Latest Tip of the Week

Before We Expect Ourselves to Get It Right

Last week, we talked about practice as part of teaching.

When students are learning a new routine or behavior, we model it, give them time to practice, notice what happens, offer feedback, and practice again. Those repetitions help the learning become more automatic.

This week, I read an Edutopia article by Kierstan Barbee, Douglas Fisher, and Nancy Frey that made me think about the same idea from the other side of the classroom.

They wrote about rehearsal as professional learning. Instead of learning a new instructional practice and then trying it for the first time with students, teachers rehearse a small piece of it together first.

What if our best teaching begins before students walk through the door?

Maybe it's setting a clear purpose for a lesson.

Giving directions before students begin independent work.

Teaching a brief lesson.

Modeling a think-aloud.

Asking a question and allowing enough wait time.

We rehearse. 

A colleague watches for one specific thing, perhaps clarity, pacing, brevity, or questioning. 

They offer descriptive feedback. 

Then we try it again.

I love how closely this mirrors what we know about learning.

We don't expect students to perfect something the first time they try it. We teach, they practice, we offer feedback, and they practice again.

Imagine if we became so comfortable with it that our attention could stay on students instead of on ourselves.

So much professional learning helps us understand a new idea. Rehearsal helps us become more skillful at using it.

Here's something to try this week.

Think of something you plan on teaching next week.

Maybe it's setting a clear purpose, giving directions before independent work, asking a question, or modeling a think-aloud.

Practice it with a colleague.

Ask them to notice one specific thing.

Then try it again.

Five minutes of rehearsal today can change what students experience tomorrow.

We know practice helps students learn.

The same is true for us.

Gail

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