ABSTRACT
Mastery is not achieved by accident. The manner in which teachers introduce content accelerates or decelerates student understanding. Students master more when teachers introduce content logically, clearly, and concisely. In high-performing urban schools, teachers introduce information in ways that make it easier for students to understand. They plan instruction so that mastery is likely. This starts, as Chapter 3 implies, with clarity about what students are expected to learn. Effective teachers know specifically what they want to students to master, and they know what they will accept as evidence of mastery. Unlike teachers who might just “cover” the chapter, follow the teacher’s guide, or read the script, effective teachers know what they want students to be able to explain, analyze, discuss, solve, perform, or otherwise demonstrate, and they know how well they want students to be able to perform. While these teachers start with the “end in mind,” they plan instruction that students are likely to perceive as clear, logical, and understandable.
