ABSTRACT
What makes some teachers more effective than others? What pedagogies and practices are fads and which are backed with quality evidence? Which teaching strategies give teachers the biggest learning bang for their buck?
The authors have surveyed the research literature and carefully curated 50 elements of effective teaching—elements such as direct instruction, executive functions, metacognition, motivation, and scaffolding—to answer such questions and demystify the secrets of master teachers.
Designed specifically for clarity and ease of use, this book is perfect for both new and experienced educators. Each element uses a consistent architecture: a simple definition, concise overview of the research, practical Dos and Don’ts for the classroom, and a select quote to inspire reflection.
The Elements of Education for Teachers is an essential addition to any teacher’s library and important reading for teachers’ professional development.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter 2|2 pages
Ability Grouping
Grouping students for instruction according to abilities, aptitude, or achievement.
chapter 3|2 pages
Assessment, Formative
Gathering evidence of student growth during instruction to continuously tune teaching and learning activities and improve attainment.
chapter 5|2 pages
Assessment, Summative
Systematic measurement of student knowledge and skills at the end of a unit or course.
chapter 6|2 pages
Choice Overload
Having too many options can result in dissatisfaction and reduced performance.
chapter 7|2 pages
Chunking
Grouping units of information to make them easier to process and remember.
chapter 8|2 pages
Classroom Design
The features and fixtures of learning spaces that support effective education.
chapter 9|2 pages
Classroom Management
Class expectations, processes, and norms that guide student behavior and enable learning.
chapter 10|2 pages
Creativity
The ability to generate novel expressions of thought and novel solutions to problems.
chapter 11|2 pages
Decision Making
Making educational decisions that best prepare students for future success.
chapter 12|2 pages
Deliberate Practice
Structured activities that target the improvement of a specific skill.
chapter 13|2 pages
Depth of Processing
Engaging students to think hard about content to improve retention.
chapter 14|2 pages
Direct Instruction
Explicit teaching using lectures or demonstrations of the material to students.
chapter 15|2 pages
Discussion-Based Learning
Teacher-facilitated conversations between students to develop understanding.
chapter 17|2 pages
Engagement, Parent
Involvement of parents in and out of school to improve student learning.
chapter 18|2 pages
Engagement, Student
The level of student attention, interest, and emotional investment during instruction.
chapter 20|2 pages
Executive Functions
A set of mental processes needed for purposeful, goal-oriented behavior.
chapter 21|2 pages
Exercise Effects
Improved cognitive functioning that results from specific types of physical activity.
chapter 22|2 pages
Expectation Effects
A change in behavior or performance that results from a change in beliefs.
chapter 23|2 pages
Feedback
Information provided to students about their performance relative to their goals.
chapter 24|2 pages
Flexibility Tradeoffs
As the flexibility of a design increases, performance of the design decreases.
chapter 25|2 pages
Homework
Activities assigned to support in-class instruction that takes place outside of the classroom.
chapter 26|2 pages
Intelligence
The general capability to comprehend, problem solve, reason, and learn.
chapter 27|2 pages
Interleaving
Mixing different types of learning activities to promote skill proficiency, memory retention, and transfer.
chapter 28|2 pages
Metacognition
Knowledge of one’s own thinking that leads to increased academic success.
chapter 29|2 pages
Mnemonic Devices
Techniques of organizing information to make that information easier to remember.
chapter 32|2 pages
Performance Load
The amount of effort required to complete an activity, which can either aid or inhibit learning.
chapter 33|2 pages
Personality
The ways in which people think, feel, and act that are roughly consistent across time and contexts.
chapter 34|2 pages
Play
Enjoyable activities that aid social behavior, learning, and executive function.
chapter 35|2 pages
Productive Failure
Designing activities that intentionally use failure to promote deeper learning.
chapter 36|2 pages
Progressive Disclosure
Modulating the diffi culty and complexity of an experience based on students’ expertise.
chapter 37|2 pages
Project-Based Learning
Learning by creating artifacts that solve interesting or relevant problems.
chapter 38|2 pages
Reading Levels
A rating of text diffi culty used to select texts for readers of different reading abilities.
chapter 39|2 pages
Retrieval Practice
Practicing the retrieval and reconstruction of knowledge to promote long-term retention.
chapter 40|2 pages
Scaffolding
Providing the minimum academic support required for students to achieve success.
chapter 41|2 pages
Serial Position Effects
Items at the beginning and end of a list are more easily recalled than items in the middle.
chapter 42|2 pages
Sleep Strategies
Techniques to ensure quality sleep so as to promote memory formation and overall cognitive functioning.
chapter 43|2 pages
Social-Emotional Learning
The ability and skill to relate to others, set goals, manage emotions, and resolve conflict.
chapter 44|2 pages
Spacing
Breaking practice into small sessions with delays in between to increase long-term retention.
chapter 45|2 pages
Student-Directed Learning
Allowing students to learn with minimal guidance to improve learning and transfer.
chapter 46|2 pages
Student-Teacher Relationship
Bonds between students and teachers that support student achievement.
chapter 48|2 pages
Teach-to-Learn
The practice of teaching things to another person—real or hypothetical—for the purpose of improving the teacher’s understanding.
chapter 49|2 pages
Technology-Based Instruction
The use of televisions, computers, tablets, or other devices to improve student learning.
