Explaining something and verifying someone’s comprehension are distinct instructional actions, which makes them easy to conflate. In fact, explaining often feels good, particularly in the beginning. The teacher speaks clearly, the exemplar or model is coherent, the activity order is evident, everything is going well. Then, a student practice begins, and suddenly, the lack of […]
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 […]
A recap is more than just the last minute of the lesson. It’s the moment that shows if the lesson objective was visible from the opening activity to the last learner response. When a new teacher plans the recap before they do the rest of the lesson, it becomes easier to structure the lesson. There […]
Lessons can feel like they are already weighing too much before they’ve even started. A subject seems important, an activity looks appealing, and the educator wants pupils to understand everything possible. And then the lesson objective becomes something like “understand communication” or “learn fractions” or “improve writing.” Those objectives sound important, but they don’t offer […]
