How Do I Know My Students Are Working the Whole Time?

In a Daily 5 or Math Daily 3 classroom, students build stamina to work independently. We determine that independence has been achieved when students get started right away, stay in one spot, work quietly, and work the whole time. Teachers often wonder how they can be sure students are actively engaged and productive during this time. 

When students are participating in a task of their choice, there are many ways we can check engagement and understanding.

• Student behaviors—Engaged students are discussing, asking questions, problem solving, interacting with other students, reading critically, exploring, or creating. 

• Conferring—Through small-group sessions or one-on-one conferences we gain a great amount of information about a student’s level of understanding and how they have been using their time.

• Work produced—Written or oral, student work provides evidence of thinking and their level of engagement during their work time.

• Student sharing—Although sharing time lasts only a few minutes daily, it provides a glimpse into students’ thinking, activity preferences, and problem-solving abilities.