See a Lesson in Action
On this page you will find:
Four steps to teach a lesson - Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4
All K-6 lessons are in an "I", "We", "You" approach (the gradual release of responsibility methodology) in which:
- teachers model the skill in the Direct Teaching,
- students practice the skill with teacher guidance in the Guided Practice, and
- students practice the skill independently in the Independent Practice.
Four Steps to Teach a Lesson:
- The purpose is to engage students and activate any prior knowledge needed for the lesson.
- This is the shortest portion of the lesson - approximately 2 minutes.
- It will look different in each lesson depending on the lesson and your students.
Watch an example Activation and Motivation:
Step 2: During the "I" (or Direct Teaching) portion of the lesson, you will explicitly model the strategy students should use to meet the learning outcome of the lesson.
- It is important for you to explicitly explain to students what you are doing, how you are doing it, and why you are doing it.
- This portion of the lesson is teacher focused with no student engagement and should last approximately 10 minutes.
- Every student should get the opportunity to hear you model the strategies they will need to meet the learning outcome.
Watch an example Direct Teaching:
Step 3: During the "We" (or Guided Practice) portion of the lesson, your role changes from instructor to facilitator.
- Students do most of the thinking and talking while you guide them.
- Students have the opportunity to practice the strategy modeled in the "I" (or Direct Teaching) portion of the lesson.
- This portion of the lesson helps prepare students to be able to meet the learning outcome on their own.
Watch an example Guided Practice:
Step 4: During the "You" (or Independent Practice) portion of the lesson, students practice meeting the learning outcome independently with little to no teacher support.
- It should be directly aligned to the "I" (or Direct Teaching) and "We" (or Guided Practice) portions of the lesson.
- This gives you a clear assessment of student mastery of the learning outcome.
- This will inform your instruction and help you identify next steps.
Watch an example Independent Practice: