Strategies
Instructional Strategies for the Classroom
On this page, I will thoroughly outline instructional strategies that engage all learners from diverse backgrounds and proactively prevent inappropriate behavior. Then, I will list four instructional strategies that I plan to use in my classroom that have been supported by evidence-based research.
Engaging All Learners from Diverse Backgrounds
In order to engage all learners from diverse backgrounds, teachers should use vocabulary, names, and situations that reflect all students in their classrooms. The instructional strategies that teachers use should be student-centered so that the student can see themself understanding the concept or performing the learned action.
Proactively Preventing Inappropriate Behavior
There are many ways a teacher can use instructional strategies to proactively prevent inappropriate behavior. Some of these ways include giving students choices so that they take responsibility for their own learning, cultivating a safe environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes, and scaffolding students as the students are introduced to the different topics.
Instructional Strategies That I Plan to Use - Supported by Evidence-Based Research
Project-Based Learning: PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge. PBL is an effective instructional strategy because students are solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question in their own way and presenting their solution to a group of people other than the teacher or their peers.
Clear Lesson Goals: Studies have proven that giving students clear lesson goals each day can be 32% more effective than just holding high expectations for students. Teachers should make sure they can quickly and easily state what they want their teachers to know and be able to do at the end of a given lesson.
Summarize New Learning in a Graphical Way: Having visual aids for students to fill out as they are learning a new lesson can help students understand the interrelationships between the aspects of what has been taught throughout the lesson. Teachers should discuss the graphical summary to ensure the students understand the lesson because students learn in many different ways and having images such as mind maps, flow charts, and Venn diagrams can help them organize their thoughts.
Teach Strategies Not Just Content: Explicitly teach students how to use relevant strategies, especially when they are reading to deepen their comprehension of the text. Teachers should tell the students about the strategies, demonstrate them, and give them guided practice before asking the students to use them independently.