This document provides guidance for teachers on effective instructional practices. It discusses guidelines for "courageous conversations" among teachers and the importance of collaboration. It also outlines the five components of effective instruction known as the "Five Es": excellence in curriculum, educating as a professional learning community, equity in access for all students, environments that are safe for learning, and engaging the community and stakeholders. The document emphasizes using research-based teaching strategies like the "Essential Elements of Effective Instruction" to plan lessons and help students prepare for high-stakes assessments.

1. Powerful Teaching and Meaningful
Learning: Increasing Teaching
Effectiveness/Revisiting the Essential
Elements of Effective Instruction (EEEI)

2. Guidelines for “Courageous
Conversation”
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We are ALL competent educators
We ALL bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the
table
AND, our knowledge and experience will enrich our discussion
We will allow ourselves to experience some level of discomfort;
however, we will all remain engaged in the discussion or dialogue
Our collegial discourse and participation makes our learning
experience more powerful and meaningful
None of us knows everything; hence, we all endeavor to
participate in this experience in the humble state of students and
life-long learners

3. The Big Picture
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This is “STEP ONE” in the journey as it relates
to RIGOR and RELEVANCE continuum
This is a learning process for all of us
Meaning (as always) we are all in this together
Hence, we will learn together, grow together,
and improve for the betterment of studentlearning outcomes

4. THE FIVE Es
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EXCELLENCE IN CURRICULUM
EDUCATING AS A PROFESSIONAL
LEARNING COMMUNITY
EQUITY IN ACCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS
ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE SAFE FOR
LEARNING
ENGAGING OUR COMMUNTIY AND
STAKEHOLDERS

5. High Stakes Testing Season
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Reality Check
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Whether we like it or not…
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High stakes assessments are the “make or break” relative to our future 
We can either…
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We (literally) have only SIX weeks until the 10 th grade CAHSEE census;
(approximately) 12 weeks until CSTs; and, (approximately) 15 weeks until
AP exams
Make things happen
Watch things happen
Or, wonder, “what happened?”
Proactively speaking:
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There is a lot we can do on a daily basis to help our students get prepared
for high-stakes assessments
“Skill-set” pedagogy

6. Advancing the Locus of Concern
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CAHSEE Intervention Program:
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Saturday Prep Course for 10th, 11th, and 12 grade students
Online interactive learning
Intensive tutoring during the week
Parents, Community, and Stakeholders
 Connect Ed messages on a weekly basis
In the Classroom:
 Daily CAHSEE and CST skill set practice drills as bell-work warm-ups, or
wrap ups:
 Goals and objectives CLEARLY articulated
 5-7 minutes of independent practice and/or quick-write practice (if
applicable)
 5 minutes of de-brief and check for understanding/wrap-up
 Available Resources:
 CAHSEE Sample questions
 http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/hs/resources.asp
 Other CAHSEE Prep Resources may be “online” in the very near future
 CST Sample Questions:
 http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/css05rtq.asp

7. Test Your Knowledge of EEEI
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What are the components of EEEI (in order)?
What are 3 reasons why EEEI is effective?
What are the (2) crucial components of an Anticipatory Set?
What is the difference between input and modeling?
What is the difference between modeling and guided practice?
When do you check for understanding in a lesson?
What is the difference between checking for understanding
and closure?
What else is crucial in every lesson besides EEEI?
What are (2) reasons why active participation is important?
What is the most-important component of EEEI?
When are students ready for independent practice, during the
course of instruction?

8. Checking Your Knowledge: The 9
EEEI Components (in order)
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9.
Anticipatory set
Objective
Purpose
Input
Modeling
Guided Practice
Checking for understanding (ongoing)
Closure
Independent Practice

9. Teaching Pedagogy: Food For
Thought…
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Marzano (2002) asserts that content knowledge has
only a small effect as it relates to student achievement.
On the other hand, pedagogical knowledge, i.e., bestteaching practices, are more important and play a more
significant role in student-learning outcomes than
content knowledge.
Meaning: effective teaching practice will go a lot farther to affect
(positive) student-learning outcomes than mere content-are
knowledge alone
That does not mean that content knowledge isn’t
important; rather, that good pedagogy is a better bet 
Discussion, Q&A, reactions, reflection…

10. Why is EEEI Effective? The Human
Brain
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The brain likes to make connections (set,
purpose, closure)
The brain likes to make meaning (objective)
The brain is very visual; in fact, 90% of our
learning is visual (modeling)
The brain likes to create patterns (guided and
independent practice)

11. Anticipatory Set
Must link prior knowledge to the lesson
 i.e., known to the unknown
 Must be overtly active with checking for
understanding
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12. Input versus Modeling
Input is the “telling” part of teaching
 i.e., “front-loading”
 Modeling is the “showing” part of teaching
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IF YOU’RE NOT MODELING=THEN
THERE’S NO TEACHING GOING
ON

13. Modeling versus Guided Practice
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Modeling:
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Guided Practice:
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Teacher or peer demonstrates with running
commentary (metacognition)
Students participate with support from the “expert”.
EXPERT DOES IT, STUDENTS TRY IT
WITH SUPPORT

14. Moving to Independent Practice
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“8 to 2” rule:
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So, what do you do with the other 20%?
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When 80% of students have mastered 80% of the
content during guided practice
Pull them into a smaller group and re-teach
THAT’S WHAT DIFFERENTIATION IS
ALL ABOUT

15. Checking for Understanding
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The better question is:
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When don’t you check for understanding?
ANSWER: CHECKING FOR
UNDERSTANDING IS A CONTINUOUS
PROCESS

16. Closure versus Checking for
Understanding
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Closure must be at a taxonomic level that is
comprehension or higher
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Strive for Analysis:
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e.g., quick write, pair share, jigsaw, acrostic learning,
snowballing, de-brief, etc.
Checking for understanding can be at the
knowledge (i.e., rote) level relative to Bloom’s
Taxonomy

17. CRUCIAL PRINCIPLE OF
LEARNING
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ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Why?
It keeps students engaged; you’re able to teach
more, better, AND faster
 To help you check for understanding
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Active participation is a “data” gathering tool that can
help you monitor student understanding
 This will help you determine when, and how much, to reteach—if necessary
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18. The Most-Important Component of
EEEI
THE OBJECTIVE
The objective is the foundation
upon which everything else in
the lesson design is built

19. Let’s Try it Again
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11.
What are the components of EEEI (in order)?
What are 3 reasons why EEEI is effective?
What are the (2) crucial components of an Anticipatory Set?
What is the difference between input and modeling?
What is the difference between modeling and guided practice?
When do you check for understanding in a lesson?
What is the difference between checking for understanding
and closure?
What else is crucial in every lesson besides EEEI?
What are (2) reasons why active participation is important?
What is the most-important component of EEEI?
When are students ready for independent practice, during the
course of instruction?

20. Courageous Conversation: good
pedagogy
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We ALL know how to do this—with varying degrees of
experience
Knowing it and doing it are two different things
Doing it successfully takes planning, practice, and critical
reflection
Deferring to the scope and sequence is not commensurate with
planning instructional design
 Scope and sequence is a tool, or a framework for lesson
planning and pacing
 However, it is not the “be all, tell all” of instructional
delivery
 Good pedagogy does not happen by accident or
coincidence

21. “Principal Teacher” Expectations
As your Principal Teachers, we expect you to:
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Implement good teaching pedagogy, using EEEI to guide you
Use your collaboration times to dialogue about, and assist your
colleagues with instructional planning and/or good lesson design
Let us know if you need help, resources, or informal feedback
—our job titles (formally—really) are, “Principal
Teacher”
Use the scope and sequence as your guide to lesson design;
however, it cannot (and should not) supplant instructional
planning and/or good pedagogy
Remember: we are all in this together…