Dear Direct and Student Centered Instruction
Direct instruction, is a highly structured, teacher-led approach. Slavin (2020) describes direct instruction as a teaching approach that emphasizes teacher control of most classroom events and the presentation of structured lessons. In my own classroom, I have relied on this model when I need to introduce foundational content, which is heavy in kindergarten as the foundational grade. For example, during whole-group phonics instruction, we would go over our learning targets for the day, then I would demonstrate segmenting and blending, and then have students participate inchoral reading before practicing independently. This kind of explicit instruction is ideal when all students must master a well-defined body of information or skill (Dean et at., 2012; Dick, Carey & Carey, 2015; Frontier & Rickabaugh, 2014).
As I go into my second year of teaching, I plan to take in the importance of establishing a positive mental set at the beginning of each lesson. Students need to be ready to learn mentally and emotionally. Emmer and Evertson (2012) stress the importance of starting lessons promptly and with energy to set the tone for purposeful and meaningful learning. I have found that using engaging hooks that tie to my student's everyday lives, helps spark student interest. One example I tried this year was the importance of writing things in order by making peanut butter jelly sandwiches.The lesson became instantly more engaging for my students because they could relate to the real-life context and were excited about writing their "how-to" text (informational). This small shift helped me understand the power of making content relevant and interesting from the very beginning.
Another aspect of direct instruction that really spoke to me was the importance of reviewing prior knowledge before presenting new material. At the start of the year, I didn't do this consistently, and I sometimes fell short in assuming that my students remembered everything from the previous lessons. As the year progressed, I realized that starting with a brief review using Kahoot really helped the students recall knowledge and feel more confident. For example, before going into new sight words, we would spend a couple of minutes reviewing previously learned words using Kahoot. This increased my student's engagement and helped bridge the gap between prior knowledge and new content.
I have faced many challenges last year. One of my biggest challenges with direct instruction was assuming that my students were understanding the lesson because they seemed to be paying attention. These chapters reminded me howusing critical learning probes are important. Slavin (2020) describes critical learning probes as alternating among new information, discussion, and questions to assess comprehension of major concepts. I relied heavily on "Thumbs up if you understand?", and now thinking back on it, I don't know if the responses were honest or useful. Students often believe that if they have listened intently to an interesting lecture, they know the material presented (Slavin, 2020). I now understand the use of using response cards, and total participation techniques to gather real-time data on my students' learning, and I plan on integrating more of these strategies to avoid misunderstandings or learning gaps before moving on.
Another key concept has been wait time. Slavin (2020) describes this as the length of time you wait for a student to answer a question before giving the answer or going on to another student. Borich (2017) emphasizes that waiting at least three seconds after asking a question gives students better learning results than giving up rapidly. Being so classroom management focused, I have often not given my students enough time to think. When I did pause, I noticed more thoughtful responses, especially from my shy students. This upcoming year, I plan to use popsicle sticks with the names of my students, dry-erase boards for quick checks, and small group sharing for meaningful connections.
I love using independent practice in my direct instructional practices. I also don't believe in busy work, as independent practice is an opportunity for students to apply what they have learned and for me to assess their levels of mastery naturally. During math lessons, I learned that If I provided guided practice before assigning independent tasks, then students were more successful and less likely to keep asking for clarification. Slavin (2020) also gives the example of students hearing a lesson on solving equations in algebra, students need an opportunity to work several equations on their own without interruptions, both to crystalize their new knowledge and to help them assess their knowledge. I plan to be brain, but meaningful to not overwhelm students and I plan to provide more feedback and walk around the room to check in with students and offer corrections.
While direct instruction has so many strengths, especially in the age group I work in, I've also appreciated student-centered instruction. Constructivist approaches emphasize cooperative learning, questioning or inquiry strategies, and other metacognitive skills (Slavin,2020). At the beginning of my teaching journey, I was very hesitant about using open-ended tasks or cooperative learning because veteran teachers told me to be worried about behavior management and staying on track. However, I saw firsthand in my classroom how student-led projects and peer discussion helped my students take ownership of their learning and create real-life meaningful connections to their learning.
This is especially true in cooperative learning settings. In small groups, students can explain concepts to one another, ask questions, and engage in higher-order thinking. Programs such as Student-Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) are successful because they reward both group and individual effort and improvement (Slavin, 2020). In my classroom, students have worked in pairs to create posters about different community helpers. Watching them engage in books and videos (research), share ideas, and present their findings showed me how capable young learners are when given structure and autonomy.
Another constructivist strategy I want to be more intentional with is scaffolding. Vygotsky's work reminds me that students need support as they work beyond their current ability. Based on Vygotksky's views, calls for teachers to assist students at critical points in their learning (Slavin, 2020). For example, during writing, I began introducing graphic organizers to students to help them organize their thoughts. This helped my new writers, and I want to expand support like this across all subjects.
My main takeaway is that I need to practice and balance both direct and student-centered instruction. It is not an either-or choice. Direct instruction provided clarity and structure, especially at the start of a new unit or skill. Student-centered instruction builds critical thinking, and collaboration, and fosters a deeper understanding. As I go into my second year, my goal is to become more thoughtful and responsive in my lesson planning. These two chapters have also challenged me to think more deeply about why I'm teaching the way I am. I want to be the kind of teacher who uses research-based strategies to meet my students' needs. I want to create a classroom full of students who feel capable, curious, and engaged, whether it's me leading the instruction or them discovering it on their own.
References
Borich, G.D. (2020). Effective Teaching Methods: Research-Based Practice (6th ed.). Pearson
Dick, W. O., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2005). The Systematic Design of Instruction (6th ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Everton, C. M., & Emmer, E.T. (2012). Classroom Management for Elementary Teachers (9th ed.). Pearson
Slavin, R.E (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice 13th ed.). Pearson Education.
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