Focus on Learning not Teaching

  • 4 Critical Questions

    1. What do we want students to know?
    • Guaranteed and Viable curriculum
      • Essential Learning
        • Rhombus Example
    • TEKS resource system
      • IFD
      • Specificity
      • Common Misunderstandings
      • Pacing and Sequencing
      • Academic Vocabulary
    • Collective inquiry into best practices
      • Common commitment to Collaborative, purposeful, and timely planning processes
      • Targeted planning protocol
      • STAAR 3Di
      • Yellow Handout
      • Learning Targets with Performance of Understanding Statements
    • Instructional Best Practices Strategies
      • Tier I
      • Tier II
      • Tier III
      • TTQQ
      • Marzano High Yield
      • Kagan-style engagement
    2.  How do we know if they learned it?
    • Balanced assessment model
      • Common District Assessments and Benchmarks
      • Common Team Assessments
      • Common Formative Assessments
      • Performance Indicators (TEKS resource system)
      • Learning Targets with performance of understanding statements
      • Articulation of learning (Discussing Guiding Questions)
      • Progress Monitoring
      • Frequent Formative Assessments
        • Guiding Questions
        • Exit Tickets
        • common formative
      • Quality Questioning
    • Benchmarking Progress Monitoring and common assessments within grade levels
    3.  What do we do if they haven't learned it YET?
    • revisit with a focus on essential learnings
    • RTI
    • small group interventions
    • WIN time
    • spiral material
    • compare instructional practices to identify strategy that is most effective
    • First Things First Opportunities (AKA checkbook and dojo parties)
    4.  What do we do when they already know it?
    • Extension activities
    • Genius Hour
    • Creating Innovators (balance to First things First Opportunities
      • Play
      • Purpose
      • Passion

    Things to remember:
    • Fail early and fail often
    • We do not focus on who made a mistake, we look at how we can learn from it
    • No paralysis by analysis