Differentiating instruction can be really hard. One of the more challenging aspects of differentiation is simply defining it. The Glossary for Education Reform offers this definition: “primary educational objectives…remain the same for every student, but teachers [...] Read More »
Learning from Teaching
Observations on the Art and Science of Effective Instruction
This post is the last in our three-part series on group work. You can read the first two parts here and here. Today’s topic: debriefing and reflection. It can be very effective or deadly boring. [...] Read More »
In Part I of this series, we discussed the key things teachers can do to plan for successful group work. In this post, we’re going to focus on how teachers encourage effective group work while students [...] Read More »
Many teachers want successful group opportunities for their students, but wonder how they can make sure that collaborative group work is productive and encourages all students to participate and contribute. In this three-part series, we’ll [...] Read More »
Continued from How We Learn: Brain Research and Classroom Practice—Part I  In this two-part post, we discuss five areas of brain research that teachers should consider: the five senses, memory, prior learning, emotion, and pattern recognition. [...] Read More »
Teachers don’t need a deep understanding of neuroscience to take advantage of brain-based learning, but a few key ideas about how the brain receives, stores, and retrieves knowledge can a huge difference in student learning. [...] Read More »
One of the major reasons teachers sometimes go years without an observation is the time burden for observers. Making frequent, brief observations a part of the daily routine can help provide teachers feedback they deserve [...] Read More »
Rubrics are not just helpful for assessing student work—they’re an essential tool for students to set goals and improve their learning. One of the many ways to help students clarify what they should know and [...] Read More »
By asking students to play an active role in developing and understanding questions, teachers can improve not just their learning, but also their ability to learn. My colleague Mary Hastings recently wrote about helping students [...] Read More »
A better understanding of the learning process will only improve and accelerate the process of learning. Why is it that we, as teachers, keep so much of what we know about learning a secret from [...] Read More »