Direct Instruction and Mentoring

Excellence in Education: Direct Instruction

Shhh! I’ll be honest with you, direct instruction has a place in education. As a matter of fact, even though “lecturing” comes under fire a lot for being too teacher-centered, it doesn’t need to be. When done right research supports direct instruction. In John Hattie’s seminal work Visible Learning, direct instruction is shown to have a .82 effect-size meaning it’s two-and-a-half times the average effect size, making it more impactful than classroom environment, peer tutoring and peer effects.

Now by no means am I suggesting teachers rely solely on direct instruction. It pains me to see students sitting at their desks staring at the teacher, the presentation, or, more likely during a poor lecture, looking out the window, peeking at their phones or nodding off.  

So what are some hallmarks of a great direct instruction?

1. Clear learning intentions that students understand prior to instruction beginning.
2. Students are actively engaged
• Frequent responses are elicited
• Responses and other indicators are carefully monitored by the teacher
• Immediate affirmative and corrective feedback are provided
3. A swift moving pace

As a teacher, even when I shifted away from direct instruction by limiting it to 15 minutes per class my lectures often fell short because I didn’t actively engage students. It wasn’t until I became purposeful with my questions by explicitly planning them and using various questioning strategies based on the intended outcomes.

Next week, I’ll share strategies for eliciting frequent responses. Please share some of your strategies so I can include them in next week’s memo/blog.  

Student Mentoring

The outpouring of support to ensure the success of all our students was phenomenal. Here are some details from your exit tickets, questions and comments. We’ll use a couple of minutes in each faculty meeting to share with each other how it’s going.

Expectations

• Check in with your student on a weekly basis.

When do I check in with my student?

• Class
• Mustang Morning
• Lunch
• Before/After School
• In the hallway

What can we talk about at this point?

• Common interests
• Grades/Goals for the second semester
• What did you do over the snow days?
• What are your plans for the weekend?
• What can I help you with this year?

If I do not have a relationship already with my student, how do I build one?

• Start by introducing yourself and letting your student know that you’d like to help them out for the rest of the year.
• Ask him/her when we be a good time to check in.
• You could always call the parent and ask them how you could help support his/her child.  

How do I get more information about my student?

• Check in with his/her school counselor and/or case manager
• Ms. Quirk will be printing off grades, attendance, contact information, schedule for those of you who indicated that on the spreadsheet

Shout-Outs

Great job by our custodial staff at getting the school ready for our students following last week’s storm. So while many of us were enjoying the warmth of our houses, they were outside shoveling snow! Be sure to thank them for their extra work!

The Cast and Crew of MacBeth for their weekend performances!

Need to Knows

We’re currently working on rescheduling Help Save the Next Girl.

As our seniors get accepted to college, they’re adding their names to the “window wall” in the forum. Please be sure to have your seniors, see Ms. Eubanks so they can add their names.

Positive Referral Link: http://go.shr.lc/1XRoeub

Technology / Website Permission Request Form http://go.shr.lc/1HovEA6

Spring Calendar (Grades, SOL, Exams, Etc): http://go.shr.lc/1OwWVBB Obviously, this is subject to change with weather, but it’s a start.

Calendar Items

Reimagine High School: Tuesday, Feb 2 at 8am in R110 and February 4 at 4pm in B104 (Please see Dr. Williamson’s email for more information).

February 5: Clubs During Mustang Morning

February 12: LoveFest

Birthdays

February 6: Ruth Tapscott

Worth Your Time

How to “Kick” Inappropriate Nicknames from Kahoot!

Teachers, the Other 1 Percent

Three Steps to Activating Learners

2 Round Questioning

Excellence in Education: Two-Round Questioning from author/expert Eric Jensen

This technique will increase student participation by helping them feel more comfortable and will help you formatively assess your students.

How it works:

1. Explain that you are going to ask 2 rounds of questions. The first is a “survey” and the second is “reflective.”
2. Round 1 questions:
1. Explain to students that there are only two types of answers: 1) Answer and it doesn’t matter if they are right or wrong, but you will be thanked for your answer. 2) No clue in which the student will say, “I don’t know, but I’d like to know.”
2. Students give immediate responses providing you with a snapshot of learning
3. The teacher calls on different students asking different questions. As they answer, make eye contact with them, smile and thank them for their answers.
4. Don’t say whether the response was “right” or “wrong” and just focus on their effort and willingness to participate.
3. After asking at least 50% of the class, you should have a great sense of where your students stand and if you need to re-teach. If no reteaching is necessary, go to Round 2.
4. Round 2 questions are more
1. Begin by asking students to reflect on the class’ responses. They may consult with a partner(s) to determine which responses were right or wrong and why. They need to prepare for more detailed and insightful questions. Some prompting questions to ask at this stage to prepare them: “Let’s dig deeper…” “Why do you say that?” “How did you come to that answer?”
2. To begin the next round, invite the entire class to respond and call on 3-5 students. Again students can either answer or say, “I’m not ready yet, need a lifeline.” If they ask for a lifeline, they may seek more time to think or consult a partner and then you come back to them.

Shout-Outs

Thanks to everyone for making our last two weeks run smoothly with a special acknowledgment to Cullen Wade and Sheena Washington who were besieged on Friday with hundreds of early dismissals.

Thanks as well to Lauren Williamson and Shannon Deegan for their leadership on the High School Council and their work on culminating projects.

On Thursday, our department chairs shared with the leadership team all of the great ways you are embracing students, engaging learning and innovating opportunities. Needless to say it was an impressive list; we’re proud of all that you are doing for our students!

Need to Knows

The county EdTech team and LTI (Learning Technology Integrators--ie Bert) will be conducting learning walks to see how teachers and, more importantly, students are using technology. These snapshots are designed to provide a comprehensive picture of support needs, so that they can provide instructional staff with the support they need.

Positive Referral Link: http://go.shr.lc/1XRoeub

Technology / Website Permission Request Form http://go.shr.lc/1HovEA6

Spring Calendar (Grades, SOL, Exams, Etc): http://go.shr.lc/1OwWVBB Obviously, this is subject to change with weather, but it’s a start.

Calendar Items : Posted First Because of Its Importance

This week will be a A-B-ALL schedule

January 19: Special Education Progress Reports Due

January 21: Faculty Meeting, Fall Semester Grades Due  

January 22-24: Hamlet Performance

Birthdays

None  

Worth Your Time

What You Don’t Know About Homework Research

Why Your Students Forgot Everything on Your PowerPoint Slides

Ten Ways to Match Books with Readers

How Measurement Fails Doctors and Teachers from The New York Times

Getting to Know Your Students

mohsmustangmemo.blogspot.com

Calendar Items : Posted First Because of Its Importance

Please be sure to share the exam schedule with your students!

Monday: All Classes Meet

  SOL Retakes (please see Ms. Pryor’s email and ensure all students attend)

  Computer Science Exhibition (9:30-10:40 in P104)

Tuesday: SOL Retakes (again, please see Ms. Pryor’s email and ensure all students attend)

Tuesday-Friday Exams
Please see this link for the exam schedule http://go.shr.lc/1VXv4ME

January 19: Special Education Progress Reports Due

January 21: Faculty Meeting, Fall Semester Grades Due  

January 22-24: Hamlet Performance

Excellence in Education: Embracing Students from Day 1

With many classes beginning on January 20, I thought I’d share some strategies that engage students through a positive class environment, and, of course, the most significant variable affecting class climate is the teacher. A positive, high-energy, high-expectation classroom doesn’t simply happen by chance; it’s a reflection on the teacher’s commitment and skill. In such a classroom, students try harder and enjoy learning.

So what are some strategies that help you create a welcoming and caring classroom environment from Day 1?

• Greet students at the door with a handshake and a smile
• Instead of a multi-page syllabus filled with rules and expectations, write a letter to your students and their parents about you and your class. Be welcoming and positive. Then, have the students write a letter to you.
• Student-student interviews with a twist. Instead of reporting back to class about their partner, have each student write a brief bio or a “dictionary” entry for their partner. For example, Gillespie, Reed: proper noun. 1. Born in Washington, DC. 2. educator. 3. 1 daughter, 3 step-children (ex-step-children??)
• 2 Truths-1 Lie: Have each student write down 2 truths about themselves and 1 lie. Then have them go-around the classroom and have their classmates guess, which one is the lie. Be sure to participate.
• Example: Has met the President of the United States; Has never broken a bone; Graduated with a 4.0 (students have to guess which is the lie)....any guesses?
• Have students work on creating a class slideshow. Let them figure out what’s required to be included and what the expectations are.
• Hand out candy as students walk in. Allow students to take as many as they want, within reason, but they aren’t allowed to eat it yet. Then, for each piece of candy that a student took, he/she must share something about who they are.
• Put students into equal-size groups and have them challenge other groups. These challenges can be physical, intellectual, etc and then the other groups have to try to complete the challenge. They can range from 2 people in our group traveled to Europe this summer to 3 people doing push-ups with a groupmate on their back to 1 person in our group is bald. Give the groups time to brainstorm challenges and then begin the challenges. Groups earn points for each group stumped
• Create a class playlist. Get each student to write down their favorite song and then create a YouTube playlist for all the songs. You can have some fun with this throughout the year by making playing 1 song when students enter the classroom and having students guess whose favorite song it is or you can use the playlist when students are working at their desks.
• After doing some of the above activities, have students write down 3-6 facts about themselves on a sticky note as an exit activity. Then at a later date, post the stickies around the classroom and have students guess who it is.
• So, what are some of your favorite activities? Share ‘em with me and I’ll include them in next week’s memo.

• Top card: It’s hard to reach every student in every class every day. A strategy I read about and used was to have each student complete an index card about themselves on the first day (the basic bio stuff, some questions about how they learn and what they like, and 3 things most people don’t know about you). Every day I chose 1 card for each period and my goal was to pay extra attention to that student in class and spending some 1-1 time with him/her.

Shout-Outs

Props to Ms. Pryor for a smooth--save for the fire alarm--SOL testing week. As most of you know, we’ve tried something different this year and the early analysis is that it’s been a great success. Of course, it’s a team effort. Thanks to all the teachers in red who gave up their classrooms, to those of you who have served as hall monitors and test administrators for classes other than yours, and to our cafeteria staff for adjusting their schedules.

Need to Knows

The county EdTech team and LTI (Learning Technology Integrators--ie Bert) will be conducting learning walks to see how teachers and, more importantly, students are using technology. These snapshots are designed to provide a comprehensive picture of support needs, so that they can provide instructional staff with the support they need.

Positive Referral Link : http://go.shr.lc/1XRoeub

Technology / Website Permission Request Form http://go.shr.lc/1HovEA6

Birthdays

January 12: Duane Coston

Worth Your Time

Webtools that Don’t Require Student Registration (ie EdTech approval) (via Bert Jacoby)

How to Create and Run Games on Triventy (perfect for end-of-semester reviews) from Free Technology from Teachers, a great resource

No More Pencils, No More Books