60-Second Strategy: NAEM Tracker
With a series of quick check-ins, students can assess their own learning—which lets teachers plan their next lesson with ease.
At Amana Academy in Alpharetta, Georgia, teachers use a tool called the NAEM Tracker to help kids self-assess where they are in their learning. The process also helps teachers decide whether to move on with the unit or reteach a lesson or concept. NAEM is an acronym: N is for Novice (“I don’t know much about this topic; it’s new to me”), A is for Apprentice (“I am aware of this topic and currently learning about it”), E is for Expert (“I understand the topic well and apply it”), and M is for Mentor (“I understand the topic well, can teach it to others, and support them in applying it”).
Students choose which description fits them best at the moment the teacher checks in. There are lots of different ways to have students do this, from raising their hands for each choice, to placing sticky notes on a NAEM Tracker poster board on their way out the door, to giving verbal answers. Typically teachers ask students to self-assess three times during the lesson—once at the start of class, once in the middle, and once at the end. Not only do students take more ownership of their learning, but teachers can more efficiently plan their next lesson, knowing who’s got it down and who needs more support.