Teaching with Focus

I've been thinking about what it takes to teach with focus. To teach with focus is not to simply follow a recipe, lesson plan, or expected curriculum, but instead to really know the students you're teaching and the learning goals you have for those students.

To do this well requires the following:

Assessment
It's important to informally and formally assess students' knowledge, skill, and concept levels with respect to the learning goals. You want to understand where they are, and where you want to take them. It's important to keep assessment lists that can be used to show student growth and need, and to continually update those lists in relation to the learning work you and the students do to see where students' make substantial growth, and where there's room for greater development.

Targeted Lesson Planning
It's important to continually ask yourself what you need to do to help a child make good progress. This takes lots of reflective and collaborative effort including the following:

• apt lesson planning and learning design
• targeted, focused debate and discussion about a child's learning needs and targeted instruction
• evidenced-based decision making, choosing pedagogy and resources that truly do help a child a too learn better
• a serious attitude and attention to the goals--thoughtful time-on-task matters when it comes to learning well
• the belief that you matter as an instructor and the belief that every child is capable of lifelong learning and learning success. Don't give up on students.
• Continued learning and trying out of new materials and learning processes to help students make progress.

Doing Your Part

All educators and assistants are responsible for student learning. To be present during teaching times is essential. To be on a phone, side-talking, or working on other matters means less attention and time for the students. Of course as educators balance the little time they have for administrative tasks, there will be times when student-time is devoted to administrative work, but for the most part it is essential to be present and do what you can to help students learn when you are with them. 

In schools and outside of them, the way we use our time and teach does make a difference for our students. If we are focused, strategic, caring, and aimed at good goals, we will help students to make substantial progress. I am going to be thinking about this in the days ahead. Onward.