Tag Archive for: Teaching tips

Exit slips: your ticket to closure

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Have you ever found yourself rushing through the last bit of lecture so that you can finish up before the bell rings? Calling out homework assignments as students trickle out the door? Ending in the middle of an activity because the specials teacher is waiting? If you are like most teachers, the answer to these questions is probably a resounding yes.

 

 

We all know that bringing closure to a lesson is important. In an ideal world, we would always deliver perfectly paced lessons. Unfortunately, knowing something and actually doing it are two totally different things. Since we aren’t living in an ideal world, and since the pacing of even our most well-planned lessons can be so easily interrupted what can we do?

One thought is to introduce exit slips into our classes. Exit slips allow teachers the flexibility to bring closure to a lesson at any point—a helpful tool for those days when the time has got away from you. They can be distributed (or written on the board) the last 3-5 minutes of class, and collected as students leave the room.
Here are some ways that exit slips can be used:
Consolidating Learning:
• Solve a sample problem
• What you would tell a friend who was absent about class today? What would he need to know?
• Provide a cloze statement for students to complete. [ie: Apostrophes are _______________ marks used to indicate ______________ (as in Hui’s ball) and _______________ (such as can’t or didn’t).]
• Rank what you learned in order of importance.
• Write a tweet about what you learned (140 characters or less).
• List 5 key words (vocabulary) you need to understand what we learned today.

Formative Assessment/Checking for Understanding:

(Some of these can be useful for those days when you have to stop mid-instruction as they encourage students to think ahead and connect to the next day’s learning.)
• Write one question you still have
• Finish the statement: I’m still wondering about…
• What two questions would you think must be included on a quiz over today’s lesson?
• Give an example of what we learned today (ie: write three words that start with a hard c sound.)
• What concept do you need more examples of to really feel like you’ve learned?
• Draw a diagram/illustration of what you learned today.

Connect to Prior Knowledge:
• Finish the statement: I used to think… b/c… but now I think… b/c…
• How did today’s lesson connect to yesterday’s topic?
• What connections can you make with other lessons? With real life? with other subjects?

Activate Critical Thinking Skills:
• Finish the statement: One concept that has been difficult or confusing in this chapter is… b/c… but I overcame my challenge by…
• What did I learn today (not what was the lesson about)?
• How could today’s lesson be applied in the “real” world?
• What are you thinking about after today’s lesson?
• What mistakes did you make today? What did you learn from them?
• Make a statement about the lesson and ask students to respond to that statement in writing. (ie: Global warming is something that all citizens of the world should be concerned about. Based on today’s lesson write 1-2 sentences telling if you agree or disagree and why?)

Evaluate the Effectiveness of Instruction (Metacognition):
• What did the teacher do to help you learn today?
• What would have helped you to learn the material better?
• How effective was __x__ activity in helping you learn the material?
• Name one positive and one negative thing that happened during discussion time in class today.
• How well do you think you understood today’s lesson:

Exit slips are not formal assessments. Instead, they are snapshots of student learning at a given point in time. They are not to be graded, but do need to be reviewed as a way to inform teaching strategies. Exit slips should take very little time to complete (3-5 minutes). They help students reflect on their learning and transition between lessons. Not only do they bring closure, they equip teachers to better tailor instruction to the real needs of students.
If you’ve never used exit slips before, why don’t you give them a try in 2019. And for those of you who are really adventurous, consider adding technology to the mix. Bringing closure to your class has never been this easy!

Becky Hunsberger, M.Ed.
Teacher Education Services
TeachBeyond Global

Photo Credits: School’s Out. Classroom Matters, via Shutterstock. Students Writing. via Shutterstock.

Vocabulary Instructional Strategies

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Research Supported Explicit Vocabulary Instructional Strategies

 

Words are a gift from God. Words allow us to communicate with God and with one another. They are a means of growing in grace and in knowledge. Understanding and using words are essential to being a literate person. Therefore, the instruction and development of vocabulary is an essential part of teaching at any age level and content area regardless whether a student is a native language speaker or learning a new language. Furthermore, the link between word knowledge and reading comprehension is established in educational research[1]. Research clearly indicates the necessity of both implicit and explicit instruction to build vocabulary knowledge[2]. Yet, effective explicit vocabulary instruction is not prioritised in curriculum or instructional time[3]. Beck, McKeown and Kucan discuss that robust vocabulary instruction has an end goal of learning words to expand vocabualary of a student allowing them to use new words in multiple and meaningful ways. This goal necessitates intentionality in planning and instruction including targeting useful and complex words (Tier Two words) found in a rich context taught with child-friendly definitions with visual support, if possible, and multiple interactions to allow students to build deep understanding of the words[4]. Research shows explicit robust vocabulary instruction is effective and impotant for native English speakers and English learners alike[5].

 

With this in mind, how can classroom teachers approach explicit vocabulary instruction? Let’s look at two specific research-based teaching strategies that I utilised during action research in an elementary classroom with a high number of English learning students[6].The teaching strategies of example/non-example and sentence frames give students opportunity to build concept knowledge, clarify misconceptions, and to practice oral and written use of the targeted words[7].

 

Example/non-example:

 

This strategy supports students as they clarify the definition and apply it in context[8]. Create several statements or sentences that provide an correct and incorrect usage or application of the targeted word. These examples are then discussed and sorted into example/nonexample categories. The discussion of the placement is critical to the concept development and deepening the understanding of the targeted word. Creating a visual T-chart using this activity can be a reference point for later (see figure 1).

 

This activity could be adapted for multiple abilities through small group, pair, or invididual sorting. An extention or challenge of this activity is for students to general an example and non-example for the targeted words.

Figure 1: Sample T-Chart of example/non-example strategy. 

 

Sentence frames:

 

This learning strategy allows students to engage in authentic practice using targeted words in a non-threatening manner[9]. It begins by providing a sentence frame containing a targeted word but allowing the students to finish the sentence to show their understanding (see table 1). Be patient and give students—especially ELLs—wait time to formulate their sentence.

 

There is great flexibility in this activity as it can be utlised with young children or English learners orally in a whole-group, a small-group or a partnering setting. Sentence frames can be utilised for oral or written language. Additionally, sentence frames give students practice using targeted words with correct syntax[10].

 

 

 

Perhaps you are preparing to teach a new unit. Look for opportunities to target specific academic words that will enrich students vocabulary and help meet the stated unit objectives and learning goals. Take time to be intentional and plan for vocabulary instruction that utilises one of these strategies. Or perhaps you are in the middle of a unit where students are struggling to grasp the content due to lack of understanding of the academic language. Identify 5-10 words that would help students. Teach the words and then practice them using sentence frames. The goal of learning, even vocabulary, is for students to grow in knowledge and be able to apply that knowledge as image bears of God in the unique ways He has created them to be. Words are one of the gifts and tools that help students in this endevour of bringing glory to God.

[1]Armbruster et al. 29

[2]Ibid. 29.

[3]Beck et al; Rimbey et al, 69

[4]Armbruster et al; Beck et al

[5]August, Artzi, & Barr; Coyne et al.; Carlo et al

[6]Ferris

[7]Beck et al; Donnelly & Roe

[8]Beck et al; Ferris

[9]Donnelly & Roe; Ferris

[10]See Donnelly & Roe for more information about using sentence frames.

 

Amanda Ferris

Know their story

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I sighed inside as normally easy-going Jeremiah acted up for the fifth time that period. His behaviour was out-of-control and he had quickly taken the class with him to the point where no one was paying attention any longer. This was a fourth grade class, and I was a minority among hundreds of African-American students and teachers. Most of my students lived in government housing and tales of shootings, arrests, and drugs peppered their conversation every morning before school. I had been “adopted” by some veteran teachers who gave me tips and ideas on how to discipline while also sharing their stories of marching for equal rights in the 60s and being hosed down by the fire trucks during their peaceful protests. I was ashamed for my “whiteness,” but also very humbled that they were willing to come alongside and support me at the start of my teaching career.
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“Jeremiah, come with me,” I insisted after his third warning. “We are going to call your mother.” His surprised face and hurt eyes showed me he was disappointed in himself, but my repeated warnings had only resulted in his behaviour worsening. I picked up the phone outside the classroom. As I began to dial, Jeremiah unbuttoned his shirtsleeve and pulled it up over his forearm. My stomach churned as I saw the imprint of an iron on his arm—each steam hole represented by a blister. “What happened?” I asked as tears rose up in my eyes. His eyes shifted away as he mentioned the iron had fallen on his arm while ironing at home. But the imprint of the iron was too deep and too well-placed to be a glancing burn—and so instead of calling his mother, I contacted Social Services.

In an instant, Jeremiah’s rude and obnoxious behavior was explained. I understood he was reacting to his physical and emotional pain in the only way he knew how and it was a cry for help.

When we teach, do we know our students’ stories? More importantly, if we are teaching cross-culturally, as I was, do we know the culture our kids come from, what values are important in that culture, what challenges they have overcome, and what has shaped their behavior in the classroom? Would knowing this change our frustration with them into an understanding and care?

How will we learn their stories if we do not ask for them? Once we know, are we willing to take the time to adjust our attitudes and teaching to support our students’ learning?

One of my own children had a teacher who did exactly that. At the beginning of the year meeting, he said that he was sending a letter to each parent asking for a short summary of their story.  Here is a copy of that email:

First order of business for me is getting to know my students, and this is something you can help me with. Some people love English class and for others it is a character-building experience. Furthermore, so many of our students come from diverse schooling backgrounds that I can’t make any assumptions about them. Could you write me a brief paragraph about your son or daughter’s schooling experience in the past? This shouldn’t be comprehensive, but rather a chance for you to tell me anything you think I really ought to know about your child for this school year. If that is too vague, perhaps you could tell me one thing you think your child may enjoy about English class and one area he or she may find challenging.

I filled out this questionnaire about my son, and the teacher took the time to really absorb this information. He cared about my son’s story. As a result, he was able to adjust his teaching in a way that ended up being so transformational that my son later described the experience in his college application essay.

If we do not learn our students’ stories then we risk perpetuating their pain and not providing them the assistance they need to process their past and move on with hope for their future. Learning their stories can be transforming for us as we begin to understand why they are behaving as they are, and meaningful for our students as we respond and teach to them in light of their stories.

What steps can you take to learn your students’ stories?

Debbie Kramlich, Ph.D. candidate
TeachBeyond, Thailand.
Debbie Kramlich is finishing up her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in International Theological Education. As a part of this process, she has spend time studying transformative learning theory. This is the first in a series of articles on the teacher’s role in transformative learning. If you have a question or comment for Debbie, you can reach her by e-mailing onpractice@teachbeyond.org.