Research on teaching and learning empowers me with ideas to consider in my classroom.

In Visible Learning for Teachers, Maximizing Impact on Learning (2012), John Hattie reports findings on factors that influence student learning. Student expectations – self assessment – self grading was the identified as one that had the greatest impact on student growth. Given this, providing my students with frequent, varied opportunities for self-assessment and self-reflection makes sense.

When the New Year rolled in, I was looking for inspiration and a way to start on a positive note. I wanted an alternative to the traditional New Year’s Resolution and goal setting. Thanks to many online postings, I discovered myoneword.org. Here was a simple activity and an opportunity for students to self-reflect.

After some discussion, the students personally assessed their overall school performance during the first half of the school year. They chose a word that summed up what they wanted to strive for the rest of the year. Anyone who knows these students well would be able to match each chosen word to its owner; their personal insight never ceases to amaze me.

(Click the image to see our Thinglink!)

Students have taken ownership of their words. They have posted them in their lockers, written them in binders and notebooks, and turned them into screen savers. This week, they reflected how their word connected to math class performance during the month of January and written an entry on their math blogs.

“Well in math class when it was Jan. I was scared to say my answer in class because I did not want to get it wrong so I would never show my answer! So I picked the word brave because I need to be brave in class. Now it’s February and I am not as scared as I was in Jan.!”

“I believed in myself and did good on a test the other day. Now in February I shall do the same!!! “😊

“I was confident in math in January. And I got 100 in multiplication because I was confident in my work.”

We will continue to revisit the words for the rest of the year and do other kinds of more academic self-assessment. While this is not exactly self-grading, I hope that in just a few minutes each week my students will become more empowered learners through their own self-reflection, and this will help lead to growth – all driven by a word.

Please share your ideas on strategies for developing empowered learners!