Paradigm Shift timing

So, I'm giving a test right now on the basics of matter.  You know - mass, weight, density, physical vs. chemical properties, physical vs. chemical changes, Law of Conservation of Mass, phases, phase changes.

I've also had a couple of paradigm shifts in the last few weeks.  I'm trying new ways of relaying information and group work.  I'm trying to be more student-driven and a whole lot less lecture.  It all happened half way through this unit.  I'm a backwards design person, so my summative assessment (100 point test) was written before I started the unit.  I tweaked the test last night since my focus has shifted even more into process and out of content.  Bad timing.  I ended up dropping things in class I didn't realize I dropped.  My brain is fuddled.

I also didn't give them enough practice of drawing diagrams, and I have a question asking them to draw a diagram of particles in the liquid phase.  It's freaking them out.

Have I done more harm in my attempt to help?

Oh well, now to grade last period's tests.  Wish them luck! (Though it is based more on understanding and work ethic than luck...)

What's going on?

This year serves as my eighth year as a science teacher.  I did not know I wanted to be a teacher until I was 27 years old, so I entered this "job" as a second-career teacher.  I first looked into it because I was tired of having to work at menial jobs.  I lived as an under-employed, bored wife.  I wanted challenge, excitement, or at least summers off to go find challenge and excitement.  I had NO idea what I was getting myself into, but I gotta tell ya - if you don't love this profession, get out of the classroom.  You do irreparable harm if you don't enjoy teaching and you're in the classroom.

This school year (2012-2013) I have set two professional goals: improve my feedback and improve my use of formative assessment.  I have been told that goals are worthless if you don't have a way to measure them.  How will I know if I have improved my feedback and formative assessment? I have no idea, but that's what I have.

I'm going to use this forum as I reflect and work out my thoughts.  October 25-27 I spent in downtown Atlanta to attend the ASCD conference.  I attended sessions on classroom instruction (Ceri Dean), grading student work (Thomas Guskey), productive group work (Douglas Fisher), and Formative Assessment (Douglas Fisher).  Then, today (November 5) I was at GISA and got some great ideas for the group work and getting the groups to work more cohesively (Kelly Lyn).  As I digest these and put some of these ideas into practice, I will work out thoughts here.  I welcome any feedback from the great world wide web.  If anyone is following, I need your help to become the best teacher I can be!