Every minute counts, especially for English leaners

Guest Contributor: Kristin Pierce

It’s May, and we teachers are tired. Paper chains counting the days until summer break adorn the walls of our classrooms. And yet, we are trying desperately to make these last few weeks, days, and even minutes with our students count. That is why, especially in the final weeks of the school year, I continue to use TeachFX to measure student engagement in my classroom.

A little about me: I’m about to finish my 14th year as an English teacher. A few years ago, I started teaching primarily English learners. I’ve seen the research showing that student talk leads to student learning, especially for English learners, so I wanted to make sure my English learners were the ones doing the talking and the learning, not me. Looking to stay fresh and hold myself accountable for higher student engagement among my English learners, I started using TeachFX.

With TeachFX, I could see my growth from single-digit percentages of Student Talk up to the teens and twenties. I could also quickly see my “highlights” — those moments when my students we really engaged — and build from those successes.

The old adage “what gets measured gets done” holds true. I have always fancied myself a reflective educator, but the difference between *feeling* like a lesson went well and realizing that your students were talking for 8% of the lesson (a whopping 3 minutes) is staggering. TeachFX allows me to quantify who is talking (and who is not) in my classroom and it provides highlights and insights in order to change those patterns going forward. How can I serve the students in my classroom if I’m the one doing the talking and not them? TeachFX allows me to participate in honest self-reflection — both on a daily basis and by looking at my analytics over time:

So yes, it is May. And we are tired. But if you are anything like me, you have already thought (multiple times) “next year I’m going to…” Why not make TeachFX part of your teaching practice in these final weeks? You will be amazed at what it tells you if you are willing to listen.