The Fundamental 5: The formula for quality instruction

The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, a book by Sean Cain and Mike Laird, describes five critical practices that result in highly effective teaching. Research acknowledges that the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher, so empowering them to be as effective as possible improves education. The five fundamental practices include: framing the lesson, working in the power zone, frequent small group purposeful talk, recognize and reinforce, plus writing critically.

Framing the lesson means having the teacher give a clear and concise picture of what’s happening during class and what students are doing with the new knowledge they’re learning. Known as the objective or learning target, it starts with SWBAT or students will be able to and then an observable verb is inserted. If the objective for the day is reviewing the five parts to a friendly letter, the closing product or task might be to write a letter with all the parts.

The second fundamental is the power zone which refers to teachers using their physical proximity to manage behavior. Monitoring students by circulating amongst them enhances all other instructional practices because on task behavior increases, discipline issues decrease and student retention of the content increases.

Their research said that the least effective position to deliver instruction from is teachers seated at a desk or computer work area. The lecture position in front of the room for content delivery is moderately more successful. The most effective teacher position is the power zone which puts teachers right in the middle of the class monitoring group work.

The power zone proximity helps teachers connect with students personally and build rapport faster. It also provides clarification and allows teachers to give immediate feedback which can help them differentiate.

The third fundamental principle is to recognize and reinforce desired student behaviors. Recognition helps motivate students. Reinforcing work habits that display effort helps enhance production and performance. Descriptive praise is impactful for the student receiving it and the others who are hearing it. Target several desired student behaviors and be specific about recognizing and reinforcing them.

The fourth fundamental is frequent small and purposeful talk about the learning. Teenagers prefer active over passive learning activities. After about 10 minutes of teacher directed input via lecture, movie or reading of a text, partner pairs or groups of four should discuss a key question related to the instructional activity. Teens prefer peer interactions so frequent short (30 seconds and 3 minutes) structured conversations engage them.

Chunking learning into smaller parts and adding academic conversations helps students chew on the new content. As teachers monitor these conversations, they can check for understanding and clarify confusing parts. Students who get it can stand up so that students who don’t get it can partner with them to have the new concept explained in a different way.

The beginning and ends of lessons usually go well, but students get restless in the middle. If students aren’t keeping pace teachers tend to offer the big bribe or big threat. If everyone finishes early, we will… if it’s not done, it’s homework. Instead offer opportunities to reset their attention spans.

Brain alertness is enhanced with frequent starts and stops as well as changes in state such as physical activity so get students up to find a partner and summarize recent input and they’ll stay attentive. If this stop and talk rhythm is new, a student timer can help. Ask the most behaviorally challenged student to signal you to stop.

Planning discussion questions ahead helps keep them open-ended with higher rigor. Quality student responses require quality preparation time which includes using the language of the discipline and displaying it on word walls.

Writing critically is the last of Cain and Laird’s five fundamentals. If students write more, they remember more. Writing refines their thinking and makes it visible. This does not mean copying from the text, lecture slides or filling in the blank. Having students create a mind map, Cornell notes, short summary, exit ticket, or an essay is better. Other examples include writing an exit ticket of the muddiest part of the lesson or a 20 word summary.

Used together, these five fundamentals can increase teacher effectiveness with enhanced student engagement and achievement.

Kristi Mccracken, author of two children’s books and a long time teacher in the South Valley, can be reached at educationallyspeaking@gmail.com.