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Learning & Education

8 Google Classroom tips every teacher should know

Apr 17, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

Google Classroom offers a suite of tools for teachers to tailor lessons, engage students, monitor progress, and provide support.

• General summary

Google Classroom offers a range of features to enhance teaching and learning. Teachers can tailor lessons, encourage feedback with rubrics, and gain insights into student progress using analytics. Practice sets provide real-time feedback and support, while interactive questions for YouTube videos enhance learning. Importing and sharing resources saves time, and flexible assignment options cater to diverse needs. Screencast allows teachers to record lessons with embedded videos and automatic transcripts. These tips empower educators to create personalized and engaging learning experiences for their students.

• Bullet points
• Tailor lessons: Create assignments for specific students or groups.
• Encourage feedback: Use rubrics to set expectations and grade assignments.
• Get early insights: Use analytics to monitor student progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Offer support: Use practice sets to provide students with additional support and resources.
• Help students learn at their own pace: Use interactive questions for YouTube videos to engage students and track their progress.
• Import and share: Share practice sets, video activities, and classes with other teachers.
• Add flexibility: Give students more time to submit assignments or mark assignments as excused.
• Record your screen: Use Screencast to create video lessons and provide students with a personalized learning experience.
• Shakespeare-ish

In Google's realm, a Classroom doth reside, Where teachers thrive, with knowledge as their guide. Eight tips revealed, to aid their noble quest, To teach and guide, with passion and zest.

Tailor lessons, to each student's need, With rubrics clear, their progress shall proceed. Analytics deep, insights they shall bestow, To intervene and help their students grow.

Practice sets, with AI's guiding hand, Support they offer, where students stand. YouTube's videos, with questions interspersed, Engage young minds, their learning is immersed.

Import and share, resources rich and vast, Collaboration blooms, the future unsurpassed. Flexibility in grading, a teacher's grace, Screencast's recordings, a diverse embrace.

With these tips in hand, teachers shall soar, In Google's Classroom, learning evermore.

Explore other styles:

Get the most out of Google Classroom with these top tips and tricks to help teachers and students adapt to new ways of learning — and succeeding — in the classroom.

1. Tailor your lessons for your students

In most classrooms, students have different preferences, levels and abilities when it comes to learning. While an article might work for some, a video could be better for others. Meeting students where they are is essential to helping them learn, but isn’t always easy to scale.

Classroom can help get the right lesson to the right student. Under the “Classwork” tab, click “Create” to create an assignment for your students. Select which students in the class will receive it by unselecting “All students” and choosing the specific students for that lesson. From there, create as many assignments as you need for groups or individuals. In the next few months, we will be making this even easier by enabling educators to create groups of students to organize their class and deliver personalized instruction. Educators can create or update student groups right from the assignment creator so they no longer need to manually find each individual student (available with the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade).

2. Encourage a feedback loop with rubrics

When creating an assignment, you can make, reuse or import a rubric so students can understand expectations and their grades. This information makes it easier to have a conversation with students based on their assignments. You can even share rubrics with other educators to save time or weigh certain criteria differently. Simply choose the “Create rubric” option when creating your next assignment. Students will see the rubric before turning in their work, and you’ll be able to grade against the rubric when returning it to them.

3. Get early insights into student learning

With Classroom analytics , you can get a birds-eye view of how your class and students are doing. You can see how students are performing in terms of grades, assignment completion rates, how many missing assignments they have, or how often they’re accessing Classroom on their own. As we add more analytics capabilities to this page, you’ll get more insights about how to support all your students, when you might need to intervene, and how you can differentiate your instruction. To view analytics for your class, click the “Analytics” icon on a class card on the homepage or in the header bar in a class. Available with the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade.

4. Use practice sets to offer support where students need it, at scale

Practice sets help teachers provide students with a way to engage more deeply with a subject when they need a little extra support. Unlike the experience of a static worksheet or PDF, students can see in real time whether they got an answer correct. Teachers can also provide a bank of resources specific to each problem for when students get stuck, like a text hint (“Remember to isolate the variable”) or a YouTube video that reviews the underlying concepts to the problem. Students can show their work using the keyboard or stylus, with teachers receiving snapshots of that work each time a student attempts a problem.

It’s easy to get started with practice sets. First, import an existing Google Form or PDF to instantly transform it into an interactive practice set, or start fresh by creating your first problem. Add a problem question (multiple choice, or short answer, or something else) and tag each problem with a learning skill. AI will suggest learning skills and additional resources as you build your practice sets. An insights dashboard shows how students performed on every practice set assignment, with helpful details and insights like how many tries it took for each student to arrive at the correct answer, or how many students struggled with a particular question. Available with the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade.

5. Help students learn at their own pace with interactive questions for YouTube videos

YouTube is a common learning tool in Classroom today and with interactive questions for YouTube videos , it’s never been easier to use. Add questions at any timestamp and the video will pause and prompt students to answer. They’ll receive real-time feedback and can go back and rewatch segments to help them arrive at the right solutions. Like with practice sets, you’ll get an insights dashboard with details about how students engaged with the video. Soon, educators will be able to test out AI-suggested questions, making interactive videos a snap. Available with the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade

6. Don’t start from scratch — import and share

Want to share practice sets, video activities and classes with a fellow teacher or use something you loved from a previous year? No problem. Enable link sharing for your practice set, video activity or an entire classwork page to share directly with other teachers in your organization. From there, they can import classwork or make a copy of your practice sets or video activities to use for their students. Available with the Google Workspace for Education Plus edition or Teaching & Learning Upgrade.

7. Add flexibility to your assignments and grading

Give students one last shot to get in any missing assignments, or disable submissions after the due date. On your dashboard, go into “Assignments” and uncheck “Close submissions after the due date.” You can always go in and add a final due date to close out the assignment for good when you’re ready.

There might be times when you want to have more control over what counts toward a student’s final grade. By marking an assignment as “excused,” you can prevent it from counting toward the average in times when you don’t want it to. Under the “Grades” tab, click the three dots and select “Excused.”

8. Record your screen with Screencast to meet your class’s diverse needs

If you’re using Classroom on a Chromebook, take advantage of the Screencast app. Screencast allows you to record your screen with your own video embedded, so your students can see you and your screen. Screencast provides an automatic transcript and AI-enabled editing tools. Don’t love how a specific 14 seconds came out? Simply trim it away by deleting the transcript text.

Once you have that video lesson recorded there are endless possibilities to provide students with an effective and personalized experience. For example, upload your recording as an unlisted YouTube video and assign it as an interactive questions video in Classroom. Pause after key moments of the lesson to prompt your students with questions and get insights about their performance and engagement, all while helping them learn at their own pace.

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Designing Assignments for Learning

The rapid shift to remote teaching and learning meant that many instructors reimagined their assessment practices. Whether adapting existing assignments or creatively designing new opportunities for their students to learn, instructors focused on helping students make meaning and demonstrate their learning outside of the traditional, face-to-face classroom setting. This resource distills the elements of assignment design that are important to carry forward as we continue to seek better ways of assessing learning and build on our innovative assignment designs.

On this page:

Rethinking traditional tests, quizzes, and exams.

• Examples from the Columbia University Classroom
• Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

Reflect On Your Assignment Design

Connect with the ctl.

• Resources and References

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2021). Designing Assignments for Learning. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/designing-assignments/

Traditional assessments tend to reveal whether students can recognize, recall, or replicate what was learned out of context, and tend to focus on students providing correct responses (Wiggins, 1990). In contrast, authentic assignments, which are course assessments, engage students in higher order thinking, as they grapple with real or simulated challenges that help them prepare for their professional lives, and draw on the course knowledge learned and the skills acquired to create justifiable answers, performances or products (Wiggins, 1990). An authentic assessment provides opportunities for students to practice, consult resources, learn from feedback, and refine their performances and products accordingly (Wiggins 1990, 1998, 2014). 

Authentic assignments ask students to “do” the subject with an audience in mind and apply their learning in a new situation. Examples of authentic assignments include asking students to: 

• Write for a real audience (e.g., a memo, a policy brief, letter to the editor, a grant proposal, reports, building a website) and/or publication;
• Solve problem sets that have real world application; 
• Design projects that address a real world problem; 
• Engage in a community-partnered research project;
• Create an exhibit, performance, or conference presentation ;
• Compile and reflect on their work through a portfolio/e-portfolio.

Noteworthy elements of authentic designs are that instructors scaffold the assignment, and play an active role in preparing students for the tasks assigned, while students are intentionally asked to reflect on the process and product of their work thus building their metacognitive skills (Herrington and Oliver, 2000; Ashford-Rowe, Herrington and Brown, 2013; Frey, Schmitt, and Allen, 2012). 

It’s worth noting here that authentic assessments can initially be time consuming to design, implement, and grade. They are critiqued for being challenging to use across course contexts and for grading reliability issues (Maclellan, 2004). Despite these challenges, authentic assessments are recognized as beneficial to student learning (Svinicki, 2004) as they are learner-centered (Weimer, 2013), promote academic integrity (McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, 2021; Sotiriadou et al., 2019; Schroeder, 2021) and motivate students to learn (Ambrose et al., 2010). The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning is always available to consult with faculty who are considering authentic assessment designs and to discuss challenges and affordances.   

Examples from the Columbia University Classroom 

Columbia instructors have experimented with alternative ways of assessing student learning from oral exams to technology-enhanced assignments. Below are a few examples of authentic assignments in various teaching contexts across Columbia University. 

• E-portfolios: Statia Cook shares her experiences with an ePorfolio assignment in her co-taught Frontiers of Science course (a submission to the Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning initiative); CUIMC use of ePortfolios ;
• Case studies: Columbia instructors have engaged their students in authentic ways through case studies drawing on the Case Consortium at Columbia University. Read and watch a faculty spotlight to learn how Professor Mary Ann Price uses the case method to place pre-med students in real-life scenarios;
• Simulations: students at CUIMC engage in simulations to develop their professional skills in The Mary & Michael Jaharis Simulation Center in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Helene Fuld Health Trust Simulation Center in the Columbia School of Nursing; 
• Experiential learning: instructors have drawn on New York City as a learning laboratory such as Barnard’s NYC as Lab webpage which highlights courses that engage students in NYC;
• Design projects that address real world problems: Yevgeniy Yesilevskiy on the Engineering design projects completed using lab kits during remote learning. Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy talk about his teaching and read the Columbia News article . 
• Writing assignments: Lia Marshall and her teaching associate Aparna Balasundaram reflect on their “non-disposable or renewable assignments” to prepare social work students for their professional lives as they write for a real audience; and Hannah Weaver spoke about a sandbox assignment used in her Core Literature Humanities course at the 2021 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium . Watch Dr. Weaver share her experiences.  

​Tips for Designing Assignments for Learning

While designing an effective authentic assignment may seem like a daunting task, the following tips can be used as a starting point. See the Resources section for frameworks and tools that may be useful in this effort.  

Align the assignment with your course learning objectives 

Identify the kind of thinking that is important in your course, the knowledge students will apply, and the skills they will practice using through the assignment. What kind of thinking will students be asked to do for the assignment? What will students learn by completing this assignment? How will the assignment help students achieve the desired course learning outcomes? For more information on course learning objectives, see the CTL’s Course Design Essentials self-paced course and watch the video on Articulating Learning Objectives .  

Identify an authentic meaning-making task

For meaning-making to occur, students need to understand the relevance of the assignment to the course and beyond (Ambrose et al., 2010). To Bean (2011) a “meaning-making” or “meaning-constructing” task has two dimensions: 1) it presents students with an authentic disciplinary problem or asks students to formulate their own problems, both of which engage them in active critical thinking, and 2) the problem is placed in “a context that gives students a role or purpose, a targeted audience, and a genre.” (Bean, 2011: 97-98). 

An authentic task gives students a realistic challenge to grapple with, a role to take on that allows them to “rehearse for the complex ambiguities” of life, provides resources and supports to draw on, and requires students to justify their work and the process they used to inform their solution (Wiggins, 1990). Note that if students find an assignment interesting or relevant, they will see value in completing it. 

Consider the kind of activities in the real world that use the knowledge and skills that are the focus of your course. How is this knowledge and these skills applied to answer real-world questions to solve real-world problems? (Herrington et al., 2010: 22). What do professionals or academics in your discipline do on a regular basis? What does it mean to think like a biologist, statistician, historian, social scientist? How might your assignment ask students to draw on current events, issues, or problems that relate to the course and are of interest to them? How might your assignment tap into student motivation and engage them in the kinds of thinking they can apply to better understand the world around them? (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Determine the evaluation criteria and create a rubric

To ensure equitable and consistent grading of assignments across students, make transparent the criteria you will use to evaluate student work. The criteria should focus on the knowledge and skills that are central to the assignment. Build on the criteria identified, create a rubric that makes explicit the expectations of deliverables and share this rubric with your students so they can use it as they work on the assignment. For more information on rubrics, see the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics into Your Grading and Feedback Practices , and explore the Association of American Colleges & Universities VALUE Rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). 

Build in metacognition

Ask students to reflect on what and how they learned from the assignment. Help students uncover personal relevance of the assignment, find intrinsic value in their work, and deepen their motivation by asking them to reflect on their process and their assignment deliverable. Sample prompts might include: what did you learn from this assignment? How might you draw on the knowledge and skills you used on this assignment in the future? See Ambrose et al., 2010 for more strategies that support motivation and the CTL’s resource on Metacognition ). 

Provide students with opportunities to practice

Design your assignment to be a learning experience and prepare students for success on the assignment. If students can reasonably expect to be successful on an assignment when they put in the required effort ,with the support and guidance of the instructor, they are more likely to engage in the behaviors necessary for learning (Ambrose et al., 2010). Ensure student success by actively teaching the knowledge and skills of the course (e.g., how to problem solve, how to write for a particular audience), modeling the desired thinking, and creating learning activities that build up to a graded assignment. Provide opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills they will need for the assignment, whether through low-stakes in-class activities or homework activities that include opportunities to receive and incorporate formative feedback. For more information on providing feedback, see the CTL resource Feedback for Learning . 

Communicate about the assignment 

Share the purpose, task, audience, expectations, and criteria for the assignment. Students may have expectations about assessments and how they will be graded that is informed by their prior experiences completing high-stakes assessments, so be transparent. Tell your students why you are asking them to do this assignment, what skills they will be using, how it aligns with the course learning outcomes, and why it is relevant to their learning and their professional lives (i.e., how practitioners / professionals use the knowledge and skills in your course in real world contexts and for what purposes). Finally, verify that students understand what they need to do to complete the assignment. This can be done by asking students to respond to poll questions about different parts of the assignment, a “scavenger hunt” of the assignment instructions–giving students questions to answer about the assignment and having them work in small groups to answer the questions, or by having students share back what they think is expected of them.

Plan to iterate and to keep the focus on learning 

Draw on multiple sources of data to help make decisions about what changes are needed to the assignment, the assignment instructions, and/or rubric to ensure that it contributes to student learning. Explore assignment performance data. As Deandra Little reminds us: “a really good assignment, which is a really good assessment, also teaches you something or tells the instructor something. As much as it tells you what students are learning, it’s also telling you what they aren’t learning.” ( Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode 337 ). Assignment bottlenecks–where students get stuck or struggle–can be good indicators that students need further support or opportunities to practice prior to completing an assignment. This awareness can inform teaching decisions. 

Triangulate the performance data by collecting student feedback, and noting your own reflections about what worked well and what did not. Revise the assignment instructions, rubric, and teaching practices accordingly. Consider how you might better align your assignment with your course objectives and/or provide more opportunities for students to practice using the knowledge and skills that they will rely on for the assignment. Additionally, keep in mind societal, disciplinary, and technological changes as you tweak your assignments for future use. 

Now is a great time to reflect on your practices and experiences with assignment design and think critically about your approach. Take a closer look at an existing assignment. Questions to consider include: What is this assignment meant to do? What purpose does it serve? Why do you ask students to do this assignment? How are they prepared to complete the assignment? Does the assignment assess the kind of learning that you really want? What would help students learn from this assignment? 

Using the tips in the previous section: How can the assignment be tweaked to be more authentic and meaningful to students? 

As you plan forward for post-pandemic teaching and reflect on your practices and reimagine your course design, you may find the following CTL resources helpful: Reflecting On Your Experiences with Remote Teaching , Transition to In-Person Teaching , and Course Design Support .

The Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is here to help!

For assistance with assignment design, rubric design, or any other teaching and learning need, please request a consultation by emailing [email protected] . 

Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework for assignments. The TILT Examples and Resources page ( https://tilthighered.com/tiltexamplesandresources ) includes example assignments from across disciplines, as well as a transparent assignment template and a checklist for designing transparent assignments . Each emphasizes the importance of articulating to students the purpose of the assignment or activity, the what and how of the task, and specifying the criteria that will be used to assess students. 

Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) offers VALUE ADD (Assignment Design and Diagnostic) tools ( https://www.aacu.org/value-add-tools ) to help with the creation of clear and effective assignments that align with the desired learning outcomes and associated VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). VALUE ADD encourages instructors to explicitly state assignment information such as the purpose of the assignment, what skills students will be using, how it aligns with course learning outcomes, the assignment type, the audience and context for the assignment, clear evaluation criteria, desired formatting, and expectations for completion whether individual or in a group.

Villarroel et al. (2017) propose a blueprint for building authentic assessments which includes four steps: 1) consider the workplace context, 2) design the authentic assessment; 3) learn and apply standards for judgement; and 4) give feedback. 

References 

Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., & DiPietro, M. (2010). Chapter 3: What Factors Motivate Students to Learn? In How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching . Jossey-Bass. 

Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., and Brown, C. (2013). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 39(2), 205-222, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2013.819566 .  

Bean, J.C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom . Second Edition. Jossey-Bass. 

Frey, B. B, Schmitt, V. L., and Allen, J. P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation. 17(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.7275/sxbs-0829  

Herrington, J., Reeves, T. C., and Oliver, R. (2010). A Guide to Authentic e-Learning . Routledge. 

Herrington, J. and Oliver, R. (2000). An instructional design framework for authentic learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 48(3), 23-48. 

Litchfield, B. C. and Dempsey, J. V. (2015). Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 142 (Summer 2015), 65-80. 

Maclellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 29(3), June 2004. DOI: 10.1080/0260293042000188267

McLaughlin, L. and Ricevuto, J. (2021). Assessments in a Virtual Environment: You Won’t Need that Lockdown Browser! Faculty Focus. June 2, 2021. 

Mueller, J. (2005). The Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Enhancing Student Learning through Online Faculty Development . MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 1(1). July 2005. Mueller’s Authentic Assessment Toolbox is available online. 

Schroeder, R. (2021). Vaccinate Against Cheating With Authentic Assessment . Inside Higher Ed. (February 26, 2021).  

Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., and Guest, R. (2019). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skills development and employability. Studies in Higher Education. 45(111), 2132-2148. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1582015    

Stachowiak, B. (Host). (November 25, 2020). Authentic Assignments with Deandra Little. (Episode 337). In Teaching in Higher Ed . https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/authentic-assignments/  

Svinicki, M. D. (2004). Authentic Assessment: Testing in Reality. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 100 (Winter 2004): 23-29. 

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S, Bruna, D., Bruna, C., and Herrera-Seda, C. (2017). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43(5), 840-854. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1412396    

Weimer, M. (2013). Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice . Second Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 

Wiggins, G. (2014). Authenticity in assessment, (re-)defined and explained. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/authenticity-in-assessment-re-defined-and-explained/

Wiggins, G. (1998). Teaching to the (Authentic) Test. Educational Leadership . April 1989. 41-47. 

Wiggins, Grant (1990). The Case for Authentic Assessment . Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation , 2(2). 

Wondering how AI tools might play a role in your course assignments?

See the CTL’s resource “Considerations for AI Tools in the Classroom.”

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• How to create and manage online assignments for learners
• How to plan successful online assignments for learners
• Know your learners and their current needs
• Assess your resources including digital tools
• How to make online assignments for learners
• Provide clear and concise instruction
• Support learners with orientation and an intuitive system
• Promote interaction and collaboration
• Managing online assignments 
• Communicate effectively
• Monitor learner progress
• Provide personalized and differentiated support 
• Assess and give feedback
• Additional resources for online assignment creation
• Use AI to plan and teach 
• Team up on content creation
• Discover why vetting edtech tools for inclusivity matters, learn key questions and criteria, and unlock strategies to leverage edtech for inclusivity.

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Developing effective assignments for online learning does not have to be daunting. M aster the art of creating and managing online assignments for learners, whether you are with learners using 1:1 devices in a classroom, teaching hybrid or virtually.

One amazing benefit of today’s K-12 education community is the amount of resources, tips and tools available online from educators just like you. Tapping their experience, we’ll show how to create online assignments using digital tools that offer learners at least as much rigor as the ones you may have taught traditionally. 

As importantly, you will get tips on successfully managing your students during the learning process. Finally, this blog will give you teaching resources, including alternatives to building online lessons from scratch.  

An assignment lacking clear structure and substance can spell disaster. Not only will it be harder to manage, but learners may end up frustrated or fail to really learn the material. If not managed well, technology tools can turn into exciting and distracting shiny objects. 

To avoid the “edutainment” trap, ensure that onscreen activities support defined learning objectives tied to your district’s standards. Beginning with a strategically planned lesson provides the foundation for whatever digital tools you choose to incorporate. 

The first step is to clarify what skills or knowledge your learners need to master before moving to the next level. Next, consider different types of assignments online for students to see how they could facilitate this learning. 

One brilliant advantage of digital delivery is the ability to tailor assignments to specific learner needs and interests. While selecting which kind of assignment to create, consider what might work best for your learners. Consider specific learners who may need accommodations in content or delivery. 

If you don’t already have data to understand the level of knowledge and prior experience learners have in the subject, consider using a Quizlet, survey or other fact-finding tool. Remember the backdrop of what is going on in the students’ surroundings and lives may have a bearing on their learning needs. Consider circumstances that may be affecting learners personally or in their community. 

Tap your personal teaching experience before exploring digital resources. Consider how your own understanding and knowledge of the subject can best shine through digital tools. 

Having strategies in place can help save time and reduce stress during the process of moving your expertise to an online format. Remember, the extra time put into initial start-up pays off in the long run because digital content can be reused over and over. Lessons in a digital format are shareable, adaptable and updateable.

Consider variety and higher-level learning as you build assignments that are both engaging and contribute to long-term student goals. Once your academic aims are clear, look for digital tools designed to adapt to your needs as an educator and enhance what you would do in a non-digital format.

Make sure the assignment includes a logical flow from beginning to end. Organize content with headings and bullet points as well as multimedia that breaks up text. Include measurable objectives so learners can clearly understand expectations for the assignment. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide easy-to-understand instruction for each task learners need to complete. Remember you may not be there to fill in the blanks if you leave out an important detail.

Getting started with a few basics can simplify the process of creating dynamic digital content . Recording short videos is an excellent way to simulate actually being there, especially when teaching concepts asynchronously. To record what is on your computer screen, try a screencast program, like Screencastify or Loom for Education . Here you can include your face and help learners better understand you by watching you speak.  

Along with video and audio recordings, further support deeper understanding of the subject matter with multimedia elements. These can include graphics, animations, digital graphics, p odcasts, interactive quizzes and simulations like trivia games. 

Even the best instruction and assignments won’t make the learning experience pleasant if students have to spend extra hours figuring out where to find assignments and instructions. Just because students are often tech-savvy does not mean all of them can immediately navigate your school’s LMS unsupported. 

Your online assignment at the beginning of the school term could be a simple one that orients learners while providing the opportunity to get hands-on practice using the system. That helps them get used to the workflow and setup. Frustration is easy to mitigate by structuring assignments and using an intuitive learning platform. One example is Hāpara Workspace with an easy-to-view layout that organizes goals, resources, assessments and rubrics into columns.

At the heart of learning is interacting with peers and collaborating. Include activities and projects that support individuals as they practice engaging and working together with other learners. Some learners who feel more comfortable working alone may need extra encouragement and support. This is an opportunity to promote deeper learning and connection by introducing resources that are relevant to students.

Teachers can quickly share resources with groups, or better yet, give learners the opportunity to add their own resources in Hāpara Workspace. Upload everything from videos, links to apps, images and online articles to Google Docs, Slides, Forms and Drawings into Workspace. Group members can access all these resources for shared activities , assessments and collaborative projects.

Once you have a well-designed assignment with clear instructions tailored to the needs of different learners, it’s essential to give them guidance. The amount of management you need to provide can vary significantly.

Clearly communicate with students throughout the learning process all the way through to assessment. Regular communication helps students stay informed and engaged. You can manage learners as they build toward mastery in an online environment with Hāpara tools. 

They provide superior student communication tools, including date reminders for learners and online progress tracking for teachers.

Hāpara Student Dashboard is an online assignment tracker that helps learners develop crucial executive functioning skills. It will help them gain practice organizing their own time, managing and prioritizing their assignments and assessments. 

Educators can help learners build upon these skills by providing formative feedback that encourages students to take risks and learn from mistakes. Directly from Hāpara Teacher Dashboard , you can open a learner’s assignment or assessment and provide personalized support. This timely feedback helps learners move toward their academic goals more quickly and confidently.

Monitor how learners are progressing through the assignment. This can inform you whether you need to check in with a learner. Teacher Dashboard shows each learner’s most recent files and when they last modified it. You can also send due date reminders to the class or individual learners through an instant message in Hāpara Highlights .

With Teacher Dashboard, it’s easy to leave personalized feedback in learners’ recent files and share differentiated resources directly to their screens.

Pull from your own Google Drive or create a new Google Doc, Slide or Drawing on the spot to share with the class, a group or an individual learner. 

When a learner can’t find a Google file, teachers can access a learner’s Google Drive with one click in Hāpara. S earch for missing files by title or content and filter to view deleted or unshared files.

Evaluate learners’ understanding and progress with different types of assessment methods, including rubrics, quizzes, peer review and presentations. 

Assessments should provide meaningful feedback for learners and educators alike. Use learner feedback to improve on each new assignment you develop. Data on engagement, task completion rates and learner satisfaction will help you make adjustments to improve a future assignment.

Several alternatives to building your lessons from the ground up are available. These can save time and hassle. To begin with, Google Assignments is a free online assignment solution. To make this even easier, in Hāpara Highlights, as teachers monitor what learners are doing online and offering personalized support, they can quickly share Google Classroom Assignments, Questions and Materials. 

Finding free assignments online is another option. With the Discover feature in Hāpara Workspace , you can access online assignments other educators have created from around the world. Search thousands of curriculum-aligned Workspaces by standard, subject, grade level or topic. Then copy and modify them to meet your learners’ needs. 

Teachers can also use AI to support learning content development and in class with students.

Among the many ways ChatGPT can be used by teachers is helping them create new material, and generate ideas and quizzes. They can quickly personalize the same content in several ways to reach different learners. For example, high school literacy specialist Amanda Kremnitzer told EdWeek that she used ChatGPT to create outlines for her multiple learners who require them as a supplementary aid.  

Consider shouldering the effort and building content together as a team. Individual members of departments or subject-grade level teams can develop the type of content they are best at and share. Or they can collaborate as a group. As mentioned, you can use the Discover option in Hāpara Workspace to find assignments educators from around the world have created. 

If you are looking for a way to create, curate and manage a collection of digital assignments that only your school or district can access, consider Hāpara’s Private Library . With just a click, you can easily distribute your online assignments to educators in your school or district.

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Today’s wordle hints (and answer) for thursday, july 18, 2024, vaccines significantly reduce the risk of long covid, study finds, mysterious 1971 bank scam is subject of ellipsis entertainment’s indian crime film (exclusive), ‘my spy: the eternal city’ review: dave bautista anchors a kiddie espionage caper that’s too generic to fly, j.d. vance’s maga transformation is complete, maren morris acknowledges skirt that didn’t meet her in the middle, the acolyte finale postmortem: will there be a second season, spacex is building a superpowered spaceship to scrap the international space station for nasa, fandango founder j. michael cline dies after falling from new york hotel, google classroom tip #43: 48 ways to manage student assignments.

Along with instruction and assessment, assignments form the foundation of the teaching and learning process. They provide opportunities for students to practice the skills and apply the knowledge that they have been taught in a supportive environment. It also helps the teacher gauge how well students are learning the material and how close they are to mastery.

Because of the nature of assignments, managing them can get hectic. That’s why its best to use a platform like Google Classroom to help you manage assignments digitally. In today’s tip, we will discuss 48 ways that you can use Classroom to manage student assignments.

• Assignment Status – Easily check how many students turned in an assignment as well as how many assignments have been graded by going to the Classwork tab and clicking on the title of the assignment.
• Assign to Multiple Classes – Post an assignment to multiple classes by using the “for” drop-down menu when creating an assignment.
• Brainstorm – Use Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, or Drawings to brainstorm for class assignments.
• Calendar of Due Dates – Link a Google Calendar with due dates for assignments, tests, and other important dates into Classroom.
• Check Homework – Classroom makes checking homework easy with a quick glance at the assignment page. If more detailed grading is needed, just access the grading interface for the assignment.
• Choice Boards – Give students a choice in how they demonstrate what they know by creating a choice board and uploading it as an assignment. Choice boards allow students to choose between several assignments and can be created directly in Classroom, using Google Docs, or with third-party apps.
• Co-Teach Classes – Invite others to co-teach in your Classroom. Each teacher is able to create assignments and post announcements for students.
• Create Questions Before a Socratic Seminar – Create an assignment for students to develop questions before a Socratic seminar. During the collaborative process, students can eliminate duplicate questions.
• Detention Assignment Sheet – Create a detention assignment sheet using Google Docs. The assignment sheet can then be shared with the detention teacher and individual students privately through Classroom.
• Differentiate Assignments – Assign work to individual students or groups of students in Classroom.
• Differentiate by Product – Differentiate by product in Classroom by providing a challenge, variety, or choice or by using a continuum with assignments.
• Digital Portfolios – Students can create digital portfolios of their work by uploading documents, pictures, artifacts, etc. to Classroom assignments.
• Directions Document – Use Google Docs to create instruction documents for assignments in Classroom.
• Distribute Student Work/Homework – Use Classroom to distribute student assignments or homework to all students, groups of students, or individual students.
• Diversify Student Submissions – Create alternative submission options for students through the assignment tool. For example, one group of students may be required to submit a Google Doc while another group is required to submit a Slides presentation.
• Do-Now Activities – Use Classroom to post Do-Now Activities.
• Draft Assignments – Save posts as drafts until they are ready for publishing.
• Feedback Before Student Submits – Provide feedback to students while their assignment is still a work in progress instead of waiting until submission. This will help the student better understand assignment expectations.
• Get Notified of Late Assignments – Select notification settings to get notified each time an assignment is turned in late.
• Global Classroom – Partner with international teachers to create a co-teaching classroom without borders where students can work on collaborative assignments.
• Graphic Organizers – Upload graphic organizers for students to collaborate on assignments and projects.
• Group Collaboration – Assign multiple students to an assignment to create a collaborative group. Give students editing rights to allow them access to the same document.
• HyperDocs – Create and upload a hyperdoc as an assignment.
• Link to Assignments – Create links to assignments not created in Classroom.
• Link to Class Blog – Provide the link to a class blog in Classroom.
• Link to Next Activity – Provide a link to the next activity students must complete after finishing an assignment.
• Make a Copy for Each Student – Chose “make a copy for each student” when uploading assignment documents to avoid students having to share one copy of the document. When a copy for each student is made, Classroom automatically adds each student’s name to the document and saves it to the Classroom folder in Google Drive.
• Move to Top/Bottom – Move recent assignments to the top of the Classwork feed so students can find new tasks more quickly.
• Multiple File Upload – Upload multiple files for an assignment in one post.
• Naming Conventions for Assignments – Create a unique naming system for assignments so they can be easily found in the Classroom folder in Google Drive.
• Offline Mode – Change settings to allow students to work in offline mode if internet connections are weak. Once an internet connection is established, students can upload assignments to Classroom.
• One Student One Sheet – In Google Sheets, assign one tab (sheet) per student for the student to complete the assignment.
• One Student One Slide – In Google Slides, assign one slide to each student to present findings on a topic or to complete an assignment.
• Organize Student Work – Google Classroom automatically creates calendars and folders in Drive to keep assignments organized.
• Peer Tutors – Assign peer tutors to help struggling students with assignments.
• Protect Privacy – Google Classroom only allows class members to access assignments. Also, it eliminates the need to use email, which may be less private than Classroom.
• Provide Accommodations – Provide accommodations to students with disabilities in Google Classroom by allowing extra time to turn in assignments, using text to speech functions, and third-party extensions for colored overlays.
• Reorder Assignments by Status – Instead of organizing assignments by student first or last name, organize them by status to see which students have or have not turned in work.
• Reuse Posts – Reuse post from prior assignments or from other Classrooms.
• See the Process – Students don’t have to submit their assignments for you to see their work. When you chose “make a copy for each student” for assignments, each student’s work can be seen in the grading tool, even if it’s not submitted. Teachers can make comments and suggestions along the way.
• Share Materials – Upload required materials such as the class syllabus, rules, procedures, etc. to a Class Resources Module, or upload assignment materials within the assignment.
• Share Resources – Create a resource list or a resource module for students.
• Share Solutions to an Assignment – Share solutions to an assignment with a collaborator or students after all assignments have been turned in.
• Stop Repeating Directions – By posting a directions document to assignments, the need to continually repeat directions is lessened, if not eliminated altogether. Keep in mind that some students will still need directions to read orally or clarified.
• Student Work Collection – Use Classroom to collect student work from assignments.
• Summer Assignments – Create summer assignments for students through Classroom.
• Templates – Create templates for projects, essays, and other student assignments.
• Track Assignments Turned In – Keep track of which students turned in assignments by going to the grading tool.

What did we miss?

Using Amazon Alexa for Classroom Management

10 things everyone should know about today’s ....

Matthew Lynch

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20 Useful Digital Assessment Tools for Teachers (Formative, Summative, and More)

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Proper assessment is essential to learning. Teachers plan their lessons and activities around learning objectives, and they need ways to check that students have accomplished those goals. Assessment is more than just quizzes and tests , as any teacher knows, and these days, there are more options than ever. Using digital assessment tools for teachers save you time, engage your audience, and make life a little easier. No matter what type of assessment you need, there’s a tool to help you out. Take a look at some of our favorites.

Digital Formative Assessment Tools for Teachers

Digital summative assessment tools for teachers, more digital assessment tools for teachers.

Teachers use formative assessments more than any other type, checking for understanding throughout the learning process. This allows them to adjust their teaching and learning activities to better meet student needs and find out which students need a little extra assistance. These digital formative assessment tools make it easier than ever to check in throughout any lesson or activity.

Google Forms for Exit Tickets

Goal: i want to find out what my students learned during today’s lesson..

Exit tickets are a fantastic way to find out what students gained from today’s lesson. If you want to replace the sticky note method with a digital version, try Google Forms. They’re so easy to use, and they give you an easy way to access student responses anywhere, anytime.

Goal: I want to have some fun with my assessments.

This free online quiz-game generator is incredibly popular, and for good reason. Teachers show the questions, and students use the completely safe app on their own devices (like Chromebooks or smartphones) to respond. Kids absolutely love these games, making them an excellent way to ramp up classroom engagement. After the game is over, teachers can take a closer look at the results with reports to determine which items kids still need help mastering. Learn how one teacher uses Kahoot! for middle school math assessments here.

Goal: I want to assess reading comprehension.

CommonLit’s huge free library of reading passages comes with built-in quizzes to test for comprehension. Choose your articles by topic, reading level, or type, and assign to students. They can make annotations and use guided reading questions as they tackle the text, then finish up with a reading comprehension quiz and discussion questions.

Goal: I want to hear from my students and watch them share what they’ve learned.

Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a social media–style video discussion platform great for generating class discussion around topics, videos, or links posted to the class grid. Students can video-record their responses to share with the teacher or class. It’s a great tool for supporting your students to make their thinking visible.

Goal: I want to do a quick check-in during my lesson.

Mentimeter lets you add polls, word clouds, Q&As, and more to presentations and create an interactive experience for students, who can vote on/respond to questions and engage with the presentation in real time. This made our list because there’s so much variety in the types of formative assessments you can give in real time.

Goal: I want to see my students’ thought process and their answer.

Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that is compatible with Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) services. It’s a game changer for emphasizing the process of learning over the product. Math teachers love how students solve and explain their solution. If you don’t use Google, Padlet is our runner-up.

Goal: I want to listen to my students read to assess fluency.

Students read aloud and answer questions on their device (almost any device works). Within 24 hours, you get a running record with scores for accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. A free basic account includes 10 reading assessments per month.

Goal: I want to include checks for understanding as my students learn.

Edpuzzle is a video editor that allows both teachers and students to add voice-overs, comments, resources, and quizzes to existing or self-created online videos. Best part? All the students’ answers are gathered for you so you can quickly assess.

Goal: I want to put checks for understanding in my slides.

Pear Deck is an interactive presentation and lesson delivery tool. Students use their devices to follow along with the teacher’s slideshow on a classroom screen. Throughout, teachers can pause at points where they’ve added interactive questions and collect real-time data about student understanding.

Goal: I want personalized quizzes for my students.

Quizzes are standards-tagged so you can efficiently track mastery data from every question ever answered. They support official state standards such as Common Core, TEKS, and many more. Plus, you can add hints or explanations so kids learn as they complete the assessments.

Summative assessments are the formal tests and final projects that assess student learning at the end of a unit or course. There are a variety of digital tools that can make summative assessments easier, including our favorites.

Goal: I want to give a quiz or test online.

If you’re looking for tech tools for student assessment that include plenty of options, try this one. You can include multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions. We love how you see students’ results in real time, and you can add explanations if students get an answer wrong. Students can get instant feedback, or you can make the quiz self-paced or lead it yourself. Our favorite feature: Space Race, a group quiz where students “race” to cross the finish line.

Goal: I want grading to take less time.

No matter what grade and subject you teach, grading takes time that we don’t have. Enter Floop. This tool is a cloud-based website where students get annotated feedback from you and their classmates. Using any internet-connected device, students upload images of an assignment to the platform, and you put markers in places where you want feedback. Students are able to see and respond to comments, creating a feedback loop.

Goal: I want to create standards-based assessments more quickly.

Easily create quizzes that students can answer using their mobile devices. This program also includes a bank with 60,000 standards-aligned question items and 300 pre-built assessments.

Goal: I want students to create online portfolios of their work.

Portfolios are a terrific summative assessment tool, allowing teachers, students, and families to look back over a collection of work and gauge progress. Paper portfolios can get lost and are harder to share and grade. Try an online version instead with a program like Seesaw.

Book Creator

Goal: i want a unique form of summative assessment..

This is another type of portfolio assessment. But rather than just collecting work as they go, students use the program to actively create a digital book showing what they’ve learned.

For fun and interactive options, including peer feedback, try these digital assessment tools.

Rubric Maker

Goal: i want rubrics that are easy to create, use, and share..

Rubrics ensure scoring consistency across assessments. They also make self-assessment and peer feedback much easier. This online tool lets you create quality rubrics and easily share them with others.

Digital Escape Room

Goal: i want to gamify my assessments..

Escape rooms foster collaboration and communication when played by students in teams and can be a really fun way to gamify assessment. Students must work together to solve problems or answer questions, then follow the instructions to break the code. These online escape rooms are easy to build using Google Sites or Google Forms, and if you don’t want to create your own, you’ll find plenty of them available for sale on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers .

Goal: I want my students to give each other feedback.

Once you set up your assignment with Peergrade, pick a feedback rubric (or create your own), and select your assignment. Your students take it from there. They submit work, review each others’, and then act on the feedback. Best part? There’s a teacher overview where you can see it all.

Goal: I want to give voice feedback rather than writing.

Use Kaizena for both teacher and peer feedback, and save everyone a lot of time. This assessment tool lets you embed voice feedback directly into Google Docs at points of your choosing. So cool!

Goal: I want to gather feedback about something from my students.

Digital forms can make life a lot simpler. Build a Jotform to gather feedback from students about an activity or experience, or even your own teaching and classroom experiences. The program compiles answers quickly and anonymously (if you prefer) so you can review results in a snap.

Make the most of digital assessment tools for teachers with these Tips and Tools for Making Online Assessments Work .

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Teacher Strategies for Making Learning More Relevant to Students

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Today’s post is the fourth in an ongoing series exploring relevance in the classroom.

‘Authentic Projects’

Michael Hernandez is an award-winning educator, author, and speaker whose work focuses on digital and civic literacy, social justice, and student-centered learning experiences. His book about using storytelling as a framework for learning by igniting student curiosity was published by ISTE in fall 2023:

The pandemic shone a light on the flaws of traditional learning methods, both in terms of their effectiveness and the willingness of both students and teachers to play the game of direct instruction/memorization/regurgitation, which often only benefits privileged students. We struggled to give ourselves and our students a good reason why school (in person or remote) was important. Suddenly, everyone had new clarity on what was most important to them, their lives, and the good of the planet—and school often wasn’t.

Now with AI presenting an existential threat to our curriculum and how we assess students, it’s time to redefine what we mean by “learning” and the role teachers play in providing meaningful learning experiences that help our students become digitally and civically literate and productive citizens. Creating assignments that have purpose and are relevant to students’ lives are often the key to igniting passion and engagement.

1. Leverage student curiosity as the engine for learning

Science, math, literature, and the arts all start with observation and wonder—noticing something about our world, asking questions about it, and seeking the answers. Begin lessons with student questions about their community to reframe our curriculum as learning quests, which create a sense of ownership and helps students personalize learning.

Start units with these activities to engage curiosity:

• Quest Questions: Have students write a set of questions they have about a topic.
• Empathy Interviews: Students interview experts or stakeholders related to a topic to get background information, hear diverse perspectives, find their blind spots, and inspire further research on the topic.

2. Authentic Projects

If student work just ends up in the trash, it sends a powerful message about what we value in our curriculum and the effort we ask our students to put into their learning. For me, authenticity often means creating something useful as the purpose and outcome of the learning experience. This might include:

· Designing an infographic about data collected in a community-based science experiment.

• Curating and editing a digital literary magazine for ELA students.
• Offering financial-literacy tutoring for the community by math students.

The end product of these learning quests is a tangible, useful product, which provides an uncheatable assessment of student knowledge. Everyone involved wins.

3. Publish publicly

The best way to learn something is to teach it. When we ask students to present or perform for an audience beyond our classrooms, the experience increases student motivation, elevates quality, and provides purpose for their effort.

In the examples above, posting infographics on a website or social media accounts helps people around the world see and use the student scientists’ findings and maybe even drive people to take action or change policy. Publishing the literary magazine as a digital book is an easy and low-cost way to distribute student work globally, while simultaneously providing context for student work when it’s placed side by side with work created by other students. A financial-literacy tutoring project helps connect students to their community as well as math curriculum and builds bridges between generations and demographic groups that wouldn’t have happened if projects stayed in the classroom.

In each of these cases, the students can palpably sense the public’s need for accuracy. Their work can make a difference in peoples’ lives, so they need to get it right.

Climate Change

Xochitl Bentley is a high school English teacher and NBCT in Los Angeles. She is a co-director of the CSUN Writing Project and a contributing writer at Moving Writers:

Students increasingly encounter the word “sustainability” but rarely with any situating context. Taking the time to unpack this concept benefits students and teachers alike. In the U.N. Brundtland Commission report, “Our Common Future ,” sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition highlights the need for cultivating intergenerational awareness as we prepare students to mitigate the harmful human impacts associated with climate change.

Often, teachers are hesitant to bring up climate change, feeling they lack the disciplinary knowledge to competently address it. In these moments, I remember a piece of advice often shared in teacher-preparation programs: “Remember your why.” Thinking as a future ancestor means remembering to think beyond ourselves with a sense of solution-oriented urgency and modeling this commitment for our students.

One way to help students become climate stewards is to model how reading paired climate texts enhances our ability to both problem-spot and problem-solve. While reading the novel Dry , for example, my students and I pore over local newspaper headlines concerning water scarcity. As we zoom in on passages, I still guide students to consider foundational questions, such as, “What does the text say?” “What does the author mean?” “Why does this matter?” But I then layer on questions such as, “What are the stakes?” Who gets a say?” “How do we repair and restore?” This means that we’re considering who will feel the most immediate impact of prolonged drought conditions.

It means we’re getting specific about who makes decisions concerning how water is allocated and shared. It means we’re identifying water-efficiency models that can be replicated in a wide-scale manner. Layering questions in this guided manner helps us think about how the environmental problem appearing in a fictional story is emerging in recognizable real-world contexts.

An important aspect of helping students become responsible climate stewards is articulating the difference between the root causes of our climate crisis and the symptoms that show up as signs of these root causes. One way educators can help students engage in root causes analysis is by modeling the “five whys” strategy. By repeatedly asking the question “Why,” learners can peel away the layers of symptoms that can lead to the root cause of a problem. When pondering the question, “Why do many people feel disconnected from nature?,” my students generated these responses:

• Because people are too busy working or don’t have access to the outdoors.
• Because many communities lack parks/open green spaces.
• Because redlining practices (residential segregation) caused many communities to be “park poor.”
• Because most people don’t strive to live in balance with nature or value this practice/mindset for all.
• Most people see themselves as existing hierarchically above other living beings, instead of existing at one point of a web (within interrelated ecosystems).

Not only did this strategy give students practice in generative responding and building on ideas, but the intersection between environmental and social issues became more perceptible. Once students feel comfortable making these connections, teachers can help them navigate the policy landscape and mull which policymakers are in the best position to effect change. In this instance, my students initiated a postcard campaign about the need for urban-forestry funding (CA Assembly Bill 1530).

By intentionally shifting the focus from passively learning about climate change to actively advocating with future generations in mind, teachers can create learning conditions for helping students become climate stewards in any classroom.

‘Connections’

Dennisha Murff, Ph.D., is an award-winning administrator, author, adjunct professor, consultant, and relentless advocate for equitable education. Throughout her career, she has worked to incorporate equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and cultural responsiveness in her work:

As an educator, I have always strived to look for ways to create meaningful learning opportunities for students. I know that as educators go through the planning process, they desire to develop lessons students can connect with. Many times, I have heard staff members share how they taught a lesson, but students did not seem to retain the information.

During vertical articulation meetings, staff members would ask the previous grade-level team to share if a particular skill was taught. It literally felt like they were starting from scratch! As the school leader, I began to ask staff members to share how they were making relevant connections to students’ lives. In the quest to cover the curriculum, we discovered there were missed opportunities to develop relevance and true connectivity to the skills and strategies being taught.

We all know students need opportunities for differentiated and personalized learning, but there are particular techniques that need to be enhanced to ensure relevance of activities. If we intend to create relevance in daily lessons, we must commit to several concepts during the planning process.

1. Develop clear connections to students’ lives

Building positive relationships with students is a vital first step in this process. In order to develop relevance, educators must get to know their students. They need to understand who their students are in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner.

Students need to be able to share their lived experiences in the classroom. This must be a physically and psychologically safe learning environment where students feel free to share. As you get to know your students, ask yourself if you are able to identify students’ strengths, challenges, hobbies, and interests. Find out what is important to them. Once teachers have a clear understanding of who their students are, they are better equipped to develop lessons that have meaning and relevance.

2. Provide opportunities for hands-on, inquiry-based learning activities

Educators must create learning experiences that give students the opportunity to dive into projects that are hands-on. This approach helps to tap into the various learning styles of students through multisensory engagement. Students are able to develop collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. These hands-on options also allow students the chance to engage in learning tasks that have real-world application.

When students have the chance to connect with community partners and industry experts, they can learn more about how the world works. These types of learning tasks also allow students to solve issues impacting their lives (and the lives of others) in a meaningful way. It is important to note that the neural connections made during this process help increase opportunities for long-term-memory storage of skills and strategies.

3. Implement student agency in learning spaces

Student agency is a vital part of this process. Students want voice and choice in their learning tasks. They desire to make valuable contributions to the spaces around them. As students are provided with opportunities to ask questions, communicate what they’ve noticed, and express new ideas in a safe environment, the level of engagement and relevance increases. The opportunity to embed student agency into lessons requires a shift in the power dynamics in the classroom. The classroom becomes a learning space for all, including the teacher. Students will find themselves in a powerful decisionmaking process that enhances their ability to make contributions to the community and, ultimately, the world they live in.

As adult learners, we want to engage in activities that stretch our thinking. We expect to see the meaning and relevance of these experiences. Our student learners desire the same thing! Learning tasks that allow for deep connection are the experiences we remember the most.

Thanks to Michael, Xochitl, and Dennisha for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s guests answered this question:

What are ways to make lessons more relevant to students’ lives?

In Part One , Meagan W. Taylor, Tonia Gibson, and Alexis Wiggins shared their ideas.

In Part Two , Georgina Rivera, Kelly Gallagher, and Mike Kaechele answered the same question.

In Part Three , Whitney Emke, Valerie King, Samantha Holquist, and Tameka Porter discussed their recommendations.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on X formerly known as Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that they will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove their point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, they still have to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and they already know everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality they expect.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Assignments in Teams for Education

• 25 contributors
• Applies to: Microsoft Teams

The Assignments and Grades features in Teams for Education allow educators to assign tasks, work, or quizzes to their students. Educators can manage assignment timelines, instructions, add resources to turn in, grade with rubrics, and more. They can also track class and individual student progress in the Grades tab.

Learn more about Assignments and Grades in Teams for Education .

For details about Teams assignments on different platforms, see Teams features by platform .

Assignments integrations in the Microsoft Teams admin center

Using the admin settings in the Microsoft Teams admin center, you can turn features on or off for educators within your organization and their students.

To view and manage Assignment settings, go to Education > Assignment settings in the Teams admin center.

The following are settings related to Assignments:

Weekly guardian email digest

Guardian emails are sent each weekend to parents or guardians. The email contains information about assignments from the previous week and for the upcoming week. The Parent and Guardian Sync can be setup using School Data Sync .

Import parent contact information via Parent and Guardian Sync in SDS. For instructions on how to enable Parent and Guardian Sync, see Enabling Parent and Guardian Sync .

Turn on the Guardian Setting in the Microsoft Teams admin center, as the setting is turned off by default. This will enable teachers to send out a weekly digest.

Teachers can opt-out of the digest by deselecting the setting inside their own personal class team ( Assignment Settings > Parent/Guardian Emails ).

To verify that Parents will get the email, the following three items must be true:

Email address attached to the student profile in SDS and tagged as Parent or Guardian . For details, see Parent and Guardian Sync File Format .

Students belong to at least one class in which e-mail isn't disabled by the teacher in assignment settings .

The emails will contain information about assignments that have a due date from the previous week or in the upcoming week.

Default setting for this feature is - Off .

Microsoft MakeCode is a block-based coding platform that brings computer science to life for all students.

MakeCode is a Microsoft product that is subject to the Microsoft terms of use and privacy policies.

To enable MakeCode assignments in Teams, go to the Teams Admin Center , navigate to the Assignments section, and turn the MakeCode toggle option to On . Select Save . Allow a few hours for these settings to take effect.

For more information on how this feature works, watch this video demonstration .

Learn more about MakeCode .

Turnitin is an academic integrity service. This is a third-party service that is subject to its own terms and privacy policy. You're responsible for your use of any third-party products and services.

To enable Turnitin for your organization, you'll need a Turnitin subscription. Then, you can input the following information, which can be found in your Turnitin admin console:

• TurnitinApiKey : This is a 32-character GUID found in the admin console under Integrations.
• TurnitinApiUrl : This is the HTTPS URL of your Turnitin admin console.

Here are some instructions to help you obtain this information.

The TurnitinApiUrl is the host address of your admin console. Example: https://your-tenant-name.turnitin.com

The admin console is where you can create an integration and an API key associated with the integration.

Select Integrations from the side menu, then select Add Integration and give the integration a name.

The TurnitinApiKey will be given to you after you follow the prompts. Copy the API key and paste it into the Microsoft Teams admin center. This is the only time you can view the key.

Upon clicking the Save button in the admin center for this setting, allow a few hours for these settings to take effect.

Assignments data

Assignments stores information that is generated both by teachers and students. All the data is co-shared between teacher and the specific student for which the information is intended in class. There are two stores of this data, SharePoint and outside of SharePoint.

The same rules also apply to first-party integrations such as Reading Progress.

Assignments data in SharePoint document libraries

Students' files associated with a Submission for Assignment are stored in a document library (named: Student Work ). Files associated with Assignments that are created by teachers and accessible by Students are stored in another document library (named: Class Files ) in the corresponding Class Team SharePoint site. First-party integrations may also store Assignments data in the same corresponding Class Team SharePoint site (named: Assignments title + time stamp ).

Files associated with the student

IT admins can use the Content Search tool to search for student files ( Student Work , Class Files , or other 1st-party integration files) that are related to assignment submissions and files that are related to assignments. For example, an admin could search all SharePoint sites in the organization and use the student's name and class or assignment name in the search query to find data relevant to a data subject request (DSR).

Files associated with the teacher

IT admins can use the Content Search tool to search for teacher files ( Student Work , Class Files , or other 1st-party integration files) that are related to assignments and files distributed to students by the teachers within a class on assignments. For example, an admin could search all SharePoint sites in the organization and use the teacher's name and class or assignment name in the search query to find data relevant to a DSR.

Assignments data outside of SharePoint document libraries

Some data related to Assignments isn't stored in the class team SharePoint site, which means it's not discoverable with Content Search. This includes:

• Student grades and feedback from the teacher
• The list of documents submitted for an assignment by each student
• Assignment details like Due Date, etc.
• First-party integration data like Reading Progress passages or student pronunciation data

For this type of data, an IT admin or data owner, such as a teacher, may have to go into the assignment in the class team to find data relevant to a DSR. The admin can add themselves as an owner to the class and view all the assignments for that class team.

If a student is no longer part of the class, their data might still be present in the class as no longer enrolled . The student will have to provide the tenant admin the list of such classes that they were ever a part of.

Bulk Export assignment data outside of SharePoint document libraries

For a student.

To bulk export a single student's data, before removing the student from the classes they're part of, run the script and provide the userId . If the student has been removed from the site, either the admin can add the student back to the class before running the script, or the admin can provide the userId and the classId that the student was ever a part of.

The data about the student submissions will be exported.

For a teacher

Bulk Export assignment data works the same way for a student, but all submissions that the teacher has access to will be exported.

Bulk Delete assignment data outside of SharePoint document libraries

To bulk delete a single student's data, before removing the student from the classes they're part of, run the script and provide the userId . If the student has been removed from the site, either the admin can add the student back to the class before running the script, or the admin can provide the userId and the classId that the student was ever a part of.

Providing a ClassId will allow the admin to only delete information about the student from a specific class.

Since an assignment's data for a teacher is shared across the class, there's no bulk delete option. Instead the admin can add themselves to the class, go to the app, and delete the assignment.

For more information, see Configure assignments for Teams .

Removing Assignments and Grades

You can also use Teams policies to remove Assignments and Grades for a specific user or for your entire tenant.

To remove Assignments and Grades for an individual user, go to Teams Admin Center and navigate to Teams apps > Permission policies to create a new app permission policy definition. When creating the new policy definition, set the Microsoft apps policy to Block specific apps and allow all others and add Assignments and Grades to the list of blocked applications. Once your new policy definition is saved, assign it to the appropriate users.

To remove Assignments and Grades for your entire tenant, go to Teams Admin Center , navigate to Teams apps > Manage apps , and search for and select Assignments and Grades from the application list. Change the status setting within the applications' settings page to Blocked .

Assignments diagnostic tool for users

Microsoft Support has created a tool to collect diagnostic data for the Microsoft engineering team to investigate issues related to the Assignments feature.

This tool can be accessed inside of Assignments on any screen the users experience an issue.

To pull up the diagnostic tool in Teams, users can:

• Select Ctrl+/
• Touch the screen with two fingers and rotate fingers 45 degrees, or
• Tap on the screen with three fingers for 15 seconds

Once the diagnostic tool pops up, users will see a list of data that may be needed by Microsoft technical support.

The data pulled may include:

• Assignment ID
• Submission ID

This data isn't automatically sent to Microsoft. Users need to copy and paste the data to a Microsoft support agent regarding a support ticket.

If a user pulls up the diagnostic tool then closes it, no data is sent.

When the data is sent to a Microsoft support agent, it's handled as Support Data under your organization's Microsoft 365 service agreements.

For instructions on using this diagnostic tool that you can share with educators and students, see Get diagnostic data to troubleshoot Assignments .

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Differentiated Instruction Strategies: Tiered Assignments

Janelle cox.

• September 23, 2014

Many teachers use differentiated instruction strategies  as a way to reach all learners and accommodate each student’s learning style. One very helpful tactic to employ differentiated instruction is called tiered assignments—a technique often used within flexible groups.

Much like flexible grouping—or differentiated instruction as a whole, really—tiered assignments do not lock students into ability boxes. Instead, particular student clusters are assigned specific tasks within each group according to their readiness and comprehension without making them feel completely compartmentalized away from peers at different achievement levels.

There are six main ways to structure tiered assignments: challenge level, complexity, outcome, process, product, or resources. It is your job, based upon the specific learning tasks you’re focused on, to determine the best approach. Here we will take a brief look at these techniques.

Ways to Structure Tiered Assignments

Challenge level.

Tiering can be based on challenge level where student groups will tackle different assignments. Teachers can use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guide to help them develop tasks of structure or questions at various levels. For example:

• Group 1:  Students who need content reinforcement or practice will complete one activity that helps  build  understanding.
• Group 2:  Students who have a firm understanding will complete another activity that  extends  what they already know.

When you tier assignments by complexity, you are addressing the needs of students who are at different levels using the same assignment. The trick here is to vary the focus of the assignment based upon whether each group is ready for more advanced work or simply trying to wrap their head around the concept for the first time. You can direct your students to create a poster on a specific issue—recycling and environmental care, for instance—but one group will focus on a singular perspective, while the other will consider several points of view and present an argument for or against each angle.

Tiering assignments by differentiated outcome is vaguely similar to complexity—all of your students will use the same materials, but depending on their readiness levels will actually have a different outcome. It may sound strange at first, but this strategy is quite beneficial to help advanced students work on more progressive applications of their student learning.

This differentiated instruction strategy is exactly what it sounds like—student groups will use different processes to achieve similar outcomes based upon readiness.

Tiered assignments can also be differentiated based on product. Teachers can use the Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences to form groups that will hone particular skills for particular learning styles . For example, one group would be bodily/kinesthetic, and their task is to create and act out a skit. Another group would be visual/spatial, and their task would be to illustrate.

Tiering resources means that you are matching project materials to student groups based on readiness or instructional need. One flexible group may use a magazine while another may use a traditional textbook. As a tip, you should assign resources based on knowledge and readiness, but also consider the group’s reading level and comprehension.

How to Make Tiering Invisible to Students

From time to time, students may question why they are working on different assignments, using varied materials, or coming to dissimilar outcomes altogether. This could be a blow to your classroom morale if you’re not tactful in making your tiers invisible.

Make it a point to tell students that each group is using different materials or completing different activities so they can share what they learned with the class. Be neutral when grouping students, use numbers or colors for group names, and be equally enthusiastic while explaining assignments to each cluster.

Also, it’s important to make each tiered assignment equally interesting, engaging, and fair in terms of student expectations. The more flexible groups and materials you use, the more students will accept that this is the norm.

Tiering assignments is a fair way to differentiate learning. It allows teachers to meet the needs of all students while using varying levels of tasks. It’s a concept that can be infused into homework assignments, small groups, or even learning centers. If done properly, it can be a very effective method to differentiate learning because it challenges all students.

• #DifferentiatedInstruction , #TieredAssignments

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1. Don’t have too many activities and worksheets

• Tip: Prepare some quick and easy warm-up activities that can be used anytime, can be repurposed for different topics and need little preparation. This way, you can fill in extra time without rushing through important parts of your lesson.
• One example might be a quick vocabulary game like Back to the Board, where you divide the class into two groups and have a student from each sit at the front with their backs to the board. Write a word and have the class give definitions or clues to the words for their representative to guess. You can find some more useful examples of warm-up activities here. 

2. Don’t worry about not knowing everything

• Tip: Create a learning environment where students can teach each other and also teach you. This helps them become more independent learners and shows that learning never stops.
• One example might be to have students give a short presentation on a topic they’re passionate about or something they know about which might be surprising to the rest of the class.

3. Don’t rely on too many tech tools

• Tip: Start with a few reliable tools and see how they work in your class. Using the same tools regularly helps you feel much more relaxed and comfortable going into your lessons. Remember, you don’t always need high-tech tools to have fun and engaging classes. You can read more about this topic here. 

4. Think about classroom management

• Tip: Set clear rules and routines from the start. Use techniques to get students’ attention and smoothly change activities. Try different strategies to meet the needs of all your students.
• You could try tapping the board and having students stand up. The last student to stand up answers an English question. You could also have a traffic light system, where green means to do the activity and red means to stop. Read more about classroom management here.

5. Take time to reflect and relax

• Tip: Make sure to take time for yourself; reflect on your teaching and relax. Taking care of yourself helps you stay motivated, inspired and ready to handle challenges in the classroom without sacrificing your wellbeing.

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A survey conducted by the Associated Press has revealed that around 58% of parents feel that their child has been given the right amount of assignments. Educators are thrilled that the majority has supported the thought of allocating assignments, and they think that it is just right.

However, the question arises when students question the importance of giving assignments for better growth. Studies have shown that students often get unsuccessful in understanding the importance of assignments.

What key purpose does an assignment have? They often question how an assignment could be beneficial. Let us explain why a teacher thinks it is best to allot assignments. The essential functions of assigning tasks or giving assignments come from many intentions. 

What is the Importance of Assignment- For Students 

The importance of the assignment is not a new concept. The principle of allocating assignments stems from students’ learning process. It helps teachers to evaluate the student’s understanding of the subject. Assignments develop different practical skills and increase their knowledge base significantly. As per educational experts, mastering a topic is not an impossible task to achieve if they learn and develop these skills.  

Cognitive enhancement 

While doing assignments, students learn how to conduct research on subjects and comprise the data for using the information in the given tasks. Working on your assignment helps you learn diverse subjects, compare facts, and understand related concepts. It assists your brain in processing information and memorizing the required one. This exercise enhances your brain activity and directly impacts cognitive growth. 

Ensured knowledge gain   

When your teacher gives you an assignment, they intend to let you know the importance of the assignment. Working on it helps students to develop their thoughts on particular subjects. The idea supports students to get deep insights and also enriches their learning. Continuous learning opens up the window for knowledge on diverse topics. The learning horizon expanded, and students gained expertise in subjects over time.      

Improve students’ writing pattern 

Experts have revealed in a study that most students find it challenging to complete assignments as they are not good at writing. With proper assistance or teacher guidance, students can practice writing repetitively.

It encourages them to try their hands at different writing styles, and gradually they will improve their own writing pattern and increase their writing speed. It contributes to their writing improvement and makes it certain that students get a confidence boost. 

Increased focus on studies 

When your teachers allocate a task to complete assignments, it is somehow linked to your academic growth, especially for the university and grad school students. Therefore, it demands ultimate concentration to establish your insights regarding the topics of your assignments.

This process assists you in achieving good growth in your academic career and aids students in learning concepts quickly with better focus. It ensures that you stay focused while doing work and deliver better results.         

Build planning & organization tactics

Planning and task organization are as necessary as writing the assignment. As per educational experts, when you work on assignments, you start planning to structurize the content and what type of information you will use and then organize your workflow accordingly. This process supports you in building your skill to plan things beforehand and organize them to get them done without hassles.   

Adopt advanced research technique

Assignments expand the horizon of research skills among students. Learners explore different topics, gather diverse knowledge on different aspects of a particular topic, and use useful information on their tasks. Students adopt advanced research techniques to search for relevant information from diversified sources and identify correct facts and stats through these steps.  

Augmenting reasoning & analytical skills 

Crafting an assignment has one more sign that we overlook. Experts have enough proof that doing an assignment augments students’ reasoning abilities. They started thinking logically and used their analytical skills while writing their assignments. It offers clarity of the assignment subject, and they gradually develop their own perspective about the subject and offer that through assignments.     

Boost your time management skills 

Time management is one of the key skills that develop through assignments. It makes them disciplined and conscious of the value of time during their study years. However, students often delay as they get enough time. Set deadlines help students manage their time. Therefore, students understand that they need to invest their time wisely and also it’s necessary to complete assignments on time or before the deadline.  

What is the Importance of Assignment- Other Functions From Teacher’s Perspective: 

Develop an understanding between teacher and students  .

Teachers ensure that students get clear instructions from their end through the assignment as it is necessary. They also get a glimpse of how much students have understood the subject. The clarity regarding the topic ensures that whether students have mastered the topic or need further clarification to eliminate doubts and confusion. It creates an understanding between the teaching faculty and learners. 

Clarity- what is the reason for choosing the assignment 

The Reason for the assignment allocated to students should be clear. The transparency of why teachers have assigned the task enables learners to understand why it is essential for their knowledge growth. With understanding, the students try to fulfill the objective. Overall, it fuels their thoughts that successfully evoke their insights. 

Building a strong relationship- Showing how to complete tasks 

When a teacher shows students how to complete tasks, it builds a strong student-teacher relationship. Firstly, students understand the teacher’s perspective and why they are entrusted with assignments. Secondly, it also encourages them to handle problems intelligently. This single activity also offers them the right direction in completing their tasks within the shortest period without sacrificing quality. 

Get a view of what students have understood and their perspective 

Assigning a task brings forth the students’ understanding of a particular subject. Moreover, when they attempt an assignment, it reflects their perspective on the specific subject. The process is related to the integration of appreciative learning principles. In this principle, teachers see how students interpret the subject. Students master the subject effectively, whereas teachers find the evaluation process relatively easy when done correctly. 

Chance to clear doubts or confusion regarding the assignment  

Mastering a subject needs practice and deep understanding from a teacher’s perspective. It could be possible only if students dedicate their time to assignments. While doing assignments, students could face conceptual difficulties, or some parts could confuse them. Through the task, teachers can clear their doubts and confusion and ensure that they fully understand what they are learning.   

Offering individualistic provisions to complete an assignment 

Students are divergent, and their thoughts are diverse in intelligence, temperaments, and aptitudes. Their differences reflect in their assignments and the insight they present. This process gives them a fair understanding of students’ future and their scope to grow. It also helps teachers to understand their differences and recognize their individualistic approaches.  

Conclusion:

You have already become acquainted with the factors that translate what is the importance of assignments in academics. It plays a vital role in increasing the students’ growth multifold. 

TutorBin is one of the best assignment help for students. Our experts connect students to improve their learning opportunities. Therefore, it creates scopes of effective education for all, irrespective of location, race, and education system. We have a strong team of tutors, and our team offers diverse services, including lab work, project reports, writing services, and presentations.

We often got queries like what is the importance of assignments to students. Likewise, if you have something similar in mind regarding your assignment & homework, comment below. We will answer you. In conclusion, we would like to remind you that if you want to know how our services help achieve academic success, search www.tutorbin.com . Our executive will get back to you shortly with their expert recommendations. 

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TCH - Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Dual Language Coach ( 2 Openings)

Job posting for tch - teacher on special assignment (tosa) dual language coach ( 2 openings) at adams county school district 14.

• Compensation is based on a teaching 188 day contract with additional days paid at a per-diem rate based on the approved 188 day contract.
• Utilize a variety of methods to improve teaching , i.e., coaching, monitoring data, focused dialogue, collaborative planning, action plan implementation, providing professional development.
• Provide targeted feedback to teachers regarding classroom instruction and student achievement.
• Assist in the implementation of the district curriculum, initiatives, and strategies through classroom coaching and data analysis.
• Facilitate Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with a strong focus on lesson internalization, student work analysis and data driven instruction.
• Develop, implement and evaluate short/long-term content-based and instructional-based action plans.
• Identify areas of needed improvement in classroom instruction.
• Monitor campus and classroom student data and identify areas of improvement for instructional focus. Use this information to provide individual support to teachers.
• Serve as an instructional liaison between district departments and campus personnel.
• Provide leadership and facilitation of vertical and horizontal instructional planning and meetings among grade-levels and/or departments with teachers.
• Collaborate with campus staff to facilitate systemic change and sustainability of district initiatives
• Collaborate with school leadership and district personnel to develop professional development based on campus identified needs or based on curriculum components.
• Arrange professional development activities for all teachers in the school or in the district, as needed
• Provide job embedded professional development to teachers and monitor implementation of development.
• Attend district provided or facilitated professional development, to include evenings and weekends as needed.
• Maintain professional development in content areas, knowledge and expertise, identify current trends, and provide current information to content area teachers to inform instruction.
• Support dual language teachers in the delivery of bilingual education programs that promote bilingualism, biliteracy, and cultural competency.
• Model effective dual language instructional strategies in the classroom to demonstrate best practices.
• Provide targeted coaching and feedback to dual language teachers to enhance instructional quality and student outcomes.
• Develop and implement professional development sessions specifically focused on dual language instruction, including strategies for language acquisition, literacy development, and cultural inclusivity.
• Assist teachers in creating lesson plans and instructional materials that align with dual language program goals and standards.
• Analyze student performance data in both languages to identify trends, areas of strength, and areas needing improvement, and use this data to inform instructional decisions.
• Collaborate with teachers to design and implement assessments that measure student progress in both languages effectively.
• Foster a collaborative environment among dual language educators, facilitating the sharing of resources, strategies, and best practices.
• Serve as a liaison between the dual language program, school administration, and the broader community to promote understanding and support for bilingual education initiatives.
• Advocate for the needs and benefits of the dual language program within the school and community, promoting a culture of respect and appreciation for linguistic and cultural diversity.

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

What Teachers Really Need to Thrive

American teachers are increasingly stepping away from their jobs because of the educational systems and structures that prevent them from engaging in good teaching, which involves professional judgment, attunement to students’ multidimensional needs, and a connection to one’s purpose and values. The barriers to good teaching include overwork and underpay, in a profession that is increasingly undervalued—but that is not the whole story.

The results of a massive survey, America’s Teachers on Teaching in an Era of Change , indicate a strong correlation between teachers’ job satisfaction and feeling that their voices are heard.

Ninety-eight percent of the 20,000 respondents believe that teaching is more than a profession; it is how they make a difference in the world. The survey also suggested that new teachers, in particular, have comparatively higher needs for both content and social support . A frequently cited challenge for teachers was finding time to collaborate with colleagues, and rural and small-town teachers feel significantly more isolated and in need of support, connection, and collaboration.

While self-care strategies such as mindfulness, gratitude, and self-compassion have been shown to support individual well-being , they are insufficient to support teachers who believe that their institutions are not in alignment with their values. These educators need the support and connection of an authentic learning community to give meaning, purpose, and direction to their work. Such communities are of particular importance for reengaging those suffering from demoralization, helping them regain their self-efficacy , which can lead to increased job satisfaction and commitment to students and the profession. There is power and hope when we work together.

With this context in mind, we’ve taken steps at the Greater Good Science Center to provide opportunities for connection and collaboration to further support the over 1.1 million educators, from every U.S. state and over 200 countries, who actively utilize our resources at Greater Good in Education . We are dedicated to lifting up teacher voices, reconnecting educators to their purpose, and building a courageous community empowered to change the dominant narrative in education to one that values kindness, cooperation, and other prosocial qualities.

We recently completed the Greater Good Educators pilot program and received feedback from a diverse group of 60 participants, representing twelve U.S. states and nine countries. We provided them an opportunity to engage with one another and bring the science of a meaningful life into their lives, schools, and classrooms. Each month, we introduced a new well-being topic, via a digital platform, to learn about, practice, and apply in their school settings. Additionally, participants met online monthly for 90 minutes to make connections, solve problems, and share resources in a facilitated community of practice . 

We used feedback from monthly surveys to inform the ongoing development of the program and employed a final comprehensive survey and targeted participant interviews to measure program impact. The final feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 98% of the participants rating the overall program “very good” or “excellent.” They appreciated the opportunity to meet with colleagues across the globe who had similar goals and interests. As one participant explained: “I loved meeting with so many different people from around the country, and around the world, to hear varied perspectives, as well as international similarities!”

In meeting together regularly with others who shared their passion for building happier, kinder schools and classrooms where everyone belongs, participants identified three ways that the program provided them with the hope and courage to expand and magnify their good work. 

Greater Good Educators Program (Fall 2024)

Exploring science-based practices for kinder, happier schools where everyone belongs

A sense of belonging. When we are understood, recognized, and affirmed by others, we feel we belong to a community. Researchers recognize this sense of belonging as an essential aspect of our well-being and central to a meaningful life . As we engaged in a collective exploration and dialogue around well-being themes and practices in the community of practice, participants reported a deepened understanding of content and a strengthening of group bonds. This sense of belonging was frequently expressed as feeling welcomed, heard, included, or accepted. As noted by a participant, “It was so nice to be in a community of like-minded people and to feel myself part of a global movement.” 

Voice and agency. Feeling heard and experiencing agency is key to giving purpose and meaning to our life and work. When our thoughts and feelings are shared without fear of judgment, and we believe we can make a difference, we are more likely to take positive action. As indicated by another participant, “You can voice your values and essentially garner support amongst a community to enact change.” Being in a learning community where reflection and mindful listening are practiced allows educators to engage authentically, supporting their efforts to act courageously on their values to benefit students and whole school communities.

Social connection and support. Our brains are wired to connect . Scientific evidence strongly suggests that reaching out and interacting with others is a core psychological need . Feeling supported by others can even make us more resilient by lowering levels of cortisol, activating regions of the brain that bring us a sense of safety, and helping us handle stress. Recent research reveals that the personal benefits of belonging to a group with shared interests include not only feeling good, but also making people feel capable and in control of their lives and work. Since educators spend most of their days supporting the social and emotional lives of their students, with little time for themselves, participating in an ongoing community of practice provides a healing and inspiring space for social connection and support. “It’s really replenished my strength and kept me going this year and I’m grateful,” reflected another participant.

Being a teacher is hard work, and there is no denying that much of the burnout, demoralization, and attrition is a systemic problem , rather than an individual one. However, nurturing a sense of collective efficacy may offer us a way forward. As one educator said, “Courage is easier in community.” As our systems let us down, we can join with others for support, connection, and hope as we work to address the root causes of the problems. 

This fall, we will be opening up registration for Greater Good Educators . Whether you are hoping for connection and community or learning and inspiration, we encourage you to join us in building kinder, happier schools where everyone belongs.

About the Author

Margaret Golden

Margaret Golden, Ed.D. , is the education community manager at the Greater Good Science Center. She is the coauthor of Teach Our Children Well: Essential Strategies for the Urban Classroom and editor of Teaching and Learning from the Inside Out: Revitalizing Ourselves and Our Institutions .

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Multi-Step Assignment Generator

The Multi-step Assignment Generator is a versatile tool designed to streamline the creation of comprehensive, standards-aligned assignments for any subject or topic. This MagicSchool AI-powered assistant empowers educators to develop multi-step assignments that encompass a range of critical components, including warm-up activities, academic content, key vocabulary, text-dependent questions, and writing prompts.

Key Features

Topic Agnostic: This tool's adaptability is a standout feature, as it allows teachers to generate assignments for any subject or topic. Whether you're teaching science, history, mathematics, or literature, the Multi-step Assignment Generator ensures that your assignments are relevant and engaging.

Standards Alignment: With a focus on educational standards, this tool ensures that the assignments it generates are in line with curricular expectations and learning objectives. This guarantees that students are exposed to the content and skills they need to master.

Comprehensive Components: The Multi-step Assignment Generator goes beyond basic assignment creation. It covers all essential elements of a well-rounded assignment, including warm-up activities that engage students, academic content that imparts knowledge, key vocabulary to enhance comprehension, text-dependent questions for critical thinking, and a writing prompt that encourages creativity and expression.

• The Multi-Step Assignment Generator is one of the Best AI tools for All teachers
• Efficient Lesson Planning: Streamline your lesson planning process by utilizing this tool to create multi-step assignments quickly. Its ability to generate comprehensive assignments across diverse subjects saves time and reduces the burden of manual task creation. ‍
• Standards-Based Assessment: Use the generated assignments for formative and summative assessments, ensuring that students are meeting educational standards and making progress in their academic journey.

In summary, the Multi-step Assignment Generator is an invaluable asset for educators seeking to create standards-aligned assignments across a variety of subjects and topics. With its adaptability and comprehensive assignment components, it simplifies the assignment creation process, allowing teachers to focus on delivering high-quality instruction and supporting their students' learning needs effectively.

25 Professional Teacher Email Examples

Examples of emails to a school teacher

Teacher Emails are necessary, sometimes. Whether it is to clarify a doubt or to ask for an extension on an assignment, sending an email to a teacher has become a common practice among students and parents. If you are not sure how to address a teacher or how to clearly state the purpose of your email, keep reading.

In this blog post, we will provide you with some examples of emails to a teacher on various topics such as school homework, sick note, a child’s progress, bullying, reporting an incident, or even a late assignment. You can modify these templates to create a personalized professional and effective email.

1. Example teacher email about homework

Dear [Teacher’s Name],

I hope this message finds you well. I had a quick question regarding the homework assigned in class yesterday. I wasn’t quite clear on the instructions for problem #3 and was hoping you could provide a bit more clarity on what is expected.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

Best regards, [Your Name]

2. Example email to a teacher about a late assignment

I apologize for submitting my assignment late. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances arose that prevented me from completing it on time. I understand the importance of timely submissions and take full responsibility for my actions. If possible, I would appreciate any guidance or feedback you can provide to help me improve future assignments.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

3. Example email to a teacher about a technical issue submitting homework

I trust this email finds you well. I wanted to bring to your attention that I am experiencing some technical difficulties submitting my homework through the online platform. Every time I try to upload the file, I receive an error message and the upload fails.

I have tried different browsers and devices, but the issue persists. Is there any alternative way I can submit my homework? I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

4. Example email to a teacher about being absent due to illness

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I won’t be able to attend the class today due to illness. I am experiencing [symptoms] and my doctor advised me to rest at home to avoid spreading any potential sickness.

I will do my best to catch up on the missed classwork and assignments as soon as possible. Please let me know if there is any specific material or tasks that I should prioritize.

Thank you for your understanding and I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

5. Example email to a teacher about access to the class website

I hope you are doing well. I wanted to reach out because I am having trouble accessing the class website. I have tried logging in using my username and password multiple times, but I keep receiving an error message.

I was wondering if there is anything I can do to troubleshoot this issue, or if there is someone I can contact for further assistance. I don’t want to miss any important updates or assignments, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.

6. Example email to a teacher about missing class

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I was unable to attend class [insert date] due to [provide a reason for absence]. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could let me know what I missed during that class so I can catch up on the material.

7. Example email to a teacher about bullying

I am writing to you about an issue that has been troubling me for some time now. I have noticed that there has been a lot of bullying going on in our class lately and it’s beginning to make me feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

I believe that everyone deserves to feel respected and valued, and I think it’s important that we work together to create a safe and supportive environment for all students. I would like to request that you take action to address this issue and ensure that all students are held accountable for their actions.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,[Your Name]

8. Example email to a teacher about child’s absence

I am writing to inform you that my child, [Child’s Name], was unable to attend school yesterday [Date] due to [Reason for Absence]. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and would like to request any missed assignments or classwork that needs to be completed.

Thank you for your understanding and please let me know if there are any further steps I need to take to ensure that my child stays up to date with their studies.

9. Example email to a teacher about grades

I hope this email finds you well. I was wondering if there is a chance to discuss my grades. I am eager to know where I stand and how I can improve my academic performance going forward.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

10. Example email to teacher about homework grade

I hope this email finds you well. I was hoping you could provide me with some feedback on my recent homework assignment. I received a lower grade than I was expecting and I was hoping to get some insight into what I could improve on for future assignments.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

11. Example email to teacher about a late assignment

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to apologize for submitting my assignment late. Unfortunately, I encountered some unforeseen circumstances that prevented me from completing it on time.

I understand that late submissions may have consequences, and I am willing to accept any penalties that may be assigned. I would also appreciate any feedback or suggestions you may have.

Thank you for your understanding, and please let me know if there are any further steps I need to take to rectify the situation.

12. Email to teacher from parent about their child’s behaviour

I wanted to touch base with you regarding my child’s behaviour in class. I have noticed some changes at home and I wanted to see if anything has been happening at school that could be contributing to this.

Can we schedule a time to chat about this further and discuss ways that we can work together to address any concerns?

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

13. Email to teacher about an incident in class

I wanted to bring to your attention an incident that occurred during class yesterday. [Describe the incident briefly and objectively].

I believe it’s important to address situations like this to ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for all students. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

14. Email from parent to the teacher about child being bullied

I am writing to you to express my concern about my child, [Child’s Name], who has been bullied by some of their classmates. It’s been affecting their mood and behaviour lately, and I would appreciate your help in addressing this issue.

I would like to request a meeting with you to discuss this matter further and find ways to prevent it from happening again. I believe that with your assistance, we can create a safe and inclusive environment for all students.

15. Email to teacher about child’s grades

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to touch base with you regarding my child’s grades in your class. I have noticed that their grades have been slipping a bit and I wanted to ask if there is anything we can do to help improve their performance.

I know that my child is capable of doing well and I want to make sure that they have all the resources and support they need to succeed. Please let me know if there is anything we can do at home to reinforce the material or if there are any additional resources you can recommend.

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter.

Best regards,

[Your Name]

16. Email to teacher about child’s progress

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to touch base regarding my child’s progress in your class. As a parent, I am eager to support my child’s education and would appreciate any insights you can offer on their academic and social development.

Could you please provide an update on how my child is doing in your class? Are there any areas where they excel or struggle? How can I best support their learning at home?

Thank you for all that you do to support my child’s education. I look forward to hearing back from you.

17. Email to teacher about child being sick

Subject: Child’s Absence Due to Illness

I wanted to inform you that my child [Child’s Name] was absent from school today due to illness. They have been experiencing [symptoms] and I believe they should stay at home and rest.

Please let me know if there is any work my child may have missed or any assignments that need to be completed.

18. Email to teacher about a child needing extra support

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to discuss some concerns I have about my child’s progress in the class. My child has been struggling with [specific area(s) of difficulty] and I was wondering if there are any extra resources or support available to help them succeed.

I know my child is capable of doing well, but they may need some additional assistance. I would greatly appreciate any advice or guidance on how we can work together to ensure their success.

19. Email to teacher asking for something

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to kindly request [insert what you are asking for]. I believe this will greatly benefit my learning experience in your class.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know if you need any additional information from me.

20. Example email to teacher about failing grades

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you regarding my recent grades in your class. I have noticed that my grades have been consistently low, and I am concerned about my performance in the class.

I wanted to ask if there are any additional resources or study materials that you would recommend to help me improve my understanding of the material. I am willing to put in extra effort and time to ensure that I can succeed in your class.

21. Example email to teacher about failing grades version 2

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you regarding my recent grades in your class. I have noticed that I am struggling and unfortunately, my recent grades reflect that. I am disappointed in myself and I know that this is not a reflection of my abilities.

I wanted to ask if there is anything I can do to improve my performance in the class. I am willing to put in extra effort and seek additional help if necessary. I am also open to any feedback you may have to offer.

23. Email to teacher about a sick child

I am writing to let you know that my child [Child’s Name] is currently sick and will not be able to attend school for the next few days. As soon as my child is feeling better, they will return to class.

I appreciate your understanding.

24. Email to teacher from parent about new student joining

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to inform you that my child’s friend [New Student’s Name] will be joining your class starting tomorrow. They have recently moved to the area and will be attending [School Name] from now on.

I wanted to reach out and provide any necessary information you might need about [New Student’s Name]. They are a diligent student who enjoys math and science. They are also very involved in sports and love to play soccer.

Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me or if there are any adjustments that need to be made to accommodate the new student. We are looking forward to an exciting school year.

Thank you for your attention.

Best regards, [Parent’s Name]

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