The Power of Consolidation at the End of a Lesson
One of the most impactful yet often overlooked moments in teaching is the consolidation phase at the end of a lesson. Consolidation is the process by which students pull together the knowledge and skills they have gained, making connections and deepening their understanding.
Athletes do this kind of thinking at the end of practice sessions. It’s a time of reflection and goal setting. They ask themselves “How am I doing? What do I want to remember? What are my goals for next time?
This critical step transforms learning from a series of activities into a cohesive, meaningful experience. Both Marzano’s strategies for reflecting and revising knowledge and Peter Liljedahl’s insights in Building Thinking Classrooms emphasize the importance of this practice as a way to ensure rigorous and lasting learning.
Frontloading content is an instructional strategy where teachers introduce key concepts, vocabulary, or background information to students before they engage with new learning material. This approach aims to prepare students by providing the necessary context and tools, enabling them to better comprehend and retain new information.
Are we stressed out? Every time I turn on the news, a new wave of fear and anxiety wash over me. We were forced into a "new normal" in our lives and schools. Many of our children are going through a lot of stressful situations and this impacts on their learning.
This new normal demands that we pay special attention to getting rid of the "bad" stress and creating "good stress" in learning situations.
I have worked with many reluctant workers throughout the years. There are certain neutral phrases that encourage students to work without causing them to react negatively. The concept is based on the model, Life Space Crisis Intervention. I train about this in my workshops, and teachers have frequently told me that this has been incredibly beneficial for them.
What are the steps that you use when coaching reluctant workers?
Sometimes when working with the parents of your students, things can get tense. I would like to offer some tips that have helped me throughout my years in education as a general and special education teacher, consultant, and administrator.
The COVID pandemic has disrupted many students’ connection to school and learning. Some students depend so much on school for their social interaction, for a lot of resources, and for just the comfort of something consistent. This is a difficult time to be a teacher AND a student. What steps can we employ to help students reconnect and stay connected to school?
Here are ideas that have worked for educators both in the classroom and on-line.
by Cindy Jones
My grandson, Charlie is thirteen and in 8th grade. He is a good student and generally likes school, but he has been diagnosed with ADHD and has problems with paying attention and organizational skills. The Covid 19 pandemic has made the problem much worse. Today, many students have increased frustration due to changes in school structure and instruction.
My daughter really wanted to help Charlie, but had no idea where to start. After some research, she discovered the book, That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, by Ana Homayoun. The author is a specialist who works with teenage boys who struggle with organizational and time management issues.
By Cindy Jones
Some students enjoy “pushing our buttons”. It is very entertaining for them when we lose our cool and get frustrated. So, when you are verbally intervening with a student, do not get into a power struggle.
By Cindy Jones
Students’ behaviors have changed a lot in the past ten years. Today’s educators need specific strategies to help keep students engaged and learning. These strategies, which are based on current brain research, also reduce boredom and acting out behaviors.
