About the store
Learning to create my own Proficiency Scales for Standards Based Grading was a painful reminder of how my students feel... thrown into new content that they didn't choose... overwhelmed by the expectations to master something unfamiliar. It's my hope that every teacher who has to implement scales will find an easy jumpstart in these resources.
Proficiency Scales don't just motivate a Growth Mindset, they define how students can demonstrate mastery. Every learning standard is broken down into 4 levels of Differentiation.They lead students up a progressive learning path that mirrors the way they develop concepts. Aligned to Bloom’s or Marzano’s Taxonomy of cognitive skills. From easiest-hardest: (Recall/Retrieval, Comprehension, Analysis/Application, and Knowledge Utilization/Synthesis).
The 4 Levels demonstrated are:
4. Level 4 indicates an advanced knowledge of the skill.
3. Level 3 represents proficiency in each math standard. see the stars*
2. Level 2 will include content from the previous grade level and new vocabulary that must be applied correctly for mastery of level 3.
1. Level 1 will either be derived from sub-skills of the standard, or from the background knowledge of earlier grade levels.
Melanie LiCausi taught for 12 1/2 years in early elementary classrooms and upper grades gifted resource. I fell in love with preschool kids and gradually progressed trough the grade levels during my years teaching. Specifically, I taught 2nd grade, 1st grade, 5-8th grade science and math, as well as gifted resource at two Title I schools.
What I love most about teaching is the kids! Elementary and middle school children have so much natural energy and curiosity that is just begging to be guided! They love to see their own progress, and I love to see their beaming faces when they SEE themselves improve. I hope you find these resources helpful in facilitating progress with your own students. Have a great school year!
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Metric Olympic Games
In the following activities students will become familiar with metric units by estimating and measuring in a series of fun and engaging “Metric Olympic” events! Students will practice estimating and measuring in metric units. Their main goal should be paying attention to the difference between their estimates and exact measurements, and striving to improve them each time. As the events progress students will see how accurate estimates are rewarded. These activities are recommended for Upper
4th - 8th
Math, Measurement
Write Your Own Logic Puzzles for any Season!
Logic puzzles involve thinking skills that are so valuable and applicable in so many content areas, but are rarely stated directly in content standards. I would use them 2-4 times a year because they can easily be modified to fit into any theme or holiday. Solving them are a valuable exercise for every student. Writing them was quite a challenge that I reserved for my higher and gifted kiddos as a fun challenge!
In This Freebie You'll Get:
- Teacher directions and suggestions for successful
3rd - 8th
Math, Other (Math)
Year 3 Australian Math Assessments with Marzano Scales (Standards 1-3) -FREE!
If your school uses the Marzano Framework or iObservations for Teacher Evaluations, this product will save you weeks of work! Help your students see their progress with Learning Goals & Scales! STANDARDS based on the ACARA curriculum standards has been done for you in a concrete assessment that creates a clear goal for you and your students. * This product was created in cooperation with a few QLD teachers to increase the appropriateness of method, language, and cultural relevance. Download
4th
Math, Math Test Prep
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About the store
Experience
Learning to create my own Proficiency Scales for Standards Based Grading was a painful reminder of how my students feel... thrown into new content that they didn't choose... overwhelmed by the expectations to master something unfamiliar. It's my hope that every teacher who has to implement scales will find an easy jumpstart in these resources.
Proficiency Scales don't just motivate a Growth Mindset, they define how students can demonstrate mastery. Every learning standard is broken down into 4 levels of Differentiation.They lead students up a progressive learning path that mirrors the way they develop concepts. Aligned to Bloom’s or Marzano’s Taxonomy of cognitive skills. From easiest-hardest: (Recall/Retrieval, Comprehension, Analysis/Application, and Knowledge Utilization/Synthesis).
The 4 Levels demonstrated are:
4. Level 4 indicates an advanced knowledge of the skill.
3. Level 3 represents proficiency in each math standard. see the stars*
2. Level 2 will include content from the previous grade level and new vocabulary that must be applied correctly for mastery of level 3.
1. Level 1 will either be derived from sub-skills of the standard, or from the background knowledge of earlier grade levels.
Melanie LiCausi taught for 12 1/2 years in early elementary classrooms and upper grades gifted resource. I fell in love with preschool kids and gradually progressed trough the grade levels during my years teaching. Specifically, I taught 2nd grade, 1st grade, 5-8th grade science and math, as well as gifted resource at two Title I schools.
What I love most about teaching is the kids! Elementary and middle school children have so much natural energy and curiosity that is just begging to be guided! They love to see their own progress, and I love to see their beaming faces when they SEE themselves improve. I hope you find these resources helpful in facilitating progress with your own students. Have a great school year!
Teaching style
There’s a story about Michelangelo that I find to be a perfect analogy for the gift of teaching. He was asked how he got the ideas for his beautiful sculptures, and he replied that he saw the figures within, and chipped away the excess to reveal them. He didn’t see himself as the “former” of his subjects, but the “revealer” of their own nature. Children have always been such a joyful and beautiful expression of LIFE to me. As much as we try to “sculpt”, “form”, or “mold” their young minds, they are who they are, with their own special dignity and destiny. I see the job of a teacher as a person with the compassion and insight to see the potential, gifts and weaknesses, of each child and guide them in a constructive direction. Knowing your content is necessary, but knowing your students is what makes the biggest impact in their education.
To see a video presentation on teaching with proficiency scales, visit my YouTube channel...
https://youtu.be/p-zfV8WLnXE?si=cK1gol5vNIf6Yjar
Awards & shining teacher moments
My greatest reward is the energy and joy that comes from all those little smiling faces!
My own education history
I graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Child Development, and a Biology minor. I then returned for an M.A. in Literacy and Language Instruction. Even though I have a natural affinity for math and sciences, I chose a Masters program centered around language arts because I wanted to develop in this area professionally. My credentials include certificates in Early Childhood and Elementary Education; as well as endorsements in Reading, Gifted Instruction, and Structured English Immersion.
Additional biographical information
My personal interests include travel, and the arts. I have visited several European countries and Australia. I enjoy singing in choirs, playing guitar, creating two and three-dimensional crafts, hiking, and eating! (My husband is a trained chef.) I also really enjoy reading a variety of non-fiction literature, because I always learn something new.
Words to live by…
"The TRUTH will set you FREE." Jesus Christ John 8:32
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
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