On this page you will find different instructional strategies that I feel are beneficial to use in any classroom.
Think-Pair-Share
This strategy encourages student collaboration and individual thinking! Choose a prompt or question for students to think about, and have them think to themselves for a few minutes. Then the students will pair up with one another and share their ideas. Students can rotate partners in order to get multiple points of view. At the end of this activity, students can share their thoughts with the class. Jigsaw
Jigsaw can be used for a variety of subject areas. The topic will be split up into different concepts, and students will form "expert groups" on each concept. These groups are to become experts on the different concepts, and after each group is confident with their understanding of that concept, the groups present each concept to the class. This can be compared to different pieces of the puzzle fitting together to make a complete puzzle! |
Alphabet Graffiti
This is a formative assessment activity that is typically done at the beginning of a lesson. Students are given a concept or topic, and asked to determine a word that fits with this topic for each letter of the alphabet. This can be done individually or in small groups and would be beneficial for any grade level. Fishbowl
In this activity, students form a "fishbowl" type of environment. The students form two circles, one inside of the other. The students in the inner circle will have a discussion about a certain topic, and the students in the outer circle observe. The two groups will then switch in order for all students to get the same experience. Click here for more details on this strategy. |
Word Wall
A word wall can be an excellent tool to engage students in new vocabulary. The word wall will continuously grow throughout the year and will be valuable to students as they develop their reading and writing skills. For more information on word walls, click here. Foldables
Foldables are a great alternative to paper and pencil note taking. This is a fun, creative way for students to organize their information and retain the material. Visit this website to learn about the different types of foldables. Dump & Clump
This strategy is often used for concepts and lessons that are more complex. Students "dump" by making a list of words that are related to the concept, and then they "clump" by sorting these words into categories. Students then write a descriptive sentence about each category to summarize the words in each group. Gradual Release Model
This strategy focuses on a shifting of responsibility, from the teacher to the student. It starts with the teacher giving the students the information, and ends with the students discovering and learning the information for themselves. This is a gradual process in which the teacher provides guidance and observes the students learning. KWL
A KWL is a great way to start any lesson at any grade level. It allows the teacher to determine what students already know about the subject, what they want to know about the subject, and at the end they can compare their answers with what they learned. This can be done individually, as a class, or both. |
10 x 10
This strategy can be used when starting a lesson or even a unit plan. The teacher will give the students a picture to study, and ask them to write ten things that they see in the photo. An extension of this would be for the teacher to have them write ten questions they have from looking at the photo. A classroom discussion would follow this activity. Exit Cards
Exit cards are a great formative assessment strategy to make sure students are understanding what is being taught in the lesson. Students can write what they are concerned about regarding the material or write from a prompt that the teacher gives them. This helps teachers determine what they may need to go over again or cover in further detail. Quickwrites
Quickwrites help the student make a personal connection with the concepts they are learning. Students write from a prompt that is given to them by the teacher, pulling in their prior knowledge of the subject and making connections. This can be done before, during, or after a lesson. Click here for more information on Quickwrites. Carousel Brainstorming
This is a great strategy for getting our students up and moving! With this strategy, students will rotate around the classroom in groups. Each station will have a question and a large piece of paper for students to write on. Each group will write their thoughts about the question on the paper for other students to see and the class will discuss it afterwards. Text Rendering
Text rendering can be used to help students summarize the material they are learning. Students start by writing one sentence to summarize what they learned, then they shorten it to a phrase, and finally they condense it to one word that summarizes the concept they learned about. To find out more about text rendering, click here. |
Signaling
This strategy uses the stoplight system, and allows students to rate their confidence level for a certain topic or concept they are learning. Green means they are confident, yellow means they still have questions, and red means they are not confident in the concept at all. This strategy can take on multiple forms, such as cups on their desk, or holding up colored signs.
This strategy uses the stoplight system, and allows students to rate their confidence level for a certain topic or concept they are learning. Green means they are confident, yellow means they still have questions, and red means they are not confident in the concept at all. This strategy can take on multiple forms, such as cups on their desk, or holding up colored signs.