The practicality of mastery
A few simple ideas for mastery learning in the classroom
Water Egress Procedures Practice with Apollo 1 Prime Crew — Ellington AFB, TX
Philosophically, empowering students with persistence through mastery is good pedagogy. The realities of pulling that off, however, often get in the way of that idealism. Here are a few ways that you can build an environment that promotes mastery within the daily structure of class.
Offer Varied Forms of Assessment
Mastery can be demonstrated in many different ways. Offering varied forms of assessment for the same content allows students to show theirthinking their way.
Small Group Instruction
Restructuring the weekly or daily logistics of classroom instruction could build more opportunities for you to work with students one-on-one. Designate specific days of the week for mastery lessons that coincide with material already taught. Or, scale it back to one day a week where students can schedule an appointment during class to discuss the latest quiz or review information. Allow the rest of your class to work on long-term projects or small activities during that time.
Office Visits Required Before Reassessment
When a student requests a chance for mastery, ask them to come back during flex or talk during class. This meeting can act as the gateway to understanding their thinking but also builds self advocacy.
Reassess the Content Through Skills
The integration of thinking skills is useful for reassessing student thinking. When students are unable to score well on an initial assessment, handing them the same test or quiz only promotes memorization. Using a similarly formatted assessment is adequate, but it also gives you an opportunity to use the skills. For example, instead of asking students to provide a list of the causes of World War II, ask them to explain the two most significant contributors to the War. This allows them to pull from a broad bank of knowledge and use their reasoning skill set. Your conversations can then revolve around supporting ideas with evidence — not just direct content.
Allow students to share what they know
Assessing content often limits students to the specific questions we ask. Simply asking them to share any additional information they know that was not on the test can be a springboard for post-assessment discussion.
Offer Varied Forms of Assessment
Mastery can be demonstrated in many different ways. Offering varied forms of assessment for the same content allows students to show theirthinking their way.
Small Group Instruction
Restructuring the weekly or daily logistics of classroom instruction could build more opportunities for you to work with students one-on-one. Designate specific days of the week for mastery lessons that coincide with material already taught. Or, scale it back to one day a week where students can schedule an appointment during class to discuss the latest quiz or review information. Allow the rest of your class to work on long-term projects or small activities during that time.
Office Visits Required Before Reassessment
When a student requests a chance for mastery, ask them to come back during flex or talk during class. This meeting can act as the gateway to understanding their thinking but also builds self advocacy.
Reassess the Content Through Skills
The integration of thinking skills is useful for reassessing student thinking. When students are unable to score well on an initial assessment, handing them the same test or quiz only promotes memorization. Using a similarly formatted assessment is adequate, but it also gives you an opportunity to use the skills. For example, instead of asking students to provide a list of the causes of World War II, ask them to explain the two most significant contributors to the War. This allows them to pull from a broad bank of knowledge and use their reasoning skill set. Your conversations can then revolve around supporting ideas with evidence — not just direct content.
Allow students to share what they know
Assessing content often limits students to the specific questions we ask. Simply asking them to share any additional information they know that was not on the test can be a springboard for post-assessment discussion.