Teaching strategies
Here you will find my various methods for teaching, please feel free to click through and discover your how your strategies may be similar or differ from mine! I want to start by sharing this TedX video of a seasoned teacher who walks through some of the strategies that I go into detail about below. This video serves as a model for how I hope to engage with my classroom.
Effective and useful feedbackFeedback is one of the most helpful tools when studying literature and classics. But feedback does not mean just a grade on the final assignment with some comments. Feedback is continuous and constructive. Feedback should prompt students to effect change in their work, not cause them to feel as thought their work is insufficient, or perhaps worse -- cause indifference.
"Start with a clear goal. (See the discussion of rubrics and models later.) Describe the student’s current work in relation to the overall goal. Focus on being descriptive rather than evaluative. Think about the feedback from the student’s perspective. What would you want to hear? Help the student figure out what to do next, but don’t provide the answer or make all the corrections for the student. Be encouraging and specific" (107, Tools for Teaching Conceptual Understanding).
Grouping strategies I am such a firm believer that students learn more when information is founded in group work. Students want to work with one another, and they are more often than not naturally competative, and this form demands the most comprehensive work model. This book also breaks down the ways in which students interact with one another when placed in differing group models. The one I find to be most effective is explained on page 139: Heterogeneous groupings: Students benefit from working in groups of mixed abilities, passions, and perspectives. Place students in heterogeneous groups when you want them to challenge and complicate each other’s thinking about the concepts. Placing students in groups where they are apt to disagree with each other will require them to focus on the evidence that supports their generalizations and to face evidence that doesn't fit. Also, having them in mixed-readiness groups can help students provide support for one another. |
Clarity of PlanningOne of the key considerations when planning a unit should be clarity. The text discusses the inclusive classroom, and how we (as educators) can create the most equitable environment for learning. Students need clarity, and I think the text puts this very nicely: simple directions lead to complex thinking. Here is an excerpt from page 125 of the text:
Even if the task is complex, the instructions need to be crystal clear. Simple directions lead to complex thinking, while complex directions often lead to fragmented, simple thinking. We need to show students what quality work looks like and what weak work looks like, discussing specifically what it is lacking. Rubrics, sample student work, and think-alouds are good tools to aid us in this endeavor. Effectively plan group workGroup work has the ability to be a wonderful tool for students and teachers, but it is not always planned in the most conducive manner for learning. This video breaks down some better strategies for learning.
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SElf-communication |
self- assessment |
One of the biggest tools in the English classroom for students to self-communicate is by way of annotation. This tool allows students to discover how and what they are thinking about when reading and considering a text. This allows them to go back later and communicate their own thoughts more effectively.
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Self-assessing is a tried and true technique for student growth. Asking students to consider what they need to grow in, and what they feel they are already strong at offers us as educators a space for working with our students in an honest way. We are able to open up a dialogue with these students in such a way as "what can I be doing to help your self assessment score in _________ field increase?"
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Socratic MethodThis method inspires students to think critically about the subject at hand. This method works really well when considering themes in a novel. It dares the students to academically communicate with their peers. Here is a video which explains the importance of the socratic method.
On Demand Short WritingWhen students are reading a text, it is important for them to constantly communicate their ideas. This can be done by short on-demand writing at the begininning of each class period. In these ways, students are able to record their thoughts and impressions. This does two-fold, it serves as a form of assessment as well as offering students a tool for them to look back on when completing their final assessments. |
Multi-media usageMoving more and more into the digital age, it is paramount that student academically encounter media. They must learn how to decide if a source is credible. They also need to understand the positive and negative implications of their participation in media.
With all of the media-based resources available to students, navigating these resources will further their education as well as give them a rudimentary knowledge of different software to take with them into the professional sphere. Creating a student centered classroomThis is more of an overarching idea that I take into consideration at any point when planning. Student-centered ensures that we, as educators, are effectively guiding students as opposed to dictating.
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Gallery Walk |
Classroom debates |
Allowing students to take pride in their work and "show it off" provides a unique moment of learning for them. When they are called to look at their peers work, it allows them to self and peer consider. This is also a really great strategy to use when parents will be joining the classroom because it offers them a chance to see their student's progress.
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This can be either random grouping, or asking students to take a stance on an idea or theme in the classroom. This makes students actively participate in refining their communication strategies. Considering persuasion is one of the focal points of high school English, this gives students a quite tangible example of where they might use this communicative technique outside of the classroom.
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