ABSTRACT
This chapter examines an important aspect of effective instruction: clearly communicating the instructional goals of a class period. The chapter begins by looking at what this instructional strategy is and then considers why it is important to the work of a new English teacher. Next, it takes a look at a description of how the author put this idea into action with a ninth-grade English class. The effective use of one or more big questions at the beginning of a lesson is comparable to a strong lead in of a piece of writing; both of these tactics grab the attention of the audience and introduce key information that will be addressed in more detail in the near future. Agendas are important to effective instruction because they list the activities that will help the class answer the big questions, which helps set a serious and scholarly tone for the events of the class period.
