Instructional+Strategies

 **__-__** 6th Grade Assessment Anchors - Implementing groups in the classroom.


 * __ Instructional Strategies __**

Questions to think about problem by problem

Launch:  Explore:  Summary:  Teacher Reflection: At the end of each investigation, or unit, ask yourself: 
 * How will I launch this problem?
 * What prior knowledge do my students need to call upon?
 * What do the students need to know to understand the story and the challenge of the problem?
 * What advantages and challenges can I foresee?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How can I keep from giving too much away for the problem?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How can I make this problem personal to them?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How will I organize the students to solve this problem (individual, pairs, small groups, whole group)?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What materials will the students need?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What are different strategies I anticipate them using?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What kind of questions can I ask:
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">to prompt their thinking if the level of frustration is too high?
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">make them probe further into the problem if the initial question is "answered"?
 * 3) <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">to encourage student-to-student conversation, thinking, learning, ect.?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How can I make the students make sense of and appreciate the various methods that may occur?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How can I orchestrate the discussion so students summarize their thinking in the problem?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What Mathematics and processes need to be drawn out?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What needs to be emphasized?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What do we need to generalize?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How can we go beyond, what new questions may arise?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What will I do to follow-up, practice, or apply the ideas after my summary?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">What evidence do I have of what my students learned?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">How does this affect my instructional decisions?
 * __Absenteeism:__**

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When students are absent <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"> When teachers are absent <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Keep activities and assignments posted in the classroom so student know what they have missed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Have group members collect any materials that are passed out for absent group members.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Establish note-taking buddies so students have someone to provide the notes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Keep a master copy of student notes for student reference.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Have group or class members summarize what was done the previous day.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Partner Quizzes- Partners can work on quizzes fairly independently, using their notes and books as resources. When it is possible assign partners the day before you will be absent.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Review- Compile worksheets, using the additional practice problems from the units you have completed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">ACE Exercise- Assign a set of ACE questions to be completed in class.

__**<span style="display: block; font-size: 120%; text-align: center; color: rgb(13, 37, 181);">Classroom Setup: **__ Suggestions for creating an effective learning environment for students.

• Post the Math and Problem-Solving goals for the unit given in the Teacher’s Guide and student books and check them off as the class meets them. • Post a vocabulary list in the room so students know what words should be in their glossary. Add words as you progress through the unit. • Keep a list of assignments in the room for students who have missed class. • Post upcoming assessments and due dates so students can anticipate your expectations. • Make tools (rulers, grip paper, angle rulers, and so on) accessible so students can decide which tools are appropriate for solving a problem. • On the board keep a list of unresolved questions for future discussion. • Have materials on hand that allow students to display their work and share their results with the class. Save student work for future reference by the class or for parent meetings.

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