Still today in the 21st century, as we plan to inhabit Mars, have flying cars and cyborgs that can now live as humans, many teachers across the world walk into classrooms and deliver direct teaching to a whole classroom as if we are still living in the 1920’s.
Direct teaching is easy for teachers to deliver. Everyone is forced to listen, the whole class completes the same learning objective at the same time but unfortunately it fails our students drastically.
The way children learn varies so much that we must allow for each and every child to learn in the way that suits them. We must deliver lessons in a variety of ways to allows all children to reach their potential and we must allow children to move around the classroom to discover which method is right for them at any given time.
Direct teaching has its place, but there are so many other ways to consider if you want to get the most out of your students and teaching time.
Here are a few;
Peer teaching
Leadership teaching
Guided writing
Guided reading
Reading mentors
Group tasks
Steam lessons
Individual lessons
Independent tasks and deadlines
Golden time
Reflection time
Freedom to sit with who are where you wish
Community projects
Empathy time
Philanthropy hour
Pick a country week
Let’s rethink please
