I have felt in recent years, our standards have increased and yet time on task teaching seems to be growing smaller. Two many distractions on our students. We do need to streamline and teach students mastery. We also need to hold students up to a higher standard and expect more. A parent was upset this week that I put previous taught material in a current test.
I explained that each lesson is cumulative as well as the tests. I want students to know the material for a lifetime not just for a test. Vocabulary is meant to build and also for them to know the works weeks, months, and years later. I think we have allowed students to become more and more complacent in regards to academics. Parents will drive across town, stay up late, pay all kinds of money, and all kinds of time for athletics and then expect
students to master academics without practice.
Scaffolding is a term that good teachers have used for many years. We didn't call it that but we used it. When I am teaching a new skill I go back to this systematic way I learned which included this technique. We didn't call it that.
We work together to have students feel successful. After this technique I tend to use games to reinforce the material. The students love to play games. They enjoy winning. They know that on Thursdays we will play some type of vocabulary game. Bingo, Around the World, jeapordy, and many others. For the vocabulary they must know the words in order to be successful. I find they are willing to put more effort in the vocabulary in order to win the game.
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Vocabulary is key in math as well. Every time I hit a topic that I KNOW has been touched on before I remind my students "Do you remember when you first learned about this in ______ grade?" I remind them that we learn to retain for future use not for a test and then forget it. Because inevitably it will come up again...if not in school in real life.
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