Most seasoned teachers will tell you they are tired of pendulum swings. First it was teach it directly, then it was let the kids figure it out, then it was focus on tests, then it was don’t teach to the test, then it was focus on the whole child, then it was focus on the whole milk.
Most seasoned teachers will also tell you they are tired of the buzzwords. What are the latest ones, anyway? Social-emotional learning comes to mind, as does trans-languaging and anything with the word “-centered” or ending in an “ism.” To be honest, I don’t pay attention to the edu-babble anymore, nor the swings of pendulums.
Why? Because my guide is research and evidence. Sure, there are times when the available evidence is weak or insufficient. There are also some findings that are particularly strong; the “must-haves” of teaching and learning (Willingham & Daniel, 2012). For instance, retrieving knowledge from memory helps to solidify it for the long-term. Talking while a student is trying to work will divide their attention and hinder learning. Practicing material in spaced out intervals is better than practicing it all at once and never returning to it.
The best protection against pendulum swings is to center the “must-haves” and to ignore the “sounds-goods.” Explicit instruction is one of those must-haves with a strong evidence base, from the observational research of the Process-Product era, to the randomized controlled trials of cognitive load theory, to the largest study in the history of education. It is comprised of the high impact strategies that lead to learning, namely modeling, checking for understanding, practice and feedback. It requires a teacher who is active and responsive, and it emphasizes classroom management so that kids can learn in a calm and safe environment.
I recently talked about explicit instruction with Bill Davidson on the Centering the Pendulum podcast. Enjoy!
Consider booking me to lead a professional development session at your school.
Reference
Willingham, D., & Daniel, D. (2012). Teaching to what students have in common. Educational Leadership, 69, 16–21.
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