L4L January Lesson 3: 5 simple strategies to teach less
Hi Reader,
Read on for:
- Embedding Literacy Course: Last chance to sign up, starts Feb 5!!
- Apply the principle: 5 simple strategies to teach less
- Join the FREE Feb Challenge: What do we mean by the Science of Learning and what is the L4L system?
Welcome to our final week of the January challenge and the first week back at school! We hope you are feeling ready to get back into the swing of the school routine.
Last week we looked at a powerful strategy for teaching less: creating an essential idea. This helps us to to streamline what we are teaching, test if an activity or passage is worth spending precious instructional time on, and build knowledge of the idea logically and sequentially.
But we know that making change is hard, especially when we are slammed in the thick of actually doing the teaching. So we have compiled 5 of our favourite quick strategies for you to try in the new year. Let us know if any work well for you!
|
A$77.00 Literacy for Learning 'Embedding Literacy' Course |
Apply the principle: 5 simple strategies to teach less
If you have been thinking about teaching less but have limited bandwidth to make huge change, read on for 5 simple strategies you can start to implement now. Let us know what you try and what works!!
1. Reduce the types of activities you do in class
Reduce the types of tasks by choosing just 3-4 and repeating them often (even every class). This:
- Reduces cognitive load for you and students
- Builds routine - students know what to expect (reducing cognitive load)
- Cuts down your planning time - you don't need to waste time thinking up activities for each class or new unit
2. Introduce 'Topic Test Tuesday'
Check your students have understood previously covered content with simple questions or sentence writing tasks that ask students to recall previously learnt content - it doesn't have to be on a Tuesday, though it makes a fun little routine that you can hype up! This:
- Gives an opportunity for retrieval practice (multiple exposures)
- Allows you to see what students have learned and see where they misunderstand
- We recommend peer marking in class for instant feedback for students (and no additional workload for you)
- Can be ‘open book’ - not a 'pop quiz'
3. Focus instructional time on content that is on the summative assessment
Some schools have a set curriculum that you don't have much control over. Your school may expect you to teach a set curriculum that’s too crowded. Instead of covering it all only surface level, instead:
- Spend instructional time on the content that will be assessed in the summative task (eg. just the theme that the final essay is on or just the content areas that will be on the test).
- Provide students with hand outs or extension homework that covers the other content - don't spend precious instructional time on it.
4. Start class with sentence writing based on a previous lesson’s content
Provide sentence stems for students to complete at the start of class. This:
- Allows you to see if a student has understood the previous lesson’s content - great formative assessment
- Provides an opportunity for retrieval practice
- Circulate as students write so you can provide immediate verbal feedback by checking in on with students as they write
- Can clarify misunderstandings on the spot and know if you need to come back to the concept if many have misunderstandings
- Mark in class!
5. Plant the seed
To bring your colleagues along with you in the science of learning journey, plant a seed. You may not be able to "convince" people with different opinions, but you can share what's working for you or the ideas you're thinking about. Plant the seed by:
- Sharing some professional reading like an article you enjoyed such as this blog post on How to use an essential idea to build student understanding, this guide from the NSW Department of Education or a podcast recommendation like Sold a Story
- Forwarding our January challenge email to a colleague you think would find it interesting and/or encourage them to sign up to the L4L community
- Engaging in a conversation about the science of learning to begin building awareness
- Sharing a simple strategy or resource that is working for you that they may be able to apply and have success with too
Join the FREE Feb Challenge: What do we mean by the Science of Learning and what is the L4L system?
If you have enjoyed the January challenge make sure you sign up to the February challenge which begins February 12th and will explore the basics: what do we mean by the science of learning and how does the L4L system work?
We never want you to feel spammed, or overwhelmed by our content. Sometimes you can't deal with any new information. We feel you!! So from now on the challenges will be opt-in.
| Sign me up for the FREE Feb PD Challenge |
Embedding Literacy Course: Last chance to sign up, starts Feb 5!!
Don't miss out on enrolling in the next intake of our 'Embedding Literacy in Learning' course which starting on Feb 5. If you have enjoyed the January challenge, you'll love the course as we deep dive into further planning principles from the Science of Learning over three 1.5 hour sessions on Monday February 5th, 12th and 19th from 5.30pm-7pm - all sessions are recorded so you can access them when suits you.
Our goal is to make high quality professional learning affordable and accessible so that all teachers and students can benefit so you can enrol for all three sessions for only $77 here.
Thanks for reading!
Kaja and Flo