“I’m a high school teacher who teaches Algebra. There is so much information to cover, that I really need to lecture. I know I shouldn’t just lecture…HELP!”

I’m glad you’re thinking about ways to “shake up” what’s going on in your classroom to best meet the needs of your students. The brain learns best when it is kept at instructional level and challenge. When the brain goes into coast mode, then the learning decreases.

“Not all students are alike. Based on this knowledge, differentiated instruction applies an approach to teaching and learning that gives students multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. The model of differentiated instruction requires teachers to be flexible in their approach to teaching and adjust the curriculum and presentation of information to learners rather than expecting students to modify themselves for the curriculum.” -Tracey Hall

To change up their didactic instruction, some teachers place the cardinal directions in their room on the four walls. After 6-8 minutes of lecture, the teacher moves to a different side of the room and the students all turn their chairs in that direction, too. The change in background helps the brain refocus.

Another tool used by teachers is the 3-Minute Pause. After giving students an amount of knowledge, the teacher pauses and asks the students to discuss what has been learned with a partner. The teacher might pose a question or ask students to clarify what has been learned, what gels with their thinking, what they agree with, or what they think doesn’t make sense. The ideal is to have the students talk instead of the teacher.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence of the University of Waterloo states that,

“There are many different activities that can be integrated into a lecture-based course to encourage the students to engage with the subject material, to facilitate interaction among the students and between the students and the professor, and to revitalize the course by providing a change of pace.”

They give nine alternatives to lecturing:

1.    Questions
2.    Pro and Con Grid
3.    Debate
4.    Guided Analysis
5.    Case Study
6.    Field Trip
7.    Role Play
8.    One-Minute Paper
9.    Ungraded Quiz.

You can find a more detailed description if each on their website. [http://cte.uwaterloo.ca/teaching_resources/tips/varying_your_teaching_activities.html]

I know the following saying has been quoted many, many times, but it’s the simplest for explaining why lecturing alone won’t complete the circle of learning…

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” -Confucius