BetterLesson Instructional Strategies

Provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding, track their progress, and guide their future learning

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Formative Assessment and Differentiation

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Microgrouping to Provide Feedback

Microgrouping to Provide Feedback supports students to receive targeted feedback specific to their learning needs

Fill in the Gaps

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

Self-Assessment Conference

Self-Assessment Conferences encourages students to reflect individually on how their work meets the goals of learning targets and skills

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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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Social-Emotional Learning

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Self-Regulation Strategies

Students use self-regulation strategies like mental breaks, body and movement breaks, fidgets, and self-talk to maximize their learning

Self Awareness Moments

Self Awareness Moments help students navigate strong emotions and difficult situations to make better decisions

Developing a Growth Mindset

Teach students to talk about themselves and their work using a growth mindset

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Culturally Responsive Teaching

Create learning communities in which all students can be seen, heard, and valued

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Culturally Responsive Teaching

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Classroom Management Reconsidered

Effective classroom management creates a welcoming learning environment that supports all learners, even when they experience challenges

Creating and Implementing a Family Partnership Plan

Forming authentic, trusting relationships with your students' families is a foundational part of building an inviting learning community

Teaching Social Justice in the Primary Classroom

When students learn about social justice at an early age, they are more likely to apply a lens of social justice to their interactions with

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Blended Learning

Leverage technology in the classroom to maximize student learning and growth

Strategic Design of Blended Learning

Blended learning teachers deliberately design all elements of their students' experience to meet desired learning outcomes

Launching a New Digital Solution in Your Classroom

Taking intentional steps to launch new digital solutions in your classroom will lead to effective implementation for student success

Developing Digital Literacy Skills and Evaluating Website Credibility

Students conduct research and examine digital resources for credibility to develop digital literacy and digital citizenship

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Competency-Based Learning

Create personalized learning paths that allow students to progress toward goals and demonstrate competency in flexible formats

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Competency-Based Learning

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Mastery Map and Standard-Based Peer Tutors

In a self-paced or mastery based learning environment, building a mastery map and a network of student experts can help

Pre-Assessing With Purpose

A pre-assessment is the foundation of a Mastery-Based Progression as it allows students and teacher to focus on what is most needed

Involving Students in the Creation of Mastery Levels and Rubrics

When students are involved in defining what mastery look like for a process or a product, chances of buy-in and success increase

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Project Based Learning

Engage students with real-world, inquiry-based tasks

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Project Based Learning

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Building Driving Questions

Driving questions initiate and focus the inquiry and learning throughout a project while creating an interest and challenge for students

Comprehensive PBL Rubric

Want to assess both content mastery and design thinking/process skills during project based learning? Try the comprehensive PBL rubric!

Planning a PBL: Design Thinking Backwards Planning for Teachers

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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Student-Centered Math

Create transformative mathematics classrooms where students engage in problem-solving, discourse, application, and critical thinking

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Student-Centered Math

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Notice and Wonder

Support students to enter the content by engaging in the I Notice/I Wonder protocol

Number Talks

Want your students to increase fluency by discussing and critiquing structure, patterns, and mathematical properties? Try number talks!

Which One Doesn't Belong?

Support students to reason mathematically by determining which figure, diagram, graph, or expression does not belong

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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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Literature Circles and Book Clubs

Literature Circles are a great way to increase student reading and engagement

Practicing and Self-Evaluating Reading Fluency

Support students to practice reading fluently, assess their own fluency, and then reflect on it with their teacher

Socratic Seminar Discussion

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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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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Creating a Distributed Leadership Model: Meet Demands by Sharing the Load

Do more by collaboratively sharing the guidance and direction of a school

Establishing Goals and Roles for Professional Learning Communities (PLC)

Facilitate the instructional community in identifying the most pressing goals and defining their role within the school's structure

Developing a Shared Vision for Implementing an Instructional Model in the School Community

Setting the course to succeed in a specific learning goal in your school means knowing the direction

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Instructional Coaching

Provide teachers with personalized coaching cycles that support them to grow and develop their teaching practice

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Instructional Coaching

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Coaching Observation

Coaching observations focus on using objective classroom data to identify the impact of a teacher's actions on student learning

Try-Measure-Learn (TML): The Heart of Continuous Improvement

Change teaching and learning one step at a time using the BetterLesson coaching model

Debriefing and Setting Next Steps

To improve our coaching practice we must reflect and develop next steps

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Collaborative Professional Learning

Develop a collaborative professional culture to support student-centered teaching and learning

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Collaborative Professional Learning

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Try-Measure-Learn (TML): The Heart of Continuous Improvement

Change teaching and learning one step at a time using the BetterLesson coaching model

Create a Define-Explore-Build Workshop

These three steps support Instructional Leaders to create more personalized and purposeful workshops for their teachers

Building a Professional Learning Community

In a Professional Learning Community, many hands make light work

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Open Up Resources Math

Strategically implement the Open Up Resources 6-8 Math curriculum to create engaging, student-centered mathematics classrooms

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Open Up Resources Math

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Strategically Planning to Internalize a Lesson in OUR 6-8 Math

Identify key elements of an OUR Math lesson to focus on scope and depth, anticipate student responses, and to plan instructional routines

5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions: Anticipate, Monitor, Select, Sequence, Connect

Use Anticipate, Monitor, Select, Sequence, and Connect to plan, organize, and facilitate productive mathematical discussions

Stronger and Clearer Each Time [MLR 1]

Several quick structured discussion opportunities help students revise and refine their ideas, making them stronger and clearer each time

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EL Education

Strategically implement EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum to support student-centered literacy instruction

Creating Shared Work Time Norms and Expectations

Utilizing student input to develop shared work time expectations is key to successful learning task management

Examining Exemplars and Using Mentor Texts

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

Interactive, Visual or Language Chunk Word Wall

An Interactive Word Wall helps students build conceptual understandings between words and meanings using words, visuals, and graphics

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Newsela

Supercharge reading engagement and infuse literacy skills across content areas using Newsela

Newsela Gallery Walk with Secondary Students

A Gallery Walk heightens engagement by allowing students to move around the room, engage in discussion, and have choice in their learning

Jigsaw Reading Using Newsela with Secondary Students

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

Identifying a Central Idea and Supporting Details Using Newsela with Secondary Students

Explicit, individualized feedback allows students to more effectively develop central ideas and support them with text evidence

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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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Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning: Master Teacher Project

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Exercising Instructional Discretion for Equity

Teachers should reflect on how their decisions and discretion impact students' views of themselves and others

Creating Shared Classroom Values

Shared classroom values are a first step toward understanding what students value and need to feel safe in your classroom

Providing Equitable Course Offerings

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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Selecting and Using the Appropriate Digital Assessment Tools for Feedback

Students receive timely, personalized, and actionable feedback as teachers utilize digital assessment tools

Backchannel to Support Student Autonomy and Ownership

Creating a backchannel and empowering students to own it requires careful planning but helps to build a student-centered classroom culture

Using Video for Flipped Learning Environments

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

Explore Semicolons and Colons using Adobe Spark Post

Students develop a deep understanding of semicolons and colon by creating an Adobe Spark Post

Make a How-To Video with Adobe Premiere Rush or Spark Video

Students create a how-to video from scratch that demonstrates knowledge of a given subject area

Design a Destination Poster with Adobe Spark Post

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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Meeting the Needs of All Learners: Master Teacher Project

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Personalized Newcomer Photo Book

Welcome English Learner student newcomer students into the school with a personalized photo book

DeCypher: Tools to Support Literary Discussion

Discussion tools to support students to develop, revise, and reframe personal and collective connections to a text

Pre-Teaching to Support Content Mastery

Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson

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Algebra for All

Inclusive and equitable algebra strategies created for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Algebra 1: Balance the Equation Grand Challenge

Reflecting on the Cultural Responsiveness of a Math Lesson

Use the CRMT-TM Lesson Analysis Tool to reflect on strengths and areas for improvement in how a math lesson promotes thinking and equity

Data Portraits: Visualizing Social Justice in Mathematics

Integrate social justice into mathematics

Upending Power Dynamics with Visibly Random Groupings

Small moves that help challenge societal beliefs about math and ability help create a culture of equity

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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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GROW: 4 Steps to an Effective Coaching Conversation

Mastering a step by step coaching conversation structure like GROW will help create a foundation for consistent coaching practices

Reflecting on Progress using the PRO Co-Reflective Protocol

This protocol helps to structure a reflective conversation aimed at improving the impact of coaching

Collegial Observation

Both observer and observed learn when colleagues collaboratively observe

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Trauma-Informed Practices

Approach learning with an understanding of the impacts of trauma and adversity on students

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Trauma-Informed Practices

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Thresholding to Greet Students at the Door

Greet students as they enter your classroom to build relationships and provide consistency

Mindfulness Techniques

Embed mindfulness practices into the classroom to help students focus and relax

Positive News Board

Want to build a culture of learning and empathy driven by students? Make a Positive News Board for students to recognize their peers!

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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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Building Equity Awareness and Capacity

Being culturally responsive involves learning about your own perceptions of students & then creating equitable learning experiences for them

Analyzing Classroom and School Structures with the Social Discipline Window

Teachers and school leaders can use the social discipline window as a tool to determine how often they are restorative or punitive

Windows and Mirrors

Students need to see themselves in the curriculum and learn about others in order to understand and appreciate multiple perspectives

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English Learners

Support all English Learners to grow and thrive in their learning environments

Supporting English Learners with Sensory, Graphic, and Interactive Scaffolds

Scaffolding is an essential practice to support English Learners and can be grouped into three categories: Sensory, Graphic, and Interactive

Genius Hour

Genius Hour supports students to choose learning experiences based on personal interests while targeting skills like critical thinking

Controlled Speaking Activities for English Language Learners

Low-stakes speaking activities for ELs to encourage the accurate use of the target language

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Special Education

Support students with disabilities to learn, grow, and thrive in their learning environments

Unpacking an IEP to Support Students to Meet their Goals

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

Pre-Teaching to Support Content Mastery

Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson

Building an Understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

This conceptual strategy will support you to develop an understanding of the Universal Design for Learning.

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Accelerating Growth

Close academic gaps and provide differentiated support for all students

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

Pre-Teaching to Support Content Mastery

Level the playing field by introducing content prior to the lesson

Building an Understanding of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

This conceptual strategy will support you to develop an understanding of the Universal Design for Learning.

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Labster

Support students to engage in authentic, investigative science lab simulations using Labster

Colored Cards to Advocate for Help During a Labster Simulation

Support students to ask for support from their teacher during a Labster simulation by using colored cards

Using Backwards Design to Integrate a Labster Simulation into a Unit or Lesson

Addressing a standard with the end goal in mind supports teachers to meaningfully integrate a Labster simulation into a unit or lesson

Verbal Lab Report of a Labster Simulation

Assess student understanding of a Labster simulation with a verbal lab report which provides an alternate mode to demonstrate mastery

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Derivita

Cultivate targeted, responsive math practices using Derivita's question and feedback tools