5 Instructional Practices to Avoid When Teaching the Standards and Delivering Effective Instruction

• June 30, 2012, 5:34 p.m.

This is the second installment of “What Not To Do If You Want to Maximize Student Achievement” I usually try to focus on the positive, but sometimes it’s important to identify what not to do.

1. Never teach straight from the book. There is an art to teaching that requires the teacher to teach standards and strategies that are matched to teaching and learning styles. We simply can’t rely on a textbook publisher or program developer to know our standards and our learners’ needs. Besides, teaching straight from the book is one of the easiest ways to disengage learners, particularly those who are below or above the level of instruction provided in the book.
2. Never teach just so students will pass the test. Is this the goal of a quality education? Will this prepare the learners for college and/or careers? Students and their parents are likely to develop negative feelings about school if they deem the purpose of school to be about the campus getting a high rating because a high percentage of students “passed” the test. Drilling on test practice worksheets or even saying “this is on the test” creates anxiety and ill feelings. Do we even need to mention “the test” if we are truly teaching the standards?
3. Never expect the parents to teach or re-teach content and processes. Most do not have degrees in education and professional development on research-based strategies. Parents do appreciate guidelines and structures for how to help their children with homework.
4. Never tell students that you don’t know why they have to learn this content or procedure, but it’s in the book (or curriculum, program, or on the test), so we just do. Relevance is critical for engagement. If you aren’t sure why you are teaching something or what the standard really means, discuss this with other professionals before you teach the lesson. I once heard a 5th grade teacher tell her students that she didn’t know why they had to learn partial sums, but it was part of the math program. As she taught the lesson, I was able to figure out what she was teaching, but 19 out of 19 students were unsuccessful during guided and independent practice. Every professional will have areas in the curriculum that needs more planning and understanding before delivering the instruction. Hopefully, you belong to a team who discusses and plans instruction together.
5. Never use the same lesson plans year after year. Units need to be revised and matched to the learners’ needs each year. This is where using assessment data will ensure that instruction is meaningful and matched to students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning styles.

Reference: The Art and Science of Teaching, by Robert Marzano, 2007, ASCD

Happy teaching,
Kelly Harmon