Episode 13: Checks for Understanding | The Edu20/20 Podcast
Courtney Dumas
March 31, 2026
Kids can be doing all the things and still not be learning anything. Courtney and Shannon zoom in on checks for understanding: monitoring for comprehension instead of completion, using lap logs, sticky notes, and quick checks that don’t consume your grading life.
In this episode of The Edu20/20 Podcast, we’re continuing the conversation on lesson planning and zooming in on one of the most overlooked (but critical) parts: checks for understanding.
The reality is kids can be doing all the things and still not learning anything.
We get into what it actually looks like to monitor learning in real time, how to check for comprehension (not just completion), and how to do it without spending your entire life grading papers.
You’ll hear us talk about lap logs, sticky notes, turn-and-talks, tech struggles, and how to make everything doable in an actual classroom with actual kids.
Chapters:
0:00 Why we’re talking about lesson checks (and why it matters)
3:10 The problem with monitoring for completion instead of learning
5:28 Simple systems that actually save you time (lap logs + quick checks)
8:27 Feedback, trends, and why you don’t need to check everything
12:06 What this looks like in K–2 (yes, even without writing)
13:28 The reality of tech in the classroom (and where it falls short)
17:07 The biggest mistake we see in classrooms
