Instructional Minute

Building a strong culture of learning and honoring our collective commitments starts with the daily choices each of us makes in our classrooms and in collaboration with colleagues. As an individual teacher, you can strengthen this culture by:

• Taking collective responsibility — View all students as our students and share strategies to support their success.

• Using evidence to guide instruction — Regularly analyze student work and assessment data to adjust teaching and provide targeted support (see more on this below).

• Collaborating with purpose — Engage actively in team meetings, contribute ideas, and remain open to learning from others.

• Modeling a growth mindset — Reflect on your practice, seek feedback, and demonstrate that learning is ongoing for both students and adults.

• Honoring team commitments — Implement agreed-upon practices around collective commitments and communicate openly when challenges arise.

When each of us commits to these actions, we create a consistent, supportive environment where both students and educators thrive.

“The foundation of a PLC is a culture where educators feel safe to examine practice, use evidence, and grow together.” - Shirley Hord

Shared Commitment Connection:
As a learning community, we act on our belief that all students can learn at high levels by continuously adjusting instruction based on evidence of learning—not assumptions.

Technique Spotlight: Check for Understanding (CFU)

What it is:
Purposeful, frequent checks during instruction that provide immediate evidence of who understands, who needs support, and what to do next instructionally.

Why it matters:
Effective teachers don’t wait until the end of a lesson or unit to see who learned. They gather evidence during learning and respond in the moment. This ensures students receive the support or stretch they need before misconceptions solidify.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Strong CFU is:

• Strategic → questions aligned to the learning objective

• Inclusive → evidence from all students, not just volunteers

• Actionable → results lead to an instructional decision
  

Rationale: How Checking for Understanding Strengthens Tier 1 Differentiated Supports During Independent Work Time

Checking for Understanding (CFU) is the bridge between whole-group instruction and targeted support. When teachers gather real-time evidence of student thinking during a lesson, they can make immediate instructional decisions that ensure all learners continue progressing with grade level learning expectations.

Here’s why this matters for Tier 1 instruction:

1. It makes differentiation proactive, not reactive.
CFU allows teachers to identify misconceptions before independent work begins. Instead of discovering gaps after assignments are completed, teachers can anticipate needs and plan targeted support in the moment.

2. It ensures small groups are instructionally purposeful.
Rather than grouping students based on assumptions or general performance levels, CFU data shows exactly who needs:

• reteaching of a concept

• guided practice

• enrichment or extension

This keeps Tier 1 support precise and responsive.

3. It protects productive learning time.
When students who need clarification receive quick, targeted instruction, they avoid practicing errors independently. At the same time, students who demonstrate readiness can work independently or be extended—maximizing engagement for everyone.

4. It reinforces our shared belief that all students can learn at high levels.
Pulling a small group is not remediation—it is responsive teaching. It communicates:

“I saw what you needed, and I’m giving you exactly the support to succeed.”

5. It aligns with effective PLC practice.
CFU generates immediate evidence teachers can later bring to collaborative team conversations. This strengthens collective planning because instructional decisions are grounded in real student thinking rather than perception.

Teach → Check → Analyze → Adjust → Differentiate

Checking for Understanding isn’t just a questioning strategy—it’s the engine that powers responsive, differentiated instruction.

Did you know that the Amplify Library offers over 700 free classic and contemporary books that you can use with your students to help foster a love of reading? The Library is packed full of interactive features that make reading engaging and effective. Here are a few of our favorites:

• You and your students can customize the look of your library by selecting Themes & Avatars in the main settings menu. Themes change the background of your library, and avatars let you personalize your icon.

• Search the Amplify Library by title, author, or genre. You can also select Surprise Me! to generate a random book title.

• Click anywhere in the eReader to display or hide the toolbar. Click in the margin to write a note or place a bookmark. Students (and you) can even color-code highlights to mark thematic quotes in passages!

TAKE ME TO THE LIBRARY

P.S. Want to learn more about the Amplify Library and its features? Read our dedicated help article.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the next Math Steering on February 24. Please look for an email from Ms. Sarah Kentner. The K-8 Math Steering Committee meets on the last Tuesday of every month!

We are looking forward to seeing you at the next 9-12 Math Steering on Feb. 19 at 3pm. Please look for an email from Steering Chair Liz Ballinger or Nicole Minor to join virtually.

The 9-12 Math Steering Committee meets on the second Thursday of every month!

The K-8 Science Steering Committee will be held on the last Tuesday of every month

at 4:15 pm. Please look for an email from Steering Chair Catherine Cole Adams to join virtually.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website. *Please note that pacing for Illustrative Math powered by Kiddom and Reveal Math will become available as the year progresses.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.

The newsletter is created each week by the Instructional Division: