My last blog could apply to many subjects, but I think this one will only apply to maths lessons. That said, I could be wrong. Mrs Taylor and Little Miss Taylor do tell me that often!
This could be considered the beginning of lessons, but taking into account my last blog, this is the point when learners are working on a task using a pen they've collected from me, on a whiteboard that's kept on desks. Books have been handed out, and the register has been completed.
So... What happens next?
And what have learners been working on?
There's a balancing act to be had when answering the latter question, it seems.
To manage potential cover implications and develop consistency between lessons, taking something from a pre-written resource feels like a good way to go, but this supports management of a team and not learning.
Supposing that learners encounter a question that they haven't yet progressed to, it's a question that's inaccessible to them, but they might be able to guess/perform next time it comes up with some quick instruction. Unfortunately, without giving content the time it needs, we run the risk of embedding misconceptions with the incomplete explanations that come with rushed answers to starters, and learners begin lessons without success.
In my experience the best use of starters is for spaced retrieval, revisiting topics that learners have had success with recently and will need to continue having success with over time for learning to happen. The expectations around the beginning of the lesson in my new environment differ slightly from this, and I suspect that this might be delayed and delivered as an exit ticket.
In keeping with the policy of my new department, learners will complete two questions aimed at improving fluency with core concepts. They'll do this on mini whiteboards whilst I greet, hand out books and complete a register.
At this point, we'll begin the lesson. I think it's important to signify to learners that we're moving on from what we were doing (those starter questions) to a new topic, and specifically, one that needs their full attention.
As an attentional cue, I'll share the lesson's focus. You might call this a learning objective, but it'll just be a title that we'll write in our books along with the date, to signify that we're moving to a different phase of the lesson.
This will also be written on the whiteboard, which I'm planning to write up each morning to avoid rushed (and therefore illegible) handwriting on the board. This is less likely to be an issue with the Learning Objective, but is likely to be an issue with sharing Success Criteria, which is something I'm less familiar with.
I'll be handwriting these on laminated A3 sheets in the mornings for a couple of reasons. The main one is that I will forget in the heat of the lesson, but also because I'll write them more neatly ahead of time, and I can revisit my day ahead of teaching each lesson to get my thoughts in order.
To recap... Learners are welcomed at the door, take a whiteboard pen and settle into the questions on the board to develop fluency with core concepts. When all the kids are in, I'm going to hand the books out and do the register. Then go through the answers to the questions and direct learners to wipe their boards off and open their books. This acts as an attentional cue to learners that we're shifting to new learning, and we will write the LO and date in their books whilst I display a pre-written learning objective and success criteria.
Next: The Lesson
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