Lab Instructional Focus

The key in Wiliam’s work is the emphasis on moving learners forward

Feedback is only successful if students’ learning improves – and this depends on their capacity to understand  it and inclination to accept and act on it.  It’s got an interpersonal, motivational element that can’t be brushed aside

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) refers to the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance

as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers

Intersubjectivity refers to the shared understanding that emerges between a teacher and student when they work together on a task

This shared understanding is not simply about agreeing on the correct answer or solution; it’s about developing a mutual understanding of the task’s goals, processes, and challenges.

Contingency (or responsiveness) is paramount. This means the teacher continually assesses the learner’s understanding and adjusts their support accordingly. It’s about providing the right amount of help at the right time.

A key aspect of contingent teaching is the teacher’s ability to recognize and respond to learner cues, both verbal and nonverbal.

Dynamic assessment is an interactive approach to conducting assessments that focuses on the student’s ability to respond to intervention.

Test-Teach-Retest Format: The assessor first determines what the student can do independently, then provides mediated learning experiences, and finally reassesses to see what the student has learned.

What starts as external guidance becomes internalized, transforming into independent capabilities. Individuals internalize the dialogue and guidance previously provided by more knowledgeable others, using it to direct their own actions and thought processes

Although rigor means having high expectations for all students, those expectations must be accompanied by appropriate support

Student success occurs when you create an instructional environment that sets high expectations for each student and provides scaffolding without offering excessive help

Productive struggle is what I call the "sweet spot" in between scaffolding and support

Productive struggle means more than simply giving a student "hard work" and leaving them alone to struggle. It is a learning opportunity that requires a teacher to create, facilitate, and monitor the process, especially as students are learning how to struggle productively

"A Bump in the Road" metacognitive guide

Using this approach, students will identify two to four points in the text where they hit bumps in the road. Then, they will partner with another student to see if they can work their way through their struggle.

You should only provide teacher assistance when the struggle becomes unproductive.

Seventy-five years of research documents that learning is enhanced when students persist until successful—through perplexity, dilemma, and struggle

Asking students to persist or struggle with classroom tasks can yield big benefits for deeper learning. But struggle is only productive when students engage with a task that captures the central idea of a lesson.

Another crucial teaching role in productive struggle lessons is providing timely assistance. When a challenging task opens a productive-struggle zone, the teacher’s judgment is again critical. Success depends on teachers recognizing when a little timely assistance sustains student persistence but does not prematurely terminate productive struggle and learning.

<p>Getting the right balance can be difficult. For teachers accustomed to avoiding student struggles, there is temptation to intervene and help students get the right answers. To do so runs the risk of turning the activity into the classic recitation-style lesson—turning students into passive receivers of knowledge and teachers into “tellers.”</p><p>For teachers who are adopting a new emphasis on grit and growth mindset, the other extreme can be equally problematic—urging students to persist with a task that is well beyond their ZPD, without necessary tools to meaningfully tackle the challenge</p>

There is little purpose in persistence that yields no tangible benefits in increased knowledge, understanding, or skill

giving students an opportunity to struggle through a difficult problem with a clear learning goal in mind, combined with just enough stretch and strategic assistance, students can develop lasting connections about important ideas, increased capacity for productive struggle, and durable skills for solving novel problems in life.