TRANSCRIPT: Opening:Welcome back to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Over the past five episodes, we’ve journeyed through the art and science of building meaningful criteria. We’ve explored backward design, unpacked standards using Bloom’s taxonomy, created task-neutral criteria, refined them with quality language, added “This means that…” to ensure clarity for students and teachers alike, and made them first person so students see themselves in the assessment. Now, in our final episode of this series, we’re looking at what comes next. We’ll explore how your criteria can drive meaningful learning experiences while empowering students to take ownership of their progress…because “If You Build It, They Will Grow!”________________________________________Here’s the Issue:We have beautiful criteria. Now what? Criteria aren’t just for you to assess students—they’re for teaching, self-assessment, portfolios, communication and more!  But it begins with this criteria. In speaking with educators’ things like retakes and redos, self-assessment, portfolio building and supporting students with disabilities have been difficult to manage. But guess what? The criteria you’ve built can now support you with all of these things! ________________________________________Let’s Break It Down1. Make Criteria the Heart of Teaching:Criteria are not just an endpoint—they form the foundation for planning, instruction, and assessment.o Design intentional tasks: Learning tasks should align directly with the skills and understandings outlined in the criteria. This ensures that students engage in activities that build toward proficiency rather than just completing unrelated tasks.o Let go or refabricate old tasks: Move away from activities that no longer serve the criteria. Redesign tasks to focus on developing skills and understandings that align with the criteria, ensuring every task has purpose and relevance.o Repurpose old rubrics and checklists: While these tools may no longer be central to assessment, they can support students in organizing their work and meeting task-specific expectations. However, they should not override the broader purpose of teaching to the criteria.o Emphasize skill-building over task completion: Shift the focus from completing assignments to developing and refining skills over time.2. Feedback That Moves Learning Forward:Clear criteria simplify feedback, making it specific, actionable, and focused on growth.o Align feedback with criteria: Because the criteria are clear, strengths and areas for improvement often emerge directly from the criteria itself. This clarity ensures that feedback is targeted, meaningful, and easy for students to understand.o Celebrate progress and identify next steps: Feedback should both affirm accomplishments and highlight specific areas for continued growth, helping students focus on actionable steps to improve.o Incorporate feedback into learning: Feedback should not be a one-time event but an ongoing process that supports students as they refine their understanding and skills over time.3. Support Students with Disabilities and Diverse Needs:Criteria create clear grade-level expectations while providing opportunities to meet students where they are by designing “windows” that guide them toward the criteria.o Illuminate and celebrate every level: Meeting students “where they are” does not mean pushing them to the next level immediately. Instead, it means creating pathways that highlight and celebrate their current level of achievement.o Design windows to the criteria: Windows are more than scaffolding; they provide accessible steps leading up to the criteria, allowing students to see the connections between where they are and where they can go.o Tailor next steps purposefully: Supporting students’ progress could mean helping a pre-level 1 student build foundational skills to reach level 1, assisting a level 3 student to m

TRANSCRIPT: Opening:Welcome back to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Over the past four episodes, we’ve unpacked backward design, explored standards, and crafted criteria that are both task-neutral and detailed. Now, we  need To boldly build criteria where no one has gone before. Hyperbole aside, we need to take those to the next level by refining them to be student-centered and accessible. It’s good, but how can we make it great?________________________________________Here’s the Issue:1) Writing criteria in third person—“Students will be able to…” can feel teacher-centric, even when task-neutral and strength-based. True it is our responsibility to assess students and use our professional judgment, but what if we shifted to first-person language? Could this small change help students take a more active role in assessment, build confidence, and foster ownership of their learning? What if we thought about criteria not just as something the teacher uses only but something that invites students into the process, which could help them move from compliance to authentic engagement.  What if first person language helps students see the purpose and relevance of their learning. 2) What if we make sure our criteria is accessible, meaningful and clear to not just us but our students– couldn’t that bridge some of the gaps that even the most thoughtfully written criteria leaves? When looking at criteria, students often ask, “What does this mean?” or “I get that you have expectations, but what do I actually need to do?”—questions we can address with clear, actionable language like “This means that…” It translates criteria into steps that guide students toward standards with confidence and clarity.________________________________________ Let’s revisit our Hiking 101 course and the standard:“Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike, ensuring safety, pacing, and environmental awareness.”We’ve already crafted criteria for four levels of proficiency. Now, we’re adding some clarifying “this means that” language. Then we’ll put it all into first-person language. I’m going to work through this slowly so you can follow along.________________________________________Level 1:Before we get started, imagine a student at the very beginning of their journey. They’re just starting to figure things out and may feel a little unsure along the way.Previously we had:“Is in the beginning stages of identifying and attempting to apply strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness, and is working towards demonstrating understanding and consistency.”Now answer, what do you mean? – what does attempting and beginning stages look like? How will a student know they are there?This means that the student is figuring out which strategies and tools to use and may need help to adjust them during the hike. The result is that the student can complete the hike but may feel unsure or need to stop and rethink their approach along the way.Change it to first person:“I am in the beginning stages of identifying and attempting to apply strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness, and working towards demonstrating understanding and consistency. This means that I am figuring out which strategies and tools to use, and I may need help to adjust them during the hike. The result is that I can complete the hike, but I may feel unsure or need to stop and rethink my approach along the way.”________________________________________Level 2:Next, let’s picture a student who is starting to get the hang of it. They’re making progress but still figuring out how to handle unexpected challenges.Previously we had:“Applies some strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness with limited success, while continuing to work through challenges they are having in understanding and consistency.”Now answer, what do you mean? – what does limited su

TRANSCRIPT: Welcome back to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Over the past three episodes, we’ve been hiking our way through the Hiking 101 standard. We started with backward design, unpacked the standard, and explored how to create task-neutral criteria. Today, we’re going to take those task-neutral criteria a step further by making them detailed and actionable: I Feel the Need, the Need for Detailed Criteria! ________________________________________ Here’s the Issue: In In the last episode, we designed criteria using some quality performance indicators. Here’s a recap.   • Level 1: Is beginning to apply strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness. • Level 2: Applies strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness with limited effectiveness. • Level 3: Applies strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness effectively. • Level 4: Demonstrates expert application of strategies and tools with thoughtful precision.   Now we need to address what the difference is between "limited effectiveness" and "effectively," or how "thoughtful precision" can feel too subjective. Using words like this can be an important first step—but they’re often geared only toward the teacher who wrote them and can feel ambiguous to others. Words like "adequate" or "proficient" help establish a baseline for understanding, but without further detail, they can leave too much room for interpretation and make it harder to communicate expectations clearly.   This is where clear and descriptive criteria come in. They provide measurable outcomes, creating a shared understanding of what performance looks like among educators. When criteria are well-defined, they give teachers a consistent framework for evaluating performance, even for more qualitative aspects. Professional judgment plays a critical role in this process, as it does in all professions, but anchoring it in established criteria ensures that it’s professional and evidence-based, not personal or arbitrary. This balance is essential for fostering fairness and ensuring meaningful assessments that reflect the complexities of learning.   So, detailed criteria solve this problem by painting a clear picture of what each level of performance looks like. They give teachers a solid foundation for consistent evaluations and informed decision-making.   Here’s the key takeaway: detailed doesn’t mean complicated. Think of detailed criteria as a roadmap—it needs to be clear, concise, and actionable, not overwhelming. With this approach, educators can bridge the gap between subjective language and measurable results, enabling reliable and professional assessments.   ________________________________________ Visualize This Scenario: So, we are back to our Hiking 101 course and have already revisited the standard, Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike, ensuring safety, pacing, and environmental awareness. Now we need to shift from concise descriptors to detailed descriptions of performance levels. So I am going to go through each of the four levels as I shared them in episode 3 – concise and then how now in episode 4 they can be written with more detail and I’ll also explain the changes made so you can visualize it.   Level 1   Concise (Episode 3): Is beginning to apply strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness.   Detailed (Episode 4): Is in the beginning stages of identifying and attempting to apply strategies and tools for safety, pacing, and environmental awareness, and is working towards demonstrating understanding and consistency.   Changes made: Additional qualifying language has been added. Beginning stages means “identifying and attempting to apply strategies and tools” and the outcome is they are “working towards demonstrating understanding.”   Level 2   Concise (Episode 3): Applies strategies and tools for safety, p

TRANSCRIPT: Welcome back to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Over the last two episodes, we’ve tackled backward design and unpacking standards—all while hiking through Hiking 101. Today, we’re taking the next step: creating task-neutral criteria. It’s time to move beyond task-specific assessments and focus on the skills at the heart of our standards. Using our Hiking 101 standard, we’ll explore how to write criteria that work across different tasks, ensuring assessments measure what really matters: student learning and skill mastery. Ahhh, "I love the smell of task-neutral criteria in the morning." ________________________________________Here’s the Issue: Most criteria focus too much on specific tasks. Think about it—when you create an assignment, you likely write criteria for that particular assignment:• “Body paragraphs clearly develop the theme from the novel.”• “The birthday cake’s lettering is evenly spaced and legible.”  While these may seem clear, they tie assessment to a single task, a thematic essay for a  novel and decorating a birthday cake. Once the task is done, so is the learning. Even if students redo or revise their work, the feedback focuses on improving the task, not developing the broader skills the standard demands. Here’s where this becomes a problem: Learning isn’t about just completing tasks. It’s about building skills that students can apply across different situations. To do that, we need task-neutral criteria—criteria that focus on the standard, not the assignment.________________________________________Visualize This Scenario: If you haven’t listened to Episode 2 yet, I highly recommend going back—it provides the foundation for everything we’re diving into today. In the last episode, we worked with the Hiking 101 standard, “Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike, ensuring safety, pacing, and environmental awareness.” We rephrased it to make it clearer: “Complete a hike safely by using tools, pacing yourself, and being mindful of the environment.” This simplified version aligns with Bloom’s Taxonomy at the application level, focusing on using skills in real-world situations.  Now, imagine your instructor gives you the following task:“Plan and complete a hike up Teapot Mountain on a summer afternoon in August. The hike is expected to take approximately 3 hours round-trip, with temperatures ranging from 24-30 degrees Celsius.” The instructor provides a rubric, and here’s what it includes: o “Brought enough water.”o “Used a map or trail markers to navigate the route.”o “Demonstrated pacing by taking breaks during the ascent.”o “Followed Leave No Trace principles to protect the environment.”o “Prepared a detailed journal entry post-hike.”o “Took photos of at least five scenic spots along the trail.”o “Brought snacks to share with the group.” Looking at this rubric, it’s clear that some criteria align directly with the standard, while others are task-specific or completely unrelated. For example, bringing enough water is essential for ensuring safety and pacing—both key elements of the standard. However, criteria like “Took photos of at least five scenic spots” don’t connect to the standard at all. While they might enhance the experience, they don’t assess whether students applied the strategies and tools required by the standard. This highlights why task-neutral criteria are so important. By focusing on the skills outlined in the standard, you can assess students’ learning across multiple tasks—not just one specific hike.________________________________________Let’s Break It Down: Here’s first step in how to create task-neutral criteria from the Hiking 101 standard. I am going to use four levels here but you can use anywhere from 2 to 7. I strongly recommend however many levels you use, you are consistent: Start with the Standard: Remember, the goal is to align with:“Apply appropriate strategies and tools

Link to my Bloom’s Taxonomy https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6fxd9swyym0kzmo0mb0tq/Blooms-taxonomy-2024.pdf?rlkey=9drjow0o7qzjjp6xjrjkxxjxu&st=b0eqotkd&dl=0   TRANSCRIPT: Welcome back to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition episode two in our proficiency scale design series, This is the start of a beautiful proficiency scale! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Last week, we tackled backward design. This week, we’re taking on another mess educators face daily—understanding and breaking down standards. After all, as the title suggests…this is the start of a beautiful proficiency scale.________________________________________Here’s the Issue: If you’ve ever looked at a standard and felt lost, you’re not alone. Some standards feel like someone took every education buzzword, threw them into a blender, and hit puree. In British Columbia, we have some of the most thoughtful and beautiful standards—but also some of the longest and even confusing (in my opinion). They can leave you wondering: What am I even supposed to teach here? No matter if you are here in BC or elsewhere the common issue is twofold:1. Standards are often wordy, full of excessive complexity.2. The verbs within the standard don’t always match the intended learning outcome. Last week, I spoke about the importance of backward design which means we must start with the standard. This week, our job is to unpack these standards—break them down into clear, user-friendly language that makes sense for us, our students, and caregivers. But breaking them down doesn’t mean throwing out the original. It’s about sense-making. Once that happens, you might here yourself say: “Oh, that’s what this means!” And then come back to the original to ensure nothing critical is missed.________________________________________Let’s Break It Down: Here’s where Bloom’s Taxonomy comes in (and by the way, other taxonomies also work well here but I’m going to stick with Bloom’s because a, I’m a huge fan of Benjamin Bloom and b, it’s in my wheelhouse).  Bloom’s taxonomy is a brilliant tool because it helps us align the verbs in standards with the intended level of thinking. Verbs like create, evaluate, or analyze point to higher-order skills, while verbs like remember or understand focus on foundational knowledge. But—and this is key—the verb at the beginning of a standard isn’t always the intended focus. The full standard matters. For example, in Hiking 101, our imaginary course, imagine that one of the standard’s reads as follows: “Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike, ensuring safety, pacing, and environmental awareness.” It’s long, it’s wordy, and it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. So, let’s unpack it together.________________________________________Visualize This Scenario:  You’re part of Hiking 101. The instructor gives you this standard, expecting you to “Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike, ensuring safety, pacing, and environmental awareness.”Sounds simple, right?But what does apply mean here? Appropriate strategies? Tools – what tools? Environmental awareness? Huh? Take a deep breath. Let’s break down this standard into steps: 1. First…Align it to Bloom’s:According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, apply means using knowledge or skills in a new situation. So, for the hike, you’re not just memorizing trail rules or identifying equipment, you should be able to do it in a new situation. 2. Second… look Beyond the Verb:This is important because it sometimes tells us what the strategy entails. For example, if the standard was Apply appropriate strategies to plan an independent hike, the words plan an independent hike fall more in line with create in Bloom’s taxonomy. Creating is more about inventing and designing. Now in our case, when we examine Apply appropriate strategies and tools to complete a hike — it justifies that in this case, the standard is definitively about using knowledge or skills in a new situati

TRANSCRIPT: Hey everyone, welcome to Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition Episode 1: There’s no place like backward design! I’m your host, Shannon Schinkel, from the Embrace the Messy Podcast. Today, we’re kicking off a new series on Proficiency Scale Design—and where better to start than by embracing the messy reality of Backward Design? It’s time to let go of old habits and embrace a new way of thinking about lesson planning. Trust me—it’s worth it. There’s simply “no place like backward design…no place like back design…”________________________________________Here’s the Issue: Many teachers still plan lessons by focusing on content first. They think teaching means covering units, chapters, and textbook sections in a specific order. The more they cover, the better, right? Wrong. This approach is called forward design, where the focus is on moving through material, hoping students learn what they need along the way.  Where did this come from? Forward design was historically embraced by educators because it aligned with traditional educational practices. Teachers were used to creating lessons around familiar topics or textbooks, with assessments added afterward. Since early educational models prioritized delivering content, learning was seen primarily as acquiring knowledge through lectures and materials. This made forward design feel straightforward and flexible, allowing teachers to plan engaging activities first and fit assessments around them. Moreover, during the industrial age, schools operated like factories—teaching was the input, and learning was the expected output—reinforcing the step-by-step logic of forward design. With few detailed assessment frameworks available, teachers naturally focused on delivering lessons and evaluating learning afterward, making backward design less practical at the time. But here’s the challenge: If students don’t fully grasp the essential learning targets, what was the point of covering all that material? Checking off topics, assigning quizzes, and grading papers might show progress on the surface, but deeper learning happens when lessons are purposefully designed with clear goals in mind. Forward design emphasizes completion, while meaningful learning requires planning with mastery as the destination.________________________________________Let’s Break It Down: Let’s talk about what Backward Design really means. It’s a planning process where you start with the end in mind—the learning goals or standards—and then work backward to decide what activities, lessons, and assessments will help students reach those goals. With backward design, consider these reflective questions:• What skills and knowledge should students have by the end of the course?• How will you know students have learned these skills?• What learning experiences will support their growth? Note that the learning opportunities come last, not first. Content is still important, but it’s the path, not the destination. Many teachers fall into the unit coverage trap. They feel pressure to cover every topic and every chapter, often falling into the 'inch deep, mile wide' trap where they may rush through numerous units without ensuring deep understanding of essential skills. But here’s the reality: Coverage isn’t learning. Beginning with the units often means:• Rushing from unit to unit with the idea that students need to get through all units regardless of whether they have mastered a skill• Giving assessments which tend to focus on content or are a mishmash of skills all rolled into unit assessments rather than skill-specific assessment• Checking off curriculum boxes without ensuring students mastered anything meaningful• Backward design frees you from that pressure. When you plan with the standard as the destination, you can be selective about what content really matters. Educators can still follow the linear progression of units but should focus on the skills students need to develop, ensuring each unit meaningfully sup

People, do I have a treat for you! Last summer I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Thomas Guskey, and I am finally, finally getting around to sharing it with you—and I thought, what a perfect full length episode to share before the Messy Minutes Assessment Edition Special Proficiency Scale series drops this Friday! Dr. Guskey is an internationally renowned educator, researcher, and author whose career spans decades of groundbreaking contributions to education. From his early days as a middle school teacher to his influential work in grading reform, mastery learning, and educational evaluation, Dr. Guskey has shaped how educators and leaders think about teaching and learning. I also got to meet another one of my assessment heroes, and he did not disappoint. We explored his insights, his latest work, and the powerful ways we can reimagine education together. *** Contact Dr. Guskey through his website: Tguskey.com   ***Have a suggestion for someone Shannon should interview, a question about an episode, or some feedback about the podcast, email Shannon here: embracethemessypodcast@gmail.com.    Thankyou for listening! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.   Find out more about Shannon Schinkel: https://linktr.ee/ShannonSchinkel  

This is your host, Shannon Schinkel, from Messy Minutes: Assessment Edition, part of the Embrace the Messy Podcast, with a cool announcement! I’m thrilled to introduce something I think will make a real difference for you and your students. Over the next six episodes, we’re diving headfirst into building better assessment criteria. Designing criteria for standards is one of my favorite things to teach, but I know not everyone has access to workshops or the luxury of time to dedicate to professional development in this area. Maybe workshops conflict with your professional goals, or the idea of asking for clarification in a large group feels intimidating. Maybe traveling to see an expert just isn’t financially accessible, or you’ve been creating criteria on your own and want to see new approaches. These six episodes won’t replace hands-on learning, but they will provide practical, accessible information to help you get started. Whether you’re brand new to this or have some experience, there’s something here for everyone. Each episode is short—around 10 minutes—and builds on the last as we work through a pretend standard together, creating a polished proficiency scale by the end. And let’s be clear: there’s no single way to design criteria. What I’m sharing is my approach—what I know works. Feel free to adapt it and make it your own.Why this series? Because I know how overwhelming assessment reform can feel. You hear about it all the time but might not know where to begin. This series gives you a place to start. At the end of each episode, you’ll be ready to apply the steps to one of your own standards, building confidence and clarity as we go deeper each week. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Each episode offers practical steps to help you create meaningful, actionable criteria that reflect real learning. So, whether you’re listening on your way to work, during a coffee break, or at the end of a long day, this series is here to support you. Let’s get started, embrace the messy, and make some magic. I’ll meet you right back here on January 3rd—don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss it!   ***Have a suggestion for someone Shannon should interview, a question about an episode, or some feedback about the podcast, email Shannon here: embracethemessypodcast@gmail.com.    Thankyou for listening! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.   Find out more about Shannon Schinkel: https://linktr.ee/ShannonSchinkel  

In this holiday episode, we dive into a Seuss-inspired journey through the magic of feedback and growth. With a lighthearted take on assessment reform, we explore how focusing on progress over perfection can transform the learning experience. Join us for a playful yet meaningful look at how every step forward can light the way!

When it comes to assessment reform, joy and happiness play distinct but vital roles. Joy sparks excitement in small wins—those moments when students grasp a concept or feedback clicks. Happiness, on the other hand, is the steady satisfaction that grows over time as systems take root, progress becomes evident, and the effort starts to pay off. Join me as we explore how these elements sustain us in the messy, meaningful work of transforming assessments.

In this episode, we navigate the delicate balance between stress and overwhelm in the journey of assessment reform. Learn how to recognize the signals, manage the challenges, and decide when it’s time to pause and recharge. Whether you’re feeling stuck or seeking clarity, this conversation will guide you through the messiness with compassion and actionable insights.

Erik M. Francis is returning to the Embrace the Messy Podcast. If you didn’t catch our first conversation, I recommend you head over and check out episode 16.  Erik is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with over 25+ years of experience in education. He is the author of Now That's a Good Question! How to Promote Cognitive Rigor Through Classroom Questioning published by ASCD. He is also the author of Deconstructing Depth of Knowledge: A Method and Model for Deeper Teaching and Learning and the more recent Inquiring Minds Want to Learn Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry which is the basis of our conversation today.  If you love assessment, inquiry, or have a fascination with how students learn you will love this episode! *** Find Erik Francis: www.maverikeducation.com X @Maverikedu12 Instagram @maverikedu   ***Have a suggestion for someone Shannon should interview, a question about an episode, or some feedback about the podcast, email Shannon here: embracethemessypodcast@gmail.com.    Thankyou for listening! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.   Find out more about Shannon Schinkel: https://linktr.ee/ShannonSchinkel  

In this episode, we explore the nuanced debate over testing—when it works, when it doesn’t, and how to make it meaningful. Discover how thoughtful test design and preparation can transform assessments from high-stress events into valuable learning experiences. If you’ve ever questioned the role of tests in your classroom, this conversation will provide clarity and actionable ideas. Tune in!

In this episode, we explore the balance of student voice and choice in the classroom—where students are empowered to make decisions while teachers provide structure and guidance. We'll break down how this approach encourages autonomy without chaos, ensuring students meet learning goals while engaging meaningfully with the material. If you're ready to shift from controller to facilitator, this episode will give you the tools to start.

In this episode, we're tackling the challenge of helping educators who are deeply rooted in traditional assessment practices take their first step toward reform. We'll explore how small, manageable changes can shift their perspective, even when there's pushback. If you’re ready to learn how empathy and patience can lead to meaningful transformation in the classroom, this episode is for you! Tune in to find out more.

In this episode, Shannon chats with Ken Williams, a nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach and consultant in leadership and school culture. A practitioner for nearly three decades, Ken led the improvement efforts at two schools by leveraging the Professional Learning Communities at Work process. Skilled in joining the why of the work to the how of the work, Ken is known for his powerful and engaging combinations of “heart, humor, and hammer.” He is an expert at helping schools build capacity in the collective commitments required of learning for all cultures.  His book, RUTHLESS EQUITY, is a must read for any educator who wants to learn more about how to "start with the crown." To learn more about Ken’s work, visit Unfold The Soul online at www.unfoldthesoul.com, and follow @unfoldthesoul on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIN.   Before the conversation with Ken, Shannon shares a story about a student who needed grace at a time when some might have shut the door on them, and how that proved the power of assessment flexibility and compassion *** Contact Shannon Schinkel about the podcast or consulting: Website: mygrowthmindset.home.blog Email: embracethemessypodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @dramaqueenbrc  Threads: @dramaqueenbrc  If you are an educator who exclusively uses the British Columbia curriculum join Shannon's group on Facebook, Beyond Report Cards. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/65juRisqcoN4FmTa/  

In this episode, we're diving into the heart of effective feedback—when to give it, how to give it, and how to ensure it actually leads to student growth. We'll explore why it's not about the amount of feedback but the impact it has, and how timely, actionable comments can make all the difference. Ready to rethink your feedback strategy? Tune in to learn more!

In this episode, we tackle the challenge of talking to caregivers about assessment reform and shifting away from traditional grades. You'll learn how to break down the benefits of standards-based grading in a way that builds trust and understanding, helping caregivers see how this approach supports their child's growth. Tune in for strategies on how to make these conversations productive and empowering for everyone involved.

In this episode, we’re uncovering the hidden power of learning habits and why they matter more than traditional work habits. We’ll explore how shifting the focus from behaviors like attendance and homework to the skills behind student success can lead to more meaningful growth. If you’re ready to rethink how you view student progress, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Shannon talks with Dr. Peter Liljedahl, a professor of mathematics education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. Peter has authored or coauthored numerous books, book chapters, and journal articles on topics central to the teaching and learning of mathematics, and is most known as the author of the global phenomenon Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics: 14 Practices for Enhancing Learning (Corwin 2020). *** Find out more about Peter Liljedahl at peterliljedahl.com and buildingthinkingclassrooms.com   *** Contact Shannon Schinkel about the podcast or consulting: Website: mygrowthmindset.home.blog Email: embracethemessypodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @dramaqueenbrc  Threads: @dramaqueenbrc  If you are an educator who exclusively uses the British Columbia curriculum join Shannon's group on Facebook, Beyond Report Cards. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/65juRisqcoN4FmTa/