Instructional Minute

• Week of October 31st: Direct Instruction Explanation and Examples
• Week of November 7th: Classroom Visits - Giving feedback and collecting exemplars
• Week of November 14th: Celebration of Direct Instruction across the district

Now that you have been spending 15 days exploring and implementing Do Nows there is no doubt you are feeling very confident!

• Next in the Workshop Model is the lesson's opening which includes a very important part of a lesson....Direct Instruction.
• Below you will find an explanation, video, diagram and resources to help you implement this portion of the Workshop Model with success!

Direct Instruction (mini-lesson) follows the gradual release model, in which the teacher first demonstrates the teaching point, models the new learning (I do), then provides the students guided practice (we do). This instruction provides direction and support to students as needed to be able to work independently and successfully during work time.

The teacher plans a deliberate progression in their lessons in which the responsibility for being able to do the work is gradually transferred from teacher to student, sometimes known as “I/We/You.”

Some people know it as direct instruction, guided practice, and independent practice.

• The “I” part of the lesson is when the teacher introduces information or models a process and walks students through examples.
• The “We” follows when the teacher asks students to complete examples with less and less assistance.
• In the “You” part, students have multiple opportunities to practice the work on their own.

• Best-practice instruction requires that teachers provide Think Alouds. More than just telling students what to do, this is when the teacher shares his/her expert thinking to reveal when, where, how, and why you do it. Check out the video below for a great demonstration.
  

Below you will find a document with sentence starters for teacher think alouds.

Click the link below, "Share Your Ideas", to submit interest in having your lesson recorded. We would love to feature your classroom as part of the Workshop Model Teaching and Learning Series.

We are collecting your suggestions for great Do Nows and Direct Instruction techniques that you use in your classroom.

Please click the "Share Your Ideas" image to the left and submit your ideas so they can be shared with other teachers in the district!