To teach a more effective lesson, you can use quick and easy pre-assessment strategies. Author and consultant Barbara R. Blackburn suggests 3 Alike/Red Herring, Word Sorts, If/Then, and Analyzing Web Content to gauge the readiness of your students and adjust your plan as needed.
Are you ready to accept that you are the learning key for each student you teach? Barbara Blackburn has experienced the multiple challenges teachers face each day. Here she offers strategies and inspiration as we reach beyond the negatives to center students and their learning.
Solitary leadership doesn’t work very well because no leader knows everything. Ronald Williamson and Barbara R. Blackburn share strategies to help school leaders systematically build leadership capacity among their staffs and capitalize on the talents of informal leaders.
In her latest look into the power of scaffolding to boost students’ learning, education consultant and author Barbara R. Blackburn centers on a traditional but very effective strategy: offering students graphic organizers. She shares seven examples with tips on how each one supports learning.
We are living in an uncertain time with significant stress on institutions, including schools. Leaders play a critical role in helping their school community weather change and continue their commitment to serving each student. Williamson and Blackburn offer actionable advice.
Students will rise to the level of high expectations, but they may need support and scaffolding to achieve the goal. Teaching coach Barbara Blackburn explains the essentials of effective scaffolding, its critical relationship to rigor, and how both can be achieved in your classroom.
Because schools are under increased pressure to improve, there’s a tendency to want immediate results from any innovation. Success only comes when schools have clear vision and purpose, full collaboration, and a commitment to monitor and adjust, write Williamson and Blackburn.
Effective questions build in opportunities to scaffold student learning. Teaching coach Barbara R. Blackburn suggests creating questions that encourage multiple answers, include hints and context, allow students to help each other, and provide a clear indicator of success.
Ron Williamson and Barbara Blackburn advocate for a three-step teacher evaluation process that emphasizes pre- and post-observation conferences designed to promote full teacher ownership and collaboration, with an emphasis on recognizing strengths and planning for growth.
Comprehension is a concern in every content area. If a student cannot comprehend the material, whether it’s words or images, they cannot meet learning goals. Teaching coach Barbara R. Blackburn offers some simple strategies that can help you scaffold comprehension for your students.
