Instructional Strategies
InTASC Standard #8: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
Introduction
I use a variety of instructional strategies each day to engage my students in the reading curriculum and deepen their understanding of the novels we are analyzing in class. The strategies I implement encourage students to develop a meaningful understanding of the text, while also providing numerous opportunities for them to apply that knowledge in written and verbal discourse. From intentional whole group reading, to reading workouts, to Socratic Seminars, and even snowball fights, I am providing instruction that encourages students to connect our content to their own experiences, and then to use their experiences to broaden their knowledge inside the classroom.
Each of the instructional strategies I use requires students to think outside the box and to push themselves beyond a literal understanding of the text or passage. The novels we read are intentionally chosen because they contain some theme, character, setting, or social issue that my students can personally connect to. Because of this connection, the students are able to draw meaning from the books and then with that confidence, they are able to analyze and evaluate through writing and discussion.
The goal in my classroom is not for students to simply learn how to choose the correct answer, but to leave 7th grade with the skills they need in order to ask analytical questions, craft evaluative answers, and communicate their ideas. For this reason, I provide my students with various ways they can do just that throughout the year. Please click through each section below to take a closer look at exactly how I do this.
Strategies for Reading
This section outlines the pillars of my reading instructional practice: “Control the Game Reading,” reading workouts, and close reading, as well as tools and resources my students use to complement our daily practice and deepening their understanding of each text we read.
Strategies for discussion
This section analyzes the use of various methods for discussion my students participate in throughout each unit, including mini-discussions, Socratic Seminars, gallery walks, and “snowball fights.” I have also included snapshots of Equity Maps, an application I use to track the participation and progress of my students during discussion.
Conclusion
I spend a great deal of time planning when to use each of these strategies in order to best promote student learning and engage my students with the content. I also spend much of my time researching new strategies and learning from my peers in order to ensure that it is not just my students who are constantly growing, learning, and applying new knowledge. I know that my students will always exceed the expectations that I place for them — I have seen this fact time and time again. This requires that I continue to raise the bar with challengeing, engaging, and meaningful instruction.