My new explicit instruction focus…explaining abstract concepts using analogies and concrete examples. I know I’m not splitting the atom, but it’s noticeable in my exam scores. The concepts I really hit hard with this approach—my students are killing it. The others? Not as much.

A memorable part of our revision day:. A student asked if they could use their notes on the exam. I said no. They asked why not, since they had always been able to before. I said, “Because if you have to look it up, you don’t know it and this class is all about knowing it.”.

We had our first official revision day today. Students spent the period completing retrieval tasks for the concepts they determined needed the most rehearsal. Each task was then revised using the mind maps they created during our lessons. It was beautiful. 🧠💪

Here’s my two cents of the importance of procedures and routines for relationships. In a world of full of change, they allow my classroom to be predictable. See the drawing as evidence. Their perspective of me is our procedures and routines. I’m predictable. That’s a good thing.

In the words of the great @PatriceBain1, some retrieval is better than no retrieval. 💯 agree! But purposefully planned retrieval with the end in mind is much better than one and done. It’s how you harness the power of retrieval practice to help your students learn and succeed.

☑️Turn and talks multiple times a day rehearsing new knowledge and responses to questions that will be assessed. ☑️Writing responses to hinge questions from memory on MWBs. ☑️Dual coding by drawing visual representations of key concepts daily. ☑️Revision day the day before test.

☑️Flashcards for spaced retrieval to practice retrieving information related to key vocabulary they will need to know and use on the “test”. ☑️ Concept mapping from memory to build retention of key concepts and their relationship to each other. ☑️ Concept brain dumps 3x/week.

🧵How do I “retrieve to the test”?. ☑️Do Now’s at the start of class retrieving information for previous day’s knowledge goal which will be assessed on the quiz/exam. ☑️Retrieval practice homework tied to same knowledge goal to slow forgetting of that day’s new information.

“Teaching to the test” is a start, but it only ensures exposure. Exposure isn’t enough. That’s why I also “retrieve to the test.” Memory is strengthened when students recall, not when they re-read. I plan and sequence our retrieval practice so they’re ready when it counts.

Every lesson is a series of cognitive decisions: What will students attend to? How will I manage working memory? How will they encode & retrieve? Here’s how I use Willingham’s Simple Memory Model as a “cognitive checklist” to guide each decision. 👇🔗

This a perfect example of how novice students are generally very bad judges of what they need to learn effectively. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Deep down they want and need the “warm-strict” teacher who actually teaches them explicitly like Ms. Sam. 💪.

RT @StamStam193: Next on the Knowledge-Building for Teachers Series: Art of the Question. This is an area I am continually refining - aski….

FYI I’m not fishing for advice or explanations here—I’m well aware of the science behind memory differences. Just fascinated by how it plays out in real classrooms.

Something that fascinates me about memory is how two students sitting next to each other who receive the exact same instruction, explanations, examples with the same choral response, turn and talk, MWB and one can brain dump for days and the other claims to remember nothing. 🤔.

I’m super excited to read my next “In Action” series book. I know one of my biggest weaknesses is assessment for learning. Assessment of learning is a piece of cake. Any teacher can do that with their eyes closed. I want assessment that will move learning forward not end it.

Explanations were much sharper today. Clear, concise and restrained. I consciously stuck to my main points and elaborated only with predetermined concrete examples. Added bonus? More time for MWB, turn and talk, and hinge questions. Now to do it even better tomorrow.

I was chatting with my work cog sci BFF @BridgetKBlief today about strategies for explicitly preteaching key vocabulary and recipe procedures in her foods class. Moira provides a terrific non-example here with a discovery method. Fold in the cheese! .

My explicit instruction Achilles heel? . Over-explaining. Seductive details. Poor economy of words. Interesting, but nonessential context. A “curse of knowledge” of sorts. I want to share it all. But I need to be more mindful of the limitations of working memory.

RT @mommagordon2: Over the last month I’ve been interviewing excellent educators & teacher leaders. This is what I’ve learned…. https://t.co….