Whole-Class Instruction in Modern Classrooms
As a teacher, I dreaded whole-class instruction. I wasn’t a compelling lecturer, hated managing behavior, and realized that my pace was always too fast for some students and too slow for others. So, I designed an instructional model that played to my strengths — working closely with individual students during class, in the role of a tutor/mentor/coach — and empowered my students to work and learn at their own paces.
With that said, there were lessons that always made more sense to me as whole-class activities, and I wanted to give students the chance to interact as a whole group. So I didn’t replace lectures or whole-group discussions altogether. Instead, I:
Started each class with a short whole-class discussion. Sometimes I reviewed content from a previous unit, sometimes I shared announcements, sometimes I talked with students about the importance of particular academic skills (note-taking, asking questions, etc.), and sometimes my students and I would just chat. And if I didn’t have anything particularly interesting to discuss one day, I could always just skip it! I found this time valuable for building relationships and classroom culture, and would encourage you to try carving it out.
Planned whole-class activities well in advance. My students knew, at the start of each unit, when we’d have each whole-class lesson, and what it would cover. As a result, they knew what to prepare… and were able to prepare at their own paces. Not only did this set a helpful marker for my students in terms of deadlines, but it also gave them a bit of extra motivation: my students knew they’d learn more from the whole-class activity if they were ready for it. I taught math, but have seen this strategy work well in many other disciplines as well.
Do you have to adopt these practices in order to lead an effective Modern Classroom? Of course not! As with everything we suggest, you should only use these practices if they work for you and your students. I just want you to know that there are ways to incorporate effective whole-class instruction into a self-paced Modern Classroom, and that I support you fully in creating meaningful learning experiences for every young person you serve.
If you’re interested in learning more about how collaboration can work in a Modern Classroom, I invite you to check out our webinar Collaboration in a Modern Classroom.
