Student Learning Made Visible

At Friends School of Portland, each teacher finds ways to share out and make student learning visible to parents.

With the youngest, there is a weekly update of photos posted on the wall outside the classroom. Preschool students see themselves and their friends pictured on the wall as they get dressed in winter gear.

Recently, kindergarten students created a model of the newly built outdoor classroom structure and their favorite trees. Students wanted to bring the outdoor classroom indoors for everyone to see! Their class presented at a Wednesday morning meeting sharing photos, the structure, and answering questions from older and younger students. Afterward, students were invited to share their own memories!

During the fall, first and second-grade students and their buddy classrooms both held learning shares for their families. Students took time sharing their work with families.

Third and fourth-grade teachers send home a list of weekly conversation starters to support parent and child conversations about the school day.

What do transition words do in a paragraph?

Tell me about Compliment Crew!

What did you choose for Game-A-Palooza?

What does it mean to elaborate in your writing?

4th-grade mathematicians: how do you add fractions with different denominators? 

Seventh and eighth-grade teachers jot down the brainstorms of their lively classroom discussions and send pictures of these home.

Recently, Art Teacher Yasamin connected with our neighbors at the Integrative Health Center of Maine. Third through sixth-grade artists had their artwork hung up for families and neighbors alike to admire. A sweet community gallery opening was held in November.

Making student learning visible is an authentic way of inviting parents into their child's learning journey.