An ambiguous directive can lead to chaos in the blink of an eye. Students glance back and forth between the worksheet, their peers, and the instructor. Some launch into the activity prematurely, others pause for assistance from a neighbor, and others dutifully carry out a portion of the assignment unrelated to what is required. This chaos isn’t usually because the task is too challenging; more often it is because the language of the instruction is too dense.
The task design begins before a word is spoken by the teacher. Consider the activity and identify what students need to know first: what will they do, how will they do it, how long they have to do it, and what they should have done by the time it is over. If you can not answer these questions in your own lesson plan, chances are you will be speaking your instruction at length and not be very clear. A task that may be self-evident to you might not be to the students.
I recommend that you draft the directions in three or four brief sentences before the lesson. Include one that describes what they will do, one about the mode (for example, pair, individual or small group) and a final one that describes what they should produce. For example: “Read the short text, then partner up and highlight the sentence that you think best conveys the main idea of the passage.” (Students will then be expected to provide a brief rationale for their decision.) This provides them with a clear road map rather than a mass of information.
One common stumbling block for novices is that they tend to add explanatory information as they issue the directions for the task. You start with the task instructions then add a caution, or example, or warning and then go back to task goal, and then ask students to begin. By then the first instruction will have already been lost. Directions and explanation are not one and the same. If students need an example, provide one, and do so before you provide your instructions.
Checking for understanding is also important. “Do you understand?” may provide very little information if students will say “yes” even though they don’t understand the direction. A stronger assessment might be asking students to repeat the first step they are going to take, identify the place on the worksheet they will record their thoughts, or specify who they will collaborate with and the roles they will each play. Alternatively, ask them to tell you what the completed task should look like at the end of your instruction. It takes only a minute or so, but it can prevent many minutes of confusion during your practice time.
Shorter directions also make it much easier for students to remember what they are to do next. If there are many steps to the task, avoid presenting it all at once. Set up one phase of the task first. Let students complete it before providing the next directions. This is useful not only for students, but new teachers who are working on classroom interactions. It keeps their attention on a specific action as they are monitoring students working. And it provides you with opportunities to monitor for any confusion, questions, or indications that the task directions may require adjustment.
After the lesson you may want to use a reflection tool to identify one direction that worked and one that resulted in confusion. Identify the signs. Did students have to begin the activity with little or no assistance? Did you hear the same question posed repeatedly? Did students miss a critical step? Did students produce something other than what was expected? Doing this consistently will help you become a more sensitive listener to your own voice and how your directions are received. A more effective direction is not one that is longer or more dramatic. It’s one that clearly sets up the next student activity.