FEW OF US TAKE ON A NEW TASK WITH NO IDEA WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE TO BE GOOD AT IT.

For our students, the use of exemplars (aka working examples or models), help them to know exactly what success will look like. Previous blog posts in this series have been on the importance of telling students what and why they are learning as well as providing a rubric that defines success.

This post is about showing students work that they can score against a rubric to deepen their understanding of what success looks like.

Any assignment that is given can have an exemplar. There are generally three phases to instruction with exemplars.

1.INTRODUCTION. Share with the students the exemplar. Tell the students that this example is from a previous year or period. You may or may not share the grade the exemplar received.

2. TRAINING. Have the students read or study the exemplar based on the rubric that has been provided. Point out the important aspects of the rubric or exemplar. It is very powerful for you show the students how you think as you analyze the exemplar or rubric. Using “I-statements” such as, “When I see this essay, the first thing that I notice is that there are clear subheadings that tell me how the text is organized” or “When I see this lab report, I notice that the vocabulary words from this week are included in the appropriate sections.” Through metacognition we train the students how they should be thinking when they analyze the exemplar and their own work before they turn it in.

3. APPLY LEARNING CRITERIA. Have the students engage with the exemplar by themselves or with a partner. As the students analyze the exemplar, they learn the success criteria, rubric. An especially useful extension activity can be to provide students with multiple exemplars and let them work together to determine what works and what doesn’t, which are stronger/weaker, etc.

You may provide an exemplar that is high-level or work or one that still needs work. By analyzing a less-than-perfect exemplar, they can use the rubric to see where improvements may need to be made or why.

Student after student will say, “The most helpful thing you did was show me examples when an assignment was really complicated.” Teacher after teacher might say, “That took time I didn’t have, and it didn’t teach them anything new. Was it worth it?” Yes. And yes. And yes.

Taking the time to show your students what the end product might look like is an equalizing and generous act because it understands that students want to succeed, and it recognizes their insecurity about how they might do it. Examples help them build a road from assignment to finished product.