How to teach with purpose- highlights from Ped Day keynote address
Karen Gazith鈥檚 keynote address at Intercollegiate Ped Days on Jan. 10 served as a crash course in how to be an effective teacher.
鈥淗ow well we teach is the most critical factor鈥� in a student鈥檚 success, she said.
At the beginning of her talk, she outlined the four topics she intended to cover: the strategic teacher, formative assessment, differentiation, and grit and perseverance. In doing this, she modelled her approach to teaching: 鈥渁lways start with the big picture before going into the details.鈥�
I do, we do, you do one, you do many
One of the tactics she explained in detail was 鈥淚 do, we do, you do one and you do many.鈥�
The 鈥淚 do鈥� part is when the teacher 鈥渢hinks aloud鈥� and shows how to engage with the skill, going through all the steps and communicating where it gets difficult. 鈥淚 model for students what I want them to do,鈥� she said.
The 鈥渨e do鈥� step is not collaborative in nature. Rather, everyone goes through all the steps the teacher just did together as a large group. Then each student does the 鈥測ou do one鈥� step. Each student writes out all the steps and the teacher walks around to see if students need help. This step is very important because Karen says that 鈥減ractice makes permanent.鈥� In other words, students will recall the steps with much practice.
In the 鈥測ou do many鈥� step, students practice many different examples. It is important for students to master a skill on their own before forming groups. 鈥淪tudents who have not mastered a skill are hidden when forming groups too early,鈥� she cautioned.
When mastering a skill, there are always steps. 鈥淭hey will remember your voice as you guide them through the steps,鈥� she concluded.
How do you know you taught your students?
Formative assessment is important because teaching means learning. 鈥淚f students don鈥檛 learn, did we teach?鈥� she said.
Teachers need to formulate learning goals, communicate these goals to students, develop assessment(s), evaluate whether students have learned and assess evaluations.
Karen gave an example of what not to do: asking a question to the class along the lines of 鈥渨ho can tell me?鈥� Only the students who like to speak up will answer.
She gave many examples of formative assessments, including:
- Complete the formula
- Complete the example
- Write out the steps
- Write a persuasive paragraph
- Everyone write a 鈥渉uh鈥� (something that remains unclear) and an 鈥渁ha鈥� (something now understood)
- Write three new things that were learned
- Write 鈥渨hat I heard鈥� (what you think you know) and 鈥渨hat I think鈥� (what you know you know)
- Write a note to capture the essentials for a student who missed class
- Write a newspaper headline – a seven-word summary – or a tweet of 140 characters about what you have learned
- Answer these questions: what is circling around in your head? What are the three main points? What is not sitting right with you?
- List in rank order the most important to the least important concepts learned
Keep formative assessment simple, she said. If she teaches for three hours, the last 30 minutes are reserved for formative assessment. 鈥淎t the end of class, I need to see that each person in the group understands,鈥� she said. 鈥淭each however you want, but at the end of the lesson, make sure they have learned what you taught.鈥�
Every student deserves to learn and to have their needs met. 鈥淚 want to make sure that as teachers we hold differentiation as a value, not a practice. I always think about how to meet my students鈥� needs. Once I hold this value, I think of tactics and strategies,鈥� she said.
Karen reminded the 135 participants that in each class there are students who find a course too easy, too hard or on target. 鈥淚f we teach to the middle, we miss two thirds of the class.鈥�
She showed a cartoon to illustrate the concepts of reality, equality, equity and liberation. Reality shows that some people have advantages while others are disadvantaged; equality puts everyone on the same level; equity gives everyone the boost they need and liberation removes all the barriers.
Removing barriers
Teachers can ask themselves: 鈥渋s there a barrier I can remove?鈥� For example, if the evaluation is not about writing, why ask the students to write? Other ways to lift barriers include easing time restrictions, using images to explain difficult content, ensuring that questions are clear, allowing for re-do鈥檚 whenever possible.
Grit and perseverance was the last topic she covered, which she described as 鈥渢he ability to handle bumps on the road while pursuing long-term goals.鈥�
One way to do this is to praise students for the effort they put into learning rather than telling them they are smart. Goals need to be optimally challenging and students need to experience success, she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want students to give up, we want to keep them in the game,鈥� she said.
Karen Gazith is the Director of the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre. She received her PhD in Education and Counselling Psychology from McGill University and has been a Faculty Lecturer since 2014. She also taught at the University of New Brunswick and Hebrew College of Boston on topics related to Inclusion. Gazith also acted as the Graduate Program Director of the Certificate in Inclusive Education 鈥� Education and Counselling Psychology at McGill.
Gazith is the author of The Mindful and Purposeful Teacher and Teaching with Purpose. Her work includes assessment for instruction, differentiation, grit and perseverance, literacy development, challenges, behaviour management, leadership, strategic planning, and the brain-friendly classroom.
