Checking for understanding - responsive teaching
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PRESENTED BYÂ SEAN ALSTON
In this session, Sean explores responsive teaching through five key checking-for-understanding strategies: mini whiteboards, choral response, warm calling, think-pair-share and exit tickets. He demonstrates how to interpret formative assessment feedback and make effective âin-the-momentâ instructional decisions. Sean also highlights common pitfalls and how to avoid them when assessing student understanding.
Participants will walk away from this session with a clear sense of why checking for understanding matters, when to use it and how to apply these strategies confidently in daily lessons.
About Sean Alston
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Sean currently serves as a Subject Matter Expert in Mathematics at the Department of Education, where he plays a key role in the development of curriculum resources for the Victorian Lesson Plans (VLPs), aligned with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0. His career in education spans a range of leadership and instructional roles, including classroom teacher, instructional leader, Numeracy Learning Specialist, and most recently, Assistant Principal.
Sean's commitment to education was ignited during his early teaching experiences overseas, particularly in Nepal, the Maldives, and Ethiopia. These formative years shaped his enduring dedication to educational equity and excellence.
He has a strong interest in cognitive science and the science of learning and is deeply committed to building teacher capacity. Sean is particularly focused on enhancing student outcomes in the primary years, recognising this as a critical foundation for long-term academic success.
