ConnorAndrews Teacher of Science and DPR Lead UTCN
CharlieWithers Assistant Headteacher CCS
ThahminaBegum Executive Headteacher CST
Eloise Hart Head of Faculty and SCITT Lead FGCS
RaeanneMeade Assistant Headteacher TEA
SimonElliott CEO CST
Scan below:
Designed and Edited by Zubaydah Tasnim
CharlotteBlair Teacher of MFL WA
BYSIMONELLIOTT,CST
‘The chief reason why we are at a serious disadvantage compared with the Nazis over this business of “big ideas” is that the evil things for which they stand are novel and dynamic, whereas the excellent things for which we claim to be fighting may seem dull and uninspiring."
(from "Why The Allies Won" by Richard Overy - British Directorate of Army Education Booklet 1942)
It’s not easy to get the basics right. And it can be rather boring. Daniel Chambliss studied swimmers at all levels. He found that to make it as a top swimmer, you had to pay attention to the smallest of details, over and over again. As a swimmer, the way your hand enters the water (a minor detail) has to be just right, every time, or you won’t be the best.
There’s nothing ‘special’ about high performers. They just have a set of habits, practices and mindsets that individually aren’t particularly groundbreaking, but when added together and compounded over a long period of time, result in the phenomenon of excellence. It’s all very mundane.
“Doing lots of little things, each one done correctly, time and again, until excellence in every detail becomes a firmly ingrained habit, an ordinary part of one’s everyday life, is the secret to high performance.”
It’s not novel or dynamic, and it’s dull and uninspiring, but it’s what works. And it's an excellent thing to aspire to.
By Charlotte Blair, WA
MY EXPERIENCEOF SUBJECT SPECIFIC COACHING
Having worked at Waterside Academy for four years, I am no stranger to coaching. I credit the regular learning walks I received as being one of the most important factors in developing and strengthening my practice. I am confident that without live coaching I would not have transitioned from teaching assistant to trainee to my current role: 2ic of English.
At the beginning of the academic year then, when subject-specific coaching was introduced, I welcomed it with open arms
Matching the coach to the coachee
Careful planning meant that teachers were matched with a member of staff that could best support them to develop and grow, usually because of years of experience and exposure to both curriculum design and exam marking. Michelle Smiley was designated as my coach and, after a discussion with her about subject-specific areas I want to focus on, the coaching began.
From then until now, Michelle has been visiting me during my lessons once a week, consistently providing me with timely feedback on those previously identified areas. I then have one week to implement
the feedback before Michelle visits my lesson again to check if I have successfully followed through with the advice and feedback provided. If so, a new target is set; if not, I continue to work on the target after receiving additional coaching.
Recently, for example, Michelle coached me in supporting student’s ability to look for patterns in texts. Through both observing me teach and reading student responses, Michelle was able to identify areas of improvement with my planning and instruction that would best help students find patterns in texts. Since this skill is so integral to success in both literature and language, we worked on this target for a few weeks before Michelle marked it as ‘target met’.
Follow through with subject specific targets
Students now consistently demonstrate this skill in their extended writing which ensures they are best able to hit that top band when it comes to assessments
Subject-specific coaching is a dynamic process, one that is underpinned by the acceptance that your strengths and weaknesses in pedagogy can change depending on the students sitting in front of you.
It is also a process that, to be successful, requires teachers to acknowledge that there is no ‘perfect teacher’- we can always get better. Most importantly though, it is a process driven by a shared desire amongst all CST staff: improving student outcomes.
By Thahmina Begum, CST
Avoid the perils of
Examsarearoundthecorner Wehavesolittletimeleft with our exam classes! In the last few lessons we have withourstudents,wearedesperateto:
Coverasmuchaswecan
Getthemtotakeawayasmuchaspossible
Here’s a lesson that might feel familiar in the run up to exams:
Teacherfeedsthemgrade7knowledge‘gems’:model answers, formulas they must know, grade 7 sentences – anything the teacher thinks they simply mustknowinthelittletimetheyhaveleft!
Teachertellsthemtotakenotesastheygothroughit – the students can use it later for their revision they say
Instead, we need to ‘space’ out what we intend to cover with our classes because “distributing study timeoverseveralsessionsgenerallyleadstobetter memory of the information than conducting a singlestudysession”(Willingham,2002)
Interleaving is intertwined with the concept of spacing, and it encourages students to “mix, or interleave, multiple subjects or topics while they study in order to improve their learning” (UniversityofArizona,2020)
Unfortunately, none of the above will lead to the retention of the skills and knowledge that the teacher intendsforthem–atleastnotinthelongterm
Weknowthatsilentlycopyingworkdownisapoorproxy for learning and making notes as they listen to the teacherisassumingtheycandoboth–effectivelylisten and write at the same time – and this is not the case. Sadly, the knowledge gems that the teacher may have spenthoursputtingtogetherwillgotowaste
Learningvs performance
‘Learning’ is measured by long term retention and transfer of skillsandknowledge
‘Performance’ is measured by the speed or accuracy of executing a to-be-learned skill during the learning process itself
It is true to say that blocked practice does enhance performance ‘in the moment’, but crucially, fails to enhance learning
That’s why, at Community Schools Trust, we have long moved awayfromablockedapproachtoourcurriculumplanning
But when it comes to our lessons, particularly in the final run up to the exams, we can fall into the trap of blocking our teaching We want to ‘cover everything’ in the little time we have left with our students We want to equip them with everythingasfastandasmuchaswecan.
If only we could absorb information like this
pre exam lessons
But whilst it may feel reassuring in the moment, for them and for us, and whilst their performance in class may show confidence, we are not necessarily ensuring long term retention and transfer of skills and knowledge
Instead, what we need to do is work out how many weeks and lessons we have left with our classes and space and interleave the crucial skills and topics we wish to cover with them during this time
2 Opportunities for practice
In the lesson example above, the students did not get a chance to practise anything they were being taught The duration of the lesson was dedicated to getting down as much information as possible. The thinking is, if they practiseanything,theyarelosingcrucialtimetheycouldbe coveringcontent
But of course, ‘covering content’ is counterproductive if no learningishappening
Learning won’t happen unless they are required to apply what they are being taught. If they “struggle to recall the information that was learned previously” University of Arizona, 2020, they create stronger memory associations and if done over time, more frequent memory retrievals andbetterlongtermretention Inotherwords,theylearn
We need to explain this to our students too. Sometimes, when students struggle with recall or application, it can knock their confidence, particularly close to exams They feelsaferandmorereassuredbycopyingdowninformation instead
So teach them topic x, make them apply it in timed conditions and explain that struggling to recall is a good thing – it means they are strengthening their memory associations The very act of recall is building their knowledge
Do this again and again Allow frequent opportunities for practice to allow for application and recall Remember also, for many of our students, their revisionhabitsarepoorandtheonlypracticetheywill undertake in this time will be in your lessons –certainly not in their own time (a topic for another post!)
This does work:
In summary, this doesn’t work: and lots of opportunities to practise Bring on those exams
cramming
THE WHAC-A-MOLE EFFECT: Setting classroom conditions for maximum impact
By Raeanne Meade, TEA
The Whac-A-Mole Effect
Anyone who has ever stepped foot into an arcade will be familiar with the game WhacA-Mole The machine starts up, the 60 second timer begins, you grab the giant mallet and start whacking the moles as they randomly pop up with no warning. For most people, it’s an exciting minute of high adrenaline as your eyes dart left and right waiting eagerly to spot the next mole But I can only imagine that if that timer changed to 5 minutes, 10 minutes or - dare I say it50 minutes, we would soon find ourselves begging for someone to unplug the rotten machine
As teachers, we run the risk of playing Whac-A-Mole everyday in our classrooms
Ayan, can you put your pen down like I asked please?
Cierra, track the speaker not the cars outside… Jemna, I already told you to stop talking Safa, for the third time, turn around!
And so it goes on and on…
We can unintentionally end up in a game of Whac-A-Mole with our students, tryingsomewhat hopelessly - to salvage classroom conditions that are conducive to learning when it’s too late in the game; that learning should already be taking place Instead of capturing the attention of all students from the outset of the task, we wait until the task is underway to check that our students are attentive
Thus, the chaotic Whack-A-Mole game begins. The problem is that we are having to be reactive because we failed to be proactive This only leads to:
a false sense of accomplishment: we are temporarily satisfied at successfully batting down one mole, not realising that the next one is about to pop up with no real pattern or predictability time wasted: teaching is constantly paused to deal with low level disruption which ultimately results in learning being compromised wrong priorities: the purpose of the task becomes lost due to the stop-start nature of the lesson, often affecting the progress of more learners than we realise teacher burnout: teachers end up losing patience with the class, feeling drained after every lesson and sometimes even doubting their own teaching ability This is arguably the most devastating consequence of them all
Ultimately, as teachers, it is essential that we create habits of attention in order to ensure that the classroom atmosphere is primed for the best possible teaching and learning experience for teachers and students alike When we fail to proactively set the right conditions for learning, we create opportunities for distraction, disruption, and disorder.
Moving Forward
Therefore, during every phase of our lessons, whether we are presenting new information, engaging in guided practice or preparing for SLOP, we must ensure that:
we follow the school's behaviour system consistently and fairly to avoid ambiguity
we brighten the lines: we must create clean crisp starts and ends to our activities using our countdown into SLANT. Intonation is key; we must be purposeful so that there is no opting out from the students and all attention is captured we deploy antecedents: we must front load our instructions and ensure the means of participation have been described clearly to students, facilitating smoother transitions into each task or activity
we establish routines: routines automate correct behaviours and reduce the cognitive load for our students They ensure no ambiguity and no wasted seconds as students internalise the expectations of their teachers
By being consistent in our individual and collective practice, we will avoid wasting our precious time and energy playing endless rounds of Whac-A-Mole and instead we can focus on delivering the highest quality lessons, developing our students' love of learning and ultimately improving their outcomes and life chances
Schools in the UK are guided by the Gatsby Benchmarks: the government framework for careers provision To help your students develop and achieve their dreams, find out what the school provides for them so you can encourage their engagement with this and add to it consciously
At CCS, our brilliant Careers and Aspirations Manager, Ms Ahmed, ensures that we exceed every benchmark with a wide range of initiatives to broaden our students’ perspectives and expose them to life-changing experiences To name a few, CCS students have opportunities to:
Seek regular one-to-one careers advice and have access to the Careers Hub in the library
At KS4, discuss their aspirations in a series of one-to-one careers meetings which far exceed the statutory recommendations
Meet colleges, sixth forms, universities and employers at Careers Fairs
Take part in Junior Russell Group Mentoring
Compete in the HereEast TechStars STEM Project
Benefit from the Clifford Chance Mentoring Programme, including mock interviews
Compete in the JetBlue Flying High Sustainability Programme (a group of our Year 9 girls recently won the inter-school competition, with the final hosted at Gatwick airport)
Participate in Aspirations Day with a range of visitors
Engage in Work Experience in Year 10
The whole-school programme is always crucial in developing students’ aspirations and helping them to achieve these, however, as noted in research produced for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the latter part of this is incredibly difficult:
“Aspirations are sometimes seen within policy as the critical factor in the success of young people. However, it is not enough for young people just to aspire; they also need to be able to navigate the paths to their goals. […] However much the young person wants to be a lawyer, this aspiration is incompatible with leaving school at the age of 16.”
Kintrea, St Clair, and Houston (2011): ‘The influence of parents, places, and poverty on educational attitudes and aspirations.’ Produced for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
This is where you as an individual can play a transformational part in your students’ lives: they need help to “navigate the paths to their goals.”
People often think that being an inspirational teacher or rolemodelcomesfromaninherentandintangiblequality within an individual. You have it, or you don’t. This doesn’t have to be the case. You can intentionally take steps to inspire your students and - most importantlyguide them to navigate a path, making their aspirations morelikelytobecomereality.Herearesomeideastoget youstarted:
1.Discussaspirationswithyourstudents
YoucandothisformallyinPSHEandinformallyduring unstructured times. Being aware of the whole-school careers programme makes this so much easier, so do speak to your Careers Lead if this isn’t published widely already. Often, knowing that a careers-focused event is comingupcanbeagreatwayintothisconversationwith yourstudents.Onceyou’retalkingaboutaspirationswith your students, make sure you are ready with follow-up questionsandinformationtohighlightthepathwhenthey tellyouoftheiramazinggoals.Try:Howwillyouachieve that?Doyouknowyournextstep?Didyouknowyouwill needtoachievecertaingradesinthesespecificsubjectsto accessA-levels/auniversitycourseonthis?
Your Careers Lead will love nothing more than a volunteer to help with a trip or mentorateamtakingpartinacompetition. Being an inspiration takes commitment, and committing a little extra time and energy will have huge benefits for your students. They will also appreciate you going above and beyond If you can’t commit to this, make sure you explicitly praise and highlight students who are taking part in these activities A word from yougoesalongway.
3.Shareyourexperiences(andthose ofpeopleyouknow)
Aspartofyourconversationsaboutcareers and aspirations, tell students about your route to where you are now They will be fascinated to hear about your career before teaching and this is a great opportunity to highlight the value of transferable skills while making the point that career-paths aren’t always as linear as students think For example, I like to tell students about the transferable skills from my English Literature degree that led me to become a recruitment consultant for FinTech and Challenger banks before becoming an English teacher. We all know a few students whose gift of the gab could make a splashinbusiness-to-business salesiftheyknewitwasanoption!
4. Build opportunities to discuss careers into the curriculum
You can start by making links between the content in your own lessons and potential relevant careers It is so important tomakespaceforthis.Withthepressureofexams,thisspace can evaporate, but consider the benefit of having students whoaremorecuriousandmotivatedinyoursubject
If you do this, you will find you are repaid tenfold with the learning time you save after students become lazer-focused and motivated in your subject. In an ideal world, these opportunities to discuss careers should be embedded in each subject at a curriculum level If you are a curriculum leader, conduct a review of your schemes of learning. Are opportunities to make links to careers and further education in your subject made explicit? Are these opportunities distributedacrossthecurriculumforallyeargroups?Dothey connect with extra-curricular programmes, such as your school’s careers programme or subject-specific educational visits?
5.Sustainyoursupport!
Don’t stop with one conversation Become the aspirations champion for a few students (or for your subject’s entire curriculum) Remember what your target students are aspiringto;askthemiftheysawarelevantpieceinthenews; share information you ’ ve come across with them, such as signpostinganeventorcompetitiontheycantakepartin
Aboveall,makeitcrystalclearonadailybasisthatyouarein their corner, supporting them to navigate a path towards a transformative future Teaching is and should always be an actofhope.
By Connor Andrews, UTCN
Previously at UTCN, we have only used the DPR for one year group (last year's Y10s) until we got a handle on how it all works. This year, we rolled out the DPR to all year groups and staff. It was apparent that this caused a noticeable shift in extrinsic motivation amongst students with them frequently asking to be live marked and what they need to do to improve on the DPR
As a result, we have had to change and adapt the way in which we use the DPR at UTCN to have it work for our unique setting. This started with whole school CPD during inset days to ensure every member of staff understood what it was, how it works and how to use it effectively. This also allowed us to implement features such as collaborations and resources that were not utilised to their full extent the year before Perhaps the biggest support for staff was the “go to guide” we created, helping teachers to use the DPR The guide helped staff deal with the mental load of remembering the intricacies of the system, being able to return to the guide intermittently as they were growing their understanding of it One of the biggest challenges we faced was the practical use of the DPR in engineering, due to multiple KOs being covered during the practical elements. To ensure that it was feasible for them to use, we discussed using the “teacher” view so students can be assessed on multiple KOs and moved accordingly, which has been a great success
The work we put into developing staff’s understanding and confidence with the DPR led to a shift of culture amongst staff and, as a consequence, students The buy-in we created meant we no longer focused just on how it extrinsically motivated students but also how it affects our assessment.
Changing assessment
With the roll out of the EDI playbook 2 0, we saw an opportunity to use Play 7 - Turn and Talk and Play 8Mini-Whiteboards to improve our use of the DPR as a form of assessment Before, we would use SLOP as our main assessment tool, linking it to DPR judgements; however, some students would struggle to write exam answers but could answer questions incredibly well verbally Utilising Play 7 and 8 meant we could look at the learning taking place from a different angle and make judgments against the KOs based on this
Although the judgement still had to be considered alongside SLOP, it meant we could make an earlier judgement on student understanding of key skills and content, which proved important when students were getting used to specific styles of question It also meant those students who wouldn't write answers due to the pressure about making mistakes or lack of participation could also move up on the DPR as teachers could see if they had consolidated or secured knowledge based on their responses This generated confidence that led to improved SLOP
We also tackled the metacognition of students through the use of Play 9 - Live Marking, getting them to think about the mistakes they made and how they would correct them.
By
Teachers began to recognise that students that were Secure in their KOs were the ones who remembered the live marking from previous lessons and, as a result, edited their own work in accordance with previous live marking without the need for teacher intervention.
An increase in the understanding of the DPR and its usage at UTCN resulted in discussions around how we can use the DPR for bespoke teaching for students. In the most recent DPR report for Y11 and 13 students, teachers looked back at the data from all formal assessments for these students to decide what judgements to give individual students. For example, a student who constantly scored low on questions regarding electrolysis was given developing where as if they fluctuated they would be put on consolidating This then allowed students and parents to see what areas they particularly needed to focus on revising in the build up to their exams By looking at this data, Heads of Faculty could see what KOs were particular strengths or weaknesses amongst the cohort e g vaccination and monoclonal antibodies in biology This then allowed them to plan ahead for what needed to be retaught prior to exams and amended the curriculum accordingly for the Y10s and 12s
Once these bespoke curriculum plans had been made using the DPR, teachers began to use collaborations to target the areas in which students were developing. This allowed students to have a base to start their revision on, ensuring that these developing areas became secure. The collaborations involved links to quizzes, short videos, exam questions and even examiners reports. Once the task set was complete students would respond to the collaboration and show the completed work, allowing us to give further advice or move their judgement accordingly.
While we are still still relatively early in our DPR journey at UTCN, the progress students are making as a result is great to see, and it is exciting to consider the future development of our implementation of the system
Set
clear targets and learning objectives, and make them achievable and measurable
helps them to understand why there are differences in impacts and response to tectonic hazards, why some countries use more fossil fuels than others and why some countries are considered ‘superpowers’ These concepts are embedded in the core geographical knowledge we want students to learn - the substantive knowledge underpinning our curriculum
Once this substantive knowledge had been identified, there was also the requirement for the interleaving of procedural knowledge Interleaving is a process where students mix multiple subjects or topics while they study in order to improve their learning
We had already embedded this within our content, but also had to think about the revisiting and practising of skills What did we want students to be able to do with that content? What geographical skills had to
Eloise Hart, FGCS
be embedded, and where would there be a good opportunity to do this? It was also important for these skills to be built on throughout their curriculum.
It is suggested that teaching in this way will aid retention in the long term, helping pupils to transfer what they have learnt to new situations (Sean Kang, 2016). For example, the explanation of physical processes requires students to be able to provide a step by step explanation, with tier 3 vocabulary embedded throughout To build their confidence in doing this, students study a number of different topics where this needs to be done, in their study of rivers, coasts, tectonic hazards, and the list goes on
In the classroom where our curriculum really comes to life, our curriculum booklets allow our teachers to provide our students with a clear lesson structure Each lesson within the Geography curriculum booklets identify the vocabulary students need, the core content, some quick and snappy checkpoint questions before independent practice Teachers take this content and can intellectually prepare those pause points where they might include whole class response questions or a turn and talk exercise, before our students can move on to their independent practice Each lesson also identifies a key question that should be live modelled by their classroom teacher, with the department writing frame provided to give our students that consistency when it comes to approaching their questions.
The implementation of this curriculum has seen vast improvements in the confidence of our teachers, their intellectual preparation (IP) has become more refined, as they can break down the centralised resources to meet the needs of their classes and students walk away from their lesson having had the opportunity to engage with both clear geographical knowledge, and to develop their Geographical skills. They’ve also been great tools to help build the knowledge and expertise of our trainees and ECTs
The resources mean it is crystal clear what they need to be teaching, and they can then work with their mentors or their department to IP and build that understanding of how to approach it.
It’s not been a smooth journey. It has taken a few years to find this approach, and collaboration with curriculum leaders across the trust has allowed our curriculum to develop as it has. Even now, every term before delivering something new, we’ll refine and review and make sure our lessons are in line with our own expectations of the curriculum However, we have seen an improvement in student engagement and progress, which is the clear indication that we are doing something right - and it can only be improved further
Intellectual preparation example:
By Eloise Hart, FGCS
Curriculum Implementation:
Aysha Jolly CCS Graduate Trainee
When starting as a trainee teacher earlier this year, one thing I was quite nervous about was understanding the curriculum and being able to deliver it to a high standard ensuring there are minimal to no gaps in the students' knowledge. Coming to work in Cumberland and seeing the curriculum booklets which are used through KS3 and KS4 gave me a lot more confidence and made it easier for me to structure my lesson.
Using the booklets took most of the pressure off of me and allowed me to focus on adapting the lessons to my individual class needs and implementing different plays into it, knowing that the content/curriculum side of things was already prepared I think it is also a useful way of learning for students as they can follow the booklet easily and it makes a great tool of revision for them coming up to assessments I also think they are really accessible for EAL students as each lesson will have the 'key vocabulary' highlighted, but also clear sentence/paragraph structures for the independent tasks which is really good
Zainab Farrelly WA AHT and Geography X Trust Lead
As educators, it's our duty to evolve beyond the outdated textbooks, embracing continuous learning and adaptation to ensure our curriculum remains relevant and transformative. In designing KS3 booklets, our challenge was to preserve fundamental principles while embracing innovation that not only enriches traditional topics but also integrates modern approaches like Geographical Information Systems. Together, we’re fostering a passion for critical thinking, exploration and challenging students' worldviews
With geography curriculum booklets that incorporate explicit direct instruction, teachers are liberated to focus on their intellectual preparation and the detailed modelling of geographical phenomena. This synergy between structured content and expert guidance inspires our students, creating a classroom where their curiosity about the world's physical
Direct instruction: Direct instruction: not dirty words not dirty words
teachingskillsandconceptsinsmallsteps; usingexamplesandnon-examples; usingclearandunambiguouslanguage; anticipating and planning for common misconceptions;and highlightingessentialcontentandremoving distractinginformation
What sets direct instruction apart from other, perhaps more popular teaching methods, is the focus on teaching only the most essential knowledge and not leaving learning up to the student to discover alone.
That means lessons are very much teacher led, independent work is exactly that, done independentlywhich often means in silence - and learning is closely monitored by the teacher.
Lessons are structured, consistent and therefore predictable. Yawn. Amirite?
Wrong. The most effective teachers who use explicit direct instruction know how to inject energy, pace and anticipation into their lessons.
Here are 3 easy ways to make sure direct instruction is synonymous with excitement, energy and definitely learning…
1 How to create pace
Countdowns: at Community Schools Trust (CST) we start and end our lessons with a 10 second countdown. Aside from being a consistent and predictable start to lessons for all students, whatever their subject and whoever their teacher, a pacy 10 second countdown means a flurry of learning focused activity to start the lesson.
The best countdowns are interspersed with teacher commentary; I like to think of it like a football commentary:
10 - the front row is well on their way to the starter…9… 8…thank you James and Abdul for helping hand out our books today….7 - I think Maria might take the first merit - she’s already seated… oh wait - Aaliyah is close behind! 6 - who will be the slowest? 5…
Counting down in this way not only creates that important pace to begin and end your lessons, but such commentary, involving both personalised and collective praise, calls attention to the correct behaviours you want to amplify in your classroom.
2 How to create energy
Brightening lines: this is one of my favourite techniques from Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion because of how easy but effective it can be when injecting energy across a class. Brightening lines is when you ‘make transitions between lesson activities bright and clear’ (Lemov).
For example, at CST, we may say something like, ‘when I say go and not a second before, you will write down the first answer on your mini whiteboard. Ready? Go!’
The phrase, ‘Ready? Go!’ will result in the whole class moving in unison to the correct behaviours. When done regularly, it creates a culture when these correct behaviours are normal and desired.
But the key to creating this crisp transition is your intonation and being deliberately upbeat I have heard many Robocop sounding ‘Ready? Go.’ renditions and you can guess the amount of energy it incites: zero.
Whether it’s first thing in the morning, or your final lesson of a full teaching day, intonation and being deliberately upbeat is key to effectively creating energy.
Cold calling is a common and effective way to check for understanding When done correctly, the whole class is required to think hard - the best indicator for learning But the best CFU will combine different strategies
I will call them CFU sandwiches These CFU sandwiches are great ways to create anticipation and participation
Some CFU sandwiches you might try:
A cold call - ‘I say, you say’ choral responsecold call sandwich
A cold call - turn and talk - cold call sandwich
A turn and talk - ‘stop and jot’ - cold call sandwich
This is not an exhaustive sandwich list There are many more combinations What CFU sandwich do you deploy?
Summary
Direct instruction - they’re not dirty words It can be more engaging than it is made out to be
3 How to create anticipation (and participation)
At the core of explicit direct instruction is checking for understanding (CFU). Unlike perceptions of long lecture style teaching, effective direct instruction will involve checking for understanding after every new concept or skill is taught. These checks will inform the teacher’s next steps: to move on, to correct, to re-teach or a combination.
Create pace with countdowns 1. Use intonation and be deliberately upbeat 2. Use CFU sandwiches to create anticipation and participation in your lessons. 3.
