Houston Independent School District

Effective PracticesEffective Practices 

Professional Support and Development

Table of Contents

Matrix of Effective Practices 2

ffPlanning Effective Practices

Adjust Plan 6Determine and Track Student Progress 8Develop Annual Goals 10Develop Annual Plan 12Develop Effective Lesson Plans 14Develop Effective Unit Plans 16Invest Students 18

Instructional Effective Practices

Academic Language 22 Open‐Ended Responses 66Academic Posture 24 Open‐Ended Tasks 67pAssess Mastery 25 Pacing Tools 68Begin With the End 27 Post It 69Call and Response 28 Precise Praise 71Checkpoints 30 Product Menus 72Chunking Text 31 Randomizing Responses 73Closure 33 Real World Connections 74Cold Call 35 Reinforcers 75Cold Call 35 Reinforcers 75Community Circle 37 Response Signals 76Do Now 38 Right is Right 78Double Plan 40 Running Roster 80Engage/Connect 41 Small Group Expectations 81Entry Routines 42 Station Rotation 83Exit Routines 43 Stretch It 85Exit Ticket 44 Strong Voice 87Exit Ticket 44 Strong Voice 87Flexible Grouping 45 Structured Peer Conversations 88Graphic Organizers 46 Student Conference 90Grappling 47 Student Generated Questions 91Guided Practice 49 Take a Stand 92Hallway Work 50 Teach Back 93HOT Question 51 Tech Checks 94I d d t P ti 52 Th h ld 95Independent Practice 52 Threshold 95Introduce New Learning 54 Tiered Assignments 96J Factor 55 Tight Transitions 98Job Assignments 57 Tracking Growth 100Leveled Texts 58 Using the District Curriculum 102Material Organization 60 What To Do 103Multimedia 61 Work Hard, Get Smart 104Non‐Verbal Interventions 62 Workstation Management 105Non‐Verbal Signals 63 Workstations 106No Opt Out 64 Work the Clock 107

100 Percent 108

Matrix ofMatrix of Effective Practices 

1

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1-3

I-1 E

I-1 S

I-2 E

I-2 S

I-3 E

I-3 S

I-4 E

I-4 S

I-5 E

I-5 S

I-6 E

I-6 S

I-7 E

I-7 S

I-8 E

I-8 S

I-9 E

I-9 S

I-10

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Gui

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XX

Inde

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XX

Ass

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Mas

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XX

Clos

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XX

Cold

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Exit

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XX

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Sig

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Chec

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Rand

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4

Planning EffectivePlanning Effective Practices 

5

  

 

    

PL‐2, PL‐3    

 Adjust Plan is the teacher’s informed reaction to students’ actions and learning. It is a process 

where a teacher reflects on student mastery data and responds by modifying annual, unit or 

lesson plans. This process maximizes instructional time because it ensures that the teacher spends 

class time on content and skills that students have not yet mastered and strategically distributes 

his/her time with students. Reflecting on how to adjust course does not mean that the learning 

destination changes; it simply means that the route to the destination might.  A plan for 

adjustments in a unit or lesson increases the likelihood of a fluid learning environment that meets 

the needs of all students in the classroom.   

How will I adjust to ensure students demonstrate mastery?  Step 1: Prep Work 

  Review the example below and the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction 

for adjusting plans.  

o ELA 7th Grade Writing Recommendations for Intervention 

 

 

 

 

Click the icon for 

additional tips.  

  

 

Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

  

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Review the  Annual Plan,  Unit Plan, and/or Lesson Plan to identify the global and specific 

curriculum standards and the timeframe in which the objectives are taught.  

o In order to adjust course the teacher must know the path originally planned, and depending upon the 

results of student data, regroup students and adjust the annual, unit, or lesson plans.  

Check for student understanding and/or  Assess Mastery and track growth. This is where updated data will 

help determine when and where adjustments will be made.  

Analyze data received from informal and formal assessments to Determine and Track Student Progress.  

  

Step 2: Draft the Plan  

Identify any teacher actions/mindsets that might cause achievement gaps. Reflect on teacher 

actions/mindsets and student actions/understandings to determine why the gaps exist.  

o Take time to reflect on planning and execution/delivery of lessons. Reflect using the  Appraisal and 

Development Rubric and enlist colleagues, mentor, appraiser or principals.  

Adjust plan to enhance student outcomes.  Revise plans for students who are achieving with enrichment 

opportunities and provide remediation opportunities for students who are experiencing difficulty. 

o Questions to consider include: 

What objectives does the teacher need to teach for the first time? 

What objectives will the teacher need to review at a later point in the year/course? 

6

  

What objectives can the teacher de‐prioritize (i.e. most students have mastered)? 

What objectives does the teacher need to re‐teach to the whole group (i.e. the majority of 

students have not mastered)? 

What objectives does the teacher need to re‐teach in a smaller group/individual setting (i.e. 

specific students/groups of students did not master)? 

If an instructional activity was not effective, what other options/approaches/strategies can 

be utilized to support students in achieving mastery?  

 

Once the responses to the questions have been determined, use the information to group students according 

to their needs. Compile a list of possible intervention and enrichment strategies based on specific campus 

resources and collaboration with colleagues. Refer to the example under prep work.  

 

Incorporate the chosen intervention and enrichment strategies into annual, unit, or lesson plans. 

 Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure that the components of the checklist are used when adjusting plans.   

Checklist  

Groups of students identified for a specific need  

A list of intervention or enrichment opportunities for groups of students identified for a specific need  

Revised Annual, Unit or Lesson Plan 

7

 

  

PL‐2, PL‐3     

Determining student progress is a process in which teachers gather evidence to evaluate how 

students are progressing on the continuum of their annual learning goals. Planning ways to gather 

evidence of student learning is vital to determining the effectiveness of past instruction and a 

teacher’s ability to modify upcoming lessons that better support student needs.  Teachers should 

use formative and summative progress checks to help ensure they are creating and delivering 

lessons that lead students toward mastery and ultimately meet their annual learning goals.  

 As teachers collect data on student performance, it is useful to organize that information for easy 

analysis. Tracking student progress is not an end in itself, but a means of monitoring and promoting 

positive student outcomes. It propels student academic growth by helping the teacher accurately 

identify students’ strengths and areas for development, make more strategic decisions about future 

lessons, and plan for differentiated instruction that leads to student mastery. 

 

How will I know if students are progressing toward their goals?  Step 1: Prep Work 

 

Review the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for determining and tracking 

student progress. 

 

 

  

 Click the icon for 

additional tips.  

 

 Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

  

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Plan for how students will demonstrate mastery of the required content and skills. Consult the  Annual Plan or  Unit 

Plan to reflect on the measures and data that are relevant and important to track, as well as the timing of formative 

assessments that would afford data to track.  

o Consider whether tracking will take place at the course, unit, and/or lesson level. Also, consider whether 

tracking will be done at the class level and/or for individual students.  Step 2: Draft Plan  

Select or develop a system for tracking.  

o A tracking system can exist in hard‐copy or soft‐copy format.  

o It should be broken by objective, concept, skill, unit, strand, or student expectation to show progress toward 

the larger annual goal.  

Tailor the tracking system to reflect your style and students’ interests.  

o Make it convenient ‐ How will the teacher remember to update the tracker? How can it be organized so that it 

is comprehensible to both the teacher and the students?  

o Make it visible ‐ Will students be able to see their progress on a tracking sheet at their desk or an anonymous 

wall tracker?  

o Make it meaningful ‐ Could the teacher incorporate the tracker into an existing classroom theme? How will 

tracking be introduced to students? How will the teacher  Invest Students? 

8

 

Determine student progress by collecting data.  

o Some examples of ways to determine student progress include:  

Formative assessments:  Checkpoints, teacher observations of students, Exit Tickets,  Graphic 

Organizers  

Summative assessments: projects, essays,  Student Conferences, end of unit assessments, EOC/EOY 

assessments or Performance Tasks  

Organize data into the tracking tool or system.  

Analyze the data and reflect on trends using the following questions:  

o Were there items on the assessment that refer to content the teacher has not yet covered? 

o Which standards covered on the assessment have students mastered? 

o Are there content and/or skills included on the assessment that the majority of students did not master? 

o Are there content and/or skills included on the assessment that a distinct group of students did not master? 

o Are there specific students who did not show mastery of the majority of the content and/skills on the 

assessment as a whole? 

o Are there specific students who showed clear mastery of the majority of the content and/or skills? 

o What is the level of rigor for commonly missed items on the assessment? 

o Were there specific items that were missed by many students in the class? 

o When items were commonly missed, was there a trend in the incorrect responses (i.e. 70% of students chose 

“B” when the correct answer was “D”)?  

 

Take strategic action by modifying future lessons based on data analysis. Consider whether students mastered the 

objective and  Adjust Plans accordingly.  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are used in determining and tracking student progress.  Step 4: Repeat all steps as needed 

 

 Checklist 

 

Tracking system  

Data collected using formative or summative assessments  

Self‐analysis  

Revised plans 

9

 

     

PL‐1     

As the emphasis on goal setting for teachers and students increases, it is important to 

understand why this process is valuable. A goal gives both teachers and students a target at 

which to aim. Goal setting correlates positively with students’ persistence, academic results, 

and deeper processing of materials. Instructional goals focus students to the extent that they 

generally score higher on assessments when content and skills on the measure are directly 

related to their goal (Stronge & Grant, 2009). In addition to the benefits for students, setting 

goals, and tracking progress towards them, have clear benefits for teachers. Goal setting 

focuses teacher planning, and allows them to make decisions about instructional priorities.  

 Instructional goals need to be aligned to the required standards/curricula and appropriate for 

students at the correct level of rigor in order to master the content. In addition to being 

aligned, goals should be made with the students’ starting points in mind. Once teachers have 

determined their students’ current levels, they can assign goals that are based on growth. 

Students respond best to goals that are demanding but achievable; a goal that is too difficult 

manifests frustration but a goal that is not difficult enough correlates with underperformance 

(Marzano, 2009).  

  

How do I know how much my students should grow this year?  

Step 1: Prep Work 

 

  

 

 

Click the icon for 

additional tips. 

   

 

Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

  

 

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Review the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for creating annual goals.  

Review the assigned Student Performance Measures and end of year assessment/performance task for the 

current course to determine by what student growth will be measured.  

Self‐reflect on past instructional success using the  EVAAS Teacher Report or Comparative Growth Report  (if 

applicable) to identify strengths and growth areas in working with students considered low, medium, and 

high.  

Reflect on student levels from the previous year and projections for the current year (if applicable).  

o SAS‐EVAAS Student Projection Reports  

o Stanford or Aprenda NCE (found in individual student reports)  

Gather data for students’ starting points.  

o Give students a diagnostic assessment or performance task that is directly aligned to how they will 

be assessed at the end of the year. 

10

 

o Access Chancery or individual student reports to find students’ raw scores for the previous year 

STAAR or Stanford/Aprenda.  Step 2: Draft Plan  

Decide growth that is ambitious yet feasible for each student. Goals should be based on growth rather than 

blanket achievement. (Use historical data about student achievement in combination with conversations 

with colleagues to determine goals from baseline data.)  

Apply the growth goal to students’ starting points to find the target for each student. In departmentalized or 

secondary classrooms, this may be done with groups of students.  

Adjust goals that are unreasonable for some students.  

o If applying the growth goal produces an individual student goal of 100% or above, change the goal to 

be more reasonable.  

o If teaching a class in which students are taking assessments in English for the first time, take into 

account their English proficiency levels when creating individual student goals.  

Break the annual student goals into smaller benchmark goals by objective, concept, skill, strand, or student 

expectation so that students can see how they are progressing toward their larger goal throughout the year.  

Prepare to introduce and communicate goals to students.  

o Plan an introduction to goal setting as part of a lesson with a focus on the importance of goals to 

student success.  

o Meet with students individually to deliver the message of their goals for the year. Departmentalized 

or secondary classrooms may have annual goals for groups of students.  

Plan strategies to  Invest Students in the process of goal setting and their individual goals  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are used in developing the annual goals.  

  

Checklist  

Goals based on growth from previous year or beginning of year student data  

Smaller benchmark goals  

Way to communicate goals to students  

Strategies to invest students in goals 

11

 

 

    

PL‐1    

Annual plans are organizational tools that effective teachers use to group and 

sequence content/skills into instructional units, prioritize content/skills that are 

required for success in current and future courses, and include options for enrichment 

and remediation as needed. They are an important component of student success 

because they not only set the trajectory for the current school year, but they also 

bridge the gap between any previous and future courses. When creating annual plans, 

teachers should take into account what needs to be taught and in what order for 

efficient use of class time and optimal scaffolding. The scaffolding of knowledge and 

skills helps students move from rote knowledge to depth of understanding (Childre, 

Sands & Pope, 2009). Annual plans help teachers strategically think through 

instructional decisions and lead to greater student achievement. Fortunately, HISD 

provides many resources that lay out a framework for the essential components of an 

annual plan to support teachers through the process. 

 

How do I know which skills and concepts are important to my students’ success? 

 

Step 1: Prep Work 

   

 

Click the icon for 

additional tips. 

   

 

Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

   

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Review the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for developing the annual plan.  

Revisit how to  Begin with the End for guidance on how to approach planning at all levels.  

Review the  Annual Goal and the end of year assessment or performance task.  

For classes that have  HISD Curriculum Resources available for the appropriate level and content, the 

curriculum documents should be used primarily as the annual plan.  

Step 2: Draft Plan  

Use the  Vertical Alignment Matrix provided by the district or create a similar document to note the 

content/skills that should have been covered prior to the course and identify content/skills students must 

master to move forward in future courses  

o Reflect on what general content and skills students of this age and level should have acquired.  

o Utilize diagnostic measures to give a snapshot of students’ prior knowledge and skills.  

o Consider what lasting impression the students should have upon the completion of the current 

course, which should be reflected in the goals set for the course. 

12

 

Employ the  Scope and Sequence provided by HISD or create a similar document to separate the year into 

grading cycles and then break the grading cycles into units.  

o Separate the skills and content deemed important to the course into logical units.  

o Count how many instructional days are available, and assign a set number of days to cover each unit 

based on the level of rigor and the quantity of material to be covered.  

o Be sure to leave time for re‐teaching when considering how many days to devote to each unit.  

Make use of the HISD  Pacing Calendars or create a similar document to tentatively schedule units.  

o Download or print a calendar for the months of the school year.  

o Mark off any holidays or school specific events which would interfere with instructional time.  

o Using guidance from the district‐provided or self‐made Scope and Sequence, assign specific blocks 

of time on the calendar for each unit.  

Tailor the district resources to meet the specific needs of students.  

o The district‐provided Pacing Calendars only account for 80% of instructional time. If there are any 

prerequisite skills or concepts that students either did not master previously or struggled to retain 

and apply, the teacher should reserve time in his/her annual plan to revisit this content.  

o Plan ahead of time for enrichment opportunities and forms of interventions for when students 

struggle (tutorials, small group instruction during workstations, etc.). Take into account 

modifications for English Language Learners,  Gifted and Talented, and Special Education students. 

Refer to  Adjust Plan for further ideas.  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are used in developing the annual plan.  

Revisit the plan weekly to see if any adjustments need to be made based on interruptions to instructional 

time or the need for enrichment/remediation.  

  

Checklist  

Vertical Alignment  

Scope and Sequence  

Pacing Calendar  

Modifications to the annual plan based on student needs 

13

 

  

PL‐3   

 Lesson plans serve as a framework for the learning activities that will occur in the classroom each day. 

They focus the class on specific learning objectives and maximize instructional time. The lesson plan is 

the tool effective teachers use to ensure that each part of a lesson supports a specified learning 

objective and to ensure that the activities and time spent will lead students to master content and skills.  

Lesson planning provides time for the teacher to think though resources that will best capture the 

attention of students and choose learning activities that will clearly convey content required for 

students to meet the lesson objectives. Effective teachers use lesson plans as a reflective opportunity to 

make decisions on what activities will best meet the needs of students and to predict/plan reactions to 

student challenges. When teachers take the time to create detailed plans they are more likely to 

present content and skills to students that are objective driven, well‐paced, clear, and lead students to 

mastery. Effective lesson planners plan backwards.  This best practice is reflected in the backwards 

approach in the steps below. 

 

How do I present objectives, concepts and skills to maximize student learning? 

 

Step 1: Prep Work 

 

  

 

Click the icon for 

additional tips 

 

 

Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

 

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Review 

plans. 

 the examples below and the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for creating lesson 

   

o

o

o

o

 

Elementary Science Example  Elementary ELA Example 

 Middle School Texas History Example 

 High School Algebra II Example 

 

Review the unit planning guides provided by  HISD Curriculum Documents and review the  Annual Plan.  

o The annual plan will provide the teacher with a yearlong look at the curriculum standards and the 

timeframe in which the standards are taught.  

o Review the  Unit Plan to provide an idea of how the lessons should be structured and ordered, as well as 

the timing of assessments.  Step 2: Draft Plan 

  Identify the curriculum standard(s). Determine what students should be able to know and do by the end of the 

lesson.  

Develop or select a tool to  Assess Mastery of the lesson that accurately measures the curriculum standards for 

the lesson.  

Select a teaching method for  Introducing New Learning. 

14

 

o Plan learning experiences that will allow students to interact with the curriculum standards and engage 

with the instruction. These experiences can be focused on processing new information or reviewing 

previously learned information.  

Determine how students will practice new learning in the  Guided Practice and Independent Practice portion of 

the lesson.  

Plan for a variety of  Checkpoints  throughout the lesson cycle and plan for adjustments based on student 

responses to checkpoints (i.e. scaffold or accelerate).  

Prepare a list of key vocabulary terms students need to know in order to master the learning objective.  

o The  HISD Unit Planning Guide provides academic vocabulary and content specific vocabulary for each 

unit.  

Identify ways to differentiate lesson.  

o Identify any accommodations needed by students in special populations. Plan for  Flexible Groups that 

need acceleration or scaffolding and take time to provide different ways for students to interact with or 

process content to aid in remediation or intervention.  

Determine what will be used for the  Engage/Connect portion of the lesson cycle.  This comes first in the lesson 

cycle, however it is last in backward design planning to ensure it is aligned with lesson’s curriculum standards.  

Decide how the lesson will Close.  

Create a list of materials that are needed for the lesson.  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are included in the lesson plans.  

At the end of the lesson reflect on whether students mastered the lesson’s curriculum standards, if not 

determine cause and adjust future lessons utilizing small group instruction or flexible grouping.  

Step 4: Repeat this process for each lesson in the lesson plan    

Checklist  

An  assessment aligned to selected curriculum standards  

List of teaching strategies to engage students in the concept/topic  

Various opportunities for students to practice/interact with content and skills using “I Do, We Do, You Do” approach 

within the lesson cycle  

Checks for understanding  planned during the lesson  

An activity to introduce lesson  

An activity to close lesson 

15

  

PL‐3    

 An effective unit is comprised of carefully designed, interrelated lessons that collectively support and 

guide students in reaching specific learning objectives. A unit can range from a few to several lessons 

and can span days or weeks. Unit planning allows the teacher to strategically think through how 

lessons should progress throughout a year/course. When teachers effectively plan units, it provides 

students with opportunities to discover relationships and focus on the interdependence of concepts 

being taught. The power of an effective unit plan lies in its ability to enhance student learning and 

build competence and understanding.  

Unit planning is an organizational approach that helps teachers reflect upon what students need to 

accomplish in each unit, and how and when they will accomplish it. A unit plan is a “roadmap” that 

provides direction on how to reach the curriculum standards of the unit and contains “mile markers” 

(checks for understanding, quizzes or assessments) that keep the teacher informed on what students 

need to be successful. The district has some supports in place on the  HISD Curriculum website that 

will assist teachers with creating a unit plan. Effective unit planners plan backwards.  This best 

practice is reflected in the backwards approach in the steps below.   

How do I organize objectives to maximize student learning?  

 

Step 1: Prep Work 

 

 Click the icon for 

additional tips. 

 

 Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

  

 Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

Review the HISD Unit Plans below and the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for creating 

unit plans.  

o HISD Unit Plans  

Use the  Annual Plan and select a unit to plan in detail.  

o If a unit plan is available through the HISD Curriculum Department for the subject area taught, tailor the unit 

plan using the guidance below and considering the interests and skill levels of students.  

o If a unit plan is not available for the subject area taught, there is a  Unit Planning Guide Template available for 

use.  

Determine the curriculum standards and the timeframe allotted for the unit.  Step 2: Draft Plan  

Craft essential questions that guide students to understanding the crucial ideas of the content.  

o McTighe and Wiggins identify four overlapping connotations for essential questions: questions that 

reappear throughout life, questions that relate to core ideas and inquiries of a topic, questions that help 

the student make inquiries and make sense of a topic, and questions that will engage the majority and/or 

a specific set of students. 

16

  

Identify the key concepts and skills students will need to master the curriculum standards and prepare a list of 

key vocabulary terms. The HISD Unit Planning Guide provides key concepts, skills, and vocabulary for each unit.  

Determine and Track Student Progress throughout the unit.  

o Select or develop a unit assessment to accurately measure student mastery. These assessments serve as 

a target of what students should be able to master after the unit is taught.  

o Choose a variety of formative assessments that will give data during the unit to gauge student 

understanding.  Assess Mastery and Checkpoints are examples of effective practices that can be used to 

assess students. Identify points within the unit to use these formative assessments.  

Design a sequence of Effective Lessons that lead students to mastery of unit level content and skills and 

ultimately success on the unit assessment. It is sometimes helpful to use a calendar to assign lessons to specific 

days.  

Consider what resources and materials will be needed for students to successfully engage with the key concepts 

and skills.  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are included in developing unit plans.  

Plan to adjust according to student needs. Anticipate when and where students will have challenges and plan 

extra time for remediation.  

Step 4: Repeat this process for each unit in the annual plan  

 Checklist 

 

Essential questions to guide instruction  

A list of key skills, concepts, and vocabulary  

An  assessment aligned to selected curriculum standards  

Checkpoints planned throughout the unit  

A calendar with sequenced lesson progression  

A list of needed resources and materials 

17

  

 

    

PL‐1, PL‐2  

   At the beginning of a course or school year it is important for teachers to invest students in 

individual and broader class goals. Goals ensure that students are striving for ambitious and 

focused academic achievement, but if students are not invested, they become much less 

meaningful. Each group of students comes to the classroom with varying performance levels, 

confidence levels, and interests, making student investment a dynamic and ongoing process.  

 Plans to invest students may look different from one year to the next or one class period to the 

next. Investment cannot be done just at the beginning weeks of school, but it needs to be 

revisited on a regular basis and integrated into the classroom culture to be truly effective. If 

students are committed to achieving their goals, teachers will meet less resistance when 

presenting challenging content or when student interventions are needed to review material. 

Additionally, when students feel a responsibility for meeting goals, undesirable and negative 

behaviors tend to decrease (Childre, Pope & Sands, 2009).  

  

How do I motivate students to work toward their goals?  Step 1: Prep Work 

  Review the checklist at the end of the document to provide direction for investing students. 

  Create a culture of trust and respect in the classroom. 

 

 

 

Click the icon for 

additional tips. 

 

 

Click the icon for 

burning questions. 

  

 

Click the icon for links to 

other resources. 

 

o Develop relationships with students by discovering student interests and connecting to students on 

a personal level.  

o Consider having a theme for the classroom and/or investing students in classroom values.  Step 2: Draft Plan 

  Brainstorm motivational and investments strategies that speak to student learning styles. 

 o Auditory strategies – Reach auditory learners through chants, songs, and sayings. 

 o Visual strategies – Catch the eye of visual learners with posters, charts, and pictures. 

 o Kinesthetic strategies – Motivate kinesthetic learners with movement, gestures, and signals. 

  Plan a way to introduce goals to students at the beginning of the year. 

 o Goal Setting Lesson – Devote a lesson to explain why goal setting is important, how students can set 

and work toward goals, and what are the annual goals. 

18

  

o Student Conferences – Meet with students to discuss initial goals and meet periodically to speak 

about progress toward their  Annual Goal.  

Build opportunities for measuring progress toward annual goals into long‐term, unit, and lesson plans.  

o Personal Tracking – Provide students with a folder or a page in their journal dedicated to tracking 

growth towards goals. The act of marking progress on a tracker makes students more aware and 

responsible for their own progress.  

Grade 4 Math Measuring My Growth By TEKS  

Grade 7 ELA Student Self‐Analysis  

Grade 9 Algebra Student Mastery Tracker  

Communicate to students their current progress toward goals and methods to continue or improve their 

own learning.  

Celebrate student success.  

o Verbal and Written Praise – Be sure to recognize those students who are making progress toward 

their goals.  

o Community Circle – Meet as a class to discuss class goals and celebrate individual student progress.  Step 3: Evaluate the Plan  

Ensure the components of the checklist are used for investing students.  

Elicit student responses to see if students can articulate their goals and progress.  

Revisit plans to invest students periodically. Reflect on initial investment strategies, current student levels, 

and consider potential changes that would strengthen or renew student motivation toward achieving goals.     

Checklist  

Motivational and investment strategies  

Introduction to annual goals  

Opportunities to measure progress toward annual goals  

Ways to communicate progress to students  

Methods to celebrate student success 

19

20

Planning EffectivePlanning Effective Practices 

21

PL-3, I-4, I-6

Academic Language refers to the vocabulary used within a discipline. Effective

teachers use this vocabulary regularly when introducing new content and

throughout the learning time. Academic language is what students will see on

assessments and in textbooks, but is also the vocabulary they will likely see and

hear in college and in their careers. When teachers encourage this specific

vocabulary, it gives students the correct and sophisticated language to

accurately describe the content, relationships, and their ideas at a high level.

Teaching students academic language will enable them to better understand

teacher explanations, participate in student discussions, and produce quality

student work products.

Prep Work:

Identify words that are pertinent for acquiring content knowledge.

Choose 1-3 words per week, per subject area to focus on. These words should reoccur in current content and possibly occur in other content areas.

Plan to provide students with decoding and context for each word.

Explain the terms and why they are important to learn. Share how experts in the discipline use the terms.

Teach word learning strategies, such as context clues, using the dictionary or word deconstruction (affixes and root words) by using the plan from the prep-work.

Ask students to restate the meaning of each word in their own words and create a picture or symbol to represent the term. Once each word has been introduced, use the academic vocabulary in whole class and small group discussions.

Provide opportunities for students to use academic vocabulary in real world situations such as in discussions and work products. Allow time for students to refine and reflect their meaning of the terms. Involve students in games to practice the vocabulary terms.

Re-teach and scaffold for struggling learners.

There are many words to

choose from for each

subject area. Choose the

essential vocabulary that

student will see often and

the words that are crucial

for successful interaction

with the content.

Teachers can use a story,

examples, or pictures to

explain the term and

assist in activating

background knowledge.

Mix it up by using videos

or current events to

connect students with

the meaning of each

term.

It would be beneficial for

students to keep an

academic vocabulary

notebook to keep track of

new words to record and

refine their meanings.

22

Variations

Think Like a Disciplinarian

In this variation, students approach the content or task through the perspective of a

disciplinarian. The teacher defines and teaches the specialized language, tools and

methods of the specific discipline. The students take on the role of the disciplinarian

and apply these to the content they are studying by relating and sharing information as

the disciplinarian with others. Students can role play using interviews, public service

announcements or short talk show skits.

Links To Other Resources

Practice Examples of

Teaching Academic

Language

Marzano’s 6 Step Process

for teaching Vocabulary

Visual Thesaurus

Disciplinarian Task Cards

Research

23

Variations

S.L.A.N.T. SLANT is an acronym to remind students to focus: Sit up, Listen, Ask and answer questions, Nod your head, and Track the speaker. It’s shorthand to remind students either about the “S” in SLANT or about the whole thing (“Make sure you are SLANTing”).

S.T.A.R. STAR is an acronym to get students’ attention and remind them to focus: Sit up, Track the speaker, Ask and answer questions like a scholar, and Respect those around you.

I-5, I-8, I-9, I-10

Academic Posture describes the observable student behaviors that remind students to be attentive and ready learners. When students are employing the academic posture behaviors, it communicates to the teacher that the students are actively listening and alert, which maximizes students’ ability to pay attention. Teachers set expectations with students in advance about a small number of behaviors they will be looking for and refer to. Acronyms are often used to help remind students the behaviors that need to be exhibited for academic posture.

Prep Work

Determine 3 – 5 specific behaviors that students will be expected to follow.

Create a concise but clear description of what each behavior looks like and what the teacher will be looking for students to do.

Explain to students the expected behaviors they are to follow.

Model the expected behaviors for students. For example:

Sit up- demonstrate having back straight against the back of the chair and both feet on the floor under the desk.

Listen-demonstrate having eyes forward on the speaker, mouths closed, and nothing in their hands.

Have students practice the expected behaviors and reteach until each student successfully demonstrates it.

Provide frequent verbal reminders and post the behaviors in the classroom so that they can easily be referred to.

Consider assigning each

behavior a nonverbal

signal to help reinforce or

correct any aspect of the

academic posture

without interruptions. For

example, point to the

eyes to remind a student

to track the speaker.

When a student is not

following a particular

behavior, pause briefly to

remind the student or

the entire class what the

behavior is and why it’s

important, then ask the

students to model the

behaviors before moving

on.

Links To Other Resources

Whole Body Listening

Research

24

PL-2, PL-3, I-1, I-2

Assessing student mastery is the final stage of the lesson cycle. It is when the

teacher evaluates the learning outcome(s) of the lesson by measuring each

student’s level of understanding. The teacher may use different assessment

tools which can include (but are not limited to), short quizzes, tests, class

discussions, hands-on experiments, cooperative learning activities, and/or

graphic organizers. With the results, the teacher can identify causes for success

or failures; make better decisions about what each student knows and what

he/she still needs to learn; and devise appropriate solutions to help them

achieve mastery. Once causes have been identified, then the teacher should

provide students with focused, descriptive and timely feedback to ensure that

the assessment informs the learning (Stiggins, 2008).

Prep Work:

Prior to teaching the lesson, identify the learning targets.

Determine an outcome students will be expected to meet that will show evidence of having achieved the goal.

If materials are needed, prepare them beforehand.

Communicate explicitly how students are going to be evaluated during the lesson. Provide a scoring guide or a rubric that reflects how the work will be assessed.

Explain the steps of the assessment process to students and demonstrate if needed.

If using performance or product based assessments, use examples and models of strong and weak work.

Administer the assessment.

Score the assessment.

Record assessment data.

Analyze and interpret the results.

Use results data to direct future instruction.

If the student demonstrates mastery, celebrate and plan for the next lesson.

If the student does not demonstrate mastery, use corrective strategies until mastery is achieved.

Provide student(s) with descriptive and precise feedback.

The data can be

organized to show

frequency distributions

for each item in the

assessment. Tracking

responses in detail (e.g.

wrong-answer options)

reveal specific

misunderstandings; what

are students successful or

struggling with? Are all of

the students making the

same kind of error?

It is often challenging to

ensure that the

assessment is a true

reflection of the learning

targets. To check for

alignment between your

objective and assessment

questions, compare the

verbs in the objective

with the verbs used in

the assessment

questions.

25

Variations

Performance Based Assessments

These are tools for measuring mastery that are made up real world questions or

problems which students have to solve. It requires a student to create a product that

demonstrates his or her knowledge or skills.

Performance Based Assessments are applicable in all subject areas. Some examples

include (but are not limited to )essays, presentations, writing an essay, recipes, original

stories, dances, oral reports, maps and cartoons.

Links To Other Resources

Classroom Assessment

Techniques

Assessment Methods

Assessment Through the

Student’s Eyes

Assessment Manifesto

Research

26

Goals Assessment Plan lessons /

learning experiences

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion Techniques Summary

Understanding by Design Exchange `

Research

PL-1, PL-3, I-1, I-2, I-7

"Great lessons begin with planning, and specifically with effective unit

planning: planning a sequence of objectives, one or possibly two for each

lesson, over an extended period of time" (Lemov, 2010, p.59). To Begin With

the End, the teacher identifies standards for a unit, breaks them down into

smaller objectives, develops an assessment plan, and then creates lessons

with aligned activities. Backwards planning, as this practice is also known,

generates higher quality lessons because teachers are focused on the

intended outcome throughout the planning process. With so much content to

cover in a single class or subject area, it is easy to unintentionally craft lessons

that are not in line with the ultimate goal. By working backwards, or beginning

with the end, teachers can plan each step (the unit goals, the assessments,

the lessons, and the activities) so they stay focused on the finish line.

Identify the standards students need to master for the upcoming unit, referencing the HISD Scope and Sequence and HISD Unit Planning Guides.

Determine how you will assess students’ mastery of those standards. As you plan your assessment, ask yourself, “How will I know if my students have achieved the intended learning? What will be acceptable as evidence of mastery?”

Plan meaningful lessons and learning experiences that together build toward mastery of understanding, knowledge, and skills.

Break down the unit standards into smaller objectives and sequence them logically.

Plan lessons and learning experiences that align with each objective. Consider the following at this stage:

What knowledge and skills will students need if they are to master each objective?

What learning experiences will help students develop requisite knowledge and skills?

What materials and resources are needed?

NOTE: You may wish to use the HISD Lesson Planning Guide

You can collect assessment

evidence from a variety of

formal and informal

assessments, including

tests, quizzes, performance

tasks, observations, and/or

projects.

.

Backwards planning

requires a teacher to “think

about a unit or course in

terms of the collected

assessment evidence”

(Wiggins & McTighe, 2006,

p. 18). Teachers should

“think like an assessor” so

as not to lose sight of the

end result.

.

Beginning with the End in

Mind takes time on the front

end but will save time in the

long run. A strong plan

allows you time to focus on

the many instructional

decisions that occur daily.

.

27

Variations

Repeat

Students repeat what the teacher says or complete a familiar phrase that the teacher

starts (teacher: In 1492…; students: Columbus sailed the ocean blue).

Report

Students who have already completed problems or questions on their own are asked to

report their answers back (“On three, tell me your answer to the question”).

Reinforce

The teacher reinforces important information or a correct answer by asking the class to

repeat it: “Can anyone tell me what year the Declaration of Independence was adopted?

Yes, Paul, it was 1776. Class, what year was it adopted?” The call (repeating the

question) and response (“the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776”) in this

variation reinforces the importance of the answer.

Review

Students review answers or information from earlier in the class or unit (“What is the

first stage of the life cycle of the butterfly? The second?”) and so on.

Links To Other Resources

Sample Attention

Signals/Call and Response

Research

I-5, I-8

Call and Response is a strategy that can be used when the teacher asks a

question and wants the whole class to call out the answer in unison. The

primary goal is to review and reinforce academic content and/or to engage

students in active and high-energy participation. The call and response practice

lets students support and encourage the academic success of their peers with

close direction from the teacher.

Prep Work:

Determine the lesson objective and the goal for using call and

response in the lesson.

Select the type of call (repeat, report, reinforce, review or solve) to

use in the lesson. See variations below for more details on each

type.

Model and practice the call with students.

Implement the call in the lesson and allow the class to respond.

Consistently implement the call in the current lesson or in future lessons (if

applicable) to reinforce important content.

“Repeat” is good for

introducing new procedures

and vocabulary.

“Solve” can be

implemented with the use

of individual dry erase

boards, laminated card

stock or electronic student

response systems.

For call and response to

succeed, use a consistent

signal like “ready, set…”

or a nonverbal gesture

like a point or a hand

motion, and make 100%

participation a rule.

28

Solve

The teacher asks students to solve a problem and call out the answer in unison: “If the

length of the side of the square is 4 inches, the area must be how many inches, class?”

This works well when there is a single clear answer and a strong likelihood that all

students will know how to solve it.

29

Variations

Reverse Checkpoint

Consider having a signal or plan in place for students to take ownership of learning by

initiating interaction with the teacher. The signal or plan would allow students to

indicate when teacher assistance is needed without interrupting the flow of the lesson.

Do I Really Get It

Teach students to monitor their comprehension and check for understanding frequently

through structured questions. For details on how to implement this Everyday

ExcELLence routine, go to the Literacy Routine tab at the top of the website page.

Links To Other Resources

Video from Research for

Better Teaching

Research

PL-3, I-2, I-6

Checkpoints are planned, informal pauses in the lesson when the teacher

assesses all students’ understanding through an oral, physical or written

response. Checkpoints allow the teacher to clarify any misunderstandings

students may have about the objective and provide an opportunity for the

teacher to gauge when adjustments need to be made in the lesson to ensure

student mastery.

Look at the lesson and anticipate where and when misunderstandings

may occur for students.

Determine how to check for understanding for all students (oral,

physical, or written response).

Plan for Checkpoints at various times within the lesson. Some might

include:

After the Warm-Up/Do Now of the lesson

During the introduction of new learning

Throughout the guided and independent practice

Script out potential questions to use during the Checkpoint or build

Checkpoint questions into independent or group work students are

completing.

Implement the checkpoints.

When giving feedback to

students during

checkpoints, affirm

positive responses and

clarify student

misunderstandings for

the whole group or pull

students who need

additional clarification

into a small group.

30

Prep Work:

Consider the reading level of the students and determine the appropriate

length of chunked text to use with each student. Depending on students’

reading level, the lengths of chunks can vary.

A struggling reader may work with phrases, rather than sentences.

A stronger reader can often work with longer chunks. Students can

rewrite “chunks” in their own words.

Identify the text that aligns with the lesson objectives/standards.

Determine the appropriate length of chunks for each group of students.

Model how to chunk text using a simple text.

Guide students through the practice and evaluate their level of understanding prior

to allowing them to chunk text on their own.

Allow time (3-5 minutes) for students to chunk the text (if it is not already done for

them). Students can work alone or with a partner and scaffolding teacher support

when necessary.

Provide students ample time to read their chunks (using the reading/decoding

strategies) and paraphrase and rewrite the chunks in their own words.

Assess students using the paraphrased text to determine students’ understanding

and reading ability.

Variations

Create a Visual

When students are able to use imagery, teachers will see an improvement with

comprehension and retention of ideas. Have students visually represent the selected

chunk as a picture or symbol. The use of non-linguistic representation (Marzano) is an

example of this variation.

Links To Other Resources

Chunking Text

Sample Lesson- Teacher

Think Aloud [Chunking Text]

Research

I-2, I-3, I-4, I-7

The ability for students to comprehend challenging text is an important skill for

their overall success. Chunking Text is a practice that allows students to breakdown

difficult passages into more comprehensible pieces or smaller parts. By doing this,

students are able to identify key ideas and words, increase their ability to

paraphrase, organize their thinking and synthesize information.

This is a means to an end

(understanding the text)

not the objective itself.

Try chunking the text for

students the first few times.

This practice is used until

students are familiar with

the concept.

Review reading/decoding

strategies with students

prior to having them

paraphrasing the text.

Circle words that are

unfamiliar

Use context clues to

help define.

Look up the meaning of

unknown words.

Write synonyms for

these new words in the

text.

Underline important

places and people and

identify.

Read aloud.

Read multiple times.

31

Paragraph Shrinking Have students clarify main ideas by summarizing the meaning of a paragraph using ten words or less. Identifying significance and connections After students summarize a portion of the text, ask them to respond to a few questions that will help them make connections and understand the significance of the text.

32

Prep Work:

Plan and prepare a closing activity that usually lasts 5-10 minutes and aligns

to the instructional objective of the lesson.

Make sure materials are ready for use if necessary.

Set enough time (about 5-10 minutes) to introduce and go over the closing activity.

Close the lesson by reviewing the learning target(s).

Have students discuss in pairs or small groups what they learned in relation to the

learning target(s). Use any of the techniques below:

Ask questions like: What "aha moments" did you have? What was the most

important thing you learned today? How does today's lesson influence your

thinking? What was the most challenging concept in today’s lesson?

Give another example of the concept by applying information to previous

learning (from a past lesson) or a new situation (link to content for the next

day’s lesson).

Have students summarize the lesson by accounting the beginning, middle,

and end of the lesson. “Today we started by ___, then we ___, and we

pulled it all together when we ___.” The students can present the summary

with or without prompts from the teacher.

Use nonverbal closures like writing a journal entry, a chalk talk, or creating

graphic representations of their learning through a gallery walk.

Make the closures into a game by playing Jeopardy, Pictionary of key

concepts, or by constructing riddles about terms introduced.

Walk around the room to take mental or written notes about students who are

having difficulty.

Preview future lessons to build interest (if applicable).

Collect students’ reflection as they walk out the door (if applicable).

Closure should come from the students stating what they learned during the class. The intellectual work should be done by the students and not by the teacher.

PL-3, I-1, I-2, I-8

Closure is the wrap up at the end of the lesson that helps students synthesize and summarize new knowledge. Students reflect on the objective(s) as they engage in a quick discussion or a closing activity to review what they have learned. It is meant to recap the learning, close out the conversation, and address any outstanding questions the students may still have. This process helps the teacher decide if additional practice is needed or whether it is sensible to move on to the next lesson.

Consider asking students to write down one potential test question from that day's lesson as an Exit Ticket. Have them exchange their paper with a classmate to answer.

Oftentimes, teachers leave off the closure. It is the first thing to get cut off if time is running out at the end of the lesson. Use a timer or an online stopwatch to pace the lesson or have a student be responsible for reminding the teacher.

33

Variations

Exit Ticket An exit ticket is a feedback system that prompts students to answer a question targeting the big idea of the lesson. Teachers use this system to assess the level of student understanding, which helps them make adjustments to their lesson. 3-2-1 Summary 3-2-1 Summary is an oral or written activity that asks students to share 3 key ideas from the lesson, 2 interesting things that caught their attention and 1 question they may still have. This is an effective way to culminate a lesson because students make their own personal connections to what they are learning through meaningful discussions based on their ideas and questions. Chalktalk Chalktalk is a silent way to check for understanding or reflect on the day’s lesson. The teacher writes a question in a circle on the board (e.g. What did you learn today?) and places many pieces of chalk (or markers) at the board. The students are invited to cluster around the board and encouraged to randomly step forward to write their thoughts. The teacher may respond to a student’s comment by writing a follow-up question or circling other interesting ideas to invite more discussion. If a student wishes to respond to a classmate’s idea, a connecting line is drawn to the comment. This is a productive strategy because it gives groups a change of pace and promotes thoughtful contemplation.

Links To Other Resources

HISD Lesson Planning

Guide

Closure Activities: Making

the Last Impression

40 Ways to Leave a

Lesson

Research

34

Variations

Pepper A fast paced game to reinforce skills (not teach new skills). The teacher asks an individual student a question. If the student gets the answer right, the teacher moves to the next question with a new student. If the student gets the answer wrong, the teacher calls on someone else to answer. The teacher can choose to return back to the original student

I-2, I-5, I-7, I-8

Cold calling is a practice that keeps everyone on their toes because students

expect the teacher to call on them whether they have their hands raised or not.

If done consistently, students feel responsibility for the material, pay closer

attention to the teacher at each point in the lesson, and are compelled to

prepare and respond at any time. Cold calling is even more effective when

executed simultaneously with the No Opt Out, a practice that encourages all

students to arrive at the right answer, as often as possible, even if only to repeat

the correct answer (check out the No Opt Out page for more details). With

these practices, students will adopt the expectation that not trying is not okay.

Prep Work:

Review the lesson plan and determine sections where cold calling

could be used strategically.

Consider the range of abilities in the class and think about whom to

call on for specific questions.

Prepare exact questions in advance (whenever possible) to ensure

that they are clear and accessible to students using various levels of

rigor.

Introduce Cold Call to the class (preferably at the beginning of the school

year) by presenting details of the process, such as how students will be

called on, how they should respond, how important it is to listen to their

peers, and when to expect a Cold Call.

Explain the reasoning behind the routine and how it will improve student

learning (better checks for student understanding, more efficient pacing of

material, more equitable participation).

Question the class using one of the previously prepared questions, pause to

give think time and then call on the name of a student to answer the

question posed. Allow time for students to practice the routine.

Scaffold for different types of learners by initially asking a simple question as

a warm up and progressing to a series of more difficult probing questions.

Try pulling students in and

promoting success by

emphasizing basic

knowledge before

challenging them with

more rigorous questions.

Instead of calling the

student and then asking

the question, consider

asking the question first,

pausing, and then calling

the student‘s name to

guarantee that everyone

hears the question and

has ample time to

prepare for an answer

during the pause

provided.

Remember that Cold Call

is an engagement

practice, not a discplinary

system. The purpose is

to make students feel

successful, engaged, and

motivated, not a

“gotcha” designed to

teach a lesson.

n.

Remember that cold call

is an engagement

technique, not a

discplinary system. The

purpose is to make

students feel successful,

engaged, and motivated,

not a “gotcha” designed

to teach a lesson.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion:

Technique 22

Research

35

to repeat the correct answer but there is no discussion of the incorrect answer because this is a fast-paced review. Baseball The teacher asks a question of the whole class and then tosses a ball to a batter. The batter taps it back toward the group using a bat or stick. The student nearest the ball catches it and tosses it back to the teacher while sharing the answer.

36

Variations

Interview Circle

One student sits in the middle of the circle, and the other students ask questions that

allow them to get to know the student being interviewed.

Conflict Resolution

Use the community circle to resolve problems that arise in the classroom.

PL-1, I-1, I-2, I-10

Community Circle is a way to build a team culture within your classroom.

Students gather in a circle to have a structured, student-centered discussion

with each other and the teacher. This practice builds a sense of community,

develops problem solving skills, strengthens bonds between student and

teacher, and provides an opportunity for students to practice their listening,

speaking, and interpersonal skills. The outcome of using community circle is that

students have a mutual respect for their classmates and teacher. Students

develop a social awareness and exhibit a responsible, caring and cooperative

attitude.

Prep Work:

Determine how often your class will meet and for how long. Keep the time dedicated for the community circle frequent and consistent based on the classroom needs. Meetings can be once a week for 15 minutes or twice a month for 30 minutes.

Create an agenda using student suggestions.

Incorporate non-verbal intervention signals to keep order.

Teach the signals and practice it with students.

Discuss expectations for behavior before each meeting.

Teacher models the expectations for students while in the circle.

Form a circle in the classroom.

Incorporate time for

students to share

compliments,

appreciation and

apologies. This builds a

positive class culture.

Teachers often take on

many roles in the

classroom. Involve

students in planning the

community circle so they

have opportunities for

input regarding the

classroom culture. Try

giving students a choice

of discussion topics or

inviting a student to

determine the question

prompts for the next

meeting.

Links To Other Resources

More information about

Community Circle

Community Circle Strategies

Various prompts for

Community Circle

Community Circles

Research

37

I-1, I-5, I-6, I-8

A Do Now (also referred to as a Warm Up) is a short activity that is posted in the

classroom before students enter and is completed in the first 3-5 minutes of

class. This practice engages students in meaningful learning even before the

teacher has formally started the lesson. It provides a focused activity that

typically serves as a review of previous content or triggers students to begin

thinking about the new learning for the day. While students are working on a

Do Now, it is an ideal time for the teacher to check homework, send

attendance, or provide support to specific students with the assurance that

students are engaged in self-directed and purposeful work.

Prep Work:

Determine what content students need to review or activate during the Do Now.

Design a quick assignment that engages students with the content and that can be completed within 3-5 minutes.

Ensure that the proposed Do Now activity is rigorous and engaging and that students can complete the activity without any guidance from the teacher.

Post the assignment on the board or in a place where all students can see and provide clear directions/ expectation for the activity.

Provide students with 3-5 minutes to complete the Do Now.

Provide feedback to students based on the results of the Do Now.

Hold students accountable by using a general rubric that students can use to review the work before submitting.

Be explicit and consistent

with the Do Now routine

to foster independence.

A good idea is to post a

series of rules or

expectations on how to

complete the Do Now.

Students will try to work

with their classmates

while completing the Do

Now. Explain that this is

an activity they have to

do independently to

check their

understanding or review

previously taught

content.

Be careful that the Do

Now does not become

the lesson. When Do

Nows are too long, the

teacher has to cut time

from other valuable parts

of the lesson. Keep the

Do Now short.

38

Variations

Icebreakers or Energizers These are activities that can be completed at the beginning of the day to promote a positive group atmosphere, help students relax, energize and motivate, or help students to get to know each other. Engage/Connect A short introductory moment that captures what is interesting and engaging about the lesson.

Links To Other Resources

Examples of Icebreakers,

Warm-ups

The Anatomy of a Do Now

Research

39

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

Research

PL-3, I-1, I-9

Create an objective driven lesson.

Create a T-chart with “You” on one side and “Them” on the other.

On the “You” side, write down all the things the teacher will be doing during the course of the lesson. On the “Them” side, write down the corresponding things the students will be doing.

Implement the lesson plan.

Double Plan is an effective lesson planning practice where teachers think about

and plan for what students will do during the course of a lesson. Often times

when planning, teachers will focus on what they will be saying, doing, and

modeling during the lesson. The Double Plan practice reminds teachers to plan

for their students’ actions as well. The practice helps teachers see the lesson

through the eyes of the student in order to make sure students stay actively

engaged in all aspects of the lesson. Double Plan is something teachers may not

do for every lesson – but after doing this for several lesson cycles, this practice

helps teachers consider more thoroughly what students need to do and begin to

incorporate this information into their regular lesson plans.

Double Planning helps

teachers change the pace

of a lesson by reminding

them to do a variety of

things during class time

students might write,

reflect, discuss, or draw.

Review the lesson to see

where students were

successful and

unsuccessful and what

revisions need to be

made to the “You” side of

the chart to help build

greater success.

40

Variations

Do Now

A short independent activity that connects prior knowledge to the day’s lesson.

Hook

A short introductory moment that captures what is interesting and important about the

learning to come.

Advanced Organizers

This Marzano High Yield strategy focuses on a visual representation of essential

information. It can be used to assist in the recall of details or to process information later

in the lesson or school year.

Mystery Bag

A bag or box containing items related to the learning objectives. It is used to solicit

inferences, connections and questions from students, in addition to heightening student

engagement.

Links To Other Resources

Madelyn Hunter Hook

Advanced Organizer

Mystery Bag Lesson Sample

J- Factor

HISD Lesson Planning Guide

Research

PL-3, I-1, I-6, I-8

Engage/Connect comes at the beginning of the lesson cycle and is when the

teacher piques student interest, and begins to focus their thinking. This interest

may stem from the teacher’s introduction with visual stimuli, problems,

questions or personal experiences. Making connections between new and prior

learning is embedded in the Engage/Connect practice. Studies show that

students who make connections command a deeper understanding of concepts

learned and they are better able to transfer those skills in other areas. There are

three kinds of connections students can make: self, text, and world. Students

can relate materials to themselves, items they have read, and the world around

them.

Prep Work:

Identify the learning objectives.

Choose an engage activity that compliments the learning objective and will spark the interest of students.

Embed opportunities to assess students’ prior knowledge into the engage activity.

Present the engage activity selected in the prep work to elicit student interest, curiosity or prior knowledge at the beginning of the lesson.

Instruct students to respond to presented material by discussing whole groups, with a partner, or individually in written form. Encourage students to make connections with the world, other text, and with their personal experiences.

When students are

making connections,

consider asking how the

connections they make

deepen their

understanding of the

content.

Teachers may spend too

much time on

Engage/Connect. This

practice is quick and is

not content heavy.

41

Variations

Threshold A Teach Like a Champion technique that establishes a personal bond between the teacher and the student through a brief personal check-in as the student comes through the door. The routine reinforces the classroom expectation and makes the practice customary (e.g. “Loved your homework, Pam!” ; “We have a quiz today so be sure to begin the Do Now - it will help you review.”)

Links To Other Resources

Morning Routines Special Education Strategies and More… Creating a Strong Classroom Culture

Research

I-5, I-9, I-10

Entry Routines are procedures that students complete daily as they enter the

classroom in the morning or transition to a new class period. It may be as

simple as students knowing where to store their backpacks, place completed

homework assignments, or where to sit. It is an important management

technique for a teacher to establish in a classroom. According to Doug Lemov’s

definition,” it is about making a habit out of what’s efficient, productive, and

scholarly after the greeting and as the students take their seats and class

begins.” Entry routines ensure that a class kicks off on a positive note and

focuses students’ attention on the day’s agenda. When entry routines are

effectively established, they can bolster classroom community, students’ self-

esteem, productive social collaboration, and student attitudes and behavior

toward school.

Start the day or class by greeting students at the door with a smile.

Set the rules and behavioral expectations for each entry routine prior to engaging in the activity.

When communicating the routine to students, provide specific expectations about their behavior:

Where to get materials for class on their way in

Where to sit

How to walk quietly to their seats

What to do with homework from the previous day if applicable (e.g. put in basket, give to proctor, leave on teacher’s desk).

Where to find the “Do Now” or board work and other review problem(s) for the morning.

Details of any other basic tasks students are to complete upon entry to the classroom.

How much time will be given to complete the task?

Model the routine(s) properly so that students can see what it looks like.

Practice the routine(s) to clarify the procedure and to help students understand the expectations.

Redirect if necessary.

Reinforce the routine(s) and make them habit for the students.

Use predictable and

consistent routines as this

practice helps students

understand the

expectations and reduces

behavioral problems in

the classroom.

If an entry routine is too

simple or too difficult for

students, they may find

themselves getting off

task. Consider revisiting

the steps to complete it

so that all students are

able to meet the desired

outcomes.

Take 3-5 minutes in the

morning to complete a

“Do Now,”’ a daily warm

up at the beginning of a

lesson to get students into

the learning mode.

42

Variations

Early Pick Up Parents may pick students up for appointments or other necessary activities. Parents must sign students out, and get a note from the office for the teacher. Students are not allowed to come down to wait for early pick-up in the office or anywhere else, even with a note from the parent to the teacher.

Emergency Exit Teachers should establish specific expectations for students to exit the classroom when emergencies arise, such as a fire drill. Be sure to consult district and school-wide procedures when determining these expectations. Consider setting a specific exiting order for students – for example, have students exit by tables or rows. Teach specific rules for these situations to encourage safety (e.g. “no talking” and “push in chairs”) and practice this routine with students before emergencies arise.

I-5, I-9, I-10

An Exit Routine establishes an end-of-period or class routine which allows

students adequate time to prepare to exit the classroom in an orderly manner.

It may be as simple as students knowing where to place completed assignments,

pick up homework, or where to put away materials. It is an important

management technique for a teacher to establish in a classroom.

When teachers plan exit routines that are purposefully and implement them

consistently, potential problems such as wasted time can be avoided. Exit

routines can also be used as a part of the instructional time by having the

students state what they have learned. Teacher can also use the exit routine to

bolster the classroom community by providing individualized praise or feedback

as the students exit.

Prep Work:

Have teachers outline no more than 3 or 4 tasks students need to complete at the end of the class.

Tidy desks – no papers on desk

Put chairs away- chairs on top of desk

Pick up homework- homework picked up in orderly fashion

Explain the routine for dismissal.

Show and demonstrate the exit routine.

Have several students demonstrate the routine.

Acknowledge when each student completes the routine correctly.

Anticipate making immediate corrections if the exit routine is not followed. If needed, ask the students to start again.

When correcting, remind the class of the guidelines and allow rehearsal time.

Remind students that the

bell does not dismiss the

class. The teacher

dismisses the class.

If students are leaving

items out of place upon

dismissal, briefly prompt

students a few minutes

before dismissal time the

next day.

Links To Other Resources:

Classroom Management Door

Entry and Exit Procedures

Arrival to and exit from

classroom: Routine

Research

Teachers who dismiss in

shifts should consider

modifying and adjusting

steps.

Exit routines can also

involve having students

share what they learned

through oral or written

exit tickets.

43

Variations

Links To Other Resources

Why I Switched to Exit

Tickets

Writing Across the

Curriculum: Exit Tickets

Research

PL-2, I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4, I-6, I-9

Exit Tickets check students’ understanding of content and help teachers

determine if an extension of the lesson or additional student support is needed.

Teachers should design Exit Tickets to be quick, and they are typically 1-5

questions in length. Using an Exit Ticket is a great way for students to self-assess

and give feedback to the teacher. Many teachers choose to utilize Exit Tickets

after the closing of the lesson, but a variation of this strategy could be used in

the opening as well. Exit Tickets can be pre-printed, but also consider asking

students to write on an index card, sticky note, or a blank sheet of paper.

Prep Work:

Before generating the Exit Ticket, be sure to have a clear and

measurable learning standard.

Determine what question(s) you will ask your students.

(Questions should be aligned to the learning standard.)

Give students 5-10 minutes at the end of class to complete their Exit

Ticket.

Have students line up at the end of the period or lesson and turn in their

Exit Ticket on the way out.

Review student responses from the tickets and allow the data to inform

future instruction and student intervention.

Try using open-ended

questions that ask

students to draw on their

experiences, as well as

use new and previous

learning in their

responses.

Plan the Exit Ticket in

advance. Make sure the

Exit Ticket assesses the

skills from the learning

standard.

Verbal Exit Ticket

At the end of class, have students line up at the door and as they leave have them answer

a question that is aligned to the learning standard for the day.

Admission Ticket

As students enter the class/period, have them hand in a recorded fact, concept, or

question related to their assigned reading or homework. Also try sharing a question that

relates to the next day’s learning standard at the end of a lesson. For homework,

students respond and share their responses with the teacher the next day when they

enter the class. Admission Tickets allow students to demonstrate previous knowledge,

assess retention on knowledge from a previous lesson, or serve as a baseline for the

current day’s lesson.

44

Links To Other Resources

Flexible Grouping and

Student Learning in a High-

Needs School

Research

PL-1, I-3, I-10

Flexible Grouping is a short-term grouping and regrouping practice that responds to student needs in alignment with the instructional objectives. It differs from the more common grouping practice in which students are placed in the same group or given whole-group instruction for all or most of the school year. Flexible groups are fluid. In a given week, students may work independently, be in one group for a specific purpose, and then participate in other groups to accomplish different objectives (Kingore, 2004). Students can be grouped by skill, readiness, ability, interest, or learning style, as well as for socialization or production tasks. Flexible grouping is an effective practice because it prevents the stigma of labeling children by their ability levels and recognizes that there is no single group placement that matches all of a child’s needs as they grow and learn. In addition to being efficient and effective, flexible grouping enables students to help each other as well as build critical communication skills needed to succeed.

Prep Work:

Planning for flexible grouping is essential to the success of the groups. Before grouping students, it is important to reflect on the learning outcome and think about the best way to group students to meet the identified outcome. Using various types of assessment data, form the groups based on readiness, learning styles, and/or interest to meet the desired outcomes.

Create the groups based on ability, similar needs, interests, work habits, and/or background knowledge of topic.

Review grade-level curriculum and determine the specific learning goals and expectations.

Determine the instructional practices that will support the lowest performers and challenge the highest performers.

Determine the materials needed to support the tasks for each group.

Determine the length of time in each group. Don't give students too long on any given task. The time provided in each group is dependent on the age/grade level of students.

Establish group rules and procedures/routines:

Rules should be written, posted and understood by all.

Clear procedures and routines used during group work should be established, modeled and practiced. Some examples of procedures include: distributing, collecting and storing materials, moving chairs and/or desks for group work, getting help from the teacher, monitoring/dealing with the noise level in the classroom, and stopping group work to return to a whole class setting.

Give explicit instructions about the task to each group before they begin working.

Use a record-keeper/tracker to reference at a glance who is in each group for a particular activity. Color coding, numbers, clothespins, index cards, checklists, and charts are all examples of effective tracking strategies.

Assess frequently and reorder/regroup students based on the updated

assessment data.

Grouping is most effective

when it targets a specific

skill; teachers vary

instruction according to

students’ needs, and

when groups are

reviewed frequently.

It can be helpful for

students to have Learning

Logs to record what they

did in the group on a

particular day.

Make sure the data used

to form current groups is

applicable to the current

task/learning objective.

When planning for group instruction, teachers can use the acronym TAPS (Total Group, Alone, Partner, Small Group) to consider the variety of ways students can be flexibly grouped.

45

Links To Other Resources

Sample Graphic Organizers

from Education Oasis

Sample Graphic Organizers

from Worksheet Library

Research

I-3, I-4, I-6, I-8

Graphic Organizers or thinking maps are structured, visual representations that

are used to organize information and provide students with a template for

capturing ideas during an activity. They allow students to discover patterns and

relationships they may have otherwise missed. Graphic Organizers can be

teacher or student created. There are a variety of templates available, and they

can be used across content areas, as a pre-writing tool, for note taking, as a

support for problem solving, as a study aid, and in many other capacities.

Identify the classroom objective/concept to be taught.

Identify the key relationships or ideas that should be emphasized within the concept or learning task, such as:

Compare/Contrast

Cause and effect

Generating unique ideas for a project

Linking background knowledge to a new concept

Organizing ideas with supporting details

Select an appropriate graphic organizer to support the learning. See links below for additional examples, but some options include:

Venn Diagram for compare/contrast

Fish Bone for main idea and details

KWL Chart for linking background knowledge

Model and practice use of selected graphic organizer with students.

Provide opportunities for students to practice and utilize the graphic organizer to support their thinking during the lesson.

Graphic Organizers are

most commonly used to

organize text and ideas in

reading. They may also

be used for math in the

form of Problem Solving

Boards (see link below for

more details).

Consider using two or

three tiered graphic

organizers to further

differentiate for students.

Completing a graphic

organizer should never

be the primary objective

of the lesson as this is

simply a tool to help

students understand the

objective better.

46

Variations Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach that engages and

challenges students by using authentic problem solving and real problems.

Consider having students

work in pairs or groups.

Exploring with peers

encourages students to

grapple with additional

perspectives.

I-1, I-3, I-4, I-6, I-7

When students use new information, prior knowledge and their own experiences to

debate a topic, generate a solution to a problem, or generate an opinion, we call

this grappling. This practice asks the teacher to facilitate a higher level of thinking

from students by posing a problem or question and presenting resources that

challenge students to explore more than one solution or answer. The intended

outcome of grappling is that students learn about the topic from a variety of

perspectives, ask questions, generate their own opinions, and are able to defend

their responses.

Prep Work:

Determine the bigger problem or question you want students to study

and grapple with (using the state standards as your starting place)

Research the topic and think about the possible solutions/answers to your

problem or question. Gather resources that will give students background

knowledge. Ask yourself: What information/resources would a student need to

effectively grapple with the topic, question, or problem?

Present the problem or question to students.

Communicate expectations to students by sharing how they will be assessed.

Guide student exploration by providing focused research, guiding questions,

learning activities, and/or experiences. Be sure you present opportunities for

students to arrive at more than one solution or answer. (See learning activity

suggestions to the right)

Assess student learning. Types of assessment can include:

• Written responses

• Models

• Generate a movie/documentary

• Craft an editorial

• Test the solution

• Write a letter to share opinions/ideas

• Start a campaign

• Role play

Presenting problems

and/or questions that are

either too general or too

focused can pose a real

challenge for students.

Making either of these

mistakes will mean that

your students may not

have the time or

resources to complete

the “grappling process”

successfully.

Suggested Learning Activities:

Field trips

Read a book, news report/article

Research online

Conduct an interview

Bring in a guest speaker

Watch a video

Complete a graphic organizer

Test possible solutions

Generate questions

Gather evidence

Conduct a survey.

47

Classroom Debate

Students take opposing positions on a topic or issue. Teacher provides opportunities for

students to research and learn about the topic/issue. Students then take a stand for

one side or the other in a structured discussion over the topic where both sides have an

equal opportunity to defend their position. Classroom debates provide students with

opportunities to build their skills in leadership, team building, group problem solving,

and oral presentation. Embedding debate skills into the curriculum increases student

engagement and rigor.

Links To Other Resources

Sample lessons-Debate

Using Fairy Tales K-8

Perceptions of Students’

Learning Critical Thinking

through Debate

Project Based Learning

PBLVideos

Research

48

Variations:

Break it DownAddress errors by breaking content into smaller pieces.

RatioIncrease student thinking by asking more open ended questions. Have students explainthe “why” and “how” questions surrounding their understanding regarding a concept.

GamesMake guided practice a game. Games increase focus, allows opportunity for practice andare fun for students. See the game template link for examples of games that make forgreat guided practice.

Links To Other Resources

HISD Lesson Planning Guide

Sample Guided PracticeActivities

Game Templates

Lesson Plan Tips for GuidedPractice

Research

PL-2, I-1, I-2

Guided practice is interactive instruction between teacher and students. Afterthe teacher introduces new learning, he/she begins the student practice processby engaging students in a similar task to what they will complete later in thelesson independently. Students and teacher collaboratively complete the taskas a model. The teacher leads the activity but solicits help from students atpredetermined points along the way. Through the completion of the guidedpractice task, the teacher gradually releases more and more responsibility of thethinking to students, and offers less assistance from the teacher. Teachersshould be using this time to recognize any need to re-teach portions from theintroduction to new learning and to determine when/if students are ready towork independently.

Prep work: Plan and prepare guided practice activities that requireinteraction between teacher and students and will continue to buildstudents’ understanding of the content.

Give clear directions for how students should engage with the teacherto complete the guided practice task.

Circulate around the classroom and monitor student progress. This is atime for the teacher to assist students who may need more guidanceand support.

Address misconceptions and praise success by giving direct and specificfeedback to students.

Consider using guidedpractice activities thatwill allow students toshare their thinking withthe whole class. Studentsdevelop their ownthinking by hearing thethought process of theirpeers.

Be sure to check forunderstanding from ALLstudents before movingon from guided practice.Ensure that all studentshave an opportunity torespond to questions,receive feedback andpractice alongside theteacher until they arefluent in thecontent/task.

49

Variations

Snow Ball

All students are quiet unless pointed to. The first student is presented with a math

problem. Once they give the correct answer, the next student is call upon to add onto

the answer. More detailed information is provided in the link above.

Do It Again

Students practice a routine until it meets the expectations set out by the teacher. The

link above provides more information.

Every Minute Matters

Make it a game to quiz students on vocabulary and making connections to learning

topics.

Links To Other Resources

Recite Rhymes and Poems

Ideas for Hallway

Transitions

Transition Ideas

Research

I-5, I-9

Hallway Work is a practice that engages students in an objective aligned activity

outside of the classroom, usually while students are in transition. When

transitions are utilized in this way, the learning process can be extended and

continued. Hallway Work provides structure and engagement in less restrictive

environments causing decreased undesirable behavior and redirection from the

teacher. Practicing with flash cards, reading books and/or reviewing vocabulary

questions are some of the activities that can be done while students are waiting

in line or have down time during out of class transitions (see Links To Other

Resources for more ideas).

Prep Work:

Reflect on points during the school day when students might be able to use out of class transition time to continue their learning.

Determine parts from the in-class lesson/activities that would be appropriate for students to review or continue while in transition or waiting in the hallway.

Anticipate challenges or problems that may arise for students as they work outside the classroom (i.e. distractions, materials needed, noise level, etc) and plan how students should address these.

Share the procedures for the activity and desired behavior during Hallway Work time before students leave the room.

Allow students time to practice procedures and behavior in-class before leaving the room.

During transitions, the teacher monitors and addresses any difficulty students may have with the concepts, activity, distractions, or behavior, keeping the class on-track and focused on their learning.

Think about different

ways to structure Hallway

Work. The teacher can

quiz one student at a

time or use hand signals

and quiz the entire class.

Students could also be

arranged in quizzing

pairs.

There are instances when

it is necessary for the

hallway to be quiet. Design

your Hallway Work so that

students can respond

nonverbally whenever

possible.

50

Variations

Socratic Seminar The purpose of a Socratic Seminar is to reach a deeper understanding of the concepts in a text. Participants systematically question and examine issues and principles related to a particular topic covering different points-of-view. Seminars are conducted as a group conversation and this format supports students in constructing meaning through disciplined analysis, interpretation, listening, and participation (The National Paideia Center, n.d.).

Try asking questions that

require students to

explain how components

work together or affect

one another.

Links To Other Resources

Higher Order Thinking Skills

Question Templates

HOT Presentation

Socratic Seminar Summary

Quality Questioning

Research Based Practice to

Engage Every Learner

Research

I-3, I-4, I-8

Create a question that will get students engaged with the lesson after the main objective has been selected. Quality questions:

Focus on important content

Promote one or more carefully defined instructional purposes

Facilitate thinking at a stipulated cognitive level

Communicate clearly what is being asked

Post the question at the beginning of your lesson/unit and let students know they will need an answer to it by the end of the lesson/unit. This HOT question will be the focus of the lesson/unit.

Require students to complete a performance task that demonstrates their understanding of the lesson content and that answers the HOT question. Examples of performance tasks include (but are not limited to):

Writing an essay in response to the question

Designing a project that highlights the key goals of the lesson

Developing a model that represents the solution

Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis

Creating an advance organizer

An easy way to motivate students and encourage engagement is to capture their

attention by posting a HOT (High Order Thinking) question for the class to discuss.

HOT questions require students to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate

information instead of simply recalling facts. Margaret Allen, director of

professional development in Montgomery County Public Schools in Alabama,

believes that “good questions can be the fuel for the learning process” (Walsh &

Sattes, 2005, p. 22). Teachers can use a HOT question as a focus for the unit and

engage students in multiple activities that will help them answer effectively. One

question can be the driving force of multiple activities throughout the course of

many days or weeks.

Allow students

opportunities to interact

and listen to their peers as

they share their thinking

in small groups.

Good questioning

requires planning since

you want the class to

engage in multiple

activities or performance

tasks before they can

come up with an answer.

51

Prep Work:

Plan and prepare practice activities that reflect the instructional purpose of

the lesson. Differentiated activities are recommended.

Make sure materials are ready for use.

If students are intended to work together, establish grouping arrangements.

Give complete and specific instructions. Include examples and models of products

and/or work samples if necessary.

Inform the class how much time they have to work on the task.

Communicate how their work will be evaluated. Share the rubric or scoring guide if

applicable.

Introduce a non-verbal signal that will be used at the end of the Independent

Practice to indicate that it is time for everyone to regroup.

Allow students to get into working groups if applicable.

Provide practice at appropriate levels of difficulty. Circulate the classroom to ensure

that students are completing tasks correctly.

Provide considerable feedback. Redirect, reteach and extend assistance to those

who need it.

Offer alternative activities for students who complete assignments ahead of the

others. They may also be asked to help and give feedback to other students/groups.

Use the non-verbal signal introduced earlier to regroup and debrief the work.

PL-3, I-1, I-3, I-8

Independent Practice is the part of the lesson cycle where students are given

the opportunity to practice the concept presented during the Introduction to

New Learning and is a time for students to work towards mastery of the

knowledge/skills presented in the lesson before an assessment is given. In the

lesson cycle, Independent Practice typically comes after the Guided Practice. It

is usually an activity that the students accomplish individually, with a partner, or

in small groups while the teacher monitors the work. Activities during this part

of the lesson cycle can take many forms but are always aligned with the learning

goal and continue to push students towards mastery of the content.

Try to make Independent Practice authentic to the students; the more real-world practice a student has with a new skill, the more likely the student will be to remember the information.

Students are more likely

to do well in the

assessment if the lesson

includes ample time for

Independent Practice.

Manage time wisely and

determine (in advance)

how long an Independent

Practice activity will take.

Use an online stopwatch

so that students are

constantly aware of how

much time they have left

to complete the work.

Be sure to allow sufficient

time (about 15-20

minutes) for students to

work, share and expand

upon presented

materials. Generally

students learn better

when they are given a

chance to bounce ideas

off of their classmates.

52

Variations

Workstations

Workstations are areas in the classroom where students work alone or with a group, use

instructional materials to explore and practice knowledge/skills they have already

learned. Students are presented a variety of activities to reinforce new knowledge/skills,

often without the assistance of the teacher. In most cases, there are multiple stations

around the room and each station contains the materials to complete a different

activity.

Links To Other Resources

HISD Lesson Planning Guide

Maintaining Learner

Involvement

Lesson Plan Tips for

Independent Practice

Research

53

Variations

Advanced Organizers

This Marzano High Yield strategy focuses on a visual representation of essential

information. It can be used to assist in recall of details or to process information later on

in the lesson or school year. Try using Advanced Organizers to present new content to

students in a more structured and clear way.

Links To Other Resources

NBC Learn News Videos

Detailed Quick Write

Strategy Information

Research

PL-3, I-1, I-6

Introducing new learning informs students of what to expect and why learning

the new material is relevant. This step in the lesson cycle differs from the

Engage/Connect in that it is here that the teacher introduces the new content.

During Introduce New Learning, vocabulary and the specific topic for learning is

presented to students in detail. The teacher selects information and resources

that will allow students to interact and understand the lesson objective. The

teacher models, explains, and/or demonstrates student expectations for the

learning.

Prep Work:

Determine the learning goal(s) and vocabulary necessary to achieve the goal.

Determine the specific skill or outcome required from students. The teacher should ask him/herself, “What are the key points or main messages I want to get across to students in my lesson?”

Choose how you will deliver the content. Present new material in small chunks.

Make sure materials are ready for use.

Communicate the learning goal(s) to students. Share what students can expect from the lesson.

Clearly present the key points/main messages and vocabulary (from the prep work) with students. Explain using visual/oral examples or by modeling skills for students.

Check for student understanding using oral or written responses.

Consider beginning the

lesson with a real world

problem. It is open-ended

and allows students to

interact with content in a

less intimidating

environment.

Students get bored of

experiencing the same

structure during

introduction of new

learning if it is repeated

daily. Vary strategies to

retain student interest

and motivation.

Try using a multimedia

approach. Art, text,

music, or video are just a

few examples the teacher

can use to introduce a

concept.

54

Variations

Fun and Games

Spelling Bees

Relay Races

Jeopardy

I-7, I-8, I-10

“The finest teachers offer up the work with generous servings of energy,

passion, enthusiasm, fun and humor” (Lemov, 2010). The J-Factor (or Joy

Factor) is a technique that honors joy in the classroom in the spirit of learning.

Joy is not the remedy to ensure students are working hard, but rather a means

of getting through the hard work. This practice is an effective driver, not just of

a happy classroom, but of a high-achieving classroom. The key is for teachers to

find their own, genuine way to ensure students find joy in the work of learning.

The J-Factor can be

designed to motivate

individual students, small

groups, or large groups.

Try mixing it up!

Some teachers may shy

away from this strategy

because "joy" is often

correlated with being

“loud" and "chaotic".

This technique can be

tailored and is still

applicable for quiet and

structured activities and

classrooms.

students, small groups,

or

large groups. Try mixing

it

up!

It's easy for the J-Factor

activity to take over the

lesson, but remember,

the J-Factor is a means to

an end (i.e.- mastery of

the learning objective)

not the objective itself.

Think about your lesson/daily routine and consider the areas where

students are less engaged, have more frequent behavior challenges, have

trouble completing tasks, or have become bored with the current routine.

Determine which of the five suggested categories of J-Factor activities

(Lemov, 2010) you will use in your classroom (see variations below for

examples of each):

Fun and Games- Draw on kids’ love for challenge, competition, and

play.

Us (and Them)- Develop a sense of community by implementing

class traditions, rituals, or student nicknames. Children want to

belong to a vibrant and recognizable community.

Drama, song, and dance- Use music, dramatic play, and movement

to raise spirits and establish community identity.

Humor- Use laughter to build an environment of happy and fulfilled

students- and teachers, but remember that laughter should never

be at the expense of a student.

Suspense and surprise- Introduce new content by making it a

mystery and/or surprise. The unexpected can be powerful and the

brain loves novelty!

Teach students how and when to turn it on and off by setting expectations

prior to more energetic and active parts of the lesson.

Provide each student the opportunity to participate.

55

Us (and Them)

Unique Language

Rituals

Traditions

Nicknames

Secret Signals

Suspense and Surprise

Mystery Box

Questions in an envelope

Drama, Song and Dance

Role Playing (sample lesson)

Songs to remember ideas /concepts

Hand/ body movements to remember ideas/concepts

Links To Other Resources

The Rock n Roll Classroom

Using a Mystery Box-

Grades 6-12

Bringing Suspense and

Surprise Into the Classroom

Creating an Inviting

Classroom Environment

Research

56

Variations

Classroom Jobs

Jobs can also be assigned whole group. These are usually jobs that are necessary for the

classroom to run smoothly on a daily or weekly basis (such as door holder, bathroom

monitor, or materials monitor) Get students involved and instill ownership of the

classroom by assigning students to take on varying classroom jobs. Classroom Jobs can

also be content specific. If you are teaching a specific concept, such as the economy, you

can design jobs for students that will teach them a specific skill as well as give them

responsibility.

Links To Other Resources

Why Use Cooperative Jobs

Cooperative Groups Job

Assignments

Cooperative Group Place

Cards

Research

PL-3, I-5, I-8, I-9

Job Assignments are tasks given to students that provide them with

accountability during group activities. Assigning students specific roles while

performing group work, clarifies the expectation of participation and gives

students responsibility and ownership over their learning. Once these roles are

modeled, practiced and established within the classroom, students know what

is expected of them and can proceed more efficiently in their learning. Examples

of job assignments can include a materials manager (student in charge of

materials for the group), time keeper (student in charge of managing the

group’s time), recorder (student who writes down the group’s thinking),

reporter (student who reports to the class the group’s thinking), and task

manager (student who keeps the group working on the specified task).

Prep Work:

Decide what jobs are going to be necessary for a group work activity.

Clarify the roles and specific responsibility for each job.

Determine if jobs need to be assigned for that day’s assignment or for a period of time (for longer projects that may last as long as a month or a semester).

Introduce the jobs to students by modeling. Try to use the same jobs repeatedly from one assignment to the next whenever possible so students become familiar with them.

Provide the materials needed to fulfill each role.

Assign the jobs.

Give feedback on the jobs if/when students struggle.

Students sometimes have

a hard time keeping track

of who is doing each job.

Use a display board or a

space on the chalkboard

that outlines which

students are taking on

each role. This helps the

teacher and the students

keep track.

For primary students

who are still learning to

read, consider including

pictures with the job

title that display the

expected behavior.

57

Variations

Jigsaw Teacher provides students with leveled texts on a specific topic that are appropriate to their reading proficiency. Students later get into heterogeneous groups to share their findings on the topic. This technique allows teachers to tackle the same subject with all of their students while discreetly providing them the different leveled tools they need to master the content.

Students at the same

reading level can be

assigned to the same

group and taught specific

reading strategies during

small group instruction.

time.

I-1, I-3, I-8

Prep Work:

Collect a set of leveled texts (some campuses have purchased sets of these books) or select books from the library that can be leveled.

Use an assessment tool to determine students' reading level. Some examples include:

Guided Reading Level - At the beginning of the school year, the student sits one-on-one with the teacher and reads from a benchmark book. Teachers may ask students to answer questions about the text or retell the story.

Developmental Reading Assessment - At the beginning of the school year, the student will read a benchmark book to the teacher and then retell the story. The teacher then scores the student on a range of skills such as accuracy of reading, comprehension, and fluency.

Lexile Measures - The student will take a school-administered Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) or a standardized level reading test that will generate a Lexile measure of reading ability.

Match students to books that are on or close to their determined reading level. Again, students should not be frustrated while reading the text but challenged at a managable level with some new vocabulary, text structure, and/or content.

Assess students’ progress and determine when it is time for advancement to next level. Students need to be re-assessed regularly to ensure they are progressing.

Keep in mind that

planning is key, given that

one concept is being

taught through many

story lines.

Having enough leveled

texts for readers at each

level can be difficult.

Collaborate with the

grade-level to create a

leveled texts database.

Leveled Texts are books that cover similar topics over a variety of reading levels

and give every learner access to the content at an appropriate level of challenge.

Leveled Texts help teachers respect students' unique learning paths and help

students become more proficient readers. Use of Leveled Texts improves

comprehension at varying degrees of student ability. It can also help students

deal with the frustration of reading difficult material by providing challenging text

at a manageable level for the student.

58

”Just Right” Book Test This strategy help students evaluate books and select the ones that are at their reading level. Students choose a book and read from a random page. They put one finger up for every word they do not know. If four or five fingers go up while reading they must choose another book, as this one is too challenging. If the student puts up one finger or none at all, then the book is too easy. If only two or three fingers go up, they have found a “just right” book.

Links To Other Resources

Houston ISD Digital

Resource and Online

Databases

Reading Level Conversion

Chart

The Five Finger Rule

Research

59

Variations

Library Organization Save time by using round colored label stickers to identify books by genre, author, and/or category. Use one color per category. Place the same color label on the storage container and on each individual book on the top right corner or on the spine. Backpacks Use clear plastic backpacks to store materials that are not used frequently or materials that students can take home for practice.

I-5, I-10

Material Organization is a systematic approach to storing and retrieving materials. The specific organization is dependent on the arrangement and space in the classroom and on the style and preferences of the teacher(s) and students who work in the room. The purpose of organizing materials is so that both students and teacher(s) have quick access to the correct materials with a minimum amount of disruption to learning. Material Organization is beneficial when “teachers organize materials and environments wisely in the first place, they will save countless hours and great stress as they proceed through the year” (Dellamora, 2003).

Prep Work:

Take a look at the classroom and determine what materials will be frequently used.

Decide on a location where materials will be stored that will be easily accessible to all students with minimal loss of instructional time.

Gather storage containers. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Clear storage boxes

Plastic baskets

Plastic tubs

Trays

Magazine holders

Tote bags

“Name” the storage container by labeling it with what is inside.

Sort and place only the items on the label in the specific container.

Teach students where the items will be located and the procedure for how to obtain and return the materials.

Model for students.

Have students practice obtaining and returning materials.

You might consider

sorting the materials with

the help of the students

and allowing them to

decide how and where to

store the materials, which

builds investment and

ownership.

If materials begin to find

themselves out of order,

re-set expectations by

taking a few minutes to

review with the students

the procedure for

obtaining and storing

materials in their proper

places.

Links To Other Resources

Managing Your Classroom

100 Classroom Organization

Tips

Research

Save money by re-

purposing food

containers, asking for

parent donations, or

visiting a local dollar store

for storage containers.

60

Variations

Wikispace An online space on the Web where work, ideas, pictures, links, video and media can be shared to create an electronic portfolio of content learned or creation of original products. VoiceThread A collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos that allows people to navigate slides and leave comments in five ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam).

Prezi A cloud-based presentation tool with a zoomable canvas that results in a visually captivating way to share content.

Links To Other Resources

Technology Integration

Matrix

Tools & Activities for

Technical Integration

Cool Tools for Schools

Research

I-1, I-3, I-6

Multimedia is the integration of text, graphics, animation, sound, and/or video into

the content being taught, the teaching process, or student products. Multimedia

tools extend students' understanding and provide a multi-sensory approach to

mastery of lesson content. Multimedia projects allow students to be creative and

problem solve, while promoting student engagement through individual (or group)

learning goals.

Determine what students will produce that would demonstrate mastery of

the learning objective.

Choose a multimedia tool that will support the learning objective and

differentiate students’ work based on the student’s interest, ability, and/or

learning style.

Anticipate and troubleshoot any student questions, timing issues, or

difficulties in using the multimedia tool by using the tool prior to the

activity.

Introduce and model using the tool during class, allowing students to

become familiar with the tool.

Ensure that student expectations are clear and the objective of the activity

is understood.

Create and provide a lesson structure (timeline, agenda, outline, etc.) to

guide student work time which will allow the teacher to facilitate and

individualize support.

At the end of the lesson, close out the activity or allow students time to

save, make changes, and/or come to a stopping place with their project for

the day.

Provide direction for continuing work or new activities for the next day.

Avoid choosing a tool

because it is “fun.” Make sure

the tool leads toward

mastery of the objective.

Students can be a great

technology resource. Be open

to learn from them.

Outcomes can be measured

in a variety of methods which

can include rubrics, peer

evaluations, or product menu

assessments.

Technology is not always

reliable. Have a back-up plan

for how students will

continue with the learning if

there are challenges with

technology.

61

Variations

Signs

Teachers can use a printed sign to indicate the behavior expected of students rather

than a gesture.

Hands-Up Hands-Up is a nonverbal practice to get the class’ attention immediately. The teacher raises his or her hand and mandates that students follow suit. It is a stern expectation for the students to stop talking and pay attention to the teacher as soon as hands go up. As each student sights the cue and quiets down, a wave of hand-raising will cover the room, calling attention to those still talking, eventually leading everyone to pay attention to the teacher.

Links To Other Resources

Manage Behavior with Non-

verbal Interventions

Body Language in the

Classroom

Research

I-5, I-9

Non-Verbal Intervention is the use of non-verbal communication to redirect

undesirable classroom behavior or affirm positive student behavior. Non-verbal

communication includes facial expressions, gestures, body posture and position.

It is efficient in maximizing instructional time, specifically by directing students

without diverting the attention of the entire class. To use non-verbal

interventions effectively, the teacher must be aware of what is happening in all

parts of the classroom. Additionally, teachers may find some students need

distinct cues to address their individual behavioral needs. It is helpful for the

teacher to know his/her students well as this will help determine which non-

verbal interventions will be most effective.

Prep Work:

Decide which common cues to use with all students by considering the behaviors that often need correction or encouraged during a daily lesson.

For students with individual needs, meet separately with them to determine the distinct cues that will be used to support their behavior.

Keep the cues simple, relevant to rules and consistent.

Be sure to introduce cues one at a time to ensure students know how to respond.

Inform the students the reasons why the signals will be used. Teach the signals to students. Make the gestures simple and discrete.

Teach students the expected response to each signal. Allow time for students to practice the cycle of ‘teacher signals, students respond’.

Use the signals discretely, immediately and consistently in response to desired or undesired student behaviors during class. When using signals face the student and gain eye contact.

Examples of non-verbal

interventions include

raising a hand to gain the

attention of students in

the class or as a reminder

for students to raise their

hand to speak.

Teachers often want to

implement hand signals

for a wide variety of rules

or procedures. Decide

which behaviors are most

important to address and

use a signal for those.

The fewer signals

students have to

remember, the more

they will be able to

follow them.

62

Variations

Props Props are objects that can be used in the classroom in lieu of hand signals. Students may raise a red paper to indicate request to get materials from the teacher’s area or a pencil to denote the need to sharpen his or her pencil.

Links To Other Resources

Non-Verbal Cues and Signals

Non-verbal Cues for Procedures Research

I-5, I-9, I-10

Non-Verbal Signals are gestures or hand signals that the teacher expects the

students to use in order to maintain lesson momentum in the classroom. The

use of these signals prevents unnecessary disruptions or inappropriate off-task

behavior from the students. It is an efficient practice that allows the teacher to

manage student requests and misbehaviors promptly and permits students to

continue working without constant verbal interruptions.

Prep Work:

Decide what signals to have in place.

Post signals.

Teach the signals to the whole class. Explain that each signal corresponds to a request. For example, placing the left hand on the nose means “I need a tissue.”

Practice with the class.

Have students quiz each other.

Implement immediately.

Examples of this practice include:

Two finger crossed to indicate the desire to use the restroom

One finger up rotating in a circular motion to get out of the seat

Two finger held together indicates pencil needs to be sharpened

Teacher pointing at students then using fingers in a walking motion to line up

Establish rules that come with certain signals (e.g. only one person at a time is allowed to use the restroom; books may only be taken out of the backpacks during the first hour in the morning).

Be explicit and consistent

with the signals. Accept

no substitutes.

Signals themselves can

be attention grabbers

and be the cause for

disruption. Make sure

signals are specific and

instantly recognizable but

subtle enough not to

distract the whole class.

63

Variations

Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Make it fun by using the “life line” (phone a friend, poll the audience, or 50/50) format from the show! The most popular version of this is the “phone a friend” option, where the student can ask another student for help. Depending on the question, you could also poll the class (similar to “poll the audience”) or eliminate choices (similar to “50/50”). After the student uses the lifeline, the teacher has the original student share the correct answer. The key is to make the original student restate or rephrase what the other student(s) just shared. Boomerang When students cannot come up with an answer, ask them to “boomerang” the question to another student. When the other student answers, the “boomerang” comes back to the original student and he/she has to restate/rephrase the answer.

Consider allowing

students to use resources

such as books, anchor

charts, or any material

posted in the classroom to

help them answer.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

Teach Like a Champion No

Opt Out video

Research

I-6, I-7

When students do not know an answer when called upon during a lesson, support the student in generating a correct response by choosing among four basic reactions:

The teacher provides the answer; the student repeats the answer.

Another student provides the answer; the initial student repeats the answer.

The teacher provides a cue; the student uses it to find the answer.

Another student provides a cue; the initial student uses it to find the answer.

Increase the rigor of your interaction by requesting another correct answer or an explanation of the “why”. Add several more questions that add rigor in language appropriate to your students and subject.

Provide wait time while using this technique, as students need time to process.

This practice needs to be

part of the classroom

culture. Consistency is key

to setting up expectations

for students.

No Opt Out is a practice to encourage students to answer when they are unable

or unwilling to participate. This is one of the most helpful and efficient ways to

raise classroom expectations and to create a culture of accountability. “In high-

performing classrooms, a verbalized or unspoken I don’t know is cause for action”

(Lemov, 2010). Teacher must acknowledge the behavior and communicate the

expectation that everybody must participate in the learning process. No Opt Out

is a sequence that starts with a student who is incapable or reluctant to respond

to a question and ends with the same student answering the question as often as

possible (Lemov, 2010). This practice builds confidence since students are

supported in their efforts to arrive at the right answer.

Balance using No Opt Out

against the need to keep

lesson momentum going.

Focus most on using this

technique with questions

closest to the learning

objective.

64

Ball toss During the lesson, the teacher has a ball ready and tosses it to the student who will answer the question. If a student is unable to answer, they have the option of throwing it to another student. When that student answers he/she must throw it back to the original student to restate or paraphrase. This variation keeps everybody engaged since they do not know when they are getting a question and the ball tossed their way.

65

Variations

Response Journals Response journals can be used as a tool because there are no "right answers" in response journals. Give students blank pages/books that contain questions or sentence stems to help structure student responses. Students write freely to respond to the prompt with little or no guidance on how they must structure their responses. Interactive Notebooks Interactive Notebooks are used for class notes as well as for other activities where the student will be asked to express his/her own ideas and process the information presented in class. Notebooks help students to systematically organize their thoughts as they learn in a visual and linguistic manner. Notebooks become an active process and a portfolio on individual learning.

Links To Other Resources

Open-ended questions that

reveal student thinking

from Assist Beginning

Teachers

Slideshare on how to create

Interactive Notebooks

Open-Ended Response

Systems-Using Technology

Developing Quality Open

Response and Multiple

Choice Items for the

Classroom

Research

I-3, I-4, I-8

An Open-Ended Response is a meaningful answer to an open-ended question or

problem presented to students that has more than one possible answer. It

challenges students to provide a unique and personal response. It is the

opposite of a closed-ended response, which is a short or single word answer or

multiple-choice answer. A quality open-ended response clearly demonstrates an

understanding of the content and provides an explanation or opinion that

extends beyond basic understanding. Open-Ended Responses can be used to

promote curiosity, reasoning ability, creativity, and student independence.

Determine the lesson objective and what students need to master by

the end of the lesson or unit.

Create prompts/questions that will encourage students to express their

ideas, thoughts, and/or feelings based on knowledge of the content.

Determine how student responses will be assessed. The teacher may

create a rubric, assign a completion grade, or have students complete a

self-reflection tool.

Plan for open ended responses within the lesson. Allow time to pose

the question and for students to generate and share their responses.

Model expectations by sharing an exemplar or demonstrating the

activity. Tell students how their responses will be assessed.

Assess student responses using the chosen assessment tool. Teacher

written or verbal feedback is essential in promoting reasoning ability.

Provide sentence stems or

discussion starters to

initiate thinking if students

are having trouble getting

started.

Because open-ended

responses can be

challenging, make sure to

validate all efforts.

Provide the scaffolded

support needed towards

a quality response.

66

Variations

Tiered Assignments Tiered Assignments uses different assignments for different students or groups of students that have the same content and cover the same objectives, but the levels of tasks are varied according to student readiness. Product Menus Product Menus offer students a way to make decisions about what they will do in order to meet class requirements by providing various product options; much like a menu gives a customer many options at a restaurant.

I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-7

Open-Ended Tasks are activities, assignments, or problems that have more than one possible product or answer. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) (1991) recommends that the tasks assigned to students in a classroom permit them to actively “explore, formulate and test out conjectures, prove generalizations and discuss and apply the results of their investigations” (p. 148). When teachers utilize this effective practice, students are given considerable control over the direction of their learning and the nature of their activity. With multiple answers and products possible, students will become engaged in the lesson at a higher level because the learning becomes personal.

Prep Work:

Determine the lesson objective and what students need to master by the end of the lesson or unit.

Create tasks that will encourage students to express their ideas, thoughts, and/or feelings based on knowledge of the content.

Determine how student responses and/or work products will be assessed. The teacher may create a rubric, assign a completion grade, or have students complete a self-reflection tool.

Assign students open-ended tasks during and/or after the lesson. Allow time for students to generate and share their answers and products.

Share expectations by modeling and/or presenting various answers or products. Tell students how their answers and products will be assessed.

Monitor work time and provide written or verbal feedback to promote reasoning ability.

Assess student answers and products using the chosen assessment tool.

Because open-ended tasks

can be challenging, make

sure to validate all efforts.

Provide the scaffolded

support needed so each

student feels confident in

providing a quality

response or product.

A great way to check for

alignment between the

lesson objective and open-

ended task is to compare

the verb in the objective

with the verb in the task.

Links To Other Resources

Research

Consider using open-ended

tasks as a way to

differentiate for students

based on their ability and

learning style.

67

Variations

Work the Clock Work the Clock is a practice that emphasizes the importance of class time by announcing an allotted time for an activity and mixing in countdowns to remind students of work-time remaining and encourage on-task and efficient work for long or short durations for the lesson. Songs Songs can be used in lower grades since students still do not know how to read a clock or understand time. The teacher can lower the volume so that students know when the song is about to end and know what they should be finished cleaning up or finish their work when the song is over.

Put the clock in a place

where everyone can see it,

and so that students can

self monitor.

Links To Other Resources

Balloon Timer

Countdown Timer

Effective Use of

Instructional Time Video

Research

I-5, I-7, I-9, I-10

Create an objective driven lesson with aligned activities.

Determine the places in the lesson where urgency will be important, where students might have a hard time staying engaged/on-task, or where racing the clock might bring joy or excitement to students.

Decide on the ideal length of time for students to complete places in the

lesson identified in the previous step.

Use a kitchen timer, stopwatch or online stopwatch to pace student

work-time and communicate activity expectations to the students.

Explain to students that they need to pace themselves in order to

complete the assignment within the allotted time.

Ask students to put pencils down and/or stop their work when time is up.

Be consistent using the tools so students learn the procedure.

Pacing Tools are devices or online applications that the teacher uses to time

activities and maximize instructional time. These tools help students pace and

plan their work-time by knowing how much time they have left to discuss an issue

or complete an assignment. Student motivation is heightened by an intrinsic

desire, within most students, to beat the clock. Teachers can use pacing tools

with students during independent practice, workstations, brainstorming

activities, question and answer sessions, timed tests and quizzes, think or wait

time, or during group work/discussions.

Try having a time keeper

or student who manages

the clock so the teacher

does not have to.

With the initial use of

pacing tools, students

may not finish in the

allotted time. This may

indicate that the teacher

needs to provide more

time guidance or

instruction.

Keep in mind individual

student needs in regards

to allowing extended time

for assignments.

68

Variations

Goal Setting Bulletin Boards

This practice encourages students to post their own objectives on a bulletin board in

the classroom. The goal setting bulletin boards can be created for weekly objectives or

monthly goals and provide a visual for students.

The easiest way to Post It

is to write the objective

on the board, given that

this is a place that is easy

for everyone to see and

the text is easily

manipulated on a daily

basis.

. time.

Links To Other Resources

How to make a vision board

Printable Goal Charts

Research

PL-1, PL-3, I-1, I-2, I-7

Identify the main lesson objective(s) from the lesson plan.

Decide on the wording. Make sure the lesson objective has a clear verb and that it is easy to understand. An example of this would be to start the objective off with “The Learner Will (TLW)… For students in primary grades, rewording might be necessary to make it more ”student-friendly.”

Choose a visible location to post the objective. Use the same place every day to ensure consistency when at all possible.

Call attention to the Post It and ask the class/student to explain the lesson objective and what they will be doing in their own words.

During class, refer to the objective as a reminder to students throughout the lesson.

Before closing the lesson ask students if they feel they have met the objective. Gathering information about what students learned will help with further planning or reteaching efforts.

After class, personally reflect on your posted objective and prepare to post the objective for the next lesson/day.

Posting the objective but

not referencing it

consistently will not have

as much impact. Students

need to interact with the

objective and have

frequent reminders

regarding the purpose

behind their efforts in

class.

Post It is a practice that is simple, yet will have a large impact on the classroom

culture of achievement and the overall outcome of any lesson. Once the teacher

is clear on the objective for a lesson, he/she should post it in a visible location in

the room. A place students, as well as colleagues and administrators, can easily

find when they walk into the room is ideal. Posting the objective is important for

students because they should know what they are trying accomplish by the end

of a lesson and be able to reference it any time along the way (Lemov, 2010). Post

It gives students a road map for success. By having clear expectations, your

students are better informed about the purpose of the lesson and invested in the

learning process.

Consider using color

and/or pictures to draw

attention to the

objectives. This helps to

differentiate if the

teacher has multiple

objectives in the same

place and can address the

needs of visual learners.

69

Progress Charts

These are graphic organizers that students can mark or fill with stickers every time they

improve on a specific goal. The teacher can have class or individual charts to motivate

students to reach the objective (see link for printable goal charts).

Vision Boards

This is a tool used to help clarify and maintain focus on a specific objective. Teachers

and students can paste images and words on a poster board to display individual goals.

They can also be created on Power Point or online in places such as wallwisher.com.

70

I-7, I-9, I-10

Precise Praise is a positive reinforcement practice that allows teachers to reinforce the behavior(s) they would like students to consistently use in the classroom. Teachers who use precise praise intentionally differentiate between acknowledgment and praise:

Acknowledge a student when he/she meets an expectation.

Praise a student when he/she has exceeded an expectation.

“Precise Praise brings a high degree of strategy and intentionality to positive reinforcement. It is one of the most powerful tools available to teachers in the classroom. Many experts say it should happen three times as often as criticism and correction. However, any powerful tool can be used poorly or for naught. Poorly implemented positive reinforcement is no exception.” (Lemov, 2010)

Differentiate acknowledgement from praise.

Acknowledge a student when he/she meets an expectation by describing simply what a student has done, often with explicit thanks and positivity, but without value judgment and exaggeration.

Praise a student when he/she has exceeded an expectation.

Praise and acknowledge students publicly when meeting and/or exceeding the classroom expectations so as to motivate others to strive for a similar behavior while giving the recipient attention.

Correct off task behavior privately. Whisper or even use nonverbal criticisms to remind students of the appropriate classroom behavior and allowing students to self-correct themselves without being “called out” in public.

Praise and acknowledge actions, not traits. Focus on behaviors and actions that students can choose to do and praise it.

Balance praise and acknowledgment with honest, helpful, specific feedback.

Try making eye contact,

moving closer to the

student if it appears

natural, and smile when

giving specific praise such

as “Johnny, great job

bringing your supplies

today!”

When a student’s

behavior is clearly

defiant, quietly approach

the student and quickly

remind him/her of the

appropriate classroom

expectation without

calling attention to the

student.

Links To Other Resources

Positive Praise: Short Term

Results at the Expense of

Long Term Success

Using Praise to Enhance

Student Resilience and

Learning Outcomes

Research

You might consider

privately praising students

who do not respond well

to public praise for fear of

being teased.

71

Links To Other Resources

Dare to Differentiate

Tic-Tac-Toe Boards-

Templates and Menu

Samples

Extend a Menu

Higher Order Thinking

Questions-Template

Research

PL-3, I-1, I-3, I-4, I-8

A Product Menu is a differentiation tool teachers can use during independent

practice to offer students a variety of activities to choose from and allows for the

transition from teacher-centered to student-centered classroom practices. This

approach provides students with options targeted towards specific learning goals to

reinforce, extend or enrich the essential curriculum. Each activity on the product

menu can be differentiated by complexity, learning style and/or interests (i.e.

music, movement, art). By providing choices for learning, the teacher will increase

engagement, participation and the quality of the work products. Product Menus can

be used as a follow up activity that extends the lesson; a culminating activity to

bring closure to a lesson or unit of study; an anchoring activity used when students

finish assigned work (defined by Carol Ann Tomlinson as “meaningful work done

individually”); a workstation procedure; or an independent study activity for

students who have mastered specific curricular objectives.

Prep Work:

Prior to creating the product menu, teachers should consider the number of learning objectives that need to be covered, the style in which the product menu will be developed (i.e. list format, tic-tac-toe, or menu), and the amount of time students will have to complete the product.

Use assessment data and student profiles to determine the objectives that should be covered in the product menu.

Decide whether to create one menu to meet all student needs or several to meet the needs of groups of students.

Include higher level thinking tasks by using verbs such as evaluate, defend, create, etc.) as much as possible. Include activities for a variety of learning styles (visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and oral).

Create specific guidelines on the use of the menu for both students and parents. The guidelines should include an aspect of free choice for students to pick the learning activities that interest them.

Create a scoring guide or rubric that provides the criteria, due date and grading system for the final product(s).

Provide clear and specific expectations, directions, and procedures to students when a menu is introduced (i.e. how many activities need to be completed, how and when students should turn in the final products, and the resources they have for support as they work).

If possible, consider

sharing examples of

completed work products

with students so they

have an idea about what

their own final product

could look like.

Checkpoints throughout

the process should be

established to ensure

students stay on track to

meet their due dates.

Consider including a place

on the scoring

guide/rubric for parents

to acknowledge the menu

activities and

expectations.

72

Variations

Card Shuffle Index cards can be used to randomize responses by writing students names on them then shuffling and selecting a card for a response. Numbered Heads The numbered heads strategy can be used to randomize as students will be called according to a pre- assigned number the teacher has given them. Spinners, dice, or numbers drawn from a basket [hat or cup] can be used to ensure that the numbers are randomly chosen. Popsicle Sticks Students write their names on popsicle sticks that are kept in a cup. The teacher (or a student) pulls out a popsicle stick and calls the name on the stick to solicit a response to a question.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Techniques Summary

Numbered Heads

Research

I-2, I-8

Randomizing Responses is a practice teachers can use to ensure they are providing opportunities for each student to participate in the lesson. During a lesson, it is easy for teachers to call on the same students for responses to questions or to routinely choose students who volunteer to participate; therefore it is critical to plan out how to randomly call on students. This practice is effective at helping teachers check in with and monitor the learning of a wider variety of students during the lesson. Randomizing ensures student engagement, as everybody is expected to participate at various points in the lesson because the chances of being called upon by the teacher are the same for each student. Randomization can take other forms such as calling on students using physical attributes, student interests, hobbies, etc. “The person wearing the most red today, please come up to the Smartboard.”

Determine the randomizing response strategy(ies) to be used

throughout the lesson (see examples below).

Prepare the resources (index cards, computer software, name sticks,

etc.) necessary to implement the strategy.

Introduce and practice the strategy with students to ensure they

understand the procedure.

Use the strategy within the lesson(s).

Try using a variety of

randomizing strategies to

keep students actively

engaged.

Check out the effective

practice page for the No

Opt Out technique, as it

can be used with any

randomized response

practice.

73

Prep Work:

Determine the objective for the lesson and research what the most relevant

real world connection(s) would be to make the objective resonate with

students.

Plan the lesson, incorporating the real world connection, and gather all the

necessary resources needed.

Present the connection(s) to students, or support students to discover the

connection(s), during the course of the lesson.

Encourage students to share out and incorporate their experiences and/or prior

knowledge into the learning.

Act as a facilitator and help make connections between shared ideas, interests and

experiences from student responses.

Variations Project Based Learning An instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities designed to answer a question or solve a problem, and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom. Field Trips A trip the teacher and students take together to gain knowledge and/or skills outside the classroom or to share an experience that will enhance or extend learning from the classroom. Guest Speaker A speaker who is invited to share firsthand knowledge on a topic that aligns with the learning objective.

Links To Other Resources

Project Based Learning CNN Student News Apple Challenge Based

Learning

Research

I-6, I-8

Making real world connections is one way to facilitate learning that is

meaningful to students and prepares them for their professional lives outside of

school. When teachers move beyond text book or curricular examples and

connect content learned in the classroom to real-life people, places and events,

students are able to see a greater relevance to their learning. Real World

Connections are used to help students see that learning is not confined to the

school, allows them to apply knowledge and skills in real world situations, and

personalizes learning to increase and sustain student engagement.

Magazines, newspaper and

other social media are great

resources to link learning to

the real world.

Telling stories from the

teacher’s own life can

demonstrate a lesson

learned and/or help

students think about their

own meaningful connection

to the content.

Consider providing choices

whenever possible as

students will often engage

more with activities they

have a real world connection

to.

74

Variations

Class Contract

Teacher and students enter into a binding agreement about a whole-class

behavior. Should all students in the class meet the behavior expectations

outlined in the contract, the class is rewarded as a whole.

Economy

Students earn “currency” (tokens, fake money, or tickets) for meeting an

expected behavior/outcome. The ”currency” can later be exchanged for a

specific reinforcer (tangible or intangible).

Be consistent and clear with expectations; mean what you say, and say what you mean.

Links To Other Resources

Sample Reinforcers

The Perils and Promises

of Praise

Research

I-7, I-8, I-9, I-10

Effort or “process” praise includes praising for engagement, perseverance,

strategies, and improvement to build a hardy dose of motivation (Dweck, 2007).

Using reinforcers is a practice that supports process praise by providing positive

cues in response to a student behavior. It encourages the behavior and makes it

more likely to occur in the future. Reinforcers allow teachers to acknowledge and

focus on students’ active participation, positive behavior, effort, or contributions to

the learning environment at any point during the school day. Reinforcers can be

tangible items, such as stickers or small prizes, or intangible motivators, such as

verbal praise (refer to the examples on the right), social activities or special

privileges. Different reinforcers may be used to motivate diverse learners as it is

important to the effectiveness of this practice that the reinforcer be personalized

for students.

Prep Work:

Identify the desired behavior/outcome (prior to the lesson or as it occurs in the lesson).

Determine what reinforcer will motivate students to increase or repeat the behavior/outcome.

Gather the necessary resources (tokens, prizes, stickers, etc) needed for student motivation if tangible reinforcers are to be used.

Name the expectation (desired behavior/outcome) to students.

Model the desired behavior/outcome or highlight the student behavior as it happens.

Reinforce student(s) when the behavior expectation is met and continue to reinforce the behavior as needed ongoing.

The high-quality examples below are positive, personal to the student, and clearly state the behavior that pleased the teacher.

Verbal praise might sound like:

“You really studied for your math test and your improvement really shows. Great!”

“I like the way you worked with your partner to try and come up with different solutions to the problem. That’s awesome!”

75

Variations

Hand Signals Students communicate their level of understanding by using their hands or fingers.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down indicates to the teacher that the students “got it,” while Thumbs Down conveys a misunderstanding.

Fist to five allows students to rate their level of understanding beyond yes or no. A closed fist meaning the student has no understanding while all five fingers in the air meaning they have total understanding.

I-2, I-5, I-8

Response Signals are quick and informative non-verbal strategies to check for

student understanding. They can accurately diagnose student misunderstanding

at key moments during a lesson. Students utilize a variety of age-appropriate

gestures and tools to share their individual thoughts and answers with the

teacher. Response signals are also a great way to increase student participation

and engagement.

Prep Work:

Determine the three to four key moments in the lesson where it

would be important to check for student understanding while

planning.

Try to plan these checks during moments when anticipated

misunderstandings will occur or where it is essential for

students to understand in order to move on successfully in the

lesson.

Determine which response signal will be used.

Plan how the materials will be created and stored, if the

response signal being used requires materials.

Introduce, model, and allow students to practice using the response

signal.

Ask the class a question and indicate when it is time for students to

respond with their signal. It is appropriate to allow for some wait time,

but not always. If the teacher would like students to answer

instinctively, the teacher might not use wait time.

Responses can be clarified by the teacher by supplying students with the

correct answer and making the decision to either move forward with

the lesson or stop to address misunderstandings.

Is there an electronic

student response system

available on campus? A

great way to incorporate

technology with response

signals is through the use

of clickers.

Think ahead about how

to respond to

misunderstandings. Keep

notes and determine

which misunderstandings

are appropriate to

address during and after

the lesson.

Make sure the use of

signals is purposeful and

provides valuable

information that can be

used to strengthen the

lesson.

Links To Other Resources

Research

76

Response Cards

Dry Erase Boards, index cards or colored-coded signs that are held up simultaneously by

all students to indicate their response to a problem or question.

Technology Response System

Technology based response system that allows students to respond to a question or

problem in a safe environment. Examples include polleverywhere.com and Clickers. See

Tech Checks for additional examples.

77

I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-7

This practice is about the difference between partially right and 100 percent

correct (Lemov, 2010, p. 35). It is the teacher's responsibility to set a high

standard for correctness so teachers should utilize this practice as a daily tool to

do just that. Teachers should refrain from “rounding up” a student's almost-

correct answers or adding details that were not provided by the student and

passing them off as mastery. With right is right, when a teacher asks a question,

he/she does not move on until the student responding gets the answer 100

percent correct (i.e. accurate academic vocabulary, complete sentence, exact

number, etc.).

Ask students a question and evaluate the response. If the answer is

incomplete:

Hold out for “all the way”: Praise students for their effort but

ask for more. Do not confuse effort with mastery.

Expect specific vocabulary: Require students to use the precise

technical vocabulary in their answers.

If the student’s response is not related to the question asked:

Expect students to provide a related answer: Students learn

early on that when they do not have the answer to a question

they can just respond with something else. If students are

unable to provide a related response, it means they have not

mastered the content. Acknowledge that the response is not

aligned to the question and the teacher should let the student

know that the answer is not right.

Expect the right answer, at the right time: Do not let students

answer questions ahead of time. It cheats the class if the

teacher responds positively to one student's desire to move

ahead at a faster pace. Protect the integrity of the lesson by not

jumping ahead to engage a great answer at the wrong time.

Consider repeating the

answer back to students so

that they can listen and find

what is missing and further

correct their response.

Students can get

discouraged easily. When

students strive to give an

answer, it is important to

tell them that they are

almost there but are

missing something.

When a response is taking

longer than expected, be

patient and do not offer

help too early. Refrain

from adding information to

students’ answers. Let

students complete their

responses on their own.

Encourage students to use

anchor charts to support

their answers. Teachers can

also provide cues to help

students move from a

incomplete response to a to

a 100% answer.

78

Variations

Elaboration This is the process whereby an individual continues his or her thinking by going deeper, making new connections, or raising additional questions (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 103). Sometimes by asking a student to elaborate or add more details to an answer. He/she can easily transform a wrong answer into a right one.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

Right is Right Video

Research

Some students will require more feedback, both positive and corrective, than other students. Be clear when providing feedback so that they can develop a positive academic self-concept that would enable them to better tolerate ambiguity (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 97).

79

Variations

Sticker Chart A chart table can be used to track individual or class attendance and/or completion of tasks. Rubric A list of specific criteria to measure student progress and mastery for specific skills and behaviors.

Links To Other Resources

Symbols and marking

conventions for tracking

Reading

Running Roster Template

Using Excel to create a

Running Roster

Research

PL-2, I-2, I-3, I-9

A Running Roster is a way of monitoring students’ understanding by

documenting the level of mastery on a particular skill, strategy, or behavior. A

running roster is simply a list of students in the class with space to write notes

for each student. This tracking tool is useful because it keeps student data, both

informal and daily assessments, organized in a way that can be easily analyzed.

A teacher should be able to use a running roster to quickly check which students

have mastered the content and which students need additional support.

Running rosters are an efficient way for teachers to differentiate because they

conveniently have the information they need to make strategic decisions about

future instruction. If used continuously throughout the school year, a running

roster is a powerful tool that can show progress and growth over time.

Identify the skill, strategy, or behavior to be monitored.

Choose an appropriate documentation tool to record observations, such as a checklist or written notes. The tool chosen should include names of all students in the class (or of a targeted small group).

Explain to students the purpose of the notes being taken.

Check students’ understanding/behaviors and record responses/data.

Analyze data and adjust lesson/lesson plans to follow up on student misunderstandings.

Create additional checkpoints throughout the year to monitor progress on specific skills, strategies, or behaviors.

Try using running rosters

for tracking social and

behavioral skills as well as

academic skills (i.e.,

participation in group

activities, using manners

in the cafeteria, or days a

student forgets to wear

his/her uniform).

During reading lessons,

teachers can track data

about a student's

comprehension level,

fluency rate, and High

Frequency Word mastery.

80

Without assigned roles,

students may not have a

clear understanding of

the task they are

expected to do. Having a

materials manager,

recorder, timekeeper and

taskmaster promotes

group responsibility and

encourages each

member to contribute to

the achievement of the

team’s goal.

I-7, I-8, I-9, I-10

Effective teachers use small and cooperative student groups to enhance

instruction. For groups to promote efficient and effective learning, students

must know and understand what is expected of them. They should recognize

the ground rules for how the groups operate (e.g. cooperative behavior,

establishment of roles, equality of work, handling of materials, etc.). Small

Group Expectations is this establishment of rules that helps students work

effectively, maximize classroom time, and master the learning goals the teacher

has set for the group activity.

Prep Work:

Plan meaningful and authentic tasks for the groups aligned to

the lesson’s objective.

Create or identify a rubric for product of group work.

Prepare and organize the necessary materials.

Determine grouping arrangements (Examples).

Establish assignments for the groups.

Specify expected behavior. Teach, model, and rehearse social skills the

groups are expected to demonstrate: listening, taking turns, supporting

each other, staying on task, and cleaning up work area.

Explain the task(s) by stating instructions clearly so that students

understand what the activity is designed to achieve.

Scaffold to meet students’ needs by demonstrating the activity if

necessary.

Present a rubric or a rating scale and communicate that the group’s

work will be measured by their product.

Provide a signal to notify students of time remaining until work needs to

be debriefed.

Divide the task equally for the number of students in each group and

allow students to delegate roles among themselves.

Provide materials for each group (if applicable).

Circulate the room to monitor groups’ progress on the product and

proficiency in executing the desired skill.

Intervene and redirect off task behavior to keep students on track.

Have students present, report, or demonstrate their product towards

the end of the class.

Debrief and bring together the key points that have been learned as

well as any unresolved questions that remain for further discussion or

research.

Close and evaluate the learning activity with your designated rubric.

Off-task behavior in a

small group will cause

excessive noise,

questions, and less

engagement from the

students. Give clear

directions and post

expectations on the

board.

Change group

composition by readiness

levels, interests, or

learning styles so that

students have the

opportunity to interact.

Use an online stopwatch

as a pacing tool to help

students keep track of

their progress as they do

their work.

81

Links To Other Resources

Small Group Teaching: Key Theories and Methods Management Strategies for Small/Cooperative Groups Managing Small Groups Research

Variations

Student Choice To keep students engaged, give students more latitude in choosing concepts/topics to

investigate and product choices that demonstrate their level of mastery whenever

possible.

82

I-2, I-3, I-4, I-8

Station Rotation allows students to rotate around the classroom in small groups as

they stop at various stations to engage in activities that correlate with the lesson

objective. For example, a lesson on the Civil War might have the following

stations/activities: identify character traits of historic figures, create a map using

graph paper showing where battlefields and troop camps were located, and use a

graphic organizer to contrast the economic, social, and cultural differences between

the north and south during the early 1800s. Students are required to complete the

task at each station within a certain time frame. Unlike workstations that may have

activities that cover content from different subject areas (math, reading, science,

etc.), station rotation assignments relate to a similar subject area/content. This

practice increases engagement because students are able to display active effort in

learning activities by working independently or collaboratively to complete the

assigned tasks at each station and demonstrate understanding of the lesson

objectives by employing higher-level thinking skills as they engage with lesson

content in a variety of ways.

Prep Work:

Determine if students will work collaboratively or independently.

Select or design activities for each station with the lesson objective

and skill in mind.

Assign students to heterogeneous or homogeneous groups if

students will be working in groups.

Gather all necessary materials to set-up the station before class

begins.

When students arrive, set the guidelines for the activity by stating the

learning goal, behavioral expectations and station instructions.

Share group assignments with students if applicable.

Model or show an example/exemplar for each station.

Ask students for clarifying questions and then allow them to begin working

at their stations.

Rotate around the room to monitor student learning and behavior at each

station.

Provide students with time for reflection following station activities and/or

engage in classroom discussion about what was learned through the work

completed in stations.

Consider differentiating

each station by providing

choice, multi-sensory

materials and tiered texts

and/or tasks.

Consider planning in

advance how student

mastery of learning

objectives for each station

will be tracked.

Anticipate that some

students may finish task

ahead of others. Be sure

students know what they

can do if they complete

their work before it is

time to rotate to the next

station.

Don’t forget to have a plan

in place for clean-up and

rotation procedures.

83

Variations

Folder Rotation Instead of having students rotate physically to various stations, have the stations come to the students at their desks or tables via folders, bags, or boxes. Gallery Walk

A gallery walk is a cooperative learning strategy in which the instructor devises several

questions (or problems) and posts each at a different table or at a different place on the

walls (hence the name "gallery"). Students form as many groups as there are questions,

and each group moves from question to question (hence the name "walk"). After writing

the group's response to the first question, the group rotates to the next question, adding

to what is already there. At the last question, it is the final group's responsibility to

summarize and report to the class.

Links To Other Resources

Center Management

Teaching Strategies

The Daily 5 Charts

Research

84

Variations

Wait time In most classrooms, where wait time is less than one second, student answers are brief phrases. When teachers increase wait time the quality of the student answers increase by as much as 300 to 700 percent (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 81).

I-2, I-3, I-4, I-5, I-7

This is a great practice that extends student understanding by “rewarding right

answers with more questions” (Lemov, 2010). It pushes students to demonstrate

and apply knowledge in new ways. This practice has two primary benefits. First,

teachers can ensure that student responses are more reliable. Second, the

technique motivates students to apply knowledge in new situations, make real

world connections, and/or engage with questions that are more challenging.

Ask a check for understanding question.

Solicit a response from a specific student or from the whole class.

Once the correct answer has been shared, stretch it by choosing one of

the following approaches that best suits the content or student needs:

Ask how or why: Provide students opportunities to explain their

thinking process. (How did you get that? Can you elaborate?)

Ask for another way to answer: Ensure students know multiple

ways to answer a question. (Is there a simpler way? Can you give

me another alternate answer?)

Ask for a better word: Ask students to use new words, re-phrase

the answer using more rigorous vocabulary or to use more specific

descriptions. (Can you answer with a different word? How about

using one of our vocabulary words?)

Ask for evidence: Train students to defend their conclusions and

support opinions. Teachers do not have to agree, just ask for the

proof. (So you said the character was angry. What does angry

mean to you?)

Ask students to integrate a related skill: Try asking students to

integrate a skill recently mastered. (How can you put that in the

past tense?)

Ask students to apply the same skill in a new setting: Ask students

to apply the same skill in a new or more challenging situation. (If

you were that character, what would you do? If we could move

this character to a different setting, what would happen?).

Stretch It can be used as a

simple differentiated

instructional strategy by

tailoring questions to

individual students.

Stretching the response

too far can get the

teacher or student off

topic and derail the

conversation from the

main objective. It can

also get students

discouraged. Help them

stay focused by giving

probes or clues to enrich

their responses.

Students that lack the

content knowledge or

vocabulary will struggle

stretching their

responses. Make sure to

introduce or interact with

both, the content and

vocabulary, as many

times as possible.

85

Probing After a student has given a response, teachers can use probes to extend thinking and to have students revise their answer. Probes can be used when students offer an incorrect or incomplete response (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 89). Rephrase Rephrase is when the teacher simply poses the same question in different words. Different students can answer the same question by using their own words when responding (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 89). Redirect Redirect is when the teacher poses the same question to a different student in order to enrich the original response and stretch student thinking (Walsh & Sattes, 2005, p. 89).

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

Stretch It Video

Probing Questions

Research

86

State clear expectations.

Scan the room to ensure that the students are meeting the expectation.

Use any of the five basic principles when interacting with students to establish

control:

1. Economy of Language – It is stronger to use fewer words. When

teachers become chatty this signals nervousness. Focus on what is

important and make just one point.

2. Do Not Talk Over – When the teacher needs students to listen, his or her

words are the most important and should not compete for attention.

Wait until there is no talking or rustling. One effective practice is to cut

off instructions and wait completely still, “Third grade, I need your…”

Nothing continues until the teacher has everyone’s attention.

3. Do Not Engage – The teacher does not let students distract him or her

from the topic at hand. For example, the teacher may say, “Please turn

around and stop arguing with Laura.” Anthony might say, “But she’s

bothering me!” Don’t fall into the trap of engaging Anthony by saying,

“Laura, why were you doing that?” or “I don’t care about what Laura

was doing.” Instead say, “I asked you to turn around and stop arguing

with Laura.”

4. Square Up/Stand Still – When giving directions, stop moving and doing

other tasks. To convey the seriousness of your directions, turn with two

feet and two shoulders and make direct eye contact with the student(s)

to whom you are speaking.

5. Quiet Power – It is instinctual for teachers to speak louder and faster if

they feel they are losing control. Fight those instincts and get slower and

quieter to maintain control. Exude calm and drop ones voice so students

strain to listen.

Integrate Strong Voice into all interactions with students to establish control and

authority.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Research

I-5, I-9, I-10

Strong Voice is a practice that establishes the teacher’s authority in a classroom.

It is what Lemov (Teach like a Champion, 2010) refers to as the “it” factor – the

teacher enters a room and is instantly in command. It is the way they present

themselves to their students to encourage compliance and on task behavior.

Having a strong voice makes the use of excessive consequences unnecessary.

Give the student the

opportunity to correct

his/her own behavior

before any more public

intervention.

Remember that your

response to students

should not cause more

disruption to the

teaching and learning

environment than the

disruptive behavior itself.

A casual tone of

conversation in the

classroom builds rapport

with students. However,

teachers need to adjust

to a more formal register

to communicate a sense

of urgency and stress the

importance of his or her

message.

87

Prep Work:

Determine the learning objective and desired outcome for the conversation.

Decide on the best group structure (partners, small groups, or whole groups)

that will most effectively and efficiently support students to reach the

desired outcome.

Present a sample question or sentence stem for students to practice.

Model exemplar responses using the prompt.

Model how to clarify, paraphrase, and acknowledge different viewpoints.

So you’re saying that…

Let me see if I understand you correctly…

I agree with you because…

I see where you’re coming from but I do not agree that…

Model how students can revise their thinking based on new learning.

After listening to you, I now see it differently…

After hearing what you have to say, I now think…

Establish time limits.

Ask groups to practice the process. Monitor to see if the groups are ready for

the next step.

When students feel comfortable with the process, present the focused question

or sentence stem that is aligned to the objective to guide academic

conversations.

Monitor group conversations, conduct verbal check-ups, and redirect groups

back to the question/stem as needed.

Have groups report their ideas to other groups or to the whole class.

I-2, I-3, I-6, I-8, I-10

A Structured Peer Conversation is a process for grouping students in order to

allow for academic conversation, social interaction, and peer thinking. In a

structured conversation, the teacher leads the group through a set of prescribed

steps. The process is guided by criteria for speaking and listening and includes:

a focused question, time limits, and a description of how the academic

conversation will be shared with others in the class. Structured conversations

are essential in developing the skills and culture necessary for collaborative

work. It increases learning and builds trust by accomplishing respectful and

substantive tasks as the students work together.

Continually practicing

procedures and routines

will improve overall

outcomes and make the

process more efficient.

To prevent groups from

veering away from the

topic, set instructional

and behavioral

expectations, model,

practice, and monitor

engagement by

circulating around the

class during the activity.

Consider using this

process for peer revision

of writing assignments.

Provide questions that

students can ask one

another about their

compositions.

Try keeping groups small

(approximately 2-5

students) to maximize

learning and minimize

behavioral problems.

88

Variations Let’s Talk When thinking about ELL students, Let’s Talk provides teachers clear guidelines to facilitate a structured academic conversation that enables students to monitor and build understanding. The steps in this process include: teach students procedures for the conversation; plan questions and sentence stems; guide students to speak in complete sentences that starts with the stem and uses the academic language; guide students to clarify, paraphrase, and acknowledge different points of view; teach students how to signal when they are ready to respond; monitor group conversations; and have student pairs report their ideas to other pairs or the whole class. Think-Pair-Share Anytime throughout instruction, the teacher can pose a question or problem and invite students to think about it for a minute. Then the teacher will ask the students to pair up with a partner. They are given another minute to share their ideas with each other. The teacher calls on volunteer pairs to share with the whole group.

Round Robin When grouping, divide students into small groups of 4 to 6 people. Appoint one person as the recorder. Pose an open ended question and allow wait time. Have members of the team share responses one at a time. The conversation may flow in a clockwise manner. The student next to the recorder begins and each student in the group shares out a response until time is called. The recorder scribes the responses of each group member to share out or recall later in the lesson.

Jigsaw Arrange students in groups of 3 to 5 (this is a student’s “home” group). Each group member of the “home” group is assigned a unique concept or learning material. Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same concept/learning material (referred to as the “expert” group) and are charged with internalizing as much as they can about their given concept/learning material. After mastering the material, the experts return to the “home” group and teach the material to their group members.

Links To Other Resources

Think-Pair-Share Cooperative Learning Basics of Structured Conversations Research

89

Variations

Conference Grouping

Depending on the purpose of the conference, the teacher may conference with a small

group or individually. Small group conferences work best when students are working

toward the same goal as a team.

Links To Other Resources

Student Led Conferences

Student Teacher

Conference Form

Writing Conferences

Research

I-1, I-2, I-5, I-9, I-10

Student Conferences are an opportunity for teachers to address behavior or

academic concerns and gain insight into the student’s thinking, foster reflection,

and examine individual goals. These conferences should focus on individualized

goal setting, with the teacher providing suggestions and feedback. A student

conference can be in a formal setting or simply a quick five minute informal

meeting. The teacher’s role during a conference is to listen and coach students.

Identify the area of need for the conference (academic performance or behavioral challenge). This can be done by observation or asking open ended questions relating to the academic or behavioral challenge of the student.

Determine a schedule for conferences. Share the meeting time, location, and duration with students. You may choose to conduct several conferences during a lunch period, after or before school, or during a designated class time.

Explain the purpose of the meeting to students in advance of the conferences. Each conference should have a clear plan and outcome that is individualized to the students goals.

Establish expectations for students who are conferencing. If you are

meeting with multiple students, be sure to set expectations for students

who are waiting about how they should behave as well as what to do

while they wait.

Ask student to give his or her thoughts the area of need. Solicit specific examples to support the student’s perception. These examples can be from assessments, projects or daily work. The teacher can provide suggestions if the student has trouble identifying examples regarding the area of need.

Assist students in identifying goals and steps to reach those goals.

Guide students to reflect on the process and newly defined goals.

In the interest of time,

teachers may rush

conferences. Reflection is

the driving force behind

student conferences. Take

the opportunity to have

students create a written

reflection or oral

reflection. It will allow the

student to make deeper

connections.

Both student and teacher

will benefit from asking

open-ended questions

that will synthesize

learning. Honor the

student’s strength and

goals.

Keep the conference

manageable and realistic

by making it fifteen

minutes or less.

90

Prep Work:

Choose the objective students will be learning.

Determine the purpose of the Student Generated Questions within the lesson.

Develop a use for the Student Generated Questions. Will they be part of a later assessment? An exit ticket?

Establish procedures and expectations for how students will generate and present questions.

Discuss this practice with students explaining why and how generating questions will be useful to them.

Provide examples of Student Generated Questions and expectations and model the practice.

Allow opportunities both written and oral for students to develop and ask questions during the lesson.

Allow time for students and/or teacher to review and respond to Student Generated Questions in a thoughtful manner.

Variations

Question and Answer Pair Two students work together to develop and answer questions on a specific concept. Post-It Questions Students generate questions on Post-It notes during the lesson and answer them at the end. Post-Its work well because they can be manipulated. Teachers can have students write these questions as they come up in the lesson and they can bring questions to the board, stick it to their desk, or place them in a “parking lot.” ReQuest The ReQuest strategy or reciprocal questioning provides the teacher and the student opportunities to ask each other questions after reading.

Links To Other Resources

Specific Question Stems

Questioning- How To

Research

I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4, I-8

Student Generated Questions are intended to allow students to display a

deeper understanding of the objectives and develop independent learners.

When students generate their own questions about a story, text, problem, or

topic, it arouses student interest and gives them a purpose for reading.

Regardless of content, learning is driven by inquiry. For this effective practice,

students use new content from the lesson to generate questions for their peers

to answer, for their own study purposes, and/or to inspire future learning.

Creating a classroom where students generate authentic questions is an

important strategy for teaching and learning. Student Generated Questions

allow students to demonstrate understanding of the content, clarify content,

make connections to other content, and reflect on learning.

Allow students to use

question stems for

development of questions.

Teach students rigorous

levels of questions by

teaching them the Levels

of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

91

Variations

Links To Other Resources

Blog on Take a Stand

A "Take a Stand" Protocol

Research

I-3, I-4

Taking A Stand is when the teacher encourages a student (or group of students)

to support and/or defend their personal response to a question, topic or issue.

Take A Stand is a practice that involves students actively participating in the

classroom based on their personal stance, opinion, or judgment regarding a

particular question. When asking for student responses in class, teachers should

follow up by encouraging them to "take a stand", challenging them to further

their thinking by defending their position or elaborating with a rationale. Take A

Stand helps students process more content and keeps them engaged because

student responses are more detailed and personal. Teachers using this practice

should aim to make the classroom a place where errors are accepted and the

challenge of disagreement is praised and celebrated.

Prep Work:

Determine the objective of the lesson.

Create questions that will allow students to take a particular

position. Questions can be evaluative ("How many of you think

Sandra is correct?) or analytic ("Can anyone tell me how Sandra

can make sure her solution is correct?")

Ask the question during the lesson.

Have a student (or group of students) answer the question.

Invite the student (or group of students) to take a stand and defend

their response. Ask questions like: “Why?”, “What made you think that

way?”, “How did you arrive at that position?”, “What influenced your

opinion?”, “What would make you change your mind?”

Praise and acknowledge students for participating to encourage future

participation.

Be sure to block off

enough time in the lesson

for students to answer,

defend and reflect on

their positions when

planning.

Sometimes it is

challenging for teachers

to hold back their own

opinions, so try not to

give any hints or show

bias towards one opinion

or another as these cues

can easily influence the

response of students.

Classroom Debate

Students take opposing positions on a topic or issue. Teacher provides opportunities for

students to research and learn about the topic/issue. Students then take a stand for one

side or the other in a structured discussion over the topic where both sides have an equal

opportunity to defend their position. Classroom debates provide students with

opportunities to build their skills in leadership, team building, group problem solving and

oral presentation. Embedding debate skills into the curriculum increases student

engagement and rigor.

92

Variations

Stand and Share

Place students in groups of four. After teaching a topic, have a student from each group

stand and share everything they remember for one minute. Then the first student sits

down and the next student shares for one minute. Repeat until all students in the group

have had their turn.

Circle the Sage

Kagan cooperative learning structure where a student (the sage) teaches other students

in a group. The other students go back and teach others what the sage has taught them.

For a more detailed explanation see the link above.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Back Article

Research

I-1, I-2, I-5, I-6

Teach Back is a practice where the teacher asks his/her students to explain a

concept from the lesson by taking on the role of teacher. This practice allows

the teacher to gauge the student’s understanding of a topic or concept as well

as determine how effectively the topic was explained. Students who are able to

Teach Back are more likely to retain information because they must truly

understand the material in order to teach it to someone else.

Prep Work:

Determine the concept or skill in your lesson you want students to Teach Back.

Determine if students will Teach Back in small groups, pairs or whole group.

Explain the procedures for the activity and behavior expectations before using the Teach Back practice. If students are in groups, they will need explicit directions about who is the “teacher” and when. Everyone should get a chance to be the “teacher” at some point in the activity.

Present information to students in small chunks during the lesson.

Ask student to Teach Back to the teacher, their partner, or to their group.

Identify and correct any misunderstandings. If the students are working in partners or groups have a student share the discussion in their group. This gives the teacher the opportunity to reteach if necessary.

Add additional information or reteach depending on student responses.

Be prepared for students

who Teach Back

incorrectly. The teacher

can address the

misunderstanding as it

happens by asking probing

questions to lead students

to understanding or invite

another student to assist

with the Teach Back.

Have student Teach Back

early and often while

teaching new concepts to

cement foundational

understanding.

93

Variations

Student Created Tech Checks

Students create their own questions and post in an online forum.

Class Blog Students or teacher post question(s) on a blog site (i.e. Blogger)and other students respond or write a quick write (a quick reflection of what they learned).

Links To Other Resources

Cool Tools for Schools – Poll

and Survey Tools

Teaching with Classroom

Response Systems: Creating

Active Learning

Environments by Derek

Bruff, 2009.

Research

PL-2, I-2, I-3, I-6

Tech Checks help teachers check students' understanding of a concept at various

places in the lesson using technology tools. This practice provides instant data and

real time information for teachers so they can quickly respond to

misunderstandings and make decisions about the pace and direction of the lesson.

They are also designed to provide students with an opportunity to reflect and

process their learning in the moment.

Determine the lesson objective.

Plan the key moments in the lesson when a check for understanding is

appropriate.

Choose or create assessment questions to check for student

understanding.

Determine the technology tool that best supports the ability to gather

responses from students with check for understandings questions.

Test the technology to troubleshoot beforehand.

Model for students how to read the questions and register a response.

Ask the questions and give waitlist for students to process.

Collect responses from students.

Synthesize the data and share the results with the class and/or

individual students.

Adjust the lesson/unit or differentiate based on student needs

Always have a backup in case

of technology not working

and/or move on with the

lesson without it. The tech

check should not take up

time but make things more

efficient.

In primary grades, try using

an Interactive White Board

student response system

(clickers) to create a class

pictograph or bar graph to

check for student

understanding.

In intermediate grades, try

using Google Docs and

stixxy.com to generate

student responses using

technology.

In secondary grades, try using

polleverywhere.com to ask

either multiple choice or short

answer questions.

94

Variations

Morning Meeting After the students enter the classroom, the teacher calls a 5 minute meeting. The morning meeting is a time for the class to greet each other and share news with the whole group. This quick meeting can take place on a carpet, in assigned seating, at table groups or with students huddled together in a special location. In addition to the greetings and news, the teacher can use this opportunity to set the expectations/schedule for the day. Morning meeting can be done before or after the Do Now. Personalized Written Greeting In advance, prepare personalized messages for the students on strips of paper (ex. Jose, I like the way you have been organized and prepared for the lessons this week.) This can be done periodically (for the whole class all at once with less frequency or by group/individual students more regularly and rotating until everyone has received a note). The notes can be handwritten or typed depending on teacher preference.

I-7, I-9, I-10

“The most important moment to set expectations in your classroom is the minute

when your classroom students enter or, if they are transitioning within a

classroom, when they formally begin their lesson…It’s the critical time to

establish rapport, set the tone, and reinforce the first steps in a routine that

makes excellence a habit.” (Lemov, 2010) Threshold takes place at the beginning

of the day when a teacher greets each student by standing in the threshold of the

classroom. This practice allows a teacher to reinforce classroom expectations

daily while personally checking in with each student before learning begins.

Prep Work:

Reflect at the end of each day on each student’s progress

and/or behavior.

Write down or make a mental note of something to share with

each student in the morning as they are being greeted at the

doorway.

At the beginning of the class, the teacher stands at the doorway waiting

to greet each student.

The teacher greets each student by name and with a handshake (high-

five, fist bump, or a class secret handshake) as he/she appears at the

doorway.

As students are being greeted, include any mental notes made and/or

remind students of the school/classroom expectations. These can be

reminders about assignments, classroom expectations and/or

procedures as they enter the classroom individually. These quick

reminders should take no more than 5-10 seconds per student.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion Do

Now

Research

Threshold is a practice that

allows for teachers and

students to personally

interact daily. It is not the

time to begin on a

“negative” note, but rather

a time for positive

reinforcement of set

expectations.

Threshold can be an

opportunity for teachers to

ensure that students are

meeting school/classroom

expectations such as dress

code, being prepared for

class, and completion of

homework. It also allows for

the teacher to get a sense of

how students are feeling

prior to the day/period

starting.

It is helpful to have an

activity prepared in advance

for students to begin

working on after they enter

the class (such as a Do Now)

while the teacher is at the

doorway.

95

PL-3, I-3, I-4

Tiering an assignment is one way to differentiate the curriculum for

heterogeneous classrooms. The content and objectives are the same, but the

levels of tasks are varied according to the students’ readiness level (their

background knowledge and skills related to the learning objective). This

practice ensures that students understand the information at their level of

challenge because it builds on what they already know. Assignments at each tier

should be interesting and challenging, to avoid students' perception that we

expect less of some students than others. Students are very sensitive to

labeling of themselves and their peers.

Prep Work:

Identify a focused lesson objective.

Formally or informally, pre-assess the students’ current level of knowledge and skill with the topic.

Develop a lesson assignment that is clearly focused on the concept.

Determine what the assignment will be for on-level students.

Adjust the assignment to provide different levels of difficulty.

Match students to appropriate tiered assignments based on their pre-assessment results.

Explain and model the assignments to the students.

Allow time for students to complete the assignment.

Assess students’ mastery of the lesson objective.

Teachers can provide

paper strips or index

cards with different

prompts, assignments, or

questions to each

student, include two or

more tiered options and

have students choose the

right level of challenge for

them.

Use flexible grouping to avoid labeling/tracking students.

It is important for the teacher to communicate to the class why each person/group may be working on different tasks to avoid misunderstandings.

Be sure to prepare scoring guides/rubrics to assess different products fairly.

Tier assignments by providing different levels of reading materials, forms of expression, levels of complexity, number of steps, and/or time allotted for the assignment.

96

Variations Tiered Question A strategy that allows the teacher to vary the complexity of the question according to the readiness level of the student. Question stems may be based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Examples include: a) What kind of bear lives in the North Pole? b) Why are polar bears white? c) How would you change a polar bear’s physiological make-up to help it survive in

the desert?

Tiered Writing Prompts A strategy that allows the teacher to vary the complexity of the writing prompt according to the readiness level of the student. Examples include: a) Describe how the character looks. b) Describe why the character feels that way in the story. c) Describe how the events in the story influence how the character behaves.

Links To Other Resources

Choice by Choice with Tiered Instruction and Assessment Best Practices: Instructional Strategies and Techniques Tiered Curriculum Project Examples of Tiered

Assignments

Examples of Writing

Prompts

Research

97

Variations

Entry Routine and Do Now These are quick activities that teachers use when students first enter the classroom. They do not require teacher input; they engage students with content, and start the lesson/day by giving learners a feeling of success.

I-5, I-9, I-10

Prep Work:

Review lesson plans and routines to identify what transitions

occur in the classroom. These may include (but are not limited

to) entering class, distributing and collecting materials,

movement in and out of groups, and/or dismissal.

Plan the most efficient and practical way to accomplish the task or

transition.

An effective way to teach transitions is to scaffold the steps; teach the steps one at a time. For example: “When I say one, please stand up and push in your chairs. When I say two, please turn to face the door. When I say three, group 1 please line up.”

Point to Point Movement (Lemov, 2010) is when the teacher identifies a location/action and students move to that point and stop. For example: “Please walk to the door by the library, and stop there.”

Break tasks down into smaller steps that are clear and age appropriate.

Teach students to follow the procedure step-by-step.

Allow time for students to practice repeatedly, possibly using a stop

watch, until students perform the task in a specified amount of time

quickly and orderly.

Tight Transitions is a quick and effective practice that students perform without

extensive guidance from the teacher. Transitions are the points during a class

when students end one activity and begin another or physically move from one

place to another. “Messy transitions are an invitation to disruptions and conflicts”

(Lemov, 2010), but teachers can easily implement smooth and crisp transitions in

order to maximize learning time. To accomplish this, teachers must provide clear

expectations to students and practice the routine consistently until steps are

performed quickly and orderly. The investment in teaching students to execute

Tight Transitions creates an increase in instructional time over the course of a

school year and also helps manage discipline by promoting a positive and

respectful classroom environment.

Try rhyming or chanting

steps of a transition to

keep transition time fun

and engaging.

Get students excited

about practicing the steps

in a specific routine by

making it a game where

teams can compete

against each other and/or

the clock.

Spending too much time

practicing routines takes

time away from

instruction. Basic

routines should take four

to six days to establish

and can be perfected

over time, not all in one

day.

98

Exit Ticket This practice provides for a smooth conclusion and exit out of the classroom at the end of a class by asking students to answer a short series of questions and turning them in on the way out the door.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

Research

99

PL-1, PL-2, I-7

Just as a coach keeps a close eye on the statistics of the players on the field, so a

skilled teacher tracks the progress of his/her students in the classroom. Tracking

the progress of students through careful review of results on class work,

homework, quizzes, assessments and oral response is a valuable tool as it is

motivating for students to see that they are making progress toward an

important learning goal, even if they are not yet performing at the highest level

as identified by a rubric. It also helps the teacher diagnose weaknesses, make

more strategic decisions about future lessons, and plan time for one-on-one or

small group interventions to reinforce skills that need mastery.

Establish the goals and determine what the students are expected to

achieve. Include students in the process as they will be more invested in

their education.

Provide a method for students to keep track of their own progress

(Student Self Evaluation Template) and ensure that the steps for

reaching the goals are outlined so students have a clear understanding

of what will be required of them to meet each goal.

Allow students to track their own progress on assessments using graphic

displays.

Collect student progress information consistently to ensure accuracy of

data.

Analyze the data and look for trends. Review and reflect on the data.

Ask questions such as: “What does this tell me? Did the students

perform as expected? Were there any surprises in the results? Have

students grown as compared to previous measures?”

Take strategic action by enacting a flexible plan. Look at the lesson

plans and goals for the upcoming day, week, month, unit and semester.

What are the strong points that can be built upon? Are there weak

points that must be reinforced? How will students be grouped

according to their readiness levels? How will instruction be

differentiated for each group to attain mastery?

Repeat the process. Tracking progress is a yearlong pursuit that can be

truly valuable if done with fidelity.

Enlist a second set of eyes

as other teachers can

always provide helpful

advice and may be able to

see a trend that was

overlooked.

The purpose of tracking

progress is to help

everyone achieve more. Be

careful not to assign

consequences as a result of

tracking data.

When keeping anecdotal

notes, it is helpful to keep a

binder with students’

names labeled under each

tab. Be sure to include the

date.

100

Variations

Progress Charts

Simple visual displays that help teachers see whether or not the student is on an

upward trend. Some progress charts are used for short term goals such as vocabulary

retention or high frequency word fluency. A yearlong progress chart can be used for

essential skills such as works of literature, or identifying and utilizing mathematical

formulas.

Links To Other Resources

When Students Track Their

Progress

How to Graph Student

Progress

Sample Student Evaluation

Template

Research

101

PL-3, I-1, I-6

“A guaranteed and viable curriculum has the most impact on student achievement”

according to Robert Marzano in his book, What Works in Schools. Consistent use of

the HISD Curriculum helps to ensure that all district students have equitable access

to quality instruction. HISD’s curriculum is comprehensive, reflects required

standards, incorporates best-practice strategies, provides access to proven

resources, addresses the needs of diverse learners, and reflects high expectations

for student achievement. A common standards-based curriculum guarantees that

every HISD teacher will have access to the resources necessary to plan, teach, and

assess instruction and student learning effectively (Curriculum Writing Initiative,

n.d.).

Prep Work:

Log into HISD Connect

Under Department information, click on the letter “C” and select the Curriculum and Instructional Development. Here the teacher has access to the HISD curriculum planning guides, scope and sequence and vertical alignment matrix.

Select the curriculum that matches the teacher’s specific content and grade level

Use the Scope and Sequence document as a tool for grade level/content planning. Begin with the end in mind. The Scope and Sequence document presents a recommended scope and sequence of study for the year by bundling student objectives into instructional units and then mapping them on the district’s current school calendar, similar to a course or grade-level syllabus.

Use the Vertical Alignment Matrix documents as an additional tool that can be used during cross grade level planning. The Vertical Alignment Matrix presents a developmental alignment of student objectives in a content area across grade levels.

Use the Unit Planning Guides as a comprehensive tool for day-to-day instructional planning. The Curriculum Unit Framework extends the Scope and Sequence by providing additional detail for the unit(s) in a grading period, including a brief description of the unit(s), the objectives to be addressed, key concepts and skills, essential understandings (i.e., the big ideas), academic and content-specific vocabulary, English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), College and Career Readiness Standards, and student performance expectations.

Use the Lesson Planning Guide to plan daily lessons that align with other HISD Curriculum resources (Scope and Sequence, Vertical Alignment Matrix, and HISD Curriculum Planning Guides).

Some teachers

underestimate the time it

will take to plan quality

lessons along with

mapping out how they will

cover content for each

semester and by the end

of the school year. Take

the time needed to get to

know the curriculum

documents.

Plan with other teachers

in the same

grade/content, or across

grade levels instead of in

isolation. Doing this saves

time and supports the

sharing of ideas and

resources between

teachers.

Links To Other Resources

HISD Connect

Curriculum and

Instructional Development

HISD Objectives Definitions

Lesson Planning Guide

Research

Over plan. It is easier to

take things out of a plan

than to ad lib and add less

than quality experiences

to a plan.

102

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Technique Summary

How to Provide Clear

Classroom Directions

Research

I-9, I-10

Tell students what to do (“Keep your eyes on me”) as opposed to what

not to do (“Don’t look around”).

Ensure directions are:

Specific: The must be manageable and precisely describe the

actions students should take.

Concrete: They must be clear, actionable tasks.

Sequential: Good directions “describe a sequence of concrete

and specific actions.” (Lemov, 2010).

Observable: This ensures accountability.

Re-teach students the desired behavior if they still misunderstand your

expectations. Provide consequences if they are being defiant.

What To Do is a practice that involves giving students directions in a way that is

clear and useful, and allows them to do what is asked in an easy manner (Lemov,

2010). The practice is based on the premise that some student noncompliance is

due to students’ misunderstanding of the directions, not defiance. Directions

should be specific enough that a teacher can distinguish between

misunderstanding and defiance.

Breaking down an initial

direction into an even

more specific sequence of

steps helps students

better understand.

Punishing students who

do not understand

directions erodes

relationships and creates

a sense of injustice.

Make sure to teach

students directions, not

punish them for

misunderstandings.

Ask a student to repeat

directions to check what

they understand and

reinforce the expectation.

103

Variations

Motivational Chants: This strategy provides opportunities for the teacher to communicate expectations and get students engaged with the work in a positive way. It also builds confidence in oral language, promotes a sense of community, and helps change the pace and mood to improve student motivation. Community Circle: Community Circle is a way to build a team culture within your classroom. Students gather in a circle to have a structured, student-centered discussion with each other and the teacher. This practice builds a sense of community, develops problem solving skills, strengthens bonds between student and teacher, and provides an opportunity for students to practice their listening, speaking, and interpersonal skills.

Links To Other Resources

How Can Teachers Develop

Students’ Motivation and

Success?

Mindset Online

Variety of Classroom Chants

Research

PL-2, I-7, I-8

Promoting high academic expectations for students starts with the teacher

believing in student success. Subconsciously, teachers who believe students can

succeed, behave in ways that help them succeed (Marzano, 2007). Work Hard,

Get Smart encourages students to work hard towards mastering the lesson

objectives and to persist when faced with difficult material. Also known as the

Growth Mindset, this approach creates a love of learning and a resilience

that is essential for great achievement (Dweck, 2012). Work Hard, Get

Smart is a daily reminder that students control their own learning. The

teacher uses a mantra that students repeat and internalize to bolster their

confidence and reinforce their ability to learn new and difficult content.

The teacher praises, acknowledges, and rewards effort and hard work. It is crucial

that we encourage students to believe in malleable intelligence, empower them

to take control of their learning and build their self-esteem.

Help students persist in the face of failure by offering support throughout the lesson. Make this a part of daily practice.

Promote a culture where mistakes are encouraged in order to succeed. Have students answer the following questions: What do you want? What do you need?

Explicitly communicate the expectations and the pathways created to reach those goals. Have students answer the question: What point do you want to reach? Students will take their own path to reach their goal.

Make a visual that communicates the importance of working hard to achieve success.

Ask students to chart their growth on each learning goal to take ownership of the process.

Recognize and celebrate progress (see J Factor).

Try creating progress

charts or posters where

students can visually track

their growth. Post it in a

place where everybody

can see it as a way to

celebrate achievement.

Generic encouragement

directed at the whole

class is ineffective in

providing meaningful

encouragement to Work

Hard, Get Smart. Use

specific encouragement

that appeals to the

student’s individual

interests, values or

dreams.

104

Variations

Workstation Menus

Students chart which workstations they have worked in for the week by using a “menu”

of various workstation choices. See the link for an elementary example of a workstation

menu.

Learning Contracts

Students have options of how to produce evidence of their learning. They create and

execute a contract with the teacher for learning. Each student is responsible for

completing the work they have agreed to in the contract. See the link for detailed

examples of learning contracts.

Links To Other Resources

Florida Center for Reading

Research K-5

Work Station K-12

High School Social Studies

Work Station Examples

Research

PL-3, I-5, I-8, I-10

Workstation management is the organization system that provides the teacher

with a specific plan to differentiate for student needs and allows for smooth

transitions during work station time. When workstations are managed

effectively, students are aware of behavioral expectations and what learning

they are responsible for. Both the teacher and students are aware of which

station students are working on, when the assignments are due in that

particular station, and the appropriate behavior for that station. Setting

consistent expectations early ensures that students are adept at managing

station materials, using the station management board, solving problems they

encounter, and rotating to the next station quickly.

Prep Work:

Decide what specific learning experiences will occur in work stations and what products or assignments students will be expected to complete.

Organize materials for each work station. Determine the grouping of students and the rotation schedule.

Arrange the students according to the skill that needs to be taught for that specific group of children.

Create a chart that displays the work stations available and the students that will attend each work station. Post a schedule during work station time.

Set clear expectations for behavior during work stations.

Practice expectations with students.

Present the directions and show students the materials for each station.

Direct students to the workstation they are assigned.

When introducing new

activities in work stations,

students will need support

to adapt to the change.

Make sure the students

understand what is

expected in each station

prior to releasing them to

complete station work.

This will ensure that

students produce quality

work.

Remember to keep groups

flexible so that students

have an opportunity to

work with a variety of

classmates.

105

Variations

Mobile Workstations

Workstations can be a bucket, basket, folder, and/or envelope with the materials and

activities inside. Students can simply move the container to their desk to work.

Choice Boards Choice boards are organizers on paper that contain a variety of activities. Students can choose one or several activities to complete as they learn a skill or develop a product.

Links To Other Resources

Reach Every Child

Setting Up Centers/Stations

Research

I-1, I-3, I-4, I-5

Workstations are designated areas within the classroom where students work

either alone or with a partner/group using instructional materials to explore,

practice and expand their learning. Providing students with a variety of activities

reinforces and extends the learning that occurs throughout the day or during a unit

of study. Workstations are an integral part of classroom instruction because they

allow students to work independently while the teacher works with a small group or

individual students. Additionally, workstations can provide an opportunity to assess

students’ mastery of different components within the same objective and establish

a routine of differentiation in the classroom for students with various instructional

levels, interests, or learning styles.

Determine the pre-taught objective(s) that will be reinforced within

each workstation. This will help to determine how many

workstations/activities are needed.

Determine the outcome and activities that would best support student

practice of the objective(s) in each workstation.

Create and post a list of differentiated activities and procedures for

students to follow in each workstation.

Collect resources that will go into each workstation based on the

number of students and the amount of time allocated for each rotation.

Create and introduce time and behavior management

system/procedure specifically for workstations.

Generate an assessment or end product that will gauge students’

mastery of the concepts for each workstation.

Model expectations and have students practice in each workstation.

Consider having students

help in the creation of

activities in the

workstations and/or

procedures for a sense of

ownership.

Use a log to allow students

to document their

progress at each

workstation.

Workstations should only

be used when students

are ready for

independent practice or

are reviewing/reinforcing

material that has already

been introduced and

modeled.

Incorporate technology

and/or novelty in

workstations to enhance

student engagement.

106

Variations

Tight Transitions Tight transitions occur when teacher and students have practiced a transition routine until the steps are performed quickly and orderly. A teacher may countdown to tighten transitions and help students monitor their activity.

Prep Work:

Create an objective driven lesson with aligned activities.

Determine the places in the lesson where urgency will be important, where students might have a hard time staying engaged/on-task, or where racing the clock might bring joy or excitement to students.

Decide on the ideal length of time for students to complete the parts in the lesson identified in the previous step.

Plan how time and activity expectations will be communicated with students. This could be done by writing a short script with clear directions for the activity and transitions.

Decide where countdowns are needed and will be shared with students as a reminder to complete their work or hasten students along to the next step.

Implement with students during the lesson by sharing time limits with students at the start of the activity and verbally counting down to monitor time publically with the class.

Be mindful that students

are not rushing through

the work and sacrificing

quality for speed.

Monitor work during the

activity closely and set

expectations for quality

at the beginning of the

lesson.

Try rewarding positive

behaviors during

countdowns by

acknowledging students.

For example, “5, 4…John is

ready…3, 2…Alison is

ready..1.”

I-5, I-9, I-10

Work the Clock is a practice that emphasizes the importance of class time by

announcing an allotted time for an activity and verbally counting down to

remind students of work-time remaining. It encourages on-task and efficient

work during lesson activities. This practice can be used to improve the pacing of

a lesson by instilling a sense of urgency in students. It also can create a positive

environment in the classroom that acknowledges and reinforces productive

student behavior.

Consider using countdowns

to set goals for the class. “I

know we did this by my

count of 8 last time, this

time let’s go for 6.”

Links To Other Resources

Research

107

State academic or behavioral expectations.

Scan the room to ensure that 100% of students are meeting the expectation.

If there is not 100% engagement, choose from the following interventions to solve

noncompliance quickly:

Non-verbal intervention – Use eye contact with off-task students without

interrupting instruction.

Positive group correction – Provide a quick verbal reminder to all students.

Anonymous individual correction – Send the message that there are

individuals not following directions without naming an individual student.

Private individual correction – Correct individuals privately and quietly by

approaching the student and in a quiet voice telling the student what he or

she should do differently.

Lightning-quick public individual correction – When you need to correct an

individual student publicly, minimize attention by doing so quickly.

Consequence –Save consequences for occasional use by attempting to solve

noncompliance quickly through one of the previously listed techniques.

Implement 100 Percent technique to achieve full compliance. Make sure the

intervention is fast and invisible. Praise the students and move on with the lesson.

Variations

Call and Response Students repeatedly carry out what their teacher asks them to do on cue. Expecting this response from the class normalizes the practice and promotes compliance with the teacher.

Links To Other Resources

Teach Like a Champion

Research

I-5, I-9, I-10

100 Percent is the practice of utilizing interventions to ensure the engagement

of 100% of students before moving forward with a lesson. Teachers should

expect full engagement from his or her students at any given time. The goal of

this practice is not to utilize power but to achieve an important purpose – the

success of students. The practice is done quickly, positively, and in the least

invasive way to achieve compliance and student attentiveness.

To enable students to

comply, ask students to

do things that are

actionable or concrete.

For example, “Put your

pencils down when you

are done with your

work.” This can be easily

seen compared to saying

“Is everyone ready?”

Some people mistakenly

believe that ignoring

misbehavior is the least

invasive response, but

unchecked behavior will

only persist and intensify.

Concentrate on telling the

student what to do right

rather than reprimanding

or explaining what he or

she did wrong.

Avoid the misconception

that every non-

compliance needs to be

addressed with a

consequence.

108

109