2. Instructional Strategies
KWLs
KWL is an effective strategy for making
basic steps of inquiry visible for students.
What does KWL stand for?
K-What do you know? W-What do you want
to know? L- What did you learn?
This
works great for any topic and is a
fantastic way to start kids out with thinking!
3. Instructional Strategies cont…
Think Alouds
Great for demonstrating a new skill.
Example: “I can see that the author used
shapes to make the house, like a triangle,
and a square”. “ I wonder what other
shapes the author can use?”
This helps students think about what could
come next in the text.
4. Instructional Strategies cont…
Three-Minute Pause
10-15 minutes=stop class!
Ask students three questions:
1. What did you experience?
2. Identify an interesting aspect of what
you experienced.
3. Identify confusion and try to clear it
up.
This
is a great strategy because it helps kids
think all the time and keeps the information
fresh!
5. Classroom Management
Strategies
Music stops, Task is done!
Fun way to get students to do a task
First, turn on music.
Students clean up area, or task, as fast as possible.
Music stops, task of cleaning has to be done!
If the task is not done, students get marked down for minute of
missed recess. Each time they don’t get a task done, a minute
is added for recess time!
Great incentive for students to get their cleaning tasks done
6. Classroom Management
Strategies cont…
Bell rings, sit in desk and work on opener:
Teacher
lays worksheet on all the students
desks.
Bell rings, students come in and sit down and
get to work on their task.
When finished, raise hand and then read
quietly.
Works great to get students in a routine and have
them know exactly what to expect in the morning.
7. Team building “Getting to
know” your students strategy
Two Truths and a Lie:
Students write down three statements
about themselves, two truth, one lie.
Students go around in a circle guessing
what is true and what is a lie.
Fun ice-breaker!
Fun activity to help students get to know
each other!
8. References
Becky Finnels First grade classroom*
http://www.oswego.org/files/5/20is.pdf
*I learned a lot of these strategies from student
teaching.
