All students need to know that they trust teachers to have their best interests at heart but also to believe that they can reach our high expectations of them. We need to encourage students to reveal their misunderstandings, normalizing error as an exciting aspect of learning: feedback when there is misunderstanding is most powerful, as it indicates that the student is on the brink of new learning.

This guide encompasses tried and tested ideas for delving into students’ understanding so that we can act appropriately in helping them learn.

Teachers will learn:
- the importance of student-to-teacher feedback
- how to check for understanding with the whole class and individual students
- question templates for uncovering student thinking

1. - When you know the “what” but need help with the “how”
2. - As a quick reference to support a practice you learned in a PD workshop or book
3. - To learn how to implement foundational practices
4. - When you want to help your students learn a specific strategy, routine, or approach, but aren’t sure how to do it yourself