reThink ELA #004: Interview with Lara Searcy

reThink ELA Podcast
reThink ELA Podcast
reThink ELA #004: Interview with Lara Searcy
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Feedback for Instructional Design

Have you ever asked your students what they’re interested in learning? Or their thoughts about certain lessons? Or are you stuck teaching the same curriculum year after year, fighting to keep the kids engaged even though their eyes glaze over with boredom?

In today’s episode, we discuss how to get students more vested in the learning opportunity. If we focus on the process of learning instead of just the final destination (or final assessment), they will feel empowered and encouraged to voice their ideas and thoughts in an open classroom. Even if students voice their ideas only to you, the teacher, that’s a vast improvement over them disengaging from the discussion.

[bctt tweet=” If we focus on the process of learning instead of just the final destination, students will feel empowered and encouraged to voice their ideas.”]

We also discuss the differences between formative assessment versus summative assessments; does the learning process ever end; how to place more emphasis on ideas; and why it’s important that teachers model thinking for their students to follow.

My guest today is Lara Searcy, an instructor of English education at Northeastern State University who places great importance on student feedback in her classes, not only to know what’s important to them but also how she can improve her classes. She strongly believes that self-assessment is key for teachers as is designing shared goals with your students.

Resources mentioned in today’s episode

Related topics: Podcast, Teaching Writing

About the author 

Michelle Boyd Waters, M.Ed.

Michelle taught secondary ELA in public schools for 10 years. She served as an award-winning journalist before transitioning into education and is now Assistant Director of the OU Writing Center and a teacher consultant for the Oklahoma Writing Project. Michelle co-edited the Oklahoma English Journal for five years. She is a PhD candidate in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum at the University of Oklahoma. She started reThink ELA LLC as a teacher blog in 2012.

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