Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1509126
Charts: The Silent Teachers 3 considerations for using classroom charts effectively By Meghan Hargrave B E F O R E M Y F I R S T Y E A R of teaching, I scoured local teacher supply stores and scored charts that defined prime numbers and fractions, listed parts of speech, and named the writing process. Throughout the year, I spent hours per- fecting the charts that would hang on my classroom walls, making sure handwriting was perfect, borders just right. But I never taught students how to use the charts as cue- ing systems for learning, and I rarely referenced them during lessons. Instead of changing them as the year progressed and new units started, I added more, covering every inch of wall space by the time the last day of school rolled around. If I could go back, I would teach students early and often how to use charts more effectively, in ways that support their independence and agency. To help all learners access and use these powerful "silent teachers," we should take into con- sideration visibility, timing and student ownership. Visibility Will students be able to visually access charts? I have been in many classrooms — including my own! — where teachers have charts reaching all the way to the ceiling. It is highly unlikely that students will look up that high and equally unlikely that teachers will remember to reference these charts while teaching. Instead, when considering the place- ment of charts, think about student line of sight. What will they be able to see from their workspaces? It's also important to think about how to make wall displays aesthetically supportive of student learning. One strategy used in a New York City school involved col- or-coding specific subject areas. You could walk into any fourth-grade classroom and know exactly where to look for a given subject area. Students knew that purple/yellow meant writing, red/blue meant math, green meant a resource that could be used across subjects, etc. Timing Ask yourself, when is the best time to share this particular chart with students? Hold back from putting everything up at once; instead, share it when a lesson is taught. Remind yourself that it's OK to start a unit with empty walls and unfinished resources. In due time, you will fill those spaces with content that matches your teaching. Adding content to a chart at the time you teach it will make the usefulness of the tool obvious to students. Consider how resources will change and grow over time. It should be rare that a chart is put up at the start of the year and remains up until summer break. As the year progresses, think about what you could add or change. When you move to a new unit or start a new semester, ask students what charts they 're using or not using. Have discussions about whether a resource is helpful or if something else might Courtesy Meghan Hargrave Continued on Page 51 49 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 3 Teaching & Learning