Al Toolkit 2.0

THE GREAT TEACHER PROGRAM
ACTIVE LEARNING
A Toolkit for Teachers
2018
PHINMA EDUCATION
ACTIVE LEARNING:
A Toolkit for Teachers
The AL Toolkit is for the exclusive use of PHINMA Education faculty. No

part of the toolkit may be shared outside of PHINMA Education
by any means or in any form.
How
2
to Use This Toolkit
This Active Learning Toolkit is designed to support PHINMA Education teachers as they shift
from a teacher-directed, lecture-heavy teaching approach to a more student-centered, high-
engagement pedagogy. A growing body of evidence suggests that students learn and retain
more information when they are asked to engage it actively.
You will find in this toolkit more than 50 strategies that you can use in designing active learning
lessons for your students. Note that you are not limited to the strategies featured in this guide.
There are other effective AL techniques not included in this material. But the strategies featured
herein should be sufficient to help you immediately apply active learning practices in your
classes. If you are a new teacher, you will find the materials in this toolkit easy to understand
and to implement. If you are an experienced teacher, this toolkit offers you a variety of
techniques that you can incorporate in your teaching repertoire.
Each of the featured strategy is research-based, field-tested and applicable to most classroom
contexts. In addition, each teaching strategy addresses one or several items in the Teacher
Evaluation Rubric. This makes it easy for you to choose what strategies to apply based on your
coaching focus areas in the Rubric. Thus, this toolkit will help grow your practice as well as give
you a better chance of obtaining good evaluation ratings at the end of each school term.
It is our hope that with the help of this toolkit, you’ll be able to craft lesson activities that will lead
to better learning for your students.
We would greatly appreciate if you can give us feedback on the toolkit--how helpful and
effective the strategies are in attaining your teaching goals, what difficulties you encounter, and
what adaptation you made to fit a particular situation or meet a specific student need. Such
information will be very helpful to us in coming up with an improved version of this
material.
The Academics Team
ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT

Rubric Dimension addressed by the
strategy
Name of the strategy
Specific rubric
indicators addressed
by the strategy
Twitter-friendly
description of the
Contexts where the
strategy
strategy is applicable
Typical amount of time to

implement the strategy.
Adaptations of the
strategy may increase
implementation time
Implementation tips
What research says about the

effectiveness of the strategy
Primary reference
material for the strategy
Suggested implementation
procedure

List2 of Templates & Strategies
ACTIVE LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

• Drill Review Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
LESSON STRUCTURES • Face Off Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
• AL LP Template 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 • Homework Sharing Pairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
• AL LP Template 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 • Mastery Learning Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
• AL LP Template 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 • Numbered Heads Together . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
• AL LP Template 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 • Questioning Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
• AL LP Template 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 • Send-A-Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
• AL LP Template 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 • Buzz Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
• Analytics Teams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
PURPOSE • Forming Cooperative Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . 45
• Learning Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 • Structured Problem Solving. . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
• Performance Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 • Turn and Talk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
• Sharing Learning Targets . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 • Underexplain and Learning Pairs. . . . . . . . . 48
• Sharing Learning Targets Checklist. . . . . 12 • Choral Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
• Success Criteria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 • Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning. . . . . . 50
• Jigsaw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
ASSESSMENT FOR STUDENT LEARNING • Learning Cell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
• 3-2-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
• Reciprocal Teaching. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
• Minute Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
• Structured Academic Controversies. . . . . . . 55
• Muddiest Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
• Note-Taking Pairs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
• Response Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 • Rotating Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 57
• Classroom Assessment Techniques . . . . 18 • Roundtable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
• Formative Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 • Set of Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
• Providing Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 • Talking Chips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
• Student Self-Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 • Think-Pair-Share. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
• Wait Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY • Whip Around, Pass Option. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22 63
• Explanation Back Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• Guided Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT & CULTURE
• Review Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 • Attention Gathering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
• Test Taking Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 • Communicating Confident Authority. . . . . . 65
• Clear to Muddy Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 • Cushioning Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
• Learning Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 • Do Now. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
• Micro-Lecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 • Setting Procedures and Expectations. . . . . . 68
• Question Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 • Truth Signs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
• Cooperative Reading Groups . . . . . . . . . 31 • Using Risk Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
• Productive Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
• Reading for Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
• Teacher Role Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Strategy
Active Learning
WHAT? WHY ACTIVE LEARNING

Active learning is the process of having students engage in some More than a thousand individual studies
activity that forces them to reflect upon ideas and how they are provide evidence of active learning’s
using those ideas. (Greenwood Dictionary of Education) efficacy. According to research, the use of
active learning activities:
Active Learning is involving students in doing things and thinking
• increases students’ satisfaction
about what they are doing (Bonwell & Eison, 1991).
and positive attitude towards
“Active Learning is anything course-related that all students in a course material as well as their
class section are called upon to do other than simply watching, self-confidence and self-reliance
listening, and taking notes.” (Felder & Brent, 2009) • motivates students to be engaged
“Active learning engages students in the process of learning learners
through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to • increases content knowledge,
passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order critical thinking and recall of
thinking and often involves group work.” (Freeman et al, 2014) course content
• allows for inclusion of different
learning styles
HOW? • increases enthusiasm for learning
in both students and instructor
Most of the strategies in this toolkit are active learning strategies. • gets students involved in higher
order thinking
In “Active Learning in the College Classroom”, Faust and Paulson
(1998) presented a catalog of active-learning techniques that ranged
from listening practices to complex group exercises. Few of the
techniques are as follows:
• Active-Review Sessions - the instructor poses questions, and the students work on them in cooperative-learning
groups. Then the instructor asks students to share their solutions with the class, and all students discuss any
differences among their proposed answers.
• Pair share – students pair off and respond to a question either in turn or as a pair.
• Note Comparison/Sharing – after covering a crucial concept, the instructor stops presentation and have
students read each other’s notes, filling in the gaps in their own note taking.
• The Fish Bowl. At the end of the class (or at the beginning of the next class), students deposit their questions in
a fish bowl. The instructor then draws several questions out of the bowl and asks the class to answer them.
• Clarification Pauses - After stating an important point or defining a key concept in a lecture, the instructor stops
talking, lets the material sink in, and then (after waiting a bit) asks if anyone needs to have anything clarified.
• One-minute paper - Towards the end of the class, the instructor poses a specific question and gives students
one or two minutes to respond.
ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 1

Useful Resources to Learn More About AL
Bonwell, C. C., and Eison, J.A. (1991). Active learning: creating excitement in the classroom.
http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/hbcu/documents/active_learning_creating_excitement_in_the_classr
oom.pdf
Faust, Jennifer L., & Paulson, Donald R. (1998). Active learning in the college classroom. Journal on
Excellence in College Teaching, 9 (2), 3-24.
http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/lct/hbcu/documents/Active_Learning_in_College_Classrooms.pdf
Felder, Richard and Brent, Rebecca. (2009). “Active Learning: An Introduction.” ASQ Higher Education
Brief, 2(4).
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/ALpaper%28ASQ%29.pdf
Classroom activities for Active Learning (UNC Center for Faculty Excellence) -
http://cfe.unc.edu/files/2014/08/FYC2.pdf
What is Active Learning? (video 4:12) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDI6hDx5uI
Active Learning Classrooms: Everyone is engaged. (video 5:33) -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7xidmVt0uE
Active Learning using concept tests (Video 8:21) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wont2v_LZ1E
Active Learning with Dr. Richard Felder (Video 11:43, focus on 5:45-8:10) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J1URbdisYE&feature=youtu.be
Can I still cover my syllabus if I use active learning?

What’s the point of covering the syllabus if students will only have little knowledge of what was covered?
Students always will be better educated if we expose them to slightly less content but require them to
engage the material. Also, the instructor need not cover all of the material during class time; students can
be held responsible for covering some of it on their own.
Doesn’t it take too much time to prepare an active-learning course?

Preparation time will increase the first time an instructor teachers a course using AL techniques. However,
once he or she has developed AL strategies for a given course, they can be used each time the course is
taught. Also, some AL techniques require little or no added preparation time.
What if my students don’t like active learning?

Students who have been used to the lecture format might react negatively to active learning. But this is
only temporary. Their attitude will change as soon as they begin to experience the benefits of AL (e.g.,
they learn and retain more information).

Lesson Plan Template 1
Highlighting Independent Work
WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

This lesson plan structure provides time for students to learn A. Learning Target
independently both before and after the new lesson of the day. B. Success Criteria
C. Learning Activities
1. Immediate Work Assignment
2. Independent Homework Review
HOW? 3. Independent Tasks
4. Attention Gathering
The following is an example of how to implement this structure:
5. Quick Review
1. Immediate work assignment
6. Daily Lesson
As soon as students enter the classroom, they begin to work
7. Independent Tasks
on the posted Do Now task (see Do Now Strategy). While
8. Wrap Up
students are doing this, the teacher can take attendance and
perform other administrative tasks (2-3 minutes)
2. Independent homework review. This structure can be delivered in a
After finishing their Do Now task, students form pairs. With 50-minute or an 80-minute period.
their partner they compare answer to yesterday’s By extending the time students
homework (see Homework Sharing Pairs Strategy) or check spend on independent tasks, the
their work against the key (Homework Self-Correcting structure can accommodate a half-
Strategy). (3-5 minutes) day session.
3. Independent tasks.
As students finish their homework review, they work with worksheets to review and reinforce skills. They work
individually until the teacher calls the class together. (5-20 minutes)
4. Attention gathering.
The teacher calls the class together (see Hand-Raising Signal Strategy). She asks for two volunteers to read
what they wrote in the Do Now task. (see Set of Speakers Strategy). (2-3 minutes)
5. Quick Review.
The teacher asks five quick questions that review prior material. (See Review Test Strategy) (5 minutes)
6. Daily Lesson.
The teacher introduces the new material of the day (lecture-discussion, having students watch video clips,
using written material to present content, providing discovery-type experiences, etc.). At the end of the
lesson, the teacher asks students to write what they learned (see Outcome Sentences Strategy) (15 minutes)
7. Independent Tasks.
When students finish writing, they return to independent tasks. Provide students with list of options. (5-25
minutes)
8. Wrap up.
The teacher announces the day’s homework assignment and then has a few students report one of their
outcome sentences (See Whip Around, Pass Option). (3 minutes).
Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd ed.) VA: ASCD.
Utilizing the Spin-Off Procedure

This lesson plan structure moves quick learners into another A. Learning Target
activity when further direct instruction would no longer serve B. Success Criteria
those students. C. Learning Activities
1. Attention Getting
2. Daily Lesson
HOW? 3. Independent Tasks
5. Wrap Up
1. Attention Getting (2minutes)

The teacher asks voting questions (general-interest
questions to which students can respond by raising hands.)
This structure can be delivered in
2. Daily Lesson (10-15 minutes) a 50-minute or an 80-minute
The teacher introduces the new material of the day (lecture- period.
discussion, having students watch video clips, using written
material to present content, using peer tutoring, etc.).
3. Independent tasks. (30-55 minutes)

The teacher introduces the independent tasks and spins some students into that. (Procedure: Students who
feel they understand the lesson are given practice sheets and asked to move to a side of the room to begin
working on the sheets. The teacher instructs them to ask a friend for help should they have trouble or, if they
remained stuck, to go back to the group of students the teacher is teaching. When students finish answering
the sheets, they check with someone else who is finished to see if they agree on the right answers. Then they
do enrichment activities or independent learning assignments (see Independent Learning Assignment
strategy). (45-55 minutes).
Remaining students, on the other hand, are given more careful instruction on the daily lesson (Alternatively,
the teacher can pair up students with one of the fast learners for one-on-one tutoring). Anytime some
students are ready to move on, the teacher spins them off to work on independent tasks just as she did with
the first group. It is possible some students may not get to independent tasks during the class session.
4. Attention gathering to reconvene the group (see Hand-Raising Signal Strategy). (1 minute)
5. Wrap up. The teacher gives the day’s homework assignment and concludes by asking questions to assess
understanding (see Voting Questions to Assess Understanding). (4-5 minutes)
Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active

Learning: A Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd
ed.) VA: ASCD.
Discovery Learning

This lesson plan structure is built around discovery type lessons. A. Learning Target
In a discovery lesson, the teacher poses a problem and allows B. Success Criteria
students to puzzle on it before providing an answer. C. Learning Activities
2. Homework Review
HOW? 3. Problem Posing
4. Independent Puzzling
5. Group Puzzling
6. Whole-class Discussion/Instruction
1. Attention Getting (3 minutes)
7. Practice Problems
The teacher asks voting questions (general-interest
8. Wrap-up
questions to which students can respond by raising hands.)
Then she explains the learning targets and plan for the day
(see Lesson Agreement Approach). This structure can be delivered in a
2. Homework Review (5 minutes) 50-minute or an 80-minute period.
For a more complicated problem,
The teacher may use the Homework Self-Correcting
several discovery lessons may be
Strategy. The teacher assesses understanding (see Voting
needed for students to sufficiently
Questions to Assess Understanding). If students seem to be
explore it.
struggling, the teacher makes a mental note to
reteach/review the lesson in the near future (See Reteach
Review Strategy).
3. Problem Posing (2 minutes)
The teacher introduces to the class a new problem which becomes the focus of the lesson.
4. Independent Puzzling. (3-10 minutes).
The teacher asks students to think about the problem and make some notes or calculations. (See Question, All
Write Strategy). As soon as about five or six students have stopped writing, the teachers signals that the time
is almost up.
5. Group Puzzling. (10-20 minutes)
The teacher makes students form pairs for discussion. (See Rotating Pairs). The teacher goes around the room
observing students’ work and providing guidance when needed.
6. Whole-class discussions/instruction. (10-15 minutes)
The teacher asks for a few volunteers to share their solutions. Then the teacher leads students to discover why
each offered solution would or wouldn’t work (see Guided Discovery Strategy). Then the class decides which
are the best solutions.
7. Practice Problems. (5-10 minutes)
8. Wrap-up. (3 minutes) The teacher gives the homework assignment for the day. The teacher also leads the
students to reflect on the activity (See Like/Might Review strategy).

Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd ed.) VA: ASCD. ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 5
Learning Pairs

This lesson plan structure is built around these active learning A. Learning Target
strategies: Cushioning, Underexplaining and Learning Pairs. B. Success Criteria
2. Daily Lesson
HOW? 3. Learning Pairs
4. Whole Class Discussion/Instruction
5. Individual Practice
6. Wrap-up
1. Attention Getting (3 minutes)
The teacher gets students’ attention and explains the
learning targets and plan for the day (see Lesson Agreement
Approach).
Then she gives a cushioning question (“Why do you think it This structure can be delivered in a
would be OK with me if you made a mistake while learning 50-minute or an 80-minute period.
this?”) (see Cushioning Questions). The teacher discusses The time for the Learning Pairs
activity and Individual Practice can
this question very briefly.
be timed as appropriate.
2. Daily Lesson (5-10 minutes)
The teacher presents the lesson (she presents long enough
for at least half of the class understands the lesson).
3. Learning Pairs (5-10 minutes)
The teacher gets students in pairs. Each pair is instructed to help each other better understand the lesson and
to do some practice problems. (see Underexplain and Learning Pairs Strategy).
4. Whole Class Discussion/Instruction. (5-10 minutes).
The teacher asks students how they did, what they figured out, and what questions they still have. The teacher
follows up with discussion or explanation as appropriate. The teacher may use the Attentive Lecture or
Productive Discussion Strategy for this purpose.
5. Individual Practice (10-20 minutes)
The teacher asks students to work on their individual worksheets. She also instructs them to ask any classmate
for help if they get stuck (see Ask a Friend Strategy)
6. Wrap-up. (3 minutes)
The teacher leads the students to reflect on the activity (See Outcome Sentences or Like/Might Review
strategy).


Lecture-Share-Learn

This lesson plan structure builds around the attentive lecture A. Learning Target
strategy. B. Success Criteria
HOW? 2. Lesson Presentation-Attentive
Lecture
3. Group Work/Sharing
The following is an example of how to implement this structure: 4. Summarizing Main Points
1. Attention getting (3 minutes) 5. Whole Class Discussion
The teacher gets students’ attention and explains the 6. Wrapping Up - Student Reflection
learning targets and the plan for the day (see Lesson
Agreement Approach).
2. Attentive Lecture (10-20 minutes) This structure can be delivered in a

The teacher lectures briefly (3-5 minutes) and then pauses 50-minute or an 80-minute period.
to give students opportunity to digest the information. The time for attentive lecture should
During each brief pause, students are asked to write the key not go beyond 20 minutes in a 90-
ideas they have heard or any questions they may have. minute class.
When some students have finished writing, the teacher
resumes lecture, then pauses again after a few minutes to
allow students to make notes.
3. Group Work-Summarizing/Sharing Pairs. (5-10 minutes).
The teacher gets students in pairs. Students share with their partner a summary of what they heard, or what
they consider the important points, or any questions they may have. (see Sharing Pairs Strategy).
4. Summarizing Main Points (3-5 minutes)
The teacher summarizes to the whole class the main points of the lecture.
5. Whole Class Discussion (5-10 minutes)
The teacher asks students to share ideas, reactions, or questions. The Productive Discussion Strategy may be
used for this purpose.
6. Wrapping Up-Student Reflection (3-5 minutes)
The teacher makes the students write some key things they were able to get from the day’s session (see
Outcome Sentences). Then some students share what they wrote (see Whip Around, Pass Option).


Guided Practice and Review

This lesson plan structure is designed to help students develop A. Learning Target
skill and mastery of new and old lessons through different B. Success Criteria
review strategies. It is inspired by Rosenshine’s seven-step C. Learning Activities
direct instruction model. 1. Attention Getting
2. Quick Review
3. Guided Discovery
HOW? 4. Whole Class Instruction
5. Group Work – Learning Pairs
6. Review Test
1. Attention getting (1-2 minutes)
7. Wrapping Up - Student Reflection
2. Review (3-5 minutes)
The Choral Work or I Say Review Strategy may be used here
as students review previous lesson material.
3. Guided Discovery (5-20 minutes) This structure can be delivered in a
The teacher poses a problem to be solved from yesterday’s 50-minute or an 80-minute period.
lesson, with each student working alone. As soon as Group Work and Review Test
activities may be allotted more time
students begin to write their solutions, the teacher quietly
as appropriate.
writes the solution on the board. As students finish, they
check their own work by looking at what the teacher have
written. More problems are given if students need more.
i
The teacher dthenilposes a problem
d d the
that leads f students kinto new material. Students try to solve it while the
teacher quietly writes the correct solution on the board. The process continues in this way, with the focus on
students discovering solutions and practicing solving problems. Extended discussion is avoided to keep the
pace from lagging. The teacher continues in this process until she senses confusion or it is time to move on.
4. Whole Class Instruction (5 minutes)
The teacher works through a problem aloud, to model her thinking in solving the problem. (see Think Aloud
Strategy.)
5. Group Work – Learning Pairs (10 minutes)
Students pick a partner. Partners work together to answer a set of problems. If both partners understand, they
create new challenges for each other. Teacher circulates among students, providing help where needed.
6. Review Test (5-10 minutes).
The teachers leads students to a review and reinforcement of prior material. She asks students to solve five
problems that deal with old material. See Review Test Strategy for the procedure.
7. Wrapping Up- Student Reflection (2-3 minutes)
The teacher gives students a moment to assess their own learning processes and to share their assessments.
The Voting Questions Strategy may be used here.


Strategy
PURPOSE
Learning Target P1, P2
WHAT? SAMPLE LEARNING TARGETS

What you want your students to know and be able to do as a I can develop a formula for the sum of the
result of the daily lesson. interior angles of any convex polygon
I can solve a two-step equation using inverse

operations.
WHY?
I can create an effective thesis statement for a
The most effective teaching and the most meaningful student
persuasive speech that sums up what I want
learning happen when teachers design the right learning target
the audience to do, feel, think, or agree with.
for the day’s lesson and use it along with their students to aim
for and assess understanding. I can perform a historical investigation that
examines a part even to determine what
WHEN? happened, why it happened, and why people
still disagree about it to this day.
When designing every lesson.
I can explain the rationale for using learning
targets in daily classroom lessons.
HOW?
A learning target contains ALL the following characteristics. It must
• Describe exactly what the student is going to learn by the end of today’s lesson
• Be stated in developmentally appropriate language that the student can understand.
• Be framed from the point of view of a student who has not yet mastered the intended learning outcome
for today’s lesson.
• Be connected to and shared through the specific performance tasks designed by the teacher for today’s
lesson (what students will be asked to do, say, make, or write that will deepen student understanding,
allow students to assess where they are in relation to the learning target, and provide evidence of
mastery).
• Include student look-fors—descriptive criteria that students can use to judge how close they are to the
target, stated in terms that describe mastery of the learning target (not in terms that describe how the
students’ performance will be scored or graded).
Moss, Connie M., and Susan M. Brookhart. Learning Targets: Helping Students
Aim for Understanding in Today’s Lesson, ASCD, 2012.
McMillan, James H. Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective

Standards-Based Instruction, Pearson, 2007.
Strategy
PURPOSE
Performance Tasks P3
WHAT? DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERFORMANCE TASKS

A learning experience that deepens student understanding and A Performance Task may involve…
produces compelling evidence of where students are in relation • Grasping a new concept or term (e.g.,
to the learning target. weather front, government, integer).
• Demonstrating a discrete skill—a brief,
What will students do, say, make or write during today’s lesson to well-defined action that has a clear
deepen their understanding, aim for mastery, self-assess learning, beginning and end (e.g., Graphing a
and/or provide evidence of the student’s level of understanding. quadrating equation, shooting a free
throw, forming a contraction)
• Creating a complex product or
WHY? demonstrating a complex process (e.g.,
Every lesson needs a performance task to make the learning participating in a debate, creating a
target for the lesson crystal clear. A performance task enables PowerPoint presentation, writing a piece
both teachers and students to gather information and use it to of fan fiction.)
improve the quality of their work. • Using critical, creative, or self-regulatory
reasoning processes and thinking skills
to maximize the quality of a
performance or product.
WHEN?
Every lesson should a performance target connected with the
learning target and success criteria. Some performance tasks can be
accomplished in as fast as 3 minutes. Others
may take the entire class period.
HOW?
In designing performance tasks for a learning target, ask yourself the following:
• What task or activity will help my students to develop their thinking and provide opportunity to apply
their new knowledge?
• What will students need to do, make, say, or write to show that they understand the target, and how
well will they have to do it?
When introducing the lesson, you should explicitly share the learning target for the day and explain how each
of the tasks that are part of the lesson will lead students toward that target.
5D+ Teacher Evaluation Glossary

Strategy PURPOSE
P1, P4
Sharing Learning Targets & Success Criteria
WHAT? 4-STEP FRAMEWORK IN SHARING LT and SC

Conveying to students the destination for the lesson—what to This is one way of verbally sharing LT and SC. It
learn, how deeply to learn it, and exactly how to demonstrate employs a set of “starter prompts” that unpack
their new learning, using student-friendly language. the LT, performance task, and SC from the
student’s point of view.
WHY?
The four starter prompts are:
Students who have clear pictures of the learning target and of We are learning to…
the criteria for success are likely to also have a sense of what
they can and should do to make their work measure up to those We will show that we can do this by…
criteria and that goal. Students can meet goals only if they are
To know how well are learning this, we will
look for…
WHEN?
It is important for us to learn this because…
Throughout the lesson
For example, if the learning target is: “Students
will learn how to sequence the four main events
of a story.”, the teacher can say something like:
HOW?
“We are learning to put the four most important
 Before teaching, tell (e.g., write on the board) and show events of a story we read into the exact order
(e.g., sharing examples of student work) students what they happened in the story to answer the
they are supposed to be learning. Phrase learning question “What happened first, second, third,
targets in student-friendly language. Use examples of and last?”
student work or demonstrations as models. Present “We will show that we can do this by placing
criteria for success in forms that students can use, such pictures of the four important events from the
as rubrics and/or “I can” statements. story in the exact order we remember them
 During teaching and while students are working, remind happening.
students of the learning target. Provide feedback as “To know how well we are learning this, we will
students are working or on draft student work products. look for the match between the order of our
pictures and the sequence of events in the story
 After teaching, help students recall what they were
as we reread it.
aiming to do and how close they came. Guide students
to reflect on their learning.

Strategy PURPOSE
P4, P5
Sharing LTs & SCs Checklist
Self-monitor your practice of sharing learning targets and success criteria by using
this checklist.
□ Did you use a combination of the following communication modes to share the LTs and SC?
• Oral • Written • Displays • Demonstrations/modeling
□ Did you use one or a combination of the following formats to share the LTs and SC?
• Rubric • Contract • Checklist of • Anchor papers,
expectations & models or other
requirement exemplars of quality
□ Did you communicate the learning LTs and the CS:

• before instruction? • during instruction/ • at the conclusion of
ongoing? instruction?
□ Did you help the students to understand the LTs and SC by doing one or a combination of the following?
 Conducting discussion and review
 Discussing criteria, rubrics, checklists
 Showing student work, modelling responses, examining exemplars or anchors of quality
 Helping students apply the criteria to their own work or to a model
 Involving students in generating success criteria
 Providing feedback to students that focused on the LT and the SC
□ Did you engage the students in applying the SC through one or a combination of the following?
 Helping students compare their work to anchors or exemplars
 Helping students identify anchors or models based on the criteria
 Using rubrics, checklists, or other tools to assist in assessments of quality
 Helping students develop criteria for success
Moss, Connie M., and Susan M. Brookhart. Advancing Formative Assessment in

Every Classroom.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109031/chapters/Leveling-the-Playing-
Field@-Sharing-Learning-Targets-and-Criteria-for-Success.aspx

Strategy
PURPOSE
Success Criteria P4, P5
WHAT? SUCCESS CRITERIA CAN BE WRITTEN /

ORGANIZED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS
What it will look like if the student hits the learning lesson
target. Success criteria help students recognize if they have Through I CAN Statements:
been successful in their learning. While learning targets help • I can explain the concept of inertia in my
students answer the question “Where am I going?”, success own words.
criteria help students answer the question “How I am going?” • I can give examples of mammals and
examples of non-mammals.
WHY? • I can use the formula F=ma to solve
problems involving force, mass, and
The most significant benefits of success criteria are that they
acceleration.
can help to cultivate independent learners, provide effective
feedback and create confident students who contribute to Through I CAN Statements with checklist of
activities. When students have success criteria at hand, they steps or rules:
are more informed about how they will be assessed.
Consequently, they are better able to assess their own and I can find the area of an octagon by
others’ work to identify successes and areas for improvement. • Dividing an octagon into triangles and
rectangles
• Find the correct area of each triangle
WHEN? and rectangle and all the little areas
correctly
Every lesson should have success criteria connected with the
• Label the final area in square units
learning target.
Organized as a rubric:
HOW? I can write a piece of fan fiction according to the

descriptions in the rubric.
• Connect the success criteria to the learning target
and to the performance task Embodied in examples of good work:
• Success criteria should identify “look-fors” that are
specific enough to be applied by students to their I can write a descriptive paragraph that is as
learning good as this one because…
• They should describe, in language that students
understand, what successful performance looks Demonstrated through expert modeling of the
like. process:
I can give an informative speech just as well as

Moss, Connie M., and Susan M. Brookhart. Learning Targets: the [modeler of process] did because…
Helping Students Aim for Understanding in Today’s Lesson, ASCD,
2012.
Fink, S. & Markholt, A. Leading for Instructional Improvement:

How Successful Leaders Develop Teaching and Learning Expertise.
John Wiley and Sons, 2011.
ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
CAT: 3-2-1 A1, A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
This strategy provides a structure for students to record their own  Regular classes
comprehension and summarize their learning. It also gives teachers  Parallel classes
 All subjects
the opportunity to identify areas that need re-teaching, as well as
 Any class size
areas of student interest.  Most grade/year levels
2-3 minutes
3-2-1
Three things you learned:
1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________
Two things that you’d like to learn more about:

1. _____________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________
One question you still have:

1. _____________________________________________________________
Adapted from Teacher Toolkit. http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/uploads/documents/3-2-1_template_sec.docx
WHEN?
• As a check for understanding during any portion of the lesson
• During class discussions as a way for students to record their thoughts
• As a closing activity so that students can review what was learned in the lesson
• As an exit ticket at the end of the class period.
HOW?
• After the lesson, have each student record three things he or she learned from the lesson.
• Next, have students record two things that they found interesting and that they’d like to learn more about.
• Then, have students record one question they still have about the material.
• Review the students’ responses. You can use this information to help develop future lessons and determine
if some of the material needs to be taught again. .

ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
CAT: Minute Paper A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
Towards the end of the class, students are asked to use index cards  Regular classes
or half-sheets of paper to provide written feedback to the following  Parallel classes
 All subjects
questions:
 Any class size
1. What was the most important thing you learned during this class?  Most grade/year levels
2. What important question remains unanswered?

One minute
One-minute paper
1. What was the most useful or the most meaningful thing you leaned this session?
2. What question(s) do you have as we end this session?
Adapted from Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, by Angelo and Cross (1993)
WHEN?
Towards the end of the class. It may also be used at the beginning of the class to review the previous session.
HOW?
• Reserve a few minutes at the end of class session. Leave enough time to ask the questions, to allow
students to respond, and to collect their responses.
• Pass out slips of paper on index cards for students to write on. You may also ask students to bring out and
write on a half sheet of paper instead.
• Collect the responses as or before students leave. One way is to station yourself at the door and collecting
“minute papers” as student file out.
• Respond to students’ feedback during the next class meeting or as soon as possible.
• DO NOT use this method after every class or it will become monotonous and the information will not be as
useful.

ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
CAT: Muddiest Point A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
Students respond to this one question: “In today’s session, what was  Regular classes
least clear to you?” This technique will help you determine which key  Parallel classes
points were missed by the students.  All subjects
 Any class size
 Most grade/year levels
One minute
The Muddiest Point
In today’s session, what was least clear to you?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Adapted from Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, by Angelo and Cross (1993)
WHEN?
Towards the end of the class. It may also be used at the beginning of the class to review the previous session.
HOW?
• Reserve a few minutes at the end of class session. Leave enough time to ask the question, to allow students
to respond, and to collect their responses.
• Pass out slips of paper on index cards for students to write on. You may also ask students to bring out and
write on a half sheet of paper instead.
• Collect the responses as or before students leave. One way is to station yourself at the door and collecting
“muddiest point papers” as students file out.
• Respond to students’ feedback during the next class meeting or as soon as possible.
• DO NOT use this method after every class or it will become monotonous and the information will not be as
useful.

ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
CAT: Student Response Cards A1, A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
This strategy allows the teacher to perform a quick and easy check  Regular classes
for understanding while keeping the students actively engaged. At  Parallel classes
 All subjects
any point in the lesson, you can pose a question to your students and
 Any class size
rather than hearing from just one or two students, you get to see  Most grade/year levels
everyone’s answer.
3-5 minutes
WHEN?
• Throughout the input segment of the lesson to keep students engaged and check for understanding
• During independent practice to gauge understanding
• When playing a review game where students answer questions
• At the beginning of a lesson to activate prior knowledge
• At the end of a lesson to check for overall understanding of important concepts
HOW?
• Create a set of student response cards for each student. Cards can be created with index cards or colored
pieces of paper or cardstock. They can be labeled with answer choices, such as A, B, D, D, or color-coded,
such as green for yes and red for no. Put sets of cards in an envelope or punch a hole in the top left corner
of each card and attach cards with a ring or a string.
• Pose a question to the class regarding information just covered in your lesson. Have students hold up their
card with the corresponding answer to your question.
• Perform a quick scan across the classroom to see each student’s answer. This gives you an idea of who has a
grasp on the information presented and who does not.
“Student Response Cards.”

http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/student-response-cards

ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS) A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
CATs are easy-to-implement formative assessment strategies that
 Regular classes
provide feedback on whether or not students understand the lesson.
 Parallel classes
These feedback will help you make adjustments early enough to
 All subjects
make the teaching-learning process more effective.  Any class size
WHY?  At any point in the class period
When teachers use feedback obtained from results of CATs to

inform instruction (such as speeding up or slowing the pace of
presentation, explicitly addressing areas of confusion, providing
more examples, etc.), student learning increases.
Most CATs normally take 1-5
minutes only of class time and do not
require a lot of preparation.
WHEN?
You may use a specific CAT before, during, or after the lesson. Use them as frequently as needed, especially
when you need to gauge students’ comprehension prior to a major assignment or summative testing.
HOW?
• Start off simple by choosing a technique that easily fits your teaching style and classroom time limits.
Here are some of the more commonly-used CATs:
o Minute paper
o Muddiest point
o Chain notes
o Memory matrix
o Directed paraphrasing
o One-sentence summary
o Application cards
o Student generated test questions
• Don’t make students use/perform a CAT that you haven’t previously tried yourself.
• Don’t feel obligated to do a CAT every day. You’ll create information overload for yourself and “survey
overload” for your students.
• When you do any CAT, explain its purpose and your goal clearly to students.
• Report your findings to your students and let them know what you plan to do in terms of their feedback.

ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
Formative Assessment A3, A4, A5
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
Formative assessment (assessment FOR learning) is the
 Regular classes
collection of information prior to or during instruction, that can
be used by teachers to make instructional decisions and in-flight  Parallel classes
adjustments.  All subjects
 Any class size
WHY?  At any point in the class period
Regular use of formative assessment improves student learning,

especially of those students who are struggling. Some researchers
found that if teachers use formative assessments as part of their Most formative assessment
teaching, students can learn at approximately double the rate. strategies normally take 1-5 minutes only
of class time and do not require a lot of
preparation.
WHEN?
• Before a lesson (assessing student knowledge, understanding, misconceptions, or interests)
• During a lesson (checking for understanding every few minutes through observations, questioning,
quick review of work, etc.)
• After a lesson (assessing for student understanding or skill to help plan for future instruction).
HOW?
Here are SAMPLE formative assessment ideas:
Before a lesson
• Poll the class to gauge interest
• Give a quick quiz on the new skill or topic to see what students already know
• Use a K-W-L chart or identify misconceptions
During a lesson
• Confer with individual students
• Listen to a group or partner talk
• Ask students to write a question they have on a sticky note
After a lesson
• Collect an exit slip with student responses to a comprehension question
• Ask students to tell you something they found confusing in a lesson
• Review final projects to look for gaps that can be addressed in the upcoming lessons/units

Strategy
ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
Providing Feedback A4
WHAT? CHECKLIST FOR EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

Information provided to students about the accuracy of their □ Is it descriptive? (Ex., telling student
knowledge or performance. what is wrong and then making
suggestions for improvement)
WHY? □ Is it timely?
□ Does it contain the right amount of
Providing feedback is the single most important (and effective)
information?
way to improve student learning and to inform them about the
effectiveness of learning strategies they are using. □ Does it compare the work to criteria?
□ Does it focus on the work?
WHEN? □ Does it focus on the process?
□ Is it positive?
Feedback needs to come while students are still mindful of the
topic, assignment, or purpose in question. It needs to come while
□ Is it clear (to the student)?
they still have some reason to work on the learning target. □ Is it specific (but not too specific)?
□ Does its tone imply the student is an
active learner?
HOW?
• Feedback can be provided in a variety of ways—verbally, in written form, or by using audio and/or video
recordings.
• Feedback must be handled with care because it can also have a negative effect on student motivation
and learning. Simply assigning a “mark” or “grade” to a paper or piece of work provides no information
to students about what they know, the mistakes they made, or how to improve.
• Effective feedback is:
o Timely: provided as soon as possible after students have attempted to demonstrate their
understanding of particular knowledge or to perform a targeted skill
o Specific and corrective: For example, instead of saying an essay had too many misspelled words,
the exact words that were misspelled should be identified and in some instances corrected.
o Descriptive rather than evaluative: Descriptive feedback focuses directly on the learning task, is
specific and easily understood, confirms what is correct, identifies mistakes and misconceptions,
tells the learner how to improve and provides specific strategies and suggestions for next steps.
Evaluative feedback on the other hand is reported in letters, numbers, or other symbols; is
general; and tells the learner how they compare with others or to what was to be learned.
o Developmentally appropriate: Too much feedback or too sophisticated feedback, particularly
for younger or struggling students, can be overpowering.
Moss, Connie M., and Susan M. Brookhart. Advancing

Formative Assessment in Every Classroom: A Guide for
Instructional Leaders, ASCD, 2009 ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 20
ASSESSMENT FOR
Strategy
LEARNING
Student Self-Assessment A1, A2
WHAT? SUITABLE TO
Helping students set their own learning goals, monitor progress
 Regular classes
toward achieving these goals, and make adjustments in learning
strategies as required.
 All subjects
 Any class size
WHY?
Self-assessment can promote intrinsic motivation, a growth
mindset (e.g., belief that ability to learn new things is not fixed but
can be cultivated through effort and persistence), a mastery goal Self-assessment activities can
orientation (focusing on the task and what needs to be done to usually be completed in 2-4 minutes. Allot
improve knowledge and skill), and more meaningful learning. It time at the beginning of the semester to
also helps students become autonomous learners who take teach students how to self-assess.
responsibility for their learning.
WHEN?
Self-assessment activities should become part of the class routine. However, students should NOT be asked to
self-assess until they already have good understanding of the criteria for good work.
HOW?
• Teach self-assessment.
o Involve students in developing their own criteria or rubrics. You may also give criteria or rubric
to them.
o Students then use criteria or rubrics to assess their own work.
o Give students feedback on the quality off their self-assessments.
o Give students opportunities to practice self-assessment regularly.
• When students self-assess their work using rubrics, a helpful strategy is to have them use a highlighter
to highlight key phrases in the rubric that they think describe their work and then use the same color
highlighter to mark in their drafts the evidence that they have met the highlighted standard.
• A variation of the above strategy is for students to highlight in yellow the portions of a rubric that they
think describe their work and then turn the work in. The teacher highlights the same rubric in blue for
each student. Where the colors overlap, indicating student-teacher agreement, the highlight will be
green. Areas that are just yellow or just blue represent areas where students need to rethink their
understanding of the criteria. Or they may be areas that could inspire productive conversations
between teacher and student.
Moss and Brookhart (2013). Advancing Formative

Assessment in Every Classroom. A Guide for
Instructional Leaders. ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 21
CURRICULUM & PEDAGOGY
Strategy
CP3, CP4, CP5
Explanation Back-Off A4
WHAT? STRATEGY SUITED TO

When continuing an explanation would turn off more students  Regular classes
than it would help, backing off and doing something else  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
WHY?  Small and large classes (50 students)
To avoid turning off students who are having trouble

10-15 minutes
understanding an explanation.
The tendency of teachers is to keep explaining too long, which has two negative effects:
1. Boring those students who must sit and wait while the teacher keeps at it,
2. Raising the level of confusion or anxiety of those students who, for one reason or another, are not then
understanding, making it harder for them to grasp it.
WHEN?
After assessing students for understanding of the material presented
HOW?
Possible options to handle such situations:
• Pair up students, aiming to ensure that those who do not understand sit with someone who has at least
some understanding. Then ask all students to discuss the concept or to work on sample problems.
• Turn to another topic and make a mental note to do something later to help the students who don’t
understand.
• Divide the class into two groups, giving those who understand something else to do while you keep
working with those who don’t understand.
• Embed the concept in future whole-class lessons, as in your review statements or review tests, so the
concept is touched on at least briefly again.
• At another time, teach the concept to the class as if you never taught it before. The freshness will keep
those who already understand involved and will give those who didn’t understand earlier a new
opportunity to get it.
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A Complete

Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd Ed.). VA: ASCD

Strategy
CP3
Guided Discovery [Supports A1, A4, SE4]

Leading students through a set of practices that help them  Regular classes
develop deeper understanding and mastery  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
You can explain a process to a student. But it is often more

effective to pose questions that, little by little, lead students
from easy or familiar examples to a new understanding or an 10-15 minutes
advanced skill. This strategy involves all students in practicing
and mastering subject matter.
WHEN?
Deliberate practice sessions for mastery of lesson content
HOW?
• The teacher poses a question/problem and students try to answer it at their desks. While they do so, the
teacher writes/projects the answer on the board. Students look at the correct answer on the board and
check their answer. Extended discussion is avoided to keep the lesson focused on learning from
practicing. Then the teacher poses the next question/problem, and as before, correct work is displayed
so students can check themselves.
• Whiles students are working, the teacher tries to observe to get a sense of how well the students are
doing. If understanding is low, the teacher may insert extra explanatory comments or, better yet, strive
to make subsequent questions/problems easy enough so students do come to understand.
• In some cases, students who cannot grasp the correct procedure from the teacher’s examples might be
told they can ask a friend, or raise a hand for someone who understands to come over and assist them.
Or the teacher might find it better to shift, temporarily or completely, from this self-checking practice to a
strategy that involves more direct instruction, such as Underexplain and Learning Pairs.
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning:

A Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd Ed.).
VA: ASCD
Strategy
CP3, CP5
Review Test [Supports A1, A2]

Posing a set of review questions and having students write  Regular classes
answers and immediately check their work against the provided  Parallel classes
correct answer  Most Subjects
 Deliberate Practice/Independent
WHY? Student Work
This strategy is an efficient way to get students practicing and  Formative Assessment
clarifying learnings. Students enjoy the strategy. With every
review test, each student sees how much content has already
10-20 minutes
been learned. Even for content not quite mastered, each
student gets a chance to try answering questions without
feeling threatened.
WHEN?
After covering a lesson or a set of lessons. The challenge given to students is to answer correctly as many as
they can. Review tests can be an everyday routine.
HOW?
• Announce the question or write it on the board.

• As students begin to work on the problem or question, also work the problem on the board or
prepare to show/flash the answer. When students finish answering the question or problem, they
look up and see the answer you have written or flashed.
• Students check their work and make corrections if necessary.
• Announce or write the next question. The process continues for several questions/problems, all
without much discussion.

nd
Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2 Ed.). VA: ASCD

Strategy
CP3, CP5
Test-Taking Teams A2
STRATEGY SUITED TO
WHAT?
 Regular classes
Students prepare for a test in working groups, take the test  Parallel classes
individually, and then retake the test in their groups.  All subjects
WHY?
By working together to prepare for the test, students help each 30 minutes – 1 hour
other deepen their understanding of the content. Because each
student first takes the test independently, this technique
emphasizes individual accountability. By retaking the test as a
team, individual students benefit from the collective knowledge If you’re worried about the viability of this
of the group. approach, you can start experimenting with
quizzes. Here’s the procedure: Students take
Also, in most professional contexts, if someone needs an
the quiz individually, hand it in, and then
answer, consulting with others is almost always an option.
convene with a partner or a small group to
complete the same quiz again. Their individual
WHEN? grade is the average of their individual quiz score
When preparing students for an upcoming assessment and the group quiz score.
HOW?
• Ask students to form groups of four to six members. Consider a stratification method for forming groups
that will ensure that each team contains diverse or ability-balanced membership.
• Depending on the size and complexity of the material to be mastered, the groups may meet for fifteen
minutes, for a full class session, or longer.
• Administer the test for students to complete individually and to submit to the instructor for grading.
• Before returning the graded individual tests, ask students to rejoin their groups to reach a consensus on
the answers and submit a group response to the test. (The group test can be given in the same class
period, if time is available, or in the following period.)
o To encourage individual accountability and active discussion, these rules must be followed
 Each student must write some of the answers.
 All students must agree on every answer submitted.
• Consider weighting individual test grades and group test grades to determine grades for each student.
Weight scores as, for example, 2/3 for individual plus 1/3 for group.
Kapitanoff, S.H. (2009). Collaborative testing: cognitive and

interpersonal processes related to enhanced test performance.
Active Learning in Higher Education, 10(1), 56-70.
Strategy
CP4, CP5
Clear-to-Muddy Groups A4

Asking students to put themselves in one of three groups—  Regular classes
clear, buggy, or muddy—depending on how clear their present  Parallel classes
understanding is.  Most Subjects
To give students help at the level they need.

10-15 minutes
WHEN?
After introducing new lesson material. This strategy helps students master the content in a small-group work
format.
HOW?
• After introducing new material, ask: “How many of you would say you’re very clear about the topic we
just studied? Just raise your hand so I can get an idea.” “When we partly understand something, but
some things are still unclear, we could say that we’re buggy about that topic. How many of you would say
you’re buggy about what we just did in our lesson?” “How many of you would say you’re muddy about
our last topic?”
• Divide the class into three groups (clear, buggy, muddy). Ask each person in the “clear” group to pair up
with one of the “buggies” and to help them with a review sheet, or to move on to a challenge activity, or
to proceed to some other independent work.
• Once the “clear” and “buggy” groups are actively engaged, you would be free to meet with the “muddy”
group to personally reteach and review with them.


Strategy
CP3
Learning Sheets [Supports SE2]

Helping students to engage a reading by providing a question  Regular classes
sheet that guides and stimulates their learning.  Parallel classes
 Reading Subjects
 Content Subjects
WHY?  Most grade/year levels
This strategy enriches and individualizes the learnings students  Deliberate Practice/Independent
obtain from reading material. Student Work
WHEN?
Presenting new content/lesson using text/written 3-15 minutes for each Learning Sheet
material.
HOW?
Once Learning Sheets are distributed, students are free to work by themselves or in pairs or, perhaps, trios. The
teacher might walk around to help, or ask students with questions to come to the teacher’s desk. When students
finish a Learning Sheet, they might begin the next sheet in the series or they might move to a totally different
project or activity.
On the next page is an example of a short Learning Sheet.
• Find-Out Questions focus student attention on the basic data in the reading and pace the students
comfortably through the reading. Find-Out Questions are simple to answer, especially if they are listed in
the order that answers appear in the text.
• Larger Questions, which are answered after the reading is completed and the Find-Out Questions are
finished, direct more thoughtful attention to the reading. Questions in this part should be easy enough so
most students can experience success with all of them.
• Challenge Questions challenge even the best students to think harder and more broadly. This section is
designed to be optional.
Tips
• Use plenty of Find-Out Questions. Find-Out Questions lead to easy, rapid rewards, generating feelings of
success. Use one Find-Out Question for every paragraph
• Use questions that are already available.
• Appoint student helpers who will assist students who have trouble and, afterward, correct the first two
sections of completed Learning Sheets.

Sample Learning Sheet
A. Find-out Questions (required)

1. True or false? Jose Rizal was born in Cavite.
2. Rizal’s first poem was (a) “Nakamisa” (b) “A La Juventud Filipina” (c) “Sa aking mga kababata”.
3. Rizal finished his medicine degree at what university? ________________________
4. Rizal founded _______________ while he was in Spain in the year ___________.
B. Larger Questions (required)
1. What was Rizal’s purpose in writing the novel Noli Me Tangere?
2. Why did Rizal leave Japan when he was happy in that country and was in love with a Japanese girl?
C. Challenge Questions (optional)
1. To Jose Rizal, what is the most important contribution of every Filipino to his country’s progress?
2. Name three reasons why Rizal deserved to be the national hero of the Philippines.

nd

Strategy
CP3, CP5
Micro-Lecture

Lecturing only in portions students are likely to find easy to  Regular classes
handle  Parallel classes
 All subjects
WHY?
To keep all students attentive in lectures
Up to 5 minutes per micro-
lecture
WHEN?
Presenting new content/lesson
OUTCOME SENTENCES
After the presentation, you might say: “Please
reflect back on the discussion and see what you
HOW? can get out of it for yourself. Look at this chart I
posted. Write some sentences starting with, for
example, I learned . . . Or you might start by
• Speak for two to five minutes and then, before
writing, I was surprised . . . or I’m beginning to
moving on, pause to give students a brief opportunity
wonder. . . Or any other such sentence. “
to digest information.
• During the pause you might ask student to do any of
the following: • I learned . . .
o Write a summary of what they heard • I was surprised . . .
o Apply the information to a problem or • I’m beginning to wonder . . .
question • I rediscovered . . .
o Draw something or illustrate what they heard • I feel . . .
o Pair up and restate points that you made • I promise . . .
• If appropriate, move on and offer another micro-
lecture.
• After a series of micro-lectures, make students write
Then ask if any students would like to volunteer
Outcome Sentences and then to share those
to read one of their Outcome Sentences.
sentences in the class using an appropriate active
learning strategy.

nd

Strategy
CP3
Question Exchange A3

Asking students to write questions about material that was  Regular classes
studied and then to discuss each question with others.  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
 Small and large classes (50 students)
WHY?
8-10 minutes
This strategy effectively helps students master content in a
small group format.
Teach students to write 3 levels of questions:

WHEN? • Facts and details – Memory questions:
“At what temperature does water
As a quick review activity after a lesson presentation. freeze?”
After reading a text to assess student understanding. • Concepts and Generalizations – Thinking
questions: “In general, what factors
contribute to the outbreak of war?”
• Personal questions: “What is your view
of the federalism as a form of
government?
HOW?
• Ask students: “What questions do you still have about that material? Or what questions, if they came up
on a test, would not be entirely easy for you to answer? Write as many questions as you can in the next
few minutes?
• Then ask students to find a partner and take turns asking each other their questions.
• After a few minutes, reconvene the class with some voting questions to assess their understanding:
o How many of you found one or two questions that were interesting to you?
o How many found some questions challenging?
o How many feel they need more practice with this material?


Strategy
CP3
Cooperative Reading Groups [Supports SE2, SE3, SE4, SE5]

Teaching students a structure by discussing a reading in small  Regular classes
groups, with each student taking turns playing a different role in  Parallel classes
the group’s discussion. Process is similar to Literature Circle.  Content Subjects (English, History, Econ,
etc.)
WHY?
This strategy inspires and supports students to study readings
cooperatively and supportively. Allot enough time (1 class meeting) for
explicit instruction and modeling of the roles.
Independent reading time and cooperative

reading group work may take the entire class
WHEN? period.
Presenting new content/lesson using written material.
HOW?
• Assign a reading to the class.
• Make students work in small groups, usually fours. Student in each group decide who will play which role
(Leader, Summarizer, Connector, Quizmaster)
• Use the same group at least four times, so that students have an opportunity to rotate through the roles
and play all four.
• Explicitly teach the roles to students before the first round. Emphasize that all are to cooperate and assist
one another in the performance of individual roles.
• Cooperative Reading Groups often work best with minimal teacher involvement. You may, however,
choose to sit in on each group for a few minutes.
• All reading assignments are to be done by students independently, in or out of class. If reading is done in
class, make sure fast readers have something to do while waiting for the slower readers to finish.
• When it’s time to shuffle group membership, consider the playing card procedure: prepare a set of cards
and then pass cards outs. Four Aces sit together, four Queens sit together, etc.
• Conclude group meetings with a Review Test, so you can highlight parts of the reading you want to
emphasize, or a Productive Discussion, so you can conveniently add your thoughts on the reading.

Handout for Cooperative Reading Groups
Leader – keeps group on task. Responsible Summarizer - Starts the group’s work by
for… offering a summary of the reading. This
• Starting meetings promptly summary might include the use of…
• Keeping track of time during meetings • An outline
• Making sure everyone participates • Chart
• Reminding students that they should • Pictures
support one another • A dramatization of part of the material
• Improvising the role of any absent group • A review of important, interesting, or
member unusual sentences
• Making sure all know the reading and their • Any combination of the above
individual roles for next time, if a long
reading is involved
Connector – Notes connections to other Quizmaster – Creates 5-10 questions based on

material, such as… the reading and conducts a brief oral quiz. This
• Previous lessons quiz might include…
• The outside world • True/false questions
• Personal experiences, feelings, or thoughts • Multiple choice questions
• Other people, places, events • Fill-in-the-blank questions
• Any combination of the above • Flashcards with words to identify, or events
to sequence
• Opinion questions that fuel a group
discussion
• Any combination of the above


Strategy
CP3
Productive Discussion [Supports SE4, SE5]

Continuing a class discussion only as long as all students are  Regular classes
productively engaged  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
 Whole Class Discussion
To keep all students involved in whole-class discussion
10-15 minutes
WHEN?
Whole-class discussion of:
• Content covered during a micro-lecture or a video clip
• Material read for homework or assigned during class
• Outcome sentences written by students
HOW?
• Rule 1: Continue discussions only as long as most students remain fully and actively engaged. As soon as
some students become inattentive, shift to a different activity.
• Rule 2: Do not assume that discussions stimulate thinking or advance understandings. Discussions often
do not serve either goal.
• Discussions almost always work best as a part of a more varied lesson
• Some ideas for improving discussions:
o Use discussions mainly as a brief transition or concluding strategy. You may use it to give
feedback about how much students have learned or as a time for students to summarize and
share their current understandings.
o Create a list of provocative topics
o Appoint a student discussion leader. It is often easier to detect restlessness or boredom when
you observe from the sidelines
o Use visuals
o Maximize eye contact. Make frequent eye contact with students in the back of the room. Walk
around the room during discussions.
o Use small groups instead of the whole-class format.


Strategy
CP3, CP5
Reading for Task [Supports SE2]

Giving students a task that requires them to read thoughtfully  Regular classes
 Reading Subjects
 Content Subjects
You are likely to inspire higher engagement with reading
 Deliberate Practice/Independent
material if you ensure that students have a clear purpose for Student Work
the reading.
WHEN? 10-15 minutes

Presenting new content/lesson using text/written
material
HOW?
Assign a written material for students to read. Then clearly describe the task they need to do. This task might be
to:
• Write a summary. • Illustrate the turning point.

• List main characters and give traits for • Create a time line of key events
each. • Write definitions for key terms
• Construct an outline • Make a graphic organizer
• Answer the review questions • Categorize elements in a way that makes
• Create a list of questions and answers sense to you.
about the material • Write a song about the material
• Write a list of possible applications or • Prepare a skit based on the material
uses of the material covered • Draw a cartoon
• Prepare a chart of good and poor • Plan a poster or model
examples, or right and wrong uses. • Write a poem sparked by the material
• Write a newspaper ad, a news story, or a
feature story
You might also consider providing time for student to share their work in pairs, or asking them to write all such
work in a reading log.

nd

Strategy
CP3, CEC4
Teacher Role Play Supports SE3, SE4, SE5

Asking students to work individually to learn something and  Regular classes
then to role-play being a teacher who teaches that material to  Parallel classes
others.  Most Subjects
Providing all students with the chance to teach part of the

10-15 minutes
course content to others will help them attain mastery of the
content.
WHEN? To prepare students for the role-play, discuss

Presenting new content aspects of good teaching, such as
Studying a reading material • Maintaining eye contact
• Listening without interrupting
• Asking questions politely
• Complimenting their “students” for a
job well done
HOW?
• Assign the same reading to all students. Tell them to learn the material well enough to teach it to another
student.
• Pair up students. Give each student, say, 10 minutes to teach the material to their partners, who are to
pretend that they have not yet studied it themselves—a role most students fully enjoy playing.
• Use the strategy almost every day, perhaps to lead students through a careful study of a textbook.
• Have only one student in each pair role-play being a teacher on any particular day. The second day the
strategy is used, have the second student role-play being the teacher.
• Rather than announcing in advance who will be the teacher in the pair for the day, flip a coin each time
you use the strategy, adding some suspense to the procedure.
• Conclude the class, or begin the next class, with a Review Test that covers the material just studied.
• Follow up a teacher role-play event by giving your own perspectives on the reading or lesson of the day
and discussing students’ outstanding questions.


STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Drill Review Pairs A3, CEC4
STRATEGY SUITED TO
WHAT?
 Regular classes
A drill and practice technique involving two pairs of students  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
 Deliberate Practice; Review
WHY?
 Formative Assessment
Provides immediate reinforcement of any concepts or  Preparation for Summative Assessment
methodologies presented
10-15 minutes
WHEN?
After presenting content or during a review session
HOW?
• Group four students together as two pairs.

• Student A reads the first problem and explains step by step the procedures and strategies required to
solve it. Student B checks the accuracy of the solution and provides encouragement and coaching if
needed.
• Roles switch for the second problem (i.e., Student B solves the second problem and explains step by step
the procedures and strategies required to solve it. Student A checks the accuracy of the solution and
provides encouragement and coaching if needed.)
• When two problems are completed, the pair checks their answers with the other pair in their group. If
they do not agree, they resolve the problem until they reach a consensus about the answer. If they do
agree, they thank each other and continue work in their pairs.
• The teacher can structure individual accountability by randomly picking one member of randomly
selected pairs to explain how to solve a randomly selected problem.
Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K.A. (1998). Active

Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom. Edina, MN:
Interaction Book Company.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE3, SE4, SE1
Face-Off Game A1, A4

 Regular classes
Asking questions to students sitting in pairs, with each person in
the pair representing a different team
 Most Subjects
WHY?  Deliberate Practice; Review
This strategy energizes students for a review of material.
 Preparation for Summative Assessment
WHEN?
10-15 minutes
When helping students master content in a whole-class
format
HOW?
• Step 1: Create pairs. Each pair should consist of students of roughly the same ability. Designate one
person in each pair as representing Team A, the other Team B. Post a list of pairs or tell all students who
their partners are. Ask students to sit in those pairs during Face-Off games, so each will have someone
with whom to “face off”.
• Step 2: Establish team identities. Have the A’s and B’s to meet separately to choose their own team
names. Aim to foster camaraderie within the two teams.
• Step 3: Play the game. Pose a question that has one right answer. After posing the question, ask all
students to write an answer. Give the correct answer and have the pairs quickly check the answers they
both wrote.
• Step 4: Score and tally points. If one person in a pair wrote the correct answer and the other did not, a
point is given to the team of the correct student. If both students are correct or both are incorrect, it’s
called a “draw” and no points are scored. After each question, call out, “People scoring points for Team A
(or whatever the team is called), please raise a hand.” Those students are counted, perhaps by two
students whom you designated as the “counters” of the day. Team A’s points are recorded, and the same
procedure is used to record points for Team B.
• Step 5: Acknowledge the winners. At the end of the game, give the winning team some sort of simple
recognition, such as “Today’s winner is Team A. Now let’s all give ourselves a hand for a game well
played!” Keep the pace quick throughout, with the emphasis on reviewing subject matter, not on tallying
points.


STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE3, SE5
Homework Sharing Pairs A1, CEC2

 Regular classes
Asking students to pair up and share completed homework.
 Most subjects
WHY?
 Any class size
To maximize academic learning and advance self-responsibility  Formative Assessment
3-5 minutes
WHEN?
Processing homework assignment at the beginning of
the class session
A supporting strategy is HOMEWORK SELF-
CORRECTING.
HOW? • This is for homework that involves
right/wrong answers.
• Step 1: Ask students to pair up in class and compare • The teacher can post answer keys or
their homework. If the homework involved write correct answer on the board or an
right/wrong answers, those answers are posted at the overhead projector, or by having
outset. designated students read the correct
answers.
• Step 2: Tell students to teach each other when one • No explanations of the answers are
person in the pair understands more than the other, necessary. Teacher tells students that if
and when both are unsure, they are to ask another they got some wrong answers and want
pair for help. some explanation, they ask a neighbor
for help.
• Step 3: If a pair is finished and time still remains, they • To acknowledge student work and to
can create new questions for each other. gauge the level of class understanding of
the material, so the teacher knows how
much reteaching/review is necessary,
ask “How many of you have questions?”
(NOT “Any questions?”) or “How many
would like to move on and come back to
this topic another time?”.
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

nd
Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2 Ed.). VA:
ASCD

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE3, SE4
Mastery Learning Game A3

 Regular classes
Asking review questions in a gamelike setting without keeping
score.
 Most subjects
 Review/Mastery lesson
This strategy encourages risk taking and teamwork without

inviting unhealthy competition. 15-20 minutes
WHEN?
When helping students master content in a whole- • Keep the pace quick to heighten
class format.
the sense of fun.
• Prepare the game questions
HOW? yourself.
• Encourage camaraderie by asking
teams to create names for
Create small teams (2-4 members). Once the students are themselves.
organized: • Avoid excessive competition. The
1. Pose a question. Each student, working alone, then write an goal is to gain satisfaction not from
doing better than other groups,
answer.
but from playing the game well.
2. Teams choose an answer. Students collaborate within their
teams to choose what they believe is the best answer. This • Consider having someone keep
gives some students an opportunity to learn the material. It score for each group, yet
gives all students opportunity to relate productively with downplay the importance of
peers and build community. winning.
3. Give a warning signal (e.g., “Five seconds remaining”) to • Have a mini-celebration at the end
alert students that collaboration time is ending. of the game by leading a round of
4. Randomly call on one person. The student can pass or applause for everyone, a desk tap
respond. If the student gives the correct answer, offer the for all, or high-fives all around.
group, not the individual, some positive feedback (“Good
job, group.”). If the student gives an incorrect answer,
announce the correct answer and simply continue the game
by asking the next question. If the student passes, simply
announce the correct answer and move to the next
question.
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2016). Inspiring Active

Learning: A Complete Handbook for Today’s
nd
Teachers. (2 Ed.). VA: ASCD 39
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE1, SE3, SE4, SE5
Numbered Heads Together A3

 Regular classes
Team members work together to answer a problem/teacher
question but only one member is called to give or explain
 Most subjects
answer.
 Any class size
WHY?  Formative Assessment
This method promotes positive interdependence and individual
accountability. 15-20 minutes
Teacher questioning during whole-group instruction is a key

method that instructors use to monitor student understanding
of content. It is important students are allotted sufficient wait
time when formulating responses. Numbered Heads Together If you are using groups of 4 but one group has
requires teachers to offer this wait time and offers an only 3 students, have student #1 also be #4. If
opportunity to provide feedback to students as they are one group has an extra student, let two students
working and as answers are given. share a number and answer together if their
number is called.
WHEN?
As a formative assessment activity or review.
HOW?
o Place students in teams of four.

o Assign each student a number so that each team has a number 1, a number 2, a number 3, and a
number 4.
o Pose a thought question or problem, and allow a few minutes for team members to put their
heads together to discuss and come to an agreement.
o After students have discussed, call out a number. Students with that number stand.
o The students standing are the speaker for their team.
o Depending on the question or problem and the time available, some or all of the students
standing may be called to answer.
Kagan, S. (1989). “The structural approach to cooperative learning.”

Educational Leadership. 47(4): pp. 12-15

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE1, SE5
Effective Questioning A3

A teaching strategy for increasing student engagement,  Regular classes
developing critical thinking, assessing what students know,  Parallel classes
understand, and are able to do  All subjects
 All grade/year levels
WHY?  Any class size
Teaching which includes posing questions during lessons is
more effective in producing achievement gains than instruction
carried out without questioning students. Depending on number of questions and
time allotted for discussion/
formative assessment.
WHEN?
At any point in the lesson.
• Keep questions brief and clear. Avoid asking long, complex questions.
• Avoid yes/no questions. Ask “why” and “how” questions that lead students to try to figure out things for
themselves
• Ask focused questions
Broad: “What about the fall on the Berlin Wall?”
Better: “How did the reunification of Germany affect European economic conditions?”
• Avoid leading questions
Poor: Why can’t we use the chi-square test here? Is it because the cells are too small?”
Better: Why can’t we use the chi-square here?
• After you ask a question, wait silently for an answer (See the “Wait Time” module).
• Ask questions that require students to demonstrate their understanding
• Structure your questions to encourage student-to-student interaction
Example: John, could you relate that to what Mary said earlier?”. Be prepared to help John recall
what Mary said.
• Draw out reserved or reluctant students.
• Reinforce student responses by making positive statements and using positive nonverbal communication
(e.g., smiling, nodding, maintaining eye contact, etc.)
• When initial response of students is superficial, probe students to get them more involved in critical
analysis of their own ideas.
• When a student provides a response that appears out of context, encourage the student to tie her
response to the content being discussed.
“Asking Questions to Improve Learning”. The Teaching Center.

Washington University at St. Louis.
http://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/teaching-methods/ ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 41
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE4, SE5
Send-A-Problem CEC2, A3

 Regular classes
Student teams participate in a series of problem solving rounds,
and then evaluate alternative solutions offered by the different
 Most subjects
groups.
 Small and large classes
WHY?
Send-A-Problem nurtures collaborative problem solving and
related thinking skills. The process encourages creativity in 10-20 minutes
problem solving and emphasizes the value of different
perspectives.
WHEN?
After content presentation to check for understanding or provide practice for mastery.
As review activity at the beginning of the class or during lesson to prepare for assessment.
HOW?
• Each member of a group generates a problem and writes it down on a card. Each member of the group
then asks the questions to other members.
• If the question can be answered and all members of the group agree on the answer, then that answer is
written on the back of the card. If there is no consensus on the answer, the question is revised so that an
answer can be agreed upon.
• The group puts a Q on the side of the card with the question on it, and an A on the side of the card with
an answer on it.
• Each group sends its question cards to a second group.
• Each member of the second group takes one question from the stack of questions and reads one
question at a time to the group. After reading the first question, the group discusses it. If the group
agrees on the answer, they turn the card over to see if they agree with the first group’s answer. If again
there is consensus, they proceed to the next question. If they do not agree with the first group’s answer,
the second group write their answer on the back of the card as an alternative answer.
• The second group reviews and answers each question in the stack of cards, repeating the procedure
outlined above.
• The question cards can be send to a third, fourth, or fifth group, if desired.
• Stacks of cards are then sent back to the originating group. The sending group can then discuss and
clarify any question.
Send-A-Problem https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/
Collaborative Learning Structures and Techniques
https://www.gdrc.org/ ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 42
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE4, SE5
Buzz Groups

Students discuss course-related questions informally in small  Regular classes
groups of peers.  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
 HS, Tertiary levels
WHY?  Assessment of Prior Knowledge
This technique generates lots of ideas quickly to prepare for and

improve whole class discussion. 5-10 minutes
WHEN? Instruct students to:

Before class discussion; when introducing a new topic; or
when assessing students’ prior knowledge or beliefs about • Accept all ideas without judgment
the topic • Write down all ideas as they are being
mentioned.
• Generate ideas quickly
HOW?
• Teacher preparation
o Construct one or more question prompts that are more conceptual than factual. Determine the
amount of time for the activity and how the students will report their answers.
• Steps
o Form groups
o Announce question prompts and time limit.
o Ask the group members to exchange ideas in response to the prompts.
o Check the groups to make sure that they are active and on topic.
o Ask the students to return to whole class discussion and restate the prompts.
Barkley, E.F., Cross, K.P. & Major, C.H. (2005). Collaborative

Learning Techniques. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE4, SE5
Analytic Teams CEC4, CEC5

Team members assume roles and specific tasks when critically  Regular classes
reading an assignment, listening to a lecture, or watching a video.  Parallel classes
The roles might include a summarizer, proponent, and critic.  Most Subjects
WHY?
This technique breaks down processes we expect individual
students to engage in when critically reading, listening, or 15-30 minutes but can easily extend to
viewing into several specific tasks that are then distributed an hour.
among different individuals or teams. This division of labor
allows students to concentrate on learning and performing one
aspect at a time of these complex critical thinking processes and to see how recombining the different tasks
through group work can contribute to their understanding and learning.
WHEN?
After lesson content presentation.
HOW?
• Form student groups of four or five, assigning each individual in the team one of the following roles:
o Summarizers – Prepare a summary of no more than seven most important points
o Questioners-Prepare at least three substantive questions about the material
o Proponents-List at least three points you agreed with and state why
o Critics-List at least two points you disagreed with or found unhelpful and state why
o Example givers-Give at least three examples
• Make sure that students understand the purpose of the exercise and the intended outcomes.
• Present the lesson content, show the video, or assign the reading. The actual listening, viewing, or
reading can take place in or out of class or, in some cases, online.
• Give teams some class time to prepare to present their analyses, whether as oral or written
presentations. Again, these can be done online. Specify and limit what each team will be responsible for
presenting, to avoid unhelpful repetition. Assign clear time/length limits.
• Follow up group presentations with individual assignments that build on and extend this exercise.
Angelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. Classroom Assessment Techniques:

A Handbook for College Teachers. 2nd Edition. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 1993.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE4, SE5
Forming Cooperative Groups CEC2

 Regular classes
Selecting the smallest group size feasible for learning, preferably
pairs. Then asking students to select their own group members
 Most subjects
and assisting them in doing so only as necessary.
WHY?
• Using the smallest possible group size maximizes active
Forming cooperative groups should be
learning.
routinized.
• Self-selection is efficient – once students learn how to
handle it, they form groups quickly, and the teacher needs to be involved only occasionally, as when one
person remains without a group.
• Self-selection also helps students learn how to take initiative in social situations.
WHEN?
When using small groups for a learning activity.
HOW?
• Use pairs whenever possible. When an odd number of students are involved, form one trio. Pairs
maximize participation. Each person is either talking or being talked to. Pairs are also less noisy than
larger groupings (two students can sit close together and hear easily).
• When a task calls for much creativity or many different perspectives or the solution to a hard problem,
two students may not have enough resources. In such cases it is often better to use groups of three or
four. Because the goal is to maximize student involvement, however, groups of three are preferable to
groups of four. Groups larger than four usually lead to much passive participation.
• Give students a structure for group formation to mix students and to create variety in grouping.
o Pair up within categories (Ex., Pairing up with someone born on the same month or zodiac sign)
o Count-off procedure
• One possible problem that you might encounter is slower students sitting together and cannot do some
of the academic work even when they try. Although you might ask such students to pick different
partners in the future, you might simply instruct them to ask other groups for help whenever they feel
stuck. The quicker students usually feel honored with such requests for help. You many find, too, that
the issue tends to vanish as the group climate grows more secure and cooperative.
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning:

A Complete Handbook for Today’s Teachers. (2nd Ed.).
VA: ASCD ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 45
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE3, SE4, SE5
Structured Problem Solving CEC2, CP3

Students work together as a team to apply knowledge and skills  Regular classes
to a practical problem.  Parallel classes
 Problem Solving Lesson (Math, Social
Science, Economics, Ethics, etc.)
WHY?  Small and large classes
This strategy helps students divide problem-solving processes
into manageable steps so that students learn to identify,
analyze, and solve problems in an organized manner. 10-30 minutes
WHEN?
After lesson content presentation and during deliberate practice portion of the lesson.
HOW?
• Present students with a complex problem to solve. It may require background reading or Internet or
other research.
• Provide steps students can use to solve the problem, such as the Dewey Six-Step Technique: (a) Identify
the problem; (b) Generate possible solutions; (c) Evaluate and test the various solutions; (d) Decide on a
mutually acceptable solution; (e) Implement the solution; (f) Evaluate the solution
• Form student teams. Allow students to ask questions about the process of the activity.
• Teams work to solve the problem.
• Teams present the solutions to the class, describing their process, including obstacles or missteps
required to resolve the problem.
Barkley, E., Cross, P., and Major, C. Collaborative Learning Techniques:

A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,
2005.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Turn and Talk CEC2

 Regular classes
Students turn to talk partner/s to – find out, summarize, clarify,
share ideas, point of view or opinions
 All Subjects
Develops the ability to think about what one knows, and to
articulate ones ideas in ways that other people can understand.
2-4 minutes
Gets at least 50 per cent of the students talking in a given
lesson.
WHEN?
• As a warm-up activity to discuss previous lesson or homework assignment
• After five to seven minutes of oral or written input, to help student process what they have just heard or
read
• During class discussions as a way for students to discuss ideas before sharing them with the class
• As a closing activity so that students can review what was learned in the lesson
• As a clarification tool for a complex problem or new guiding question posed by the teacher
HOW?
• Step 1: Pose a question or prompt for students to discuss and tell them how much time they will have.
One to two minutes of discussion time is ideal.
• Step 2: Have students turn to a specific partner (students facing in front of each other, students seated
next to each other, etc. can be partners.) Partner assignments should be set up beforehand so that
students can quickly and easily pair up.
• Step 3: Set a timer for the allotted time, and have students begin discussing the assigned question or
prompt. When the time is up, ask partners to share out thoughts and ideas from their discussion.
Millis, B. J., and Cottell, P. G., Jr. (1998). Cooperative learning for higher
education faculty, American Council on Education, Series on Higher
Education. The Oryx Press, Phoenix, AZ.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE3, SE4, SE5
Underexplain and Learning Pairs CEC2

 Regular classes
Explaining material briefly, so only some students understand it,
then asking pairs to work together to help each other more fully
 Most subjects
This strategy helps maximize thoughtful involvement and  Formative Assessment
minimize student frustration. Teachers tend to overexplain.
15-40 minutes
Explaining something several times results to:
• boredom for students who understood the first
explanation or who understood before the lesson The following lesson structure may be
even began followed:
1. Whole class instruction (5 mins)
• boredom for the students who cannot concentrate
2. Individual work (3 mins). Students check their
on one topic too long, some of whom are known as
work by looking at the answers on the board
“slow” students. provided by the teacher.
• boredom for students who do not learn well from 3. Learning Pairs (10 mins). Teacher gives more
any teacher explanation, the ones who need to problems. Students first work on them alone,
discover things for themselves, often from hands-on then with a partner. As students begin to
experiences. work, the teacher also starts working the
problems on the board, so anyone can get
help whenever it is needed.
WHEN?
4. More practice. Teacher gives feedback.
When students are learning new content Teacher gives more challenging problems.
Students work alone then compare with
partner.
HOW?
• Explain until only about half the students understand. Then put students into pairs to check and teach each
other, or to create new problems for each other. Leave students in these pairs for a fairly brief time (1-3
mins)—not so long that confused students feel stuck in their confusion and students who understand feel
bored. Then bring the class together and repeat the cycle, raising the level of challenge if students are ready
for that.
• Don’t prod students who are slow to get started. Instead, move the lesson along quickly and give enough
easy examples so students can experience success and will naturally want to be involved.
• Let students select their own partners. Doing so helps students develop self-responsibility. Help only those
students who do not find partners by themselves.
• Use this strategy often enough so students understand that the teacher fully expects them to be able to
think and learn on their own and fully expects them to be able to support and help one another.

nd
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4
Choral Work CEC3
STRATEGY SUITED TO
WHAT?
 Regular classes
Flashing a series of cards to which a class responds in unison  Parallel classes
 All Subjects
 Drills for automaticity
To get students to memorize material effortlessly and heighten
class energy
2-3 minutes
WHEN?
At any point during the class.
You can use Choral Work with any material you want students to memorize effortlessly: chemical symbols,
geography facts, definitions, math facts and formulas, names of laboratory apparatuses, etc.
HOW?
• From time to time, reintroduce old cards to reactivate and deepen prior knowledge.
• Keep the cards turning. Don’t worry if some students do not know the information or say it incorrectly.
Repeating the same cards on many days will produce mastery. Likewise, don’t worry if some students
already know the information. If the pace is quick, all will enjoy being part of the group.
• Maintain group energy. Occasionally say, “Say it with power,” “A little more energy please.”
• Distinguish energy from loudness. When the noise level needs to be modulated, demonstrate the
difference between a soft, powerful voice and a week, thin voice.
• Vary the volume
• Use visuals and color. Pictures and color facilitate memory for many students. Consider adding simply
sketches on cards or using different-colored markers on different cards.

nd

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE3, SE4, SE5
Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning CP3

 Regular classes
Providing students with higher order open-ended questions to
generate a focused discussion in a small group setting. The
 Most Subjects
questions are generic prompts students use to generate
specific content-based questions.
WHY?
To generate discussion among student groups about a specific 10-20 minutes
topic or content area
WHEN? SAMPLE QUESTION STEMS

After the presentation of lesson content
Explain why _____?
Explain how _____?
What is the meaning of ________?
HOW? Why is ______ happening?
What is the main idea of ________?
What is the solution to the problem of _______?
• Teacher conducts a brief lecture (10-15 minutes) on What if ______ ?
a topic or content area. Aside from lecturing, the What conclusions can I draw about ______?
teacher may assign a reading or viewing assignment What is the best ______ and why?
as well. What do you think causes ________? Why?
• Teacher provides a list of open-ended questions. How does ______affect ________?
• Students work individually to write their own How does ____relate to what I’ve learned before?
What is the difference between _____and ______ ?
questions based on the material being covered.
How are ______ and _______ similar?
• Students do not have to be able to answer the
How would I use ____ to ______ ?
questions they pose. This activity is designed to What are the strengths and weaknesses of _____?
force students to think about ideas relevant to the What is another way to look at ______?
content area. What is a new example of ________?
• Students should use as many question stems as What would happen if __________?
possible. What are the implications of __________?
• Grouped into learning teams, each student offers a Why is ______important?
question for discussion, using the different stems. How does ________ apply to everyday life?
Collaborative Learning Structures and Techniques, University of Texas

Teaching Resource Center
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE3, SE4, SE5
Jigsaw CP3

 Regular classes
Students develop knowledge about a given topic and then teach
it to others
 Most Subjects
 Upper grade/year levels
WHY?  Independent Learning
 Rooms with movable chairs/tables
This strategy is an efficient way for students to become
engaged in their learning, learn a lot of material quickly, share
information with other groups, minimize listening time, and be 25-40 minutes
individually accountable for their learning.
WHEN?
This strategy can be used when introducing a new content or when teaching problem solving.
HOW?
• Steps:
o Divide students into 5- or 6- person jigsaw groups. The groups should be diverse in terms of
gender and ability.
o Appoint one student from each group as the leader (e.g., the most mature student).
o Divide the day’s lesson into 5-6 segments.
o Assign each student to learn one segment. Make sure students have direct access only to their
own segment.
o Give students time to read over their segment at least twice and become familiar with it.
o Form temporary “expert groups” by having one student from each jigsaw group join other
students assigned to the same segment. Give students in these expert groups time to discuss the
main points of their segment and to rehearse the presentations they will make to their jigsaw
group. If there are 7-10 jigsaw groups, one segment can be assigned to two expert groups.
o Bring the students back into their jigsaw groups.
o Ask each student to present her or his segment to the group. Encourage others in the group to
ask questions for clarification.
o Float from group to group, observing the process. If any group is having trouble, make an
appropriate intervention.
o At the end of the session, give a quiz on the material.
www.jigsaw.org
Arends, Richard & Kilcher, Ann. (2010). Teaching for Student Learning:
Becoming an Accomplished Teacher. New York: Routledge.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE3, SE4, SE5
Learning Cell CP3

 Regular classes
Students quiz each other using questions they have developed
individually about a reading assignment or other learning activity.
 Reading lessons
 Mastery lesson
This strategy is useful for engaging students actively in thinking

about content and encouraging them to challenge each other to 15-20 minutes
pursue deeper levels of thought.
WHEN?
As a post-reading activity
To help students come up with good questions,
give them a sheet that defines 3 levels of
HOW? questions:
• Facts and details. Examples: “What are

• Give students a reading assignment (or a learning three ways of heat transfer?” “At what
assignment involving watching a video, etc.) and ask temperature does water freeze?”
them to write down facts and questions from the
reading/activity. • Concepts and Generalizations:
o Prepare students to write good questions. Examples: “In general, what factors
The question types should be varied (open- contribute to the outbreak of war?”
ended, multiple choice, etc.) and should aim “What is known and not yet known
to cover different levels of learning (recalling, about global warming?”
application, etc.) and have different
purposes. • Personal. Examples: “Are there any
• In the classroom, get students into pairs. Explain conflicts that bother you, and is there
how each student will alternate between asking and anything you can do about them?”
answering each other’s questions. Give the students “What is your view on federalism?”
15-20 minutes.
• Go around the class from pair to pair giving feedback
and answering questions if needed.
McKeachie, W. J. (1999). Teaching tips: Strategies, research, and

theory for college and university teachers. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE1, SE5
Reciprocal Teaching CP3

Asking students to take turns reading aloud in a small group and  Regular classes
then to take turns leading a group discussion of the reading.  Parallel classes
 Lessons that involve reading passages
 Upper grade/year levels
 Class size 20-50 students
WHY?  Rooms with movable chairs/tables
To help students learn from text material.  Independent learning
Reciprocal Teaching takes advantage of research showing that

students who need explanations often get them more quickly 20-45 minutes
and clearly from peers; that students who explain to others
strengthen their own understandings; that students work
harder when they have many chances to talk, take initiative,
and make choices; and, generally, that student-directed Use the Reciprocal Teaching Strategies Worksheet on
learning experiences contribute to responsible lifelong learning the next page as a guide for the students.
habits.
HOW?
Students sit in small groups, three or four to a group. Rotating around the group, each student has a turn being
the Student Teacher.
• Step 1: Reading: Students take turns reading aloud a few passages of a text to one another. The Student
Teacher chooses who starts reading. Each reader then chooses when to pass the reading to the next
student. When the group is done reading the first text division, the group proceeds to summarization.
• Step 2: Summarizing: The Student Teacher either gives a summary of the section just read or chooses
someone else to offer a summary. Other can chip in to improve the summary.
• Step 3: Clarifying: If the Student Teacher is unclear about something or does not fully understand, she
asks the group to help her. Then the Student Teacher invites others to voice individual confusions or
questions, which the group then addresses. If nothing needs clarification, the group moves to Step 4.
• Step 4: Stating Outcomes: The Student Teacher reflects back on the reading, seeking some learning
outcomes for herself. She might do this by completing one of these phrases: I learned. . . , I was
surprised. . . , I’m beginning to wonder . . . , I rediscovered . . . One at a time, then, other students take a
turn adding what outcomes they can find for themselves.
The group then advances to the next passage to be read, and the four-step process is repeated, with the next
student becoming the Student Teacher.
Reciprocal Teaching. www.interventioncentral.org,

Reciprocal Teaching Strategies Worksheet
(Adapted from Lysynchuk, Pressley, & Vye, 1990)
Student Name: Date:
Prediction: Before you begin to read the selection, look at the main title, scan the pages to read the
major headings, and look at any illustrations. Write down your prediction about what the story or
article will cover:
List Main Ideas. As you finish reading each Generate Questions. For each main idea listed,
paragraph or key section of the passage, write down at least one question that the main
summarize the main idea of that paragraph or idea will answer. Good questions should include
section in one or two complete sentences. (Use words like “who”, “where”, “when”, “why”, and
the back of this sheet if needed): “what”.
Main idea 1: Question 1:
Clarifying. Copy down any words, phrases, or sentences in the passage that are unclear:
Reciprocal Teaching. www.interventioncentral.org,

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE3, SE4, SE5
Structured Academic Controversies CEC2, CP3

 Regular classes
A teaching technique that encourages students to take on and
argue for, alternately, BOTH sides of a controversial issue and
 Most subjects
ultimately come up with a balanced opinion about that issue.
WHY?
This is a thoroughly researched strategy and has been proven to
produce positive academic outcomes such as complex 20-40 minutes
reasoning skills, higher quality decision making, increased
motivation, and energy to take action.
WHEN?
When presenting a controversial issue or problem
HOW?
• Teacher selects a topic with two different viewpoints (e.g., The use of marijuana should be legalized).
• Students form groups of four students and divide into two pairs. Each pair is assigned an advocacy
position, and depending on available time, either receives supporting documentation/materials or
researches the topic. Depending on what the teacher wants, student pairs from different groups with the
same position can compare ideas after becoming familiar with their positions.
• Student pairs highlight the main arguments for their position and prepare a short presentation.
• Each student pair then presents their position to the other pair in their group. Members of the other pair
listen and take thorough notes but are not permitted to ask questions, disagree, or debate.
• After the presentation of the first pair, the other pair presents their position.
• After the presentations, the students discuss their positions and provide more supporting evidence.
Students also refute the arguments presented by the opposing pair.
• With their notes as a guide, the students switch advocacy positions and prepare and give a new
presentation. In arguing for the reversed positions, pairs are encouraged to include points which the
earlier pair did not bring up.
• Finally, students drop their advocacy role. Instead, they synthesize and integrate all that they have
learned into a conclusion, which is summarized into a joint position which all members can agree on, or at
the very least, are satisfied with.
Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T. (1994). “Structuring

academic controversy”. In Sharan, S. (Ed.), Handbook
of Cooperative Learning Methods. ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 55
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Note-Taking Pairs CEC2

 Regular classes
Students pool information from their individual notes to create
Parallel classes
an improved, partner version.
 Most subjects
 Any class size
WHY?
This technique helps students acquire missing information and 5-7 minutes
correct inaccuracies in their notes and learn to become better
note takers.
Use the Cornell Notes Template
WHEN?
The Cornell Method for note taking has been
After a brief lecture/content presentation found to be effective in improving the quality of
notes as well as student grades. The Cornell
Notes template can easily be found and
downloaded from the internet.
HOW?
• Teacher Preparation
o Provide students with guidance on how to take good notes (via a mini lecture, handout, or giving
examples of effective notes).
o Lesson presentation by the teacher is assumed to be well-organized and done with appropriate
pacing.
• Procedure
o Students individually take notes of the major points of the brief (5-10 min) teacher presentation.
o Students form pairs, at teacher’s direction or by choosing partners.
o Partner A begins by summarizing the main points from a section of the content to Partner B, who
offers corrections and/or additional information.
o The partners continue to alternate sharing summaries, corrections, and additional information
until they have completed checking their notes.
Mills, B.J., & Cotell, P.G., Jr. (1998). Cooperative learning for higher
education faculty. American Council on Education, Series on Higher
Education. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Rotating Pairs
STRATEGY SUITED TO
WHAT?
 Regular classes
Asking student pairs to share ideas or to work together briefly,  Parallel classes
and then to rotate partners, so each student can compare  All Subjects
thoughts with other students.  Most grade/year levels
 Whole Class Discussion/Group Work
 Any class size
WHY?
This strategy gives teachers an efficient process for re-forming
student pairs, so all students can quickly work with new 5-10 minutes
partners.
WHEN?
• As a warm-up activity to discuss previous lesson or homework assignment
• After five to seven minutes of oral or written input, to help student process what they have just heard or
read.
• During class discussions as a way for students to discuss ideas before sharing them with the class
• As a closing activity so that students can review what was learned in the lesson.
• As a clarification tool for a complex problem or new guiding question posed by the teacher.
• As a brainstorming strategy.
HOW?
• Announce what it is you want students to discuss (e.g., answers to a question, Outcome Sentences, ideas
about a topic, etc.)
• Say something like: “Please pair up with someone nearby. Take just two or three minutes to share your
thoughts. Go.”
• Then make the students rotate. First, ask the students to choose an A and a B in each pair. Then say
something like: “A’s , in a moment I will ask you to walk around and sit with a different B. The B’s will stay
seated and hold up their hands until they get a partner, so the A’s know who is available. When you get
into your new pairs, again share your thoughts. You can even include thoughts you picked up from your
first pair. OK, A’s get ready to find a new partner. Go.”
• You might make the students rotate the second time: “Now it will be time for the B’s to find a new
partner. A’s, stay seated and raise your hand until you get a new partner, to help others find you. When
your new pair is formed, again share your ideas. B’s, please move now.”

nd
ASCD
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE4, SE5
Roundtable

Students in a group respond in turn to a question or problem by  Regular classes
stating their ideas aloud as they write them on the paper.  Parallel classes
 Most Subjects
 HS, Tertiary levels
WHY?  Whole Class/Group Discussion
Multiple answers encourage creativity and deeper thinking.  Assessment of Prior Knowledge
This activity also builds team cohesion and reinforces the power
of teamwork.
5-10 minutes
WHEN?
When brainstorming, reviewing, predicting, or practicing a skill. Roundtable is most effective when used in a
carefully sequenced series of activities. The brainstorming can reinforce ideas from the readings or can be used to
set the stage for upcoming discussions.
HOW?
• Pose a question to the class. The question has to be one that has the potential for a number of different
“right” answers.
• Form groups. Provide one piece of paper and pen per group.
• First student in the group writes one response, and says it aloud. Ideas should be vocalized:
o to combat boredom
o so other team members can already reflect on the proffered thoughts
o to encourage variety of answers because teammates learn immediately that someone has come
up with an idea they know now not to repeat
o so that students do not have to waste valuable brainstorming time by reading the previous ideas
on the page
• First student passes paper to the left, second student writes response, etc.
• Paper is passed around group members until time elapses.
• Students may say “pass” at any time.
• Group stops when time is called.
Collaborative Learning Structures by Barbara J. Mills (Director,

Teaching and Learning Center, The University of Texas at San
Antonio).

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Set of Speakers

 Regular classes
Requesting volunteers to speak and, then, from all volunteers,
choosing a set that will take turns speaking.
 All Subjects
To select speakers efficiently.
This strategy makes it easier to avoid calling repeatedly on the 5-7 minutes
same students and to notice the more tentative hand-raising of
students who are almost ready to respond.
WHEN?
• During whole class discussion of the content
• During guided practice to get students talking about the material just covered
• As a warm up activity to discuss highlights from yesterday’s lesson
• As a closing activity to summarize information covered in the lesson
• As a brainstorming activity
HOW?
• Select a set of students to speak. You may say: “How many would be willing to share ideas?”. As hands
go up, point to some students (Say: “Let’s hear from five people today. You be first. You be second.”
Continue until a set of five have been identified.)
• Ask the first person to speak. At this time, all students tend to relax and pay attention.
• The speakers know their turns are coming up, and they know the order in which they will speak.
• You can prompt more volunteers by saying something like, “How about some volunteers from those who
haven’t spoken lately.” Or, “Ernest, I see you might be willing to be one of the speakers. Are you?”.

nd

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE2, SE5
Talking Chips CEC2, CE4

Each group member receives the same number of poker chips  Regular classes
(or any other markers, such as coins, index cards, pencils, or  Parallel classes
pens). Each time a member wishes to speak, he or she tosses a  Most Subjects
chip into the center of the table. Once individuals have used up  Most grade/year levels
their chips, they can no longer speak. The discussion proceeds  Group Discussion
until all members have exhausted their chips. Then they reclaim  Classroom with movable chairs/tables
their chips and begin another round.
10-20 minutes
WHY?
This method promotes student participation and ensures that
one student does not dominate a discussion.
WHEN?
During group discussion for any purpose (e.g., brainstorming for a class project, analyzing the material read,
resolving an issue, reviewing for a test, etc.)
HOW?
• Steps
o The teacher provides a discussion topic/worksheets to work on and provides think time.
o Any student begins the discussion, placing one of his/her chips at the center of the table.
o Any student with a chip continues discussion, using his/her chip.
o When all the chips are used, teammates collect their chips and continue the discussion using their
talking chips
• Examples:
o After watching the movie adaptation of a book students recently finished reading, a teacher gives
students a Venn Diagram to record similarities and differences between the two versions of the
story. After providing time for students to brainstorm ideas individually, students are broken
down into groups and instructed to take three Talking Chips each from the bucket in the front of
the room. As students take turns sharing ideas in their groups they “spend” a chip by placing it in
the center of the table or desk. As each student shares an idea, the others add notes to their
Venn Diagrams.
o In preparation for a math exam, a teacher asks students to work on several review problems with
a partner. The teacher gives each student five Talking Chips and reminds them that they should
work together to find the correct solutions and help clarify any misconceptions their partner has.
While solving the problems, students spend chips by suggesting the next step to a problem,
stating the answer, or drawing a model/picture to represent the problem. When both students
use all of their chips before finishing the problems, they each take five more and continue
coaching each other.
Talking Chips.
https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/strategy/talking-chips
Barkley, Major, and Cross (2014). Collaborative Learning
Techniques
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Think-Pair-Share CEC2

 Regular classes
Think-Pair-Share (TPS) involves posing a question to students,
asking them to take a few minutes of thinking time and then
 Most Subjects
turning to a nearby student to share their thoughts.
WHY?
TPS encourages students to think about something, such as a 2-3 minutes
problem, question or topic, and then articulate their thoughts.
TPS promotes understanding through active reasoning and
explanation. Because students are listening to and sharing
ideas, TPS encourages students to understand multiple
perspectives.
THINK-PAIR SQUARE
WHEN? This is an extension of think-pair-share.
TPS can be applied at any given moment in the classroom Students first discuss problem-solving strategies
(e.g., when approaching a solution, solving a math problem, in pairs and then in groups of fours. The
before a science experiment, after reading a passage or strategy gives students the opportunity to
chapter of a book, etc.). discuss their ideas and provides a means for
them to see other problem solving
methodologies. If one student pair is unable to
HOW? solve the problem, the other student pair can
often explain their answer and methodology.
When first introducing the routine, support students’ paired STEPS
conversations by reminding them to take turns, listen
• Teacher poses a problem to the class.
carefully and ask questions of one another. One way to
Problems that have a “right” answer
ensure that students listen to each other is to tell students
work more effectively in this structure.
that you will be calling on individuals to explain their
• Students are given time to think about
partners thinking, as opposed to telling their own thoughts.
the question (2-3 minutes).
Encourage students to make their thinking visible by asking • Form groups of four.
them to write or draw their ideas before and/or after • Two pairs of two students gather, each
sharing. Journals can also be useful. Student pairs can report pair working to solve the problem. They
one another’s thoughts to the class and a list of ideas can be then re-assemble as four and compare
created in the classroom. answers and methodologies.
Strategy
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Wait Time SE 1, SE 5

Giving students three seconds to respond after a question is  Regular classes
asked, and waiting another three seconds after a student’s  Parallel classes
response before saying anything or asking another question.  All subjects
 Big or small class
 Discussion Method
WHY?
Waiting provides students with more time to think and results Typically 6 seconds per question
in higher quality answers that, in turn, are more useful in asked orally
assessing what they really know. According to a now classic
study on wait-time, when trained teachers started to use longer
wait-times (at least 3 seconds) the following occurred:
Alternative: Question-All Write Strategy
• The length of student responses increased from eight
words per response to 27 words.
The Ask all students to write an answer to a
• The number of unsolicited but appropriate responses
question before calling on someone to
increased from a mean of five to a mean of 17.
reply.
• Failures to respond (“I don’t know” or silence
Steps:
decreased.
1. Announce the question to the
• Students provided more “evidence-type” statements to
class.
support the inferences they were making. They also
2. Pause some seconds while
asked more questions.
students write.
3. Ask: “Who would be willing to
read what they wrote?”
HOW?
• After asking a question to a student, allow at least three seconds for the student to respond. You may even
remind students to take a moment to think before they answer.
• When students are answering a question, they sometimes pause. Don’t interrupt or cut students off from
completing their response. Instead, give them three seconds to think during such pauses.
• After a student has completed a response and while other students are considering volunteering their
reactions, pause a few seconds to help focus attention and sharpen students’ thinking.
• Don’t be afraid of silence. Practice waiting at least three seconds until this behavior becomes automatic.
Arends, Richard & Kilcher, Ann. (2010). Teaching for Student Learning:
Becoming an Accomplished Teacher. New York: Routledge.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Strategy
SE4, SE5
Whip Around, Pass Option
STRATEGY SUITED TO
WHAT?
 Regular classes
Asking students to speak one at a time, in turn, on as issue or, if
they prefer, to pass.
 All Subjects
This strategy increases the number of students who share their

thoughts and to promote responsible self-management.
5 minutes
WHEN?
• During guided practice to get students talking about Variation: Whip Around, Sit Down
the material just covered Have all students stand up. Start the Whip
• As a warm up activity to discuss highlights from Around process and if a student hears a
yesterday’s lesson response that he has on his sheet, he crosses it
• As a closing activity to summarize information off. Once all of his responses have been said by
covered in the lesson classmates and they are checked off his list, he
• As a brainstorming activity sits down. The Whip Around continues with
those students who remain standing.
HOW?
Step 1: Question
Pose a prompt that has multiple answers. Have students write down as may responses as possible.
Step 2: Whip Around
“Whip” around the room, calling on one student at a time. Have students share one of their responses.
When called on, students should not repeat a response; they must add something new.
You can say something like: “Look over the Outcome Sentences you wrote about that chapter. I’d like to
whip around at least part of the class and ask you to read just one of your sentences; or if you like, say ‘I
pass.’ Let’s start today with John.”
Step 3: Discuss
After completing the whip around, have students discuss which ideas and themes showed up most in their
responses.
“Whip Around”
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT &
Strategy
CULTURE
Gathering Students’ Attention CEC2, CEC3

Gathering the attention of students at the beginning of the class  Regular classes
or when the students are working individually or in groups.  Parallel classes
 All Subjects
WHY?  All grade/year levels
 All class activities
To make transition to the next activity efficient and maintain
high level of engagement
Few seconds to about a minute.
WHEN?
When transitioning to a certain segment of the lesson
Strategy 1: Hand-Raising Signal

HOW?
• Silently raising a hand as a signal that it’s time to discontinue individual work or small-group discussions.
• When explaining this strategy to the class, you may say something like: “When I raise my hand during group time or
individual work time, it signals it’s time to end those activities. Whenever you see my hand go up, please raise your
hand. When you raise your hand, people who cannot see me will see hands go up and raise their hands. If you are
talking when hands go up, please finish the sentence you have already started but do not start a new sentence.”
Strategy 2: Voting Questions
• Asking general-interest questions to which students can respond by raising their hands. Examples:
o How many of you are completely finished with the work I assigned?
o How many still have a bit to go?
o How many need a lot more time?
Strategy 3: Lesson Agreement
• Announcing your general plans for the lesson ahead and inviting student agreement
o "Today I plan to start with a review. Then I thought we would begin our discussion on Climate Change.
After that, there will be time for your group project work. And if time remains we can do some enrichment
work, OK?
o “Today, I’d like you to have some extra time for your Independent Learning Assignments. Instead of doing
our usual lesson together, I’d like you to work independently while I call individuals to meet with me to
report on their progress. Is everyone OK with this change?”
• The intent here is not to expect all students to agree. It is rather to take a moment to demonstrate respect for
students’ perspective and intelligence, to invite collaboration and hear suggestions, so everyone moves ahead with
maximum cooperation.
Strategy 4: One-Minute Warning
• When you notice participation (group or individual work) is waning even before the time limit is reached, you might
call out, “One more minute,” to alert the group that you will soon move on.

nd
Teachers. (2 Ed.). VA: ASCD
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
Strategy
& CULTURE
Communicating Confident Authority CEC3
WHAT? TIPS
Exuding a confidence that you can handle whatever discipline If you feel a lack of confidence, try this. Pick a
lesson you might typically teach and imagine
problem arises.
yourself teaching it to a class that contains
potential troublemakers. Then imagine carrying
WHY? out the five-step process in the HOW? section.
Students are tempted to create trouble when they see a Practice it many times, perhaps standing in front of
teacher seemingly vulnerable to attack. Therefore, the teacher a mirror or with a friend observing and giving you
should exude enough confidence in her ability to handle feedback. Repeat the role-playing as many times
discipline problems so students are not so readily tempted to as you need to, much like an actor practicing again
act out. and again to master a role.
The more confident you become, the less often

WHEN? you will need to use this strategy. According to
At all times during the class research, most students will control themselves
quire well when faced with a confident teacher.
HOW?
1. Being aware of students. Look about alertly as you teach, making direct eye contact with students, and
walking about the classroom.
2. Signaling disapproval. When a student creates disturbance, respond immediately, without hesitation, yet
without communicating any distress. Without interrupting the lesson, you might simply catch the student’s
eye and give a small shake of your head, or walk near the student and teach for a bit from that nearby position
so the student senses your presence. The key is not to hesitate.
3. Inviting private talk. If the signal does not work, do not signal again. Rather, walk toward the student, face
him confidently, make direct eye contact, and sat quietly, directly, and calmly: “Please see me after class. I’d
like to talk privately for a moment.” Do not reply if the student asks why or claims innocence. Just make the
request and return to the lesson.
4. Make authority statements in private. When already talking to the student privately, elaborate on your initial
signal but do not warn or scold the student. Squarely face the student and look directly in his eyes, sending a
message of confidence. You might say something like: “John, I do not want even minor distractions or
disruptions in our lessons. I’m not angry at you. I just want to make it clear that I care very much that we
become a cooperative class, doing our best to help one another to learn well, and I need you to do your share.
Thank you. You may go now.”
5. Making authority statements in public. If the first four steps were not enough and the student again acts
inappropriately, walk over to him, face him directly, and with a firm but undistressed voice tell him exactly
what behavior you want (“I need you to stop talking to neighbors. It’s time to control that. Thank you.”). If
the student complains or talks back, do not argue. Simply repeat your statement verbatim.

Teachers. (2nd Ed.). VA: ASCD
Strategy
CULTURE
Cushioning Questions CEC4, CEC5

Before asking students to demonstrate how much they learned,  Regular classes
reinforcing basic truths about learning by asking such questions  Parallel classes
as “Is it OK if someone gives us a wrong answer today? Why?”  All Subjects
 Whole Class Discussions
WHY?  Formative Assessment Activity
Students need reminder that it is all right to be human, to be
oneself. This strategy helps students digest that truth and
thereby accept themselves. Such truth frees students to 1-2 minutes.
approach academic lessons without hesitation and with
confidence.
WHEN?
Cushioning is most effective when implemented before lessons begin. Students who need reassurance will
appreciate a moment of cushioning at least once every day. Even those who don’t need such reassurance seem
not to tire of the strategy.
HOW?
• Start with a question, not a statement. (Ex.: “Why would it be OK to make a mistake in today’s lesson?”.
Such a cushioning question asks students to recall the truth involved (i.e., Mistakes are all right because
that is the way we learn.”)
• Invite students to respond to the question. If necessary, probe for a sign you want to emphasize.
Generally, we accept all student comments.
• Move promptly into the lesson. Cushioning questions are not intended to take more than a minute or so.
Keep cushioning brief and use it often.
• Vary the openings: “Does everyone have to get every answer right? Why not?” can be said as: “It
takes courage to be willing to take a risk when you are not sure of the outcome. But it’s often smart
to do so. Can you guess why I believe that?”
• Vary the conclusion of the discussion: “All human beings make mistakes. So, if you are a human,
what will you make? Mistakes!” is similar to: “It’s not mistakes that are important. It’s what we do
after we make mistakes that is important, right?”

nd
ASCD
Strategy
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND
Do Now CULTURE
CEC3

Providing independent work for students to handle as soon as  Regular classes
they arrive.  Parallel classes
 All subjects
 Big or small class
WHY?  All grade/year levels
 Deliberate Practice Sessions
This strategy engages students productively as soon as they enter
the room. It provides a brief initial task so students waste no
time and lose no energy waiting for activities to get underway. It
also gives the teacher time to prepare lesson materials, take
2-3 minutes
attendance, or consult with individual students.
WHEN?
Can be made part of daily class routine
HOW?
• As soon as students enter the room, you might ask them to do one of the following tasks:
o Write thoughts about a posted quote or question of the day
o Solve a problem written or flashed on the board and then create a new problem in the same style
o Draw something to illustrate a math concept or a line from a poem or an idea from social studies
o Etc.
• When students are done with their Do Now task, they can move on to other independent tasks.
• You may begin class by randomly sampling one or two of the students’ Do Now responses.

nd

Strategy
CULTURE
Setting Procedures and Expectations CEC2, CEC3, CEC4

Establishing very clear classroom expectations without  Regular classes
mentioning consequences for misbehavior  Parallel classes
 All Subjects
 All class activities
WHY?
Research has shown that clear procedures and positive
Spend 5-10 minutes in the first few
expectations helps a classroom run smoothly with minimum
meetings explicitly teaching the
misbehavior.
procedures.
“It is not just possible for a teacher to conduct instruction or for students to work productively if they have no
guidelines. . . . inefficient procedures and the absence of routines for common aspects of classroom life . . . can waste
large amounts of time and cause students’ attention and interest to wane.” (Emmer, Evertson, & Worsham, 2003)
WHEN?
At the beginning of the semester and reinforced as often as necessary.
HOW?
• Make class procedures absolutely clear to all. Students will want to know, for example, what to do if they
finish their work while others are still working. Clarity about such routines contributes to a problem-free
classroom.
• Spend enough time teaching classroom procedures early on so they become comfortable, automatic
routines for students.
• Expect students to comply. Explicitly communicate such expectations.
• Avoid talking about rules and punishment. With a combination of clear procedures and positive
expectations, reinforced by wise respondents to students who misbehave, rules are generally
unnecessary and counterproductive.
Marzano, R. J. (2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive

Framework for Effective Instruction. VA: ASCD.

nd

Strategy
CULTURE
Using Truth Signs CEC4, CEC5
WHAT?
Posting and discussing signs that remind students of core truth
about learning
WHY?
This strategy makes it easier for students to become intelligent,
relaxed, self-responsible learners. Research on effective
teaching emphasizes the importance of reducing learning
anxiety, especially fear of failure, and building learner
confidence. Few things do that better than Truth Signs.
STRATEGY SUITED TO
 Regular classes
WHEN?  Parallel classes
 All Subjects
Truth signs are posted and discussed at usually at the
beginning of a lesson. These truths are reinforced over
the semester.
1-2 minutes
HOW?
• Here are some examples of truth signs:
o “Everyone needs time to think and learn.”
o “It’s OK to make mistakes. That’s the way we learn.”
o “It’s intelligent to ask for help. No one needs to do it alone.”
o “We can do more and learn more when we’re willing to take a risk.”
o “We do our best work when we activate our best selves.”
o “We must each live our own lives. No one else can do it for us.”
o “If it happened, it happened. Let’s go on.”
o “We can accept and support one another. No one needs to be all alone.”
• Don’t use more than five signs in one classroom. Posting more than that dilute the signs’ power.
• Some teachers do not post all the signs at one time but others post them all at once.
• Take care to make the meaning of each truth sign clear to students.
• Keep such truths fresh throughout the semester/school year by using strategies such as ‘Cushioning
Questions.’

nd
ASCD ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 69
Strategy
CULTURE
Using Risk Language CEC4, CEC5

When soliciting responses from students, using wording that  Regular classes
encourages participation, as by saying, “Who is willing to risk an  Parallel classes
answer?”  All Subjects
 Whole Class Discussions
WHY?  Formative Assessment Activity
This strategy helps less confident students move beyond their
apprehensions and participate fully and to remind all students
Few seconds to add risk language
how risk taking serves learning.
after giving questions
WHEN?
During whole class discussions or when soliciting answers from students
HOW?
• During discussions, rather than saying, “Who would be willing to give an answer?”, you might say, “How
many would be willing to risk giving an answer?”.
• It is preferable to say “how many will risk answering” rather than “who will risk answering” because “how
many” tends to encourage more students to volunteer.
• And saying “risk giving an answer” is preferable to “give and answer” because it reminds students that
open-minded thinking and full participation often involve risk taking—risking the possibility that we might
be wrong.

nd

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THE GREAT TEACHER PROGRAM

The AL Toolkit is for the exclusive use of PHINMA Education faculty. No

from a teacher-directed, lecture-heavy teaching approach to a more student-centered, high-

more information when they are asked to engage it actively.

techniques that you can incorporate in your teaching repertoire.

to better learning for your students.

information will be very helpful to us in coming up with an improved version of this

The Academics Team

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT

Typical amount of time to

What research says about the

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT

ACTIVE LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT

WHAT? WHY ACTIVE LEARNING

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 1

What is Active Learning? (video 4:12) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDI6hDx5uI

Active Learning Classrooms: Everyone is engaged. (video 5:33) -

Active Learning using concept tests (Video 8:21) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wont2v_LZ1E

Can I still cover my syllabus if I use active learning?

Doesn’t it take too much time to prepare an active-learning course?

What if my students don’t like active learning?

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 2

Highlighting Independent Work

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

Utilizing the Spin-Off Procedure

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

1. Attention Getting (2minutes)

3. Independent tasks. (30-55 minutes)

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 6

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

2. Attentive Lecture (10-20 minutes) This structure can be delivered in a

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 7

Guided Practice and Review

WHAT? OUTLINE OF LESSON PLAN

Adapted from Harmin & Toth. (2016). Inspiring Active Learning: A

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 8

Learning Target P1, P2

WHAT? SAMPLE LEARNING TARGETS

I can solve a two-step equation using inverse

• Be stated in developmentally appropriate language that the student can understand.

McMillan, James H. Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective

WHAT? DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERFORMANCE TASKS

5D+ Teacher Evaluation Glossary

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 10

WHAT? 4-STEP FRAMEWORK IN SHARING LT and SC

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 11

□ Did you communicate the learning LTs and the CS:

Moss, Connie M., and Susan M. Brookhart. Advancing Formative Assessment in

ACTIVE LEARNING TOOLKIT 12

Success Criteria P4, P5

WHAT? SUCCESS CRITERIA CAN BE WRITTEN /

HOW? I can write a piece of fan fiction according to the

I can give an informative speech just as well as

Fink, S. & Markholt, A. Leading for Instructional Improvement:

4. Rizal founded _____ while he was in Spain in the year _.