Essential Understandings

Cycle Step 3: What instructional practices will produce our best results?

What the Research Says:

The Buckeye School District has committed to providing every student access to the same high-quality essential learning outcomes regardless of who is teaching the class or in which school the student attends. Achieving this goal requires a trusting culture and ongoing teamwork. Planning and delivering effective instruction begins with having clarity around teaching the essential standards. As previously described, thoroughly unpacking the standards identifies the “what” of the curriculum. Collaborative teams must then engage to determine “how” to present the essential content most effectively to ensure students learn. Just because something has been taught, doesn’t mean it has been learned. Combining the thoughtful consideration of standards with a well-planned and executed lesson provides all students with a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Great teachers plan objectives, then assignments, then activities (Lemov, 2015).

Like any professional, quality teachers are successful because the bulk of their effort is spent in planning, practicing and reflecting. Teaching is decision-making. Week-by-week, day-by-day, minute-by-minute, teachers decide what they want students to know and be able to do” and as a member of a collaborative team, “teachers decide on the activities, questions, information and responses within a lesson that will lead students to meet the lesson objective. The internal dialogue is constant: Why are we teaching this? What is our objective? What activities can we provide to ensure students’ meet the objectives? How will we know they can do it?” (Marzano, 2017). Collaborative teams help teachers focus on relevance. If students do not see the relevance of the learning objectives or believe they can successfully achieve them, it is unlikely they will fully engage in the learning activities. When teachers reinforce effort, provide recognition for accomplishments, and involve students authentically in their own learning, they can positively influence how students think about their ability to succeed.

“Teaching is a craft that is both an art and a science. No other work is as challenging, rewarding or important to the success of our community and nation than teaching” (Marzano, 2007). While there are many effective models that explain the components of quality teaching, all of them contain similar basic tenets. These tenets were outlined previously under “how” question #3 in this section, they are repeated below for ease of reference.

An effective, high-quality lesson includes:

• a coherent lesson structure with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

• focused instruction from the teacher that connects to the objective, learning target and explains the big ideas and concepts to be learned.

• engaging activities that are differentiated by student readiness for challenge or scaffolding, based on information from prior learning.

• effective routines, inviting classroom settings structured for learning and supportive classroom management practices.

• frequent checks for understanding and evidence that this information has been used by the teacher to adjust practice during instruction.

• a brief assessment of student understanding near the conclusion of the lesson that can be used to guide future instruction

• time throughout the lesson and at closure to summarize what has been learned and helps students reflect and make meaning from what they have learned.

A rich, rounded education has profound, life-altering effects on every stratum of society, from poor to the privileged. It enlarges the intellect, nourishes creativity and makes us better citizens (Schmoker, 2016). A quality education has a positive impact on lifetime earnings, health and life expectancy. It decreases the proportion of children raised in poverty (Greenstone, 2012). Education has historically been the great equalizer and offers students of all backgrounds the opportunity to realize the American Dream of prosperity. All evidence affirms that a good education depends on the largest measure on the effectiveness of the instruction that students receive.