CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE TEXT VERSION

POP Quiz 3
Do you know the true art of questioning? (If Students Wrote the Quiz)

Can you answer "NO" to all 5 questions?

  • Do you put our names at the BEGINNING of directed questions? If you put names at the beginning of a question, the rest of us will tend to ignore your question, since you have already chosen who will do the answering for you! Wouldn’t you, too?
  • Do you ask "whole group" questions like, "Does everyone understand the difference between…?" Hope not, because it is simply an invitation for a chorus of "yes" responses and the 2 or 3 of us who do not understand probably would not let you know because, "everyone must have understood it but us!" Instead, ask, "Who would like for me to repeat those directions?"
  • Do you repeat student answers? If you do, then you’re teaching us not to listen to each other, because we know the answer will be repeated by you! Instead, try other responses such as "Tell us more," or "Someone else?"
  • Are you always the "answer-giver" in class? If you turn our questions back to us, you will encourage us to do our own thinking and learn to answer our own questions. For example ask, "That is a good question. What do you think?" After giving us a chance to state an opinion, the question can then be directed to the class for discussion. At that point you can add your comments to ours.
  • Do you practice less "wait time" for the slower students than you do for the smarter ones? Researchers have clearly demonstrated that teachers typically wait less than one second after asking a question before calling on a student, answer the question themselves, or make an additional comment! Increasing wait time results in dramatic improvements in the overall quality of class discussions.


POP Quiz 2
How well do you give instructions? (If Students Wrote the Quiz)

Can you answer "YES" to all 3?

  • Do you list your instructions as steps to be followed? Presenting your instructions in paragraph form is ALWAYS less effective!
  • Do you give instructions in different ways? Watch the number of puzzled looks disappear when you give instructions verbally (orally and written), symbolically (pictures and diagrams) and concretely (sample sets of materials or examples of the work you expect). Appealing to different learning styles engages more of us quickly.
  • Do you give instructions in small "chunks?" Break instructions down in manageable "chunks." For example, "Complete the first 2 steps in your science lab and then we will talk about your results." After the discussion, "Steps 3 and 4 will help you better understand your results. Please begin work on steps 3 and 4 now."


POP Quiz 3
Do these 4 principles describe our classroom? (If Students Wrote the Quiz)

  • STUDENT-CENTERED
    Do you build upon our real interests? Do you give us the opportunity to ask our own questions? Have you taught us how to ask questions?
  • SOCIAL
    Do you create classroom interactions that encourage and promote learning among us?
  • COLLABORATIVE
    Researchers tell us that cooperative learning activities are more effective than competitive or individualistic approaches and we agree!
  • EXPERIENTIAL
    Do you provide lots of opportunities for hands-on, concrete experiences? We learn most powerfully by doing.


POP Quiz 4
Do the following four words describe the lessons you have taught us this year?
(If Students Wrote the Quiz)

  • HOLISTIC
    Did you teach skills by going from whole-to-part, allowing us to encounter material in its full, real-world context? For example, short lessons on the use of quotation marks are learned faster and remembered longer when we write scripts for plays we would like to stage.
  • AUTHENTIC
    Did we read and write and calculate and investigate for purposes that we have chosen and that are relevant, not just because you gave the assignment at the end of the chapter?
  • EXPRESSIVE
    Would visitors see a whole range of communicative media in our classroom- speech, writing, drawing, poetry, dance, drama, music, movement, and visual arts?
  • REFLECTIVE
    Did we have time to reflect, debrief, and draw from our experiences after the learning activities?


POP Quiz 5
When you plan lessons for tomorrow, will you incorporate these principles?
(If Students Wrote the Quiz)

  • DEMOCRATIC
    Use democratic processes to make learning more efficient. In other words, allow us to exercise choice in books we read, topics we research, etc. Model how to make intelligent choices, not just arbitrary ones, or choices of avoidance. We tend to be more committed to work when we participate in the decision-making.
  • COGNITIVE
    Make sure we understand the abstract ideas that lead to deeper understanding of the material. Ask us what we are thinking and how we arrived at a particular answer. Prod us to construct ideas and processes for ourselves, to become aware of our own patterns of thinking.
  • DEVELOPMENTAL
    Approach any classroom groups or one-on-one interactions with a true respect for our emerging capabilities, not what is next in the textbook’s scope and sequence chart.
  • CONSTRUCTIVIST
    Don’t just deliver the content, let us re-create and reinvent what we are learning. Do away with ditto sheets!
  • CHALLENGING
    Give us genuine challenges and be careful not to instill day-long dependency on your instructions and decisions. Expect us to take responsibility and evaluate our own efforts.

 | BACK TO TOP | TEACHLEYS | TABLE OF CONTENTS | PINNACLE | CONTENT COLISEUM | CLOSE |

Home | © 2001-2008 Donna Sawyer. All rights reserved. | Cited Works | Acknowledgements | Contact Us