Secondary Teacher Blog

I wanted to share some instructional strategies I have seen this week.

1) In a middle school classroom, I saw a teaming structure that gave each student a role (supplier, timer & editor, producer etc). The roles or jobs were distinct and independent but the students had to “come together” to complete the tasks; a structured cooperative activity.

2) Math is an abstract subject for many of us and unless it comes alive or is tied to the real world many of us don’t need it. I have been fortunate enough to see high school students in Math rap, build, and work their way to understanding.

3) Finally, I will share this week’s ephiphany for instructional design. I watched 2 separate teachers teach the same exact content this week and recognized that their approaches were completely different but both came to the same end point. It is not the end point it is the journey. The students were engaged in both activities and at the end they ALL had an understanding of the content. The goal is to facilitate learning through a process that is comfortable and understandable for YOU the teacher. How do you help students understand a subject you don’t understand? “Enjoy what you do!”

Sharing with other teachers is a great way to find strategies that work in the classroom. Share the highlights, and we can brainstorm through the struggles.