Student Thinking

To sample student thinking I like to start lessons with a question that is relevant to the lesson. I want to hear what students are thinking about the topic and get them thinking about the topic before we start the lesson. I have also used a KWL chart. I used that during a science lesson when I was in 4th grade and it was fun for students to share what they already knew on a topic and it was interesting, and beneficial, for me to see what students already knew. Students are excited to share facts that others may not know.  To check for understanding on a topic I like to use thumbs up, down, or sideways. I have also had students show me on their fingers, 1-5, how well they felt they understood the material from the lesson. My cooperating teacher also had a target that was lamented so students could write on it. She would sometimes have students come up and put their initials in a certain area depending on how well they understood the material. I thought that was interesting. For my action research project we used small group interviews to sample student thinking about math journals before and after our project. I like the idea of doing that, but have not used that during a normal lesson/unit. We also did a survey which could be done at the beginning of the year or at the beginning of a unit. I have not figured out a great way to check for understanding in middle school yet. I have used exit slips and work samples so far. I also use questioning.