:01:10,320 ask students to just think about it for 10, even 30 seconds 23 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:13,800 before you take any responses. Now this will take some 24 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,230 training, because some students are going to shoot their hands 25 00:01:16,230 --> 00:01:19,080 in the air immediately, since that's what they're used to 26 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:19,470 doing. 27 00:01:19,740 --> 00:01:23,190 Heidi: Right. So when that happens, you just gently remind 28 00:01:23,190 --> 00:01:25,170 them, you know, have this in your brain ahead of time, 29 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:27,810 because this will happen, I just want you to think right now. I 30 00:01:27,810 --> 00:01:30,150 will let you know when I'm ready to hear your ideas. 31 00:01:30,630 --> 00:01:33,240 Emily: And what's great about this is it improves the quality 32 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,390 of responses. When kids aren't racing to be first, they 33 00:01:36,390 --> 00:01:39,420 actually have time to form a complete thought. And you'll 34 00:01:39,420 --> 00:01:41,460 probably find that way more students are prepared to 35 00:01:41,460 --> 00:01:44,970 participate, because it's not just the fast processors who get 36 00:01:44,970 --> 00:01:48,600 to answer anymore. I think some kids, once they see everybody 37 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,600 else's hand is shot up, they stop even trying to figure out 38 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:52,800 the answer in their mind. 39 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,790 Heidi: Absolutely. This is such a simple shift that can make a 40 00:01:56,790 --> 00:02:00,030 really big difference. If you try it, come tell us how it goes 41 00:02:00,030 --> 00:02:02,820 in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. And if you like this tip 42 00:02:02,820 --> 00:02:05,610 or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you please 43 00:02:05,610 --> 00:02:08,940 take a second and give us a five star rating? Ratings and reviews 44 00:02:08,940 --> 00:02:11,580 help new listeners find us, and we really appreciate every one 45 00:02:11,580 --> 00:02:11,910 of them. 46 00:02:12,660 --> 00:02:15,630 Emily: Okay, we know it's still February, but yes, it really is 47 00:02:15,630 --> 00:02:18,000 time to talk about test prep. 48 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:21,900 Heidi: Ah, the two little words that make most teachers 49 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:23,700 shoulders tense up a little bit. 50 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,150 Emily: Yeah, just a little bit, maybe, a lot a bit. 51 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:27,930 Heidi: A lot a bit. 52 00:02:29,250 --> 00:02:32,940 Emily: Test prep makes our minds immediately jump to packets, 53 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,020 worksheets, Jeopardy games, drilling skills, over and over, 54 00:02:37,290 --> 00:02:40,260 and maybe stopping real instruction so we have time to 55 00:02:40,260 --> 00:02:41,400 get kids ready. 56 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,250 Heidi: And when you assume that that's what test prep has to 57 00:02:44,250 --> 00:02:48,150 look like, it's no wonder it feels overwhelming. But we are 58 00:02:48,150 --> 00:02:51,750 here to tell you that test prep does not have to be an intense 59 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:55,170 slog. You can help students get ready for assessments in a way 60 00:02:55,170 --> 00:02:58,350 that everyone enjoys and still prepares the kids for what's 61 00:02:58,350 --> 00:02:58,770 ahead. 62 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,220 Emily: That's what we're digging into today, we want to challenge 63 00:03:02,220 --> 00:03:05,730 some assumptions about what test prep is and offer a different 64 00:03:05,730 --> 00:03:07,860 way to think about it. And that's why we're starting with 65 00:03:07,860 --> 00:03:09,150 this now. 66 00:03:09,420 --> 00:03:12,870 Heidi: Yeah, February is probably not the moment you 67 00:03:12,870 --> 00:03:16,140 usually start thinking about state testing. You are probably 68 00:03:16,140 --> 00:03:18,540 nowhere close to being done with teaching your curriculum. 69 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,020 Emily: Yeah, because it is still really early. Most people 70 00:03:22,020 --> 00:03:25,320 probably haven't even had Spring Break yet. But even though you 71 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,350 haven't taught all your units yet, some of what you taught 72 00:03:28,350 --> 00:03:31,710 back in September and October is already just a vague memory for 73 00:03:31,710 --> 00:03:34,080 your students, because that's just how brains work. 74 00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:37,470 Heidi: And what happens if we wait until April to start 75 00:03:37,470 --> 00:03:41,520 reviewing is we end up in that frantic cram-everything-in mode, 76 00:03:41,910 --> 00:03:44,820 which is stressful for everyone, and it's honestly not that 77 00:03:44,820 --> 00:03:48,690 effective. All of the worksheets and repetition that we call test 78 00:03:48,690 --> 00:03:52,560 prep are not really test prep. They're tools we use to help 79 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:53,130 with test prep. 80 00:03:53,820 --> 00:03:56,610 Emily: And they're not even very effective tools, which means we 81 00:03:56,610 --> 00:04:00,600 need a different definition of what preparation actually is. 82 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,720 It's not about showing students the material again. It's about 83 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,750 helping them remember what they've already learned. 84 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,630 Heidi: That's really a different goal, and it requires some 85 00:04:09,630 --> 00:04:10,800 unique strategies. 86 00:04:11,220 --> 00:04:14,070 Emily: Yeah. So let's start by taking a look at something we 87 00:04:14,070 --> 00:04:18,420 call the recognition trap. This is sneaky, and it's why a lot of 88 00:04:18,420 --> 00:04:20,940 traditional test review doesn't actually stick in your kids' 89 00:04:20,940 --> 00:04:21,450 brain. 90 00:04:22,290 --> 00:04:24,780 Heidi: Think about what review often looks like in an 91 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:27,840 elementary classroom. We pull out the anchor charts, we 92 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:30,900 rewatch a video, we play a Kahoot where kids can look at 93 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:33,960 their notes, and it feels productive. The kids are saying, 94 00:04:33,990 --> 00:04:36,060 Oh yeah, I remember this. They're engaged. They're 95 00:04:36,060 --> 00:04:38,820 participating. It seems like it's working. 96 00:04:39,270 --> 00:04:42,810 Emily: But that oh yeah feeling isn't really remembering. It's 97 00:04:42,810 --> 00:04:47,130 recognition. And we might use remember and recognition as 98 00:04:47,130 --> 00:04:50,730 synonyms, but they are not the same thing. When students 99 00:04:50,730 --> 00:04:54,030 recognize something, they're thinking, this looks familiar. 100 00:04:54,660 --> 00:04:57,240 Heidi: But tests are not asking students to recognize 101 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,990 information, they need to remember it. That means pulling 102 00:05:00,990 --> 00:05:04,020 information out of their brains with nothing in front of them. 103 00:05:04,620 --> 00:05:07,470 Emily: When we plan our review activities, it seems logical 104 00:05:07,470 --> 00:05:10,410 that offering extra support, like letting students reference 105 00:05:10,410 --> 00:05:14,370 their notes or a textbook should make review extra effective, but 106 00:05:14,370 --> 00:05:16,860 that little safety net completely undermines the 107 00:05:16,860 --> 00:05:20,130 effectiveness of the review that we spent so much time and energy 108 00:05:20,130 --> 00:05:21,060 putting together. 109 00:05:21,510 --> 00:05:26,880 Heidi: So what actually works? The short answer is practice 110 00:05:26,910 --> 00:05:31,560 remembering. Give students low stakes opportunities to pull 111 00:05:31,590 --> 00:05:34,980 information from their memory without any support. This is 112 00:05:34,980 --> 00:05:38,340 called retrieval practice, and it is the most effective 113 00:05:38,340 --> 00:05:41,160 strategy that we have for helping learning stick. 114 00:05:41,460 --> 00:05:44,190 Emily: And I have to tell you something funny. I was listening 115 00:05:44,190 --> 00:05:47,100 slash watching the Good Hang podcast with Amy Poehler the 116 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:50,250 other day, and she was talking about something, I don't even 117 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,340 remember what it was, like they were trying to remember someone 118 00:05:53,340 --> 00:05:56,040 who was, who played something in a show, something like that. And 119 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:57,870 she went to reach for her phone, and she goes, Oh, wait, no, 120 00:05:57,870 --> 00:06:02,550 you're supposed to try to remember what it is before you 121 00:06:02,580 --> 00:06:05,100 ask, or before you search, before you look it up. You're 122 00:06:05,100 --> 00:06:07,560 supposed to try to remember. It's better for your brain if 123 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:11,010 you do that. I was like, Yes, that's true. Good job, Amy! 124 00:06:13,260 --> 00:06:15,780 Not to say that I am good at doing that before I go and 125 00:06:15,780 --> 00:06:18,360 Google things, I should try harder. But I loved that she 126 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,360 said that. I was like, Oh my gosh, that's amazing. And of 127 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,940 course, like here on the podcast, we are not going to go 128 00:06:23,940 --> 00:06:27,480 super deep into the science today, but the basic idea that 129 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,470 Amy is talking about is this. Every time you work to recall 130 00:06:31,470 --> 00:06:34,380 something from memory, you strengthen that memory. The 131 00:06:34,410 --> 00:06:37,560 effort of trying to remember is what makes information stick. 132 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:41,340 Heidi: And what maybe Amy realized is is that you don't 133 00:06:41,340 --> 00:06:43,950 even have to get the right answer for this to benefit you, 134 00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:47,250 even if you're wrong, just trying to come up with the 135 00:06:47,250 --> 00:06:50,910 answer, is enough to boost understanding. The struggle to 136 00:06:50,910 --> 00:06:53,070 remember is what builds the pathway. 137 00:06:53,280 --> 00:06:57,150 Emily: Which totally feels opposite, like it doesn't feel 138 00:06:57,150 --> 00:07:00,030 good to try to remember something and then get it wrong. 139 00:07:00,300 --> 00:07:03,390 Heidi: Yeah, when it feels hard, we think something's wrong, but 140 00:07:03,390 --> 00:07:05,340 the hard is actually the goal. 141 00:07:05,790 --> 00:07:08,460 Emily: So if you're new to retrieval practice, don't let 142 00:07:08,460 --> 00:07:11,970 the official name scare you. It really can be as simple as 143 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,020 flashcards. 144 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,110 Heidi: And another simple strategy that I love is a brain 145 00:07:16,110 --> 00:07:20,220 dump. You just pause your lesson or activity, ask students to 146 00:07:20,220 --> 00:07:22,680 write down everything they can remember about what you've been 147 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,020 teaching to that point, and then you just continue with the 148 00:07:25,020 --> 00:07:25,410 lesson. 149 00:07:25,950 --> 00:07:28,410 Emily: And you don't have to grade these. You don't even have 150 00:07:28,410 --> 00:07:31,530 to collect the papers. Students can keep them to look back on 151 00:07:31,530 --> 00:07:34,530 later. It's kind of cool to see how much they know after a few 152 00:07:34,530 --> 00:07:37,200 weeks. Or they can just go straight in the recycling bin. 153 00:07:37,620 --> 00:07:41,010 Heidi: Brain dumps are so versatile, they work for any 154 00:07:41,010 --> 00:07:44,340 grade and any topic, whether your students are drawing 155 00:07:44,340 --> 00:07:46,920 pictures in kindergarten or writing full paragraphs in fifth 156 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,030 grade, the concept is the same. And bonus, there is no prep 157 00:07:51,030 --> 00:07:51,930 involved with this. 158 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,950 Emily: Oh, such a win. Another retrieval practice comes from a 159 00:07:55,950 --> 00:08:00,690 book called Powerful Teaching by Pooja Agarwal and Patrice Bain. 160 00:08:01,050 --> 00:08:04,620 This book is chock full of helpful learning routines, and 161 00:08:04,620 --> 00:08:07,530 they share one that I really love called Two Things. You give 162 00:08:07,530 --> 00:08:10,350 students a simple prompt, like write down two things you 163 00:08:10,350 --> 00:08:13,350 learned so far today, or two things you remember from 164 00:08:13,350 --> 00:08:16,710 yesterday, or two things you'd like to know more about. 165 00:08:17,190 --> 00:08:19,530 Heidi: And like with a brain dump, you can drop this in the 166 00:08:19,530 --> 00:08:22,470 middle of a lesson and then just move on, or you could use it as 167 00:08:22,470 --> 00:08:25,680 an exit ticket or as a warm up the day after the lesson. 168 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:28,620 Emily: With strategies like brain dumps or two things, the 169 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:32,040 key is helping students see this as a learning tool and not a 170 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,780 form of assessment. Cheer them on if it feels challenging, let 171 00:08:36,780 --> 00:08:39,480 them know that struggle means their brain is working hard, 172 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:40,830 which means they're learning. 173 00:08:41,370 --> 00:08:44,430 Heidi: Meaningful review really does not have to be complicated. 174 00:08:44,790 --> 00:08:47,970 Keep it short, keep it consistent, and keep it as low 175 00:08:47,970 --> 00:08:50,430 stakes as possible. Do not grade these. 176 00:08:51,090 --> 00:08:54,060 Emily: No, please do not grade these unless you are absolutely 177 00:08:54,060 --> 00:08:57,210 required to, and then just make it pass fail so the focus stays 178 00:08:57,210 --> 00:08:59,250 on the learning and not the points. 179 00:08:59,580 --> 00:09:03,150 Heidi: This really couldn't be easier. The hardest part is just 180 00:09:03,150 --> 00:09:06,240 remembering to actually do it. When you are in the flow of 181 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,480 teaching, it's really easy to forget to pause for some 182 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:10,530 retrieval practice. 183 00:09:11,250 --> 00:09:13,680 Emily: And that's why we created a resource called Power 184 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:17,130 Questions. It's designed to make this kind of practice painless 185 00:09:17,130 --> 00:09:20,940 and easy to maintain. The idea behind this is simple. After you 186 00:09:20,940 --> 00:09:23,430 teach a lesson, you jot down a question from the lesson on a 187 00:09:23,430 --> 00:09:26,610 slip of paper and drop it in a basket. Over time, you build up 188 00:09:26,610 --> 00:09:29,130 a collection of questions that cover a bunch of different 189 00:09:29,130 --> 00:09:29,670 topics. 190 00:09:30,390 --> 00:09:32,970 Heidi: And then when you have a few minutes, maybe you do this 191 00:09:32,970 --> 00:09:36,090 as part of a warm up, maybe you save it for before lunch, or as 192 00:09:36,090 --> 00:09:39,060 a transition, you pull a question from the basket and you 193 00:09:39,060 --> 00:09:42,270 have your students answer it. Because the questions come from 194 00:09:42,270 --> 00:09:45,480 lessons that you have taught days or weeks ago, your students 195 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:47,910 have to work to actually remember, and that's our 196 00:09:47,910 --> 00:09:51,060 retrieval practice. And that's where the learning happens. 197 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,750 Emily: Now Power Questions is currently only available inside 198 00:09:54,750 --> 00:09:57,150 the Teacher Approved Club, because that is this month's 199 00:09:57,390 --> 00:10:01,860 bonus tool for our club members. We have included blank question 200 00:10:01,860 --> 00:10:04,230 slips that you can print and cut out so they're ready when you 201 00:10:04,230 --> 00:10:07,410 need them. There's a label for your question basket to make it 202 00:10:07,410 --> 00:10:12,090 a visual part of your routine. Plus it has a cute, super cute, 203 00:10:12,090 --> 00:10:13,170 superhero theme. 204 00:10:13,710 --> 00:10:16,500 Heidi: It really did turn out so cute. When we're designing 205 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:18,720 stuff, like, we don't have a design background, so there's 206 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,060 always a little bit of like, I'm not sure how this is going to 207 00:10:21,060 --> 00:10:22,950 go. But it came together so cute. 208 00:10:22,950 --> 00:10:23,430 Emily: Yes. 209 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,550 Heidi: The question slips provide a great structure for 210 00:10:26,550 --> 00:10:30,150 your review, but we know that structure always needs a little 211 00:10:30,150 --> 00:10:33,750 bit of spark to balance it out. So we included some fun bonus 212 00:10:33,750 --> 00:10:37,620 prompts that we called power ups. These are all desk friendly 213 00:10:37,620 --> 00:10:40,800 activities that can be done in a minute or less, think things 214 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,610 like tongue twisters or slow motion movement challenges like, 215 00:10:44,730 --> 00:10:46,380 pretend to be a melting snowman. 216 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:47,250 Emily: I love that. 217 00:10:47,310 --> 00:10:50,250 Heidi: They're quick, but just a little sprinkle of fun can go a 218 00:10:50,250 --> 00:10:53,610 long way toward keeping your kids engaged. And the more 219 00:10:53,640 --> 00:10:55,590 engaged the kids are, the more they can learn. 220 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:58,260 Emily: We had so much fun thinking up these prompts, and 221 00:10:58,260 --> 00:11:01,230 we also include a seven page Teacher's Guide that walks you 222 00:11:01,230 --> 00:11:04,380 through how to fit this in your day without it becoming one more 223 00:11:04,380 --> 00:11:07,830 thing to manage, plus every possible thing you might wonder 224 00:11:07,830 --> 00:11:10,980 about setting this up. We really thought about it for you, common 225 00:11:10,980 --> 00:11:13,890 problems you might run into, troubleshooting, all of that. 226 00:11:13,890 --> 00:11:15,090 It's all in the teacher's guide. 227 00:11:15,450 --> 00:11:18,120 Heidi: And if paper isn't your thing, we included digital 228 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:21,330 slides too. It works the same. You just record a question after 229 00:11:21,330 --> 00:11:24,540 a lesson and then come back to it later. But with the slides, 230 00:11:24,570 --> 00:11:27,000 you can display the question for students to see. 231 00:11:27,540 --> 00:11:30,060 Emily: Yeah, which is super handy. And then club members 232 00:11:30,060 --> 00:11:32,580 also get access to a bonus training this month that goes 233 00:11:32,580 --> 00:11:35,490 deeper into the learning science behind all of this. We explain 234 00:11:35,490 --> 00:11:38,400 how the different pieces work together to help create durable 235 00:11:38,400 --> 00:11:41,640 learning and share some practical tips to help keep it 236 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:42,270 manageable. 237 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,500 Heidi: Okay, now you've got some good tools for incorporating 238 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:50,040 retrieval practice into your regular schedule. So let's talk 239 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,010 about another layer to this process, which is helping 240 00:11:53,010 --> 00:11:55,680 students recognize what they actually know. 241 00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:58,260 Emily: It might not sound like much, but this is actually a 242 00:11:58,260 --> 00:12:00,960 really important part of test prep, because students often 243 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,500 think they understand more than they actually do. Researchers 244 00:12:04,500 --> 00:12:07,350 call this the illusion of knowing, and it happens to all 245 00:12:07,350 --> 00:12:08,700 of us, not just kids. 246 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,300 Heidi: Oh, for sure, I do this all the time, even on just a 247 00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:15,690 small scale. Like, how many times have I scanned the 248 00:12:15,690 --> 00:12:18,780 directions on the back of the frozen food box, confident that 249 00:12:18,780 --> 00:12:21,750 I knew what to do, because I have cooked frozen food before? 250 00:12:21,930 --> 00:12:25,020 But then I have to retrieve the box because I already have 251 00:12:25,050 --> 00:12:27,270 forgotten the temperature it needs to be cooked at. You know, 252 00:12:27,390 --> 00:12:29,460 honestly, it might happen every time I cook. 253 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,560 Emily: I know, I'm always scampering back to that trash 254 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:36,120 can, wait, what did that say? Because it seems so easy you 255 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,700 don't pay close attention, and that's why you can't remember if 256 00:12:38,700 --> 00:12:42,030 it's 375, or 425, for your chicken nuggets. I know you're 257 00:12:42,030 --> 00:12:43,590 eating a lot of chicken nuggets, Heidi. 258 00:12:44,460 --> 00:12:46,680 Heidi: Well, for chicken nuggets, it's gotta be what, 400 259 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:47,700 at least, I would think. 260 00:12:47,850 --> 00:12:51,000 Emily: I mean, probably. But do either of us actually know? We 261 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,630 just think we know. And that's exactly what happens to 262 00:12:54,630 --> 00:12:57,900 students. When something feels familiar, when we recognize 263 00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:00,240 that, our brain interprets that as understanding. We think, 264 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,320 yeah, I've got this. But recognition is not mastery, and 265 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,900 that false confidence can really trip students up. 266 00:13:07,470 --> 00:13:11,100 Heidi: That's how everyone sits through a review, nodding along. 267 00:13:11,310 --> 00:13:13,860 You think everyone's got this, and then they get to the test 268 00:13:13,860 --> 00:13:16,470 and realize they were not as solid as they thought. 269 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,110 Emily: And so that's why feedback is so important. 270 00:13:19,290 --> 00:13:22,470 Feedback interrupts that false confidence. It gives students 271 00:13:22,470 --> 00:13:25,380 real information about where they actually are. 272 00:13:25,860 --> 00:13:29,430 Heidi: And just like retrieval practice, feedback is so easy to 273 00:13:29,430 --> 00:13:32,340 add to what you're already doing. With brain dumps, for 274 00:13:32,340 --> 00:13:34,830 example, after your students write down everything they can 275 00:13:34,830 --> 00:13:38,040 think of, have them swap papers with a neighbor and try to add 276 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,560 something new to what their partner wrote. That quick 277 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:43,560 comparison helps both students see what they remembered and 278 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:44,310 what they missed. 279 00:13:44,730 --> 00:13:47,190 Emily: With the two things strategy, you can have students 280 00:13:47,190 --> 00:13:49,470 share one of their two things with a partner or with the 281 00:13:49,470 --> 00:13:52,590 class. Hearing what other people wrote helps them confirm they're 282 00:13:52,590 --> 00:13:55,710 on track or realize they need to revisit something. 283 00:13:56,250 --> 00:13:59,610 Heidi: In the teacher guide to our Power Questions resource, we 284 00:13:59,610 --> 00:14:02,430 walk you through how to lead a quick discussion about students 285 00:14:02,430 --> 00:14:05,850 thinking. Questions like, who tried it a different way, or 286 00:14:05,850 --> 00:14:08,250 what was tricky about that question, get students 287 00:14:08,250 --> 00:14:09,480 reflecting on their learning. 288 00:14:10,020 --> 00:14:12,210 Emily: Even if you don't pair reflection with retrieval 289 00:14:12,210 --> 00:14:15,480 practice, it can still impact learning all on its own. In one 290 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,570 study, college students who simply rated their understanding 291 00:14:18,570 --> 00:14:22,080 after a lecture and reflected on how they could improve, ended up 292 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:24,450 scoring nearly a full letter grade higher than their 293 00:14:24,450 --> 00:14:26,400 classmates who didn't do the reflection. 294 00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:31,500 Heidi: That is huge. Just the act of pausing and thinking 295 00:14:31,500 --> 00:14:35,190 about your own learning makes a measurable difference. So here 296 00:14:35,190 --> 00:14:37,680 are some reflection questions you can use with your students. 297 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:42,210 You might ask which part felt easy, which part made you pause? 298 00:14:42,780 --> 00:14:45,360 Emily: Or what would you tell a friend who missed this lesson? 299 00:14:45,870 --> 00:14:48,660 Rate Your confidence from one to five. Now let's check and see 300 00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:52,410 how you did. Or what's one thing you're solid on and one thing 301 00:14:52,410 --> 00:14:53,310 you need to review? 302 00:14:54,150 --> 00:14:56,670 Heidi: These questions help students become aware of their 303 00:14:56,670 --> 00:14:59,880 own learning. They start to notice what they actually know, 304 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,630 versus what just feels familiar, and that self awareness is 305 00:15:03,630 --> 00:15:07,080 powerful. When students can name what they're shaky on, they can 306 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:08,250 do something about it. 307 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,880 Emily: Okay, so let's pull this all together. Test prep doesn't 308 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,030 have to mean packets, pressure or pausing instruction. Oh, look 309 00:15:15,030 --> 00:15:19,020 at the alliteration. Real preparation is helping students 310 00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:20,370 remember and reflect. 311 00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:24,390 Heidi: Start now, even though it is only February, with short, 312 00:15:24,390 --> 00:15:27,720 frequent, low stakes practice. All your kids need are 313 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,300 opportunities to pull information from memory without 314 00:15:30,300 --> 00:15:33,720 support and increased awareness of what they actually know. 315 00:15:34,230 --> 00:15:36,600 Emily: And if you want to go deeper, inside the Teacher 316 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,390 Approved Club this month, we're diving into the learning science 317 00:15:39,390 --> 00:15:43,020 behind all of this, how recall, spacing and reflection work 318 00:15:43,020 --> 00:15:46,410 together, and exactly how to use them without overwhelming your 319 00:15:46,410 --> 00:15:46,770 day. 320 00:15:47,370 --> 00:15:49,980 Heidi: Club members get the Power Questions resource, which 321 00:15:49,980 --> 00:15:52,440 includes everything you need to start this kind of intentional 322 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,890 practice right away, plus the bonus training that walks you 323 00:15:55,890 --> 00:15:59,190 through all of the whys and the hows. If you have been thinking 324 00:15:59,190 --> 00:16:01,860 about joining our club, this is a really great month to do it. 325 00:16:02,100 --> 00:16:03,660 We will drop a link in the show notes. 326 00:16:04,650 --> 00:16:06,690 Emily: Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where 327 00:16:06,690 --> 00:16:09,870 we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters 328 00:16:09,870 --> 00:16:13,170 and simplify the rest. This week's teacher approved tip is 329 00:16:13,170 --> 00:16:17,280 to add a bonus mini prep to your schedule. I bet everyone's 330 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:18,900 excited to hear about this one. 331 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,260 Heidi: Yes, and we have talked about this idea before, but it's 332 00:16:22,260 --> 00:16:25,200 been a little while, so it bears repeating, because I think this 333 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,250 can be so helpful. So in a related discussion, back in 334 00:16:29,250 --> 00:16:32,640 episode 242, we suggested planning some independent 335 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,700 activities for students at the end of the month as a little 336 00:16:35,730 --> 00:16:38,940 bonus planning time. That way you can effectively plan the 337 00:16:38,940 --> 00:16:41,580 month ahead, and, you know, maybe catch up on some grading. 338 00:16:42,180 --> 00:16:44,790 Emily: Hopefully your end of month bonus prep can be an hour 339 00:16:44,790 --> 00:16:48,240 or two, or maybe even a whole afternoon. But today we want to 340 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,660 look at how to add a smaller pocket of prep to your weekly 341 00:16:51,660 --> 00:16:52,260 schedule. 342 00:16:52,590 --> 00:16:55,800 Heidi: So when I was teaching second grade, the 30 minutes 343 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:00,420 before lunch on Fridays was officially phonics review time. 344 00:17:00,750 --> 00:17:03,210 Emily: And what did they do for phonics review, Heidi? 345 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:07,950 Heidi: Well, my students watched a Between the Lines video while 346 00:17:07,950 --> 00:17:09,390 I planned the week ahead. 347 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:12,599 Emily: I love it, Between the Lines is awesome. 348 00:17:12,810 --> 00:17:17,280 Heidi: It holds up. But that way, when my Friday afternoon 349 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:20,040 prep time rolled around, I already knew exactly what to 350 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:23,490 work on because my list was ready, it made me so much more 351 00:17:23,490 --> 00:17:24,210 productive. 352 00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:27,300 Emily: So the tip is to look at your schedule and find one block 353 00:17:27,300 --> 00:17:29,880 of time in your week where you're normally teaching in 354 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,760 front of students, and find a way to turn that time into 355 00:17:32,790 --> 00:17:34,680 independent learning time instead. 356 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,220 Heidi: Now, you do not need to announce this to your principal, 357 00:17:38,670 --> 00:17:40,440 and I know we have some principals who listen to this 358 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,800 podcast. So if that's you, maybe stop listening now, so you have 359 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:48,600 some plausible deniability. But like I said, on my official 360 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:52,170 schedule, before lunch on Friday, was phonics review, and 361 00:17:52,170 --> 00:17:54,630 if anyone had walked in, they would have seen my students 362 00:17:54,690 --> 00:17:57,900 fully engaged in reviewing phonics with an educational 363 00:17:57,900 --> 00:18:00,510 video. It's not like we were watching Charlie Brown. 364 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:02,850 Emily: Yeah, right. It's not like you're just putting any 365 00:18:02,850 --> 00:18:05,310 sort of filler up, you chose with intention. 366 00:18:05,490 --> 00:18:08,670 Heidi: Yes, it was academic, educational content, but it 367 00:18:08,670 --> 00:18:12,270 freed me up to claim those 30 minutes, and that completely 368 00:18:12,300 --> 00:18:16,110 reshaped my teaching life, I'm not exaggerating. For the first 369 00:18:16,110 --> 00:18:20,220 time, I broke free from that day to day planning hamster wheel, 370 00:18:20,610 --> 00:18:25,110 and I started preparing more strategically. And yes, I could 371 00:18:25,110 --> 00:18:28,050 have done this planning after school, but by Friday afternoon, 372 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,650 or really any afternoon, by any afternoon, I was just toast, and 373 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,350 I wanted to get home. I didn't have the brainpower for 374 00:18:34,350 --> 00:18:38,310 strategic planning. I had brain power to run copies. So I needed 375 00:18:38,700 --> 00:18:41,580 to split those work tasks into a time when I had the energy and 376 00:18:41,580 --> 00:18:45,270 focus for managing it. Doing it in the morning meant that I 377 00:18:45,270 --> 00:18:48,240 could deal with all of the details. It gave me a better 378 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,690 shot at being the kind of teacher I wanted to be, instead 379 00:18:51,690 --> 00:18:54,240 of the overwhelmed one I was a lot of the time. 380 00:18:54,810 --> 00:18:57,510 Emily: And this bonus prep does not need to be long. Even 20 381 00:18:57,510 --> 00:19:01,260 extra minutes a week can have a huge impact on your productivity 382 00:19:01,260 --> 00:19:04,500 and your happiness as a teacher, if you're intentional about how 383 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:07,890 you use those minutes. It might be a video. It might be a review 384 00:19:07,890 --> 00:19:10,980 game that they can do without you. It might be silent reading 385 00:19:10,980 --> 00:19:13,920 or a listening center, whatever works for your class. 386 00:19:14,940 --> 00:19:16,980 Heidi: All right, to wrap up the show, we are showing what we're 387 00:19:16,980 --> 00:19:19,260 giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your 388 00:19:19,260 --> 00:19:20,040 extra credit? 389 00:19:20,610 --> 00:19:25,590 Emily: I'm giving extra credit to the new old Muppet Show. It's 390 00:19:25,590 --> 00:19:28,830 so fun to have it back again, and I love that they did an 391 00:19:28,860 --> 00:19:32,430 almost exact recreation of one of the old openings for the new 392 00:19:32,430 --> 00:19:36,270 one. It was just, oh, it's so nostalgic, but also like feels 393 00:19:36,570 --> 00:19:40,320 fresh at the same time. I don't know if it's just a limited run 394 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,170 of episodes, or if it's gonna stick around, but definitely 395 00:19:43,170 --> 00:19:46,380 check it out. It's a super fun watch for the whole fam. I think 396 00:19:46,500 --> 00:19:49,230 those of us in our generation have the love and nostalgia of 397 00:19:49,230 --> 00:19:52,590 growing up with the Muppets, but kids these days love it just as 398 00:19:52,590 --> 00:19:54,420 much. So we all enjoyed it. 399 00:19:54,750 --> 00:19:57,570 Heidi: Oh, that's so fun. I've been seeing so much stuff online 400 00:19:57,570 --> 00:19:58,890 about it. I'll have to check it out. 401 00:19:59,070 --> 00:20:01,080 Emily: Yeah, it was on Disney Plus, but I think it was also 402 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:02,880 just like on ABC. 403 00:20:03,030 --> 00:20:03,840 Heidi: Oh, okay, good. 404 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,330 Emily: What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi? 405 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:09,870 Heidi: Well, my extra credit goes to the potted bowl garden 406 00:20:09,870 --> 00:20:13,890 subscription I got for Christmas. It has been such a 407 00:20:13,890 --> 00:20:18,750 joy. I am not a plant person, because the long term care of a 408 00:20:18,750 --> 00:20:21,990 plant is more than I can face. You have to prune it and repot 409 00:20:22,110 --> 00:20:27,240 it and manage the light. And I'm barely keeping myself alive. But 410 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,510 this little bulb garden is so fun because it is a short term 411 00:20:30,510 --> 00:20:33,720 commitment. Everything arrives potted. Just take off like the 412 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,420 little straw packaging on top. You water it when it's dry, 413 00:20:36,420 --> 00:20:38,160 watch it grow, and then it's done. 414 00:20:39,780 --> 00:20:40,350 Emily: I love it. 415 00:20:41,610 --> 00:20:46,080 Heidi: And I did buy a little clip on grow light. I guess I'm 416 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:50,130 a gardener now, because my house doesn't get much sunlight, but 417 00:20:50,130 --> 00:20:53,430 that is all the work I put into it. But it's just so fun to wake 418 00:20:53,430 --> 00:20:57,030 up in the morning and see the new blooms that have bloomed. 419 00:20:58,110 --> 00:20:58,710 Blossomed? 420 00:20:59,070 --> 00:20:59,760 Emily: Popped up. 421 00:21:00,060 --> 00:21:02,880 Heidi: There we go. It makes me so happy. I can finally be a 422 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,450 plant lady without having to be a plant lady. The bulbs are from 423 00:21:06,450 --> 00:21:08,910 Holland bulb farm, and I will put a link to them in the show 424 00:21:08,910 --> 00:21:10,830 notes, as well as a link to the grow light. 425 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:14,400 Emily: Well, I am so jealous of your bulbs. So now I really, 426 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,790 really want these. I should have asked for them for Christmas 427 00:21:17,790 --> 00:21:18,120 too. 428 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:20,070 Heidi: Start your list. 429 00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:20,970 Emily: I guess so. 430 00:21:22,290 --> 00:21:25,740 Heidi: That is it for today's episode. Remember, test prep 431 00:21:25,740 --> 00:21:28,860 doesn't have to mean packets and stress. Small, consistent 432 00:21:28,860 --> 00:21:32,040 practice starting now will serve your students so much better 433 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:32,970 than cramming later. 434 00:21:33,390 --> 00:21:36,210 Emily: Try a brain dump or two things question this week and 435 00:21:36,210 --> 00:21:39,210 see how it goes. And if you want the full system for making this 436 00:21:39,210 --> 00:21:42,780 easy, check out Power Questions inside the Teacher Approved 437 00:21:42,780 --> 00:21:45,780 Club. We will have a link to that in the show notes. Thanks 438 00:21:45,780 --> 00:21:47,520 for listening, and we'll see you next week. 439 00:21:49,620 --> 00:21:52,830 Heidi: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I'm 440 00:21:52,830 --> 00:21:53,400 Heidi. 441 00:21:53,460 --> 00:21:56,730 Emily: And I'm Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow 442 00:21:56,730 --> 00:21:59,250 or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an 443 00:21:59,250 --> 00:21:59,700 episode. 444 00:22:00,150 --> 00:22:02,460 Heidi: You can connect with us and other teachers in the 445 00:22:02,460 --> 00:22:05,640 Teacher Approved Facebook group. We'll see you here next week. 446 00:22:05,850 --> 00:22:06,660 Bye for now. 447 00:22:06,690 --> 00:22:07,470 Emily: Bye.