New Teachers’ Induction

January 20, 2011Office of Curriculum and

Instruction

classroom

manageme

nt

content knowledge

instructional strategies

assessment

monitoring

&

supporting

1. Identifying similarities and differences2. Summarizing and note taking3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition4. Homework and practice5. Nonlinguistic representations6. Cooperative learning7. Setting objectives and providing feedback8. Generating and testing hypotheses9. Cues, questions, and advance organizers

Classroom Instruction that Works

Two Minute Talks• Purpose: To activate prior

knowledge and focus student learning on the topic about to be addressed.

• Description: During Two Minute Talks, students will share with a partner by brainstorming everything they already know (prior knowledge) about a skill, topic, or concept. In doing so, they are establishing a foundation of knowledge in preparation for learning new information about the skill, topic, or concept.

• Procedure:1. Group students into pairs.2.  Inform students that they will each be

talking about topic X for two minutes. They will need to select which student will begin first. An easy way to do this is to say something like: "Find out whose birthday comes first in a calendar year." Then tell students that, "That person gets to go second!"

3.     Using a stop watch or other timing device, tell students to begin talking.

4.     At two minutes, instruct students to switch. At this point, the other partner begins talking. It is okay for the second person to repeat some of the things the first person said. However, they are encouraged to try and think of new information to share.

5.     Have a few groups share some of their responses with the entire class when the activity is done.

Four Corners• Purpose: To stimulate

student learning through movement and discussion

• Description: Students will be presented with a controversial scenario. In each of the four corners of the classroom, an opinion about the scenario will be posted. Students will then express their opinion about the scenario by standing in front of one of four statements with students who share their same opinion.

• Procedure:• Generate a controversial scenario

related to your topic of study. • Formulate four divergent opinions

related to the scenario. Post these on chart paper in the four corners of your classroom.

• Present the controversial scenario to your students.

• Ask students to move to one of the four corners. Students should move to the corner with the statement that most closely fits their opinion of the controversial scenario.

• Follow up by having students present a group summary of their opinion. This can be done through an oral presentation or by using a strategy such as a nonlinguistic representation.

Dump and Clump• Purpose: To provide a step by

step process for organizing thinking and facilitating learning of new and difficult material.

• Description: This is a great strategy to use when the students are faced with learning new and difficult information. It provides students with a process for organizing their prior knowledge and making projections. Depending on the subject matter, this strategy could utilize up to a full class period.

• Procedure:• Group students into small groups

of 2-3 • "Dump"- Have students develop a

list of words, items, or new information related to the topic of study.

• "Clump"- Using the "dump" word list, students should then group words on the list into categories and assign labels.

• Have students write a descriptive summary sentence for each category of words in their list.

• Upon completion, these should be posted around the room or shared in some manner with the entire class.

Learning Frames• Purpose:  To increase

comprehension by focusing student learning within a controlled context

• Description: Learning frames are a sequence of spaces connected by key language elements to help students focus their learning. The purpose is threefold: 1) to provide a framework to guide students' understanding and responding; 2) to give a structured format to follow for engaging in a writing activity; 3) to help students develop independent comprehension strategies.

• Procedure: • Display a transparency copy of

the Learning Frame on an overhead. Explain to the students that this frame, like the frame of a new house, will allow them to fill the blanks with information from what they just learned.

• Model the Learning Frame by filling in the frame using information learned in the day's lesson.

• Read the frame aloud. • Next, pass out a blank Learning

Frame to each student. • Allow students to fill out their

Learning Frames in a manner which reflects what they learned from the day's lesson.

Ideas for Test Prep

• Use test prep reading selections as reading lessons

• Test prep game shows

• Vocabulary games

• Teach an acronym to help students remember test taking strategies

• Make it fun……

TURNSTURNS

Turning towards Reading SuccessTips for Test-Taking

Title, Pictures and Predictions. Read the title and predict

what you think the passage is about. Look at the pictures and/or charts.

Underline key words in the questions so you will have a

purpose for reading.Read the passage; stop to ask questions and

underline possible answers.

Now re-read the questions and remember to look back in the

selection for proof. Select the best answer by eliminating incorrect

answers.

SLIME-Strategies for Test Taking

Study the questions and underline key words in the questions so you will have a purpose for reading. . Look at the passage. Read the passage; stop to ask yourself questions and to clarify.Identify key words and possible answers in the passage as you read by underlining.Mark the best answer by eliminating incorrect answers.Evidence. Use the passage to prove your answer.

RUNS+ - x /

Read the problem carefully.Underline key words in the problem.

Now make a plan to solve the problem.

Solve the problem and check back

over your work.

Relay Summary• # off at your table• In turn, state a detail

sentence related to the topic sentence.

• All other members record what is said in the corresponding box.

• The first team to finish – stand and clap 20

times. – Remain standing and clap for teams 5 times when they first stand.