Throughout planning and applying my lesson, I have strived to incorporate each of the 12 Touchstones. However, there were five that resonated the most with me. In my years of experience, I feel validated that the majority of these touchstones I have used on a daily basis in my lessons and while interacting with the students. Using standards to guide every learning opportunity is touchstone one. Throughout this course, I have been able to key in on and unpack certain skills that students must learn to demonstrate mastery of the standard. By breaking down these standards, we clarify to ourselves – as educators – and help communicate to students what they need to learn. Peel back the curtain and make performance expectations clear is touchstone three. Through the clear unpacking of standards, it allows educators to properly utilize rubrics to clearly address performance expectations. The use of properly designed rubrics can eliminate confusion and point a clear direction for student achievement on both project-based and inquiry-based graded assignments. Thus, leaving the door wide open for students to achieve the highest possible measures of learning. Touchstone six is something I have always taken pride in because interacting meaningfully with each student is vital to a healthy learning environment. Being deliberate and putting forth the effort to let students know that you care about them as individuals naturally increases engagement and buy-in in your classroom. By encouraging and supporting their passions and talents, we can make lessons meaningful and applicable to the student’s life. When you can intertwine standards into making personable representations, true learning takes place. Touchstone seven is to use feedback to encourage effort. While I’ve always used feedback to help student performance, I have not always directed my comments to standards, nor linked comments directly to rubrics that I’ve created. I find this method addressed in the book as being highly beneficial to increasing student achievement. Using non-controlling vocabulary keeps the creativity and respect left to the student, as no one really likes to be told what to do all the time. We need to ensure students feel like they are an active partner in their learning and that they are not just being assigned directives to be subordinates. Ensuring that students are safe and that they feel respected is the key measure of touchstone eight. It is a sad, but true fact that every student – even in adulthood – can remember a time that they didn’t receive kindness and understanding in the classroom, whether from a teacher or another student. As educators, our number one duty should be to set a culture where each student feels safe and respected to not only learn, but to express that knowledge without negative impacts. Even though I recognize the importance and usage of all twelve touchstones, these are the five that I felt I really needed to elaborate on. I feel, as educators, if we strive in our planning to incorporate these measures in our lessons we can ensure student success – our ultimate goal.