How Science Teacher Katti Bachar Measures True Comprehension with Pear Deck and Pear Practice
At Libertyville High School in Illinois, Katti Bachar’s passion for teaching is evident in everything she does. As a seasoned science teacher and instructional coach, she’s spent over a decade refining her craft, always looking for ways to use technology to enhance her students' learning experiences.
“I’ve always wanted to learn new things and figure out how I can improve each year for the benefit of the kids,” Katti shares. This relentless drive to innovate led her to Pear Deck and Pear Practice — two tools that have transformed how she tracks student comprehension and engagement.
The challenges of traditional feedback
In her days of teaching, Katti used familiar methods to gauge student understanding — including quick “thumbs up, thumbs down” checks.
"I remember early on when I did a thumbs-up check. Two students gave a thumbs up, but I could tell they didn’t understand the material,” Katti recalls. With the need for students to provide feedback openly, Katti was concerned she may be missing some students in her real-time feedback checks.
These simple strategies are often too surface-level to provide meaningful insight into student comprehension. Tools like iReady and IXL can provide detailed assessment data but only after instruction has finished. Katti was searching for a solution that would provide real-time student feedback that could be seamlessly integrated into her instruction.
Gathering accurate feedback for actionable instruction with Pear Deck
Determined to improve her approach, Katti introduced Pear Deck into her classroom. This tool revolutionized how she gathers and analyzes student feedback during lessons, without interrupting the flow of learning.
Katti explains, "Anytime I do a direct instruction where I’m lecturing with the kids in class, that’s when I’m going to use Pear Deck. I embed a couple of questions here and there, which allows me to collect data quickly. The best part is it’s a little more fun and engaging for the kids because they get to interact with the screens."
The ability to pinpoint which students are struggling in real-time has been a game-changer for Katti. "I’m more interested in the ones who are getting it wrong," she emphasizes. Pear Deck makes it easier for Katti to identify these students so she can provide immediate help and scaffold their understanding.
One of the most powerful aspects of Pear Deck is how it respects student privacy, encouraging honest participation. “Because you’ve got the screen there and the kids’ answers are kind of hidden, it’s not a whole class putting up an answer on a personal whiteboard or raising their hand,” Katti notes. This low-pressure environment helps students feel safe to take risks and be truthful about their understanding.
Enhancing differentiation and collaboration with Pear Practice
Katti’s commitment to innovation didn’t stop with Pear Deck. Always on the lookout for new ways to enhance her teaching, she jumped at the chance to join the Early Innovator Incubator for Pear Practice — a program that brought together a select group of teachers to help shape the development of Pear Practice.
“I sought it out. I had just seen a random Twitter feed about it and was like, ‘I’ll put my name in,’” Katti says. “I was excited to be part of something new and help shape a tool I knew could make a difference in my classroom.”
Katti’s involvement in developing Pear Practice has paid off. The tool allows her to differentiate instruction more effectively, catering to the diverse needs of her students.
“With Pear Practice, I’ve been using it to replace self-guided sub work. I will definitely do Pear Practice as a whole class practice. We’ll introduce something, whether it’s a video or in-class lecture, and then I’ll have the kids practice the content in Pear Practice. Then they’ll go and do some individual practice,” Katti notes.
What Katti loves most about Pear Practice is how it fosters rich, collaborative discussions among students. “I love that Pear Practice forces the kids to talk through the content. I have them sit in groups, and the dialogue that comes out of it is incredible. It helps them deepen their understanding,” she says.
Pear Practice has also introduced a gamified element that’s a hit with her students. "They do get excited for Pear Practice because it’s gamified — they’re earning XP, and there’s a point to participating," Katti shares. "But with Pear Deck, they know it’s there to help them understand, and they appreciate that."
Data-driven teaching with actionable insights
For teachers who may be hesitant to adopt new tools, Katti offers some seasoned advice: "Both Pear Deck and Pear Practice are very user-friendly. You’re just changing the way you gather data, not overhauling your entire approach. The feedback and data collection make teaching and learning better for both you and your students."
By moving away from traditional feedback methods and embracing real-time data collection, Katti has elevated her students’ learning experiences, ensuring every student gets the personalized support they need.
"All of us are in this for the better of the students, right? I do think feedback is really important for both me and them.”
Check out how Pear Deck and Pear Practice can support your classroom.
