After the first independent practice session of Work on Writing, Ali brings kindergarteners together for the Review & Reflect portion of the Teaching Structure. This is an opportunity to recognize their success, make their progress visible, and set a purpose for the next round of practice.

Although students engaged in writing for just four minutes, Ali celebrates their accomplishment. She reminds students that this was their very first attempt at Work on Writing and highlights the behaviors she observed: getting started right away, writing the whole time, and using a quiet voice.

She then records their four minutes on the engagement graph, helping students see their starting point and understand that their engagement will grow with practice.

A Note About Terminology: In this video, you'll hear Ali use the term stamina to describe how long students sustain their practice. While stamina is still an accurate way to describe this, we now use the term engagement to emphasize that our goal is meaningful participation in learning, not simply increasing the number of minutes students can work.

Notice How Ali Builds on Student Readiness

During the practice, a falling pencil box distracted several students. Rather than treating this as a setback, Ali uses the experience to introduce a new behavior: Ignore Distractions.

Because this is a kindergarten classroom, they began with just three behaviors on the I-Chart. Introducing only a few behaviors at a time makes expectations manageable for young learners. As students become successful with those initial behaviors, additional expectations can be introduced when they are relevant and students are ready.

Notice how naturally Ali adds this fourth behavior. She connects it to something students just experienced, explains what ignoring distractions looks like, and gives them a clear goal for their next practice.

Finally, Ali guides students through a quick self-reflection using thumbs up or sideways to consider how well they demonstrated each behavior. Students identify what went well and what they want to work on next.

As You Watch

Pay attention to how Ali:

• Celebrates four minutes of engagement as a meaningful first accomplishment.
• Uses the engagement graph to make progress visible.
• Adds a new I-Chart behavior in response to an authentic classroom experience.
• Guides students to reflect on their own engagement and identify a goal for next time.

Remember: Engagement grows through repeated practice. Starting with a few clearly taught behaviors, recognizing progress, and gradually adding expectations helps students develop the skills they need to become independent learners.