Teacher Appreciation Week is here! We know you’ve spent the year checking in on student thinking, adjusting lessons in the moment, and doing what’s best for your classes, even when plans change.
That kind of teaching takes time and intention, so we want to offer kudos and quick lessons that can make the last few months of the school year feel easier yet just as rewarding.
At Newsela, and especially in our educator community, we love to highlight teachers who go above and beyond to bring content-rich instruction and engaging activities to their students in the classroom every day. Let’s give a virtual round of applause and spotlight some of our featured teachers for this Teacher Appreciation Week:
Mireya is a K-5 math and ELA teacher and an instructional coach at 12X150 Charles James Fox, part of New York City Public Schools. She uses Formative to enhance her understanding of student assessment and collaborate with colleagues to see data trends across grade levels.
Formative has enabled Mireya to easily comment on student work in real time and privately. She feels that they’re more comfortable learning from their mistakes and working toward goals when those mistakes aren’t brought to the attention of their entire class or group.
Jeffrey is a sixth-grade math and social studies teacher at Icahn Charter School. He uses Formative to collaborate with colleagues during beginning- and end-of-year meetings with the seventh-grade math staff. He loves that he can tell other teachers with confidence where their incoming students need help, so they get the best support possible when moving from grade to grade.
Jeffery’s favorite part of Formative? When it can help uncover learning gaps! Activities and assessments help him see in real time where his students are struggling and which steps he should emphasize most to help them truly understand complex math concepts.
Annemarie is a sixth-grade ICT teacher at Frederick Douglass Academy V in District 12. Formative helps her meet the needs of all her ELA students, regardless of their learning level, background, or individual challenges. She loves not having to rely on one-size-fits-all assessments since they often fail to capture what students truly know.
One thing that’s surprised her about Formative? The shift in student engagement! Because there are multiple ways to interact and respond, students are more motivated to participate and stay focused on the task at hand.
Janelle is a seventh-grade social studies teacher and department lead at IS 318 - School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Through Arts in District 12. She loves that Formative has helped her move from “grading” to “analyzing,” to better see where her students are struggling using visual data patterns and results all in one place.
The most rewarding teacher moment for Janelle? When she can shift from assuming student growth to proving it. She said that the transparency of results allows her to objectively assess whether a lesson was strong. Plus, she feels that seeing students’ performance progress over time is the ultimate validation that the teaching adjustments she makes based on results are impacting their literacy skills.
Want to help your students show appreciation for other teachers at your school? Here are some activities you can do with your students to help spread gratitude throughout your building:
In the Newselaverse, you can participate in events, get involved to provide feedback and tips, and share lessons or resources you love.
You can join the Newselaverse by following us on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. You can also participate in teacher events or share your best lessons and activities with us all right on our website!
