BetterLesson Instructional Strategies

BetterLesson Instructional Strategies provide ready-to-use resources and step-by-step guidance to help education professionals grow in their practice.

Social-Emotional Learning

Prepare students with the self-awareness, relational, and decision-making skills needed to succeed in school and in life.
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Students use self-regulation strategies like mental breaks, body and movement breaks, fidgets, and self-talk to maximize their learning
Self Awareness Moments help students navigate strong emotions and difficult situations to make better decisions
Have a conversation with a student to collaboratively identify solutions to prevent challenging behavior
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Project Based Learning

Engage students in real-world, inquiry-based tasks to develop deep content knowledge, critical thinking, and communication skills
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Project Based Learning
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Driving questions initiate and focus the inquiry and learning throughout a project while creating an interest and challenge for students
Want to assess both content mastery and design thinking/process skills during project based learning? Try the comprehensive PBL rubric!
Starting a unit or project with the end goal in mind helps teachers to authentically integrate all content and plan the steps to achieve the
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造型的,sessment and Differentiation

Collect data on student learning with authentic assessments, and use that data to inform decisions about differentiating instruction.
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Microgrouping to Provide Feedback supports students to receive targeted feedback specific to their learning needs
Fill in the gaps supports students to review assessment data and set goals for improvement over two days in which they work to fill the gaps
Educators will use user-friendly data collection tools to transform student data into instructional next steps
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Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning

Create learning communities in which all students can be seen, heard, and valued
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Effective classroom management creates a welcoming learning environment that supports all learners, even when they experience challenges
Forming authentic, trusting relationships with your students' families is a foundational part of building an inviting learning community
Facilitating effective conferences is a foundational part of creating and sustaining a student-centered classroom
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Competency-Based Learning

Create personalized learning paths that allow students to progress toward goals and demonstrate mastery in flexible formats
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Competency-Based Learning
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Review core standards and student skills to determine competencies that students must meet in order to demonstrate proficiency
Backwards plan a competency based unit to allow students to progress through content to demonstrate mastery
In a self-paced or mastery based learning environment, building a mastery map and a network of student experts can help
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Collaborative Professional Learning

Develop a collaborative professional culture to support student-centered teaching and learning
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These three steps support Instructional Leaders to create more personalized and purposeful workshops for their teachers
In a Professional Learning Community, many hands make light work
Regular analysis of student work puts the spotlight on what's actually happening in a school's teaching and learning
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EL Education

Support educators to implement the student-centered EL Literacy Curriculum in grades K-8
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EL Education
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These Overview Guides synthesize key information from Skills Block Modules
Module Overview Guides synthesize key information from each module
ALL Block Overview Guides synthesize key information from the module
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Newsela

Leverage the Newsela platform to personalize learning for students with literacy and content skills
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A Gallery Walk heightens engagement by allowing students to move around the room, engage in discussion, and have choice in their learning
Each student becomes an expert on an article then teaches the group so that the group can draw connections based on what they have learned
Explicit, individualized feedback allows students to more effectively develop central ideas and support them with text evidence
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Leading Through Change

Lead the improvement of teaching, learning, and overall school climate to enhance student achievement and success
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Leading Through Change
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Do more by collaboratively sharing the guidance and direction of a school
This strategy supports Instructional Leaders to maximize the use of a simple and timeless productivity strategy: checklists
Being thoughtful about what and how you plan to accomplish enables you to go much faster in the end
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Instructional Coaching

Provide instructional coaches with tools and resources that support educator growth and development
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Instructional Coaching
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The coach and all coaching participants need a clear understanding of the coach's role and scope of work
Coaching observations focus on using objective classroom data to identify the impact of a teacher's actions on student learning
Change teaching and learning one step at a time using the BetterLesson coaching model
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Student-Centered Literacy

Develop students' literacy skills by supporting student ownership of evidence-based reading, writing, speaking, and listening
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Student-Centered Literacy
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Students will engage is student-led small group discussion around a selected text
Students will practice, assess, and reflect on their reading fluency
Socratic Seminars support students to discuss complex texts or topics, and are forums for them to build both speaking and listening skills
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Student-Centered Mathematics

Create engaging mathematics classrooms where students discuss their mathematical ideas, problem-solve, and think critically
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Students will activate prior knowledge, build background knowledge, and engage in critical thinking around a topic, quote, or image
Number talks support students to increase fluency by discussing and critiquing structure, patterns, and mathematical properties
Support students to reason mathematically by determining which figure, diagram, graph, or expression does not belong
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Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning: Master Teacher Project

Ensure students from all cultures and perspectives have full and equitable access to learning
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Teachers should reflect on how their decisions and discretion impact students' views of themselves and others
Shared classroom values are a first step toward understanding what students value and need to feel safe in your classroom
Strategically plan to ensure all students have equal access to advanced courses
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Hybrid and Virtual Learning

Deliver equitable, engaging, and student-centered instruction and create supportive learning communities in a remote or hybrid model
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Hybrid and Virtual Learning
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Students receive timely, personalized, and actionable feedback as teachers utilize digital assessment tools
Creating a backchannel and empowering students to own it requires careful planning but helps to build a student-centered classroom culture
Teacher-created learning videos support students to work at their own pace, with personalized embedded supports and checks for understanding
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Adobe

Empower students to think creatively and communicate expressively with Adobe tools
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Students develop a deep understanding of semicolons and colon by creating an Adobe Creative Cloud Express post
Students create a how-to video from scratch that demonstrates knowledge of a given subject area
Students design a destination poster highlighting local attractions without naming the destination
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Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Master Teacher Project

Ensure that teachers can equitably meet the needs of all of the learners in their classrooms and at a distance
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Welcome English Learner student newcomer students into the school with a personalized photo book
Discussion tools to support students to develop, revise, and reframe personal and collective connections to a text
Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson
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Empowering Algebra for All

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has found -- and research shows -- that Algebra I consistently serves as a good indicator of whether or not students will graduate high school
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Use the CRMT-TM Lesson Analysis Tool to reflect on strengths and areas for improvement in how a math lesson promotes thinking and equity
Integrate social justice into mathematics
不溶的测谎仪为斯图工具提供了一个空间dents to grapple with math language by manipulating and discussing what they see
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Feedback and Observation

A replicable and authentic observation and feedback cycle that promotes aligned student centered goals and non-evaluative conversation
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Feedback and Observation
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Mastering a step by step coaching conversation structure like GROW will help create a foundation for consistent coaching practices
Together teachers can build their vision for teaching and learning by observing each other
This protocol helps to structure a reflective conversation aimed at improving the impact of coaching
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Create inclusive educational ecosystems by examining structures, systems, and beliefs informed by race and identity
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
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Being culturally responsive involves learning about your own perceptions of students & then creating equitable learning experiences for them
教师和学校领导可以使用社会说cipline window as a tool to determine how often they are restorative or punitive
Building empathy and perspective for both you and your students
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English Learners

Support English Learners in their classroom and school by building their awareness and understanding of language acquisition, English language development standards, and research-based instructional approaches and strategies
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English Learners
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Students will develop and expand their English vocabulary word bank
Content and language objectives support English Learners in identifying what they will learn and how they will learn it
Scaffolding is an essential practice to support English Learners and can be grouped into three categories: Sensory, Graphic, and Interactive
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Students with Disabilities

Ensure accessible and appropriate instruction to support students with disabilities in making meaningful progress toward learning goals.
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Students with Disabilities
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A general educator can unpack a student's IEP to help them meet their goals and a special educator can support them to do so
Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson
This strategy helps students learn about their strengths, articulate their needs, and become active members of their IEP team
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Accelerating Growth

Accelerate learning growth to close academic gaps through asset-based and research-backed solutions for classroom instruction
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Accelerating Growth
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Fill in the gaps supports students to review assessment data and set goals for improvement over two days in which they work to fill the gaps
Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson
By spiraling weekly formative assessments, students are able to revisit, practice, and quickly remediate content they've already learned
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Odell Education Curriculum

The Odell Curriculum equips students with the literacy skills and knowledge essential for success in college, their career, and civic life
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Odell Education Curriculum
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Students will use a model and teacher feedback to write evidence-based claims
Students will learn to support a claim with valid and relevant evidence
Students use annotation symbols as a tool to interact with and make meaning of texts, data, and images
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Principalship

Support early career principals to meet the specific demands encountered with campus level leadership
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Principalship
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Being culturally responsive involves learning about your own perceptions of students & then creating equitable learning experiences for them
Culturally responsive instructional leaders must provide teachers and staff with structured opportunities to engage in dialogue around bias
Facilitate the instructional community in identifying the most pressing goals and defining their role within the school's structure
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OpenSciEd

Support educators to successfully implement the student-centered OpenSciEd curriculum in 6-8 science
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OpenSciEd
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Students use the methods of scientists to engage in academic discussions about essential questions or large topics
The 5E Science Instructional Model improves the process of creating and implementing an inquiry-based, student-centered learning model
Use the Predict-Explain-Observe-Explain strategy during an experiment to make students aware of gaps and changes in understanding
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Teachership

Supporting early career teachers with best practices of teaching and learning
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Teachership
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Modeling and repeated practice leads to better results and more success for students
A classroom culture cannot be student-centered if students do not have a voice in designing and improving it
Use classroom zones to create a personalized classroom in which students can learn in an environment that best meets their learning needs
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Meaningful Tech Integration

Incorporating technology in an intentional, meaningful way involves shifting the classroom from being teacher-centered to student-centered
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Meaningful Tech Integration
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Engaging learners to extend their thinking through digital dialogue
Digital portfolios showcase learning and growth through multiple media, including video and audio recordings
Teacher-created learning videos support students to work at their own pace, with personalized embedded supports and checks for understanding
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Kiddom

Support educators to implement high-quality instructional materials with Kiddom.
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Kiddom
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The Table of Contents in Kiddom provides easy access to resources for planning and teaching the EL Education Curriculum
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Trauma-Informed Practices

Guiding educators to critically analyze our systems and practices to support students that have experienced trauma.
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Trauma-Informed Practices
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This move is used to build community and address any community issues.
Affirmation statements can change attitudes, thoughts, and reactions
Greet students as they enter your classroom to build relationships and provide consistency
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Open Up Resources Math K-8

Support quality implementation of Open Up Resources Math K-8 for teachers and leaders.
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Open Up Resources Math K-8
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Use Anticipate, Monitor, Select, Sequence, and Connect to plan, organize, and facilitate productive mathematical discussions
Math journals support students to develop both math language and deeper math understanding
Support students to reason mathematically by determining which figure, diagram, graph, or expression does not belong
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IM Math K-12

Support quality implementation of IM Math K-12 for teachers and leaders.
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IM Math K-12
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Use Anticipate, Monitor, Select, Sequence, and Connect to plan, organize, and facilitate productive mathematical discussions
Math journals support students to develop both math language and deeper math understanding
Support students to reason mathematically by determining which figure, diagram, graph, or expression does not belong
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Social-Emotional Learning with Kikori

Prepare students with the self-awareness, relational, and decision-making skills needed to succeed in school and in life utilizing Kikori research-based activities.
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Social-Emotional Learning with Kikori
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Peer social interactions at an early age is crucial to early learning and development
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ALL Focus Areas

This is a placeholder focus area for Teach for America to allow for outcome selection across all focus areas.
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ALL Focus Areas
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Executive Coaching

This is for the Executive Coaching service.
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Executive Coaching
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