Week 14
In our desire to make sure students all have a “right answer,” it is easy to get hung up on a specific problem. But resist the urge to go over every question’s answers with the whole class. (This is a common mistake). When answers are routinely provided, students quickly learn to just sit back and wait until the teacher goes over the answers as a whole class, instead of doing the work themselves. Be mindful of which problems require a whole class discussion and which do not. When you circulate, take note of which problems everyone understands and which problems seem to be causing difficulties. Purposefully choosing a study team strategy like a Swapmeet will provide a way to share answers within teams, rather than as a whole class.
Teachers often report that they find it difficult to fit closure into each daily lesson. But we know that closure is an essential part of how students make meaning and deepen their understanding of the concepts taught, so find a way to make it a part of your daily practice.
This week try setting a timer that will go off—or choose a student to remind you—when there are 5-10 minutes left of class and force yourself to stop and make time for closure. There are many good options for closure and suggestions for concluding each lesson in the lesson notes sections of your Teacher Edition as well as in a tab in the front of the Teacher Edition.
One way to make closure a habit is to do the same type of closure each day for a week. For example, you could have students do a Learning Log entry each day this week, or an Exit Slip, or use a Reciprocal Teaching strategy to review and summarize the day’s work. !
In our desire to make sure students all have a “right answer,” it is easy to get hung up on a specific problem. But resist the urge to go over every question’s answers with the whole class. (This is a common mistake). When answers are routinely provided, students quickly learn to just sit back and wait until the teacher goes over the answers as a whole class, instead of doing the work themselves. Be mindful of which problems require a whole class discussion and which do not. When you circulate, take note of which problems everyone understands and which problems seem to be causing difficulties. Purposefully choosing a study team strategy like a Swapmeet will provide a way to share answers within teams, rather than as a whole class.
Teachers often report that they find it difficult to fit closure into each daily lesson. But we know that closure is an essential part of how students make meaning and deepen their understanding of the concepts taught, so find a way to make it a part of your daily practice.
This week try setting a timer that will go off—or choose a student to remind you—when there are 5-10 minutes left of class and force yourself to stop and make time for closure. There are many good options for closure and suggestions for concluding each lesson in the lesson notes sections of your Teacher Edition as well as in a tab in the front of the Teacher Edition.
One way to make closure a habit is to do the same type of closure each day for a week. For example, you could have students do a Learning Log entry each day this week, or an Exit Slip, or use a Reciprocal Teaching strategy to review and summarize the day’s work. !