#163 Checkpoints for Progress (pt.1)

#163 Checkpoints for Progress (pt.1)

Author: Jacob Chastain & Pam Ochoa October 15, 2023 Duration: 0:00

You can listen to this full episode right now by supporting us on Patreon. 

Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. 

How do you know your students are progressing before the final assessment?

In this episode, Jacob and Pam discuss how they check for progress during the learning process to ensure that students are learning what you expect them to learn.  Pam shares how she moves around the room to look for specific evidence for mastering the standard.  She discusses how she listens to the students during the lessons as well as during conferences for a depth of knowledge that was not there before.

Jacob discusses how it is important to have checks within the lesson that occurs before data driven check occurs; however, collecting data on specific aspects of the learning process creates a stronger checkpoint.  He also explains that the teacher needs to predetermine the expected standard or learning goal before the lesson is taught, so the checkpoint appropriately matches the desired outcome.

Join Jacob and Pam as they navigate their way through possible checkpoints for progress during the learning process as well as through a little bit of life.

The post #163 Checkpoints for Progress (pt.1) appeared first on Craft & Draft.


Jacob Chastain, from Teach Me, Teacher, and Pam Ochoa, an Abydos trainer, bring their combined classroom and coaching experience to every conversation on Craft & Draft. This isn't a theoretical lecture; it's a practical dialogue built on their specific Craft & Draft approach, designed to make the reading-writing workshop model work in real secondary classrooms. You'll hear them unpack the nuances of workshop teaching, from structuring effective mini-lessons to facilitating meaningful student conferences. They delve into the intentional separation of craft study and drafting time, offering actionable strategies for fostering independent, engaged writers and readers. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair in the teachers' lounge with two insightful colleagues who aren't afraid to discuss the challenges and celebrate the breakthroughs. The podcast serves as a steady resource for educators looking to move beyond theory and into the day-to-day reality of building a dynamic literacy workshop. Tune in for honest reflections, concrete examples, and the collective wisdom of two practitioners dedicated to refining their craft alongside their listeners.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Craft & Draft
Podcast Episodes
#193 How to Get an English Teaching Job [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. It’s interview time! Interviews are often…
#192 Closing the Year Strong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
lcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Another school year is coming to a close! Ho…
#191 How to Study Literature [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Jacob and Pam discuss man…
#190 Schools Ruin Poetry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Do schools ruin poetry? Often…they do. But…
#189 What is an Assignment? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. ‘What is an assignment?’ seems like a simp…
#188 How Much Do We Know About American Teachers? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. In this episode, Jacob and Pam take a quiz…
#187 What is College Readiness? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Jacob just took some students to visit a f…
#186 It’s That Time of Year:  To Stay or To Quit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. Every year in the education world, educato…
#185 Test-Prep Strategies! (Patreon Episode) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
In this bonus episode for our Craft and Draft patrons we answer Courtney’s question regarding the test taking season. Jacob shares how he begins broad in his workshop and then narrows his scope as his students approach t…
#184 Reading or Writing: What Matters Most? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
Welcome everyone to the Craft & Draft podcast! We are so excited to bring you what we love, talking with you about workshop, literacy, writing, reading, and real world teaching. It seems that the notion, ‘Students can’t…