Monitoring is an essential tool in any classroom. Different ways to monitor students helps teachers see what is going on in class and gives them information about student progress. Teachers can use this information to help students understand concepts and provide feedback. Teachers need to understand how to monitor students.
To help you with your teaching practice, we’ve compiled some ideas below to monitor students’ learning at different points throughout the lesson. Try out an idea, or add more as you see fit!
Prefer Unobtrusive Monitoring Over Close Monitoring
Close monitoring requires sensitivity and awareness of the learner. Students might feel self-conscious about what they are doing or think the teacher is judging them. In addition, close monitoring is intrusive and tends to distract students from the task.
For this reason, unobtrusive monitoring is most appropriate. Some helpful tips are:
- Move chairs out from the walls.
- Ensure that there is enough space for everyone to move freely.
- Have a clear path for each student to follow.
- Arrange to sit so everyone can see the teacher.
- Monitor pairs or groups at random intervals.
- Spend less time with any one learner, pair, or group, so you can monitor others.
- Sit with pairs or groups.
Teachers should monitor students from a distance, keeping an eye on what they are doing. When you are monitoring from a distance, you can see everything going on, even when you are not directly in front of the class.
Regular Assessments to Monitor Students
Teachers who monitor their students’ progress through regular assessments are more likely to see improvement in their students’ academic achievement. These assessments should not be done at random times throughout the year.
But should occur regularly enough to allow teachers to identify trends in student performance. Teachers should also consider using multiple assessment forms, including quizzes, tests, assignments, projects, and portfolios.
Ask Review Questions
Before the lesson begins, you should allow your students to practice answering review questions. These questions will help them prepare for the upcoming lesson. You may even ask them to write down answers before class starts. Then, if you notice that they aren’t ready, you can provide additional time for them to complete the assignment.
This is a great way to help your child understand what they need to do before they start working on homework. You can also give them a list of questions you think they might have about the topic covered in the previous lesson. If they ask you something, then you can answer it for them.
Ask questions related to the main concepts of the previous lesson. You can do this using different techniques. For example, you could ask your students to write down a sentence but leave out a specific word. Or, you could give them a true/false question and then have them stand if the statement is true and stay seated if it is wrong.
SpotLight
This simple (and effective) activity involves giving your students red, yellow, or green cards or cups. You should give them all three colors at once. When they get a red card, they need to stop what they’re doing and come back to you. If they get a yellow card, they need to slow down and think about what they just did before moving on.
If they get a green card, they can keep going. This technique can help teachers monitor the pace of their lessons and can be used for both individual seat work and small group instruction.
Ask For Feedbacks to Monitor Students
Ask your students frequently about what they understand and why. If they get an answer wrong, ask them again. You will need to call on them repeatedly until they get it right. Also, keep track of who answers correctly and who doesn’t. This will help you identify your best students and those who need extra help.
Board Work
Board work is excellent for math, grammar, and spelling. Students can work independently or together. If you have individual boards, they will each get their copy of the problems. They can then go back and forth checking each others’ work.
You can pair them and have one partner working on the board while the other works at his/her desk. The partner doing the work should check the work done by the partner at the desk. Both partners need to monitor each other’s work and correct any mistakes.
Interactive Multiple Choice With Cards
Ask students questions about a topic, but give them choices instead of giving them answers. For example, ask students what they think about the following statement: “I am not sure if I like my job.” Students should write down their responses on an index card. Then, have them fold the card in half and put it in their pocket.
When you call on them later, they will pull out their folded card and read their response aloud. This is an excellent exercise because it helps students think about their opinions and practice reading comprehension skills.
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HomeWorks
Homework is an essential part of education. It helps students practice what they’ve learned and allows them to apply it. However, there are many different ways to approach homework assignments. Some teachers will assign homework every night, while others may not assign homework at all.
There are also many different types of homework assigned. Some assignments are meant to help students understand concepts, while others just test if they’ve understood the concept.
If you’ve assigned homework to your students, keep an eye out for signs of struggle. If you see that they’re struggling, provide extra help. You might also ask them what they think they could do differently next time.
Exit Slips
Exit slips should be given before the end of class. Students should be asked to write down an answer to a verbal or written question on a slip of paper. These exit slips should then be returned to the teacher during the next class. Teachers should give feedback on the answers and return the slips to the students.
Practice Tests
In the same way homework helps students understand concepts, tests help them practice what they learned. Tests should be given at regular intervals, directly related to the material covered in class, and graded immediately after taking place.
Students should receive immediate feedback about whether or not they did well on the test. When teachers give tests, they should also provide students with additional resources to study for the next time.
Final Thoughts
To monitor students is an essential tool for any classroom. It ensures that everyone is working hard and doing what they need. Monitoring can be done through various means. It is beneficial when dealing with young children, those with special needs, and those who are not motivated to complete assignments.
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