ABSTRACT

The readiness level of each student is probably the most important aspect of a learning portrait. The heart of teaching is to take a student from where he or she is and move him or her to a higher level of learning. Most teachers find criterion-referenced testing to be more useful in understanding what students know and what they need to learn, as long as they receive detailed information about the results. Build a complete portrait at the beginning of the year and update it throughout the year so it continues to be a useful tool. The teachers may give students opportunities to connect their learning to their interests or group students by interest for a project. Culture is an important part of building a portrait of their students. A creative way to learn about all their students is through the use of Culture Boxes.