Guest post byMatthew Rhoads, Ed.D. @MattRhoads1990

As instructional leaders and coaches, we have the incredible opportunity to elevate the effectiveness of teaching and cultivate a culture of continual growth in our schools. Embracing the new school year, review an array of high-impact instructional strategies that can truly ignite learning experiences within our classrooms. Each strategy presented in this post is accompanied by a practical application that can readily inspire teachers through an example and how coaches can support teachers in implementing these research-based strategies in their classrooms. Our mission is to empower teachers to incorporate these strategies into their lessons while providing them with supportive coaching along the way to build their confidence and instructional toolkit.

As a coach, focus on three to five of these strategies to start. Then, when you are on a coaching cycle with a teacher, focus on ONE of these strategies during a single coaching cycle interval. Additionally, each of these strategies can be done with or without technology integrated. It will depend on whether the lesson requires technology or if a teacher deems that technology may provide more opportunities for students to take in the content and skills learned to then put them into action in demonstrating their learning in a formative manner and summatively.

As instructional leaders and coaches, we hold the power to transform teaching and learning in our schools along with our teachers. By embracing these high-impact research-based instructional strategies throughout our classrooms, we can ignite profound learning experiences and cultivate a culture of growth in our classrooms for our students. Explore each strategy, classroom example, and coaching example to inspire and empower your work as you move into this school year!

Definition: Providing students with immediate and regular feedback aimed at effort, improvement, and mastery rather than relative performance. It involves both teacher and peer assessments. It can be done throughout an entire class session with formative assessment. Note: Be sure to provide feedback in a way that requires students to use the feedback in action as feedback without deliberate action of implementing the feedback is not as effective.

Classroom Example: In a science class, a teacher addresses a student’s misunderstanding about a chemistry concept right away during guided practice as the teacher presents the content during an interactive Pear Deck presentation as it embeds formative assessment throughout the presentation, instead of waiting until the end of the lesson. Additionally, key items from the lesson can be assessed when a teacher uses exit tickets to assess students’ grasp of the concept, providing opportunities for reteaching where necessary for the next time they will be focused on the content from this lesson.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can assist teachers in creating effective feedback mechanisms such as templates of interactive presentations, rubrics, and exit tickets. They can model through co-teaching or teach a lesson sequence with the teacher observing how to provide immediate, growth-focused feedback and how to structure peer assessments effectively.

Strategy 2: Retrieval Practice Techniques to Support Memory Recall

Definition: These techniques involve regular use of recall-based activities that enhance the retention and application of previously learned information. This can look like flashcards, formative assessments, or even activating prior knowledge based on an image or video that was about what was learned in a previous lesson. Note: Retrieval practice, formative assessment, and facilitating feedback are strategies that can be sequenced together during lessons.

Classroom Example: An English teacher begins each class with warm-up questions from previous lessons – like matching vocabulary terms with their definitions. Also, concept checks are embedded throughout the lesson such as the use of formative assessment using either mini-whiteboards or interactive slides such as Pear Deck, Nearpod, or Canva whiteboard, prompting students to recall key ideas and providing necessary feedback, if needed, before proceeding.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can support teachers in creating recall-based activities such as quizzes, brain dumps, or concept checks. They can also advise on how to incorporate these into lessons and homework assignments effectively.

Strategy 3: Generative Learning Strategies to Process and Reorganized Learning Information

Definition: These strategies involve students actively processing and reorganizing information. They can include tasks like explaining concepts in their own words, creating examples or diagrams, and making predictions. Note: Be sure students have quite a bit of background knowledge in the content you will want to utilize for this strategy before implementing it.

Classroom Example: A history teacher asks students to explain a historical event “as if I don’t know it.” The students create their own diagrams to represent their understanding and compare similar events. This can be done with or without tech. Sketchnoting, word webs, or even student-created videos or podcasts discussing the historical event could all be examples of how this is done by students.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can demonstrate how to incorporate generative tasks into lessons and can provide feedback on the quality of tasks teachers have created. They can also suggest ways to scaffold these tasks for students at different ability levels.

Strategy 5: Spacing and Interleaving Techniques to Improve Practice of Concepts and Skills Taught In Class

Definition: These techniques involve distributing practice over multiple sessions and mixing different types of content or problems within a single session. This can be done through practice problems given during independent practice. Note: We do not need to give our students hundreds of practice problems for them to improve their skills.

Classroom Example: A math teacher spreads out practice on a particular concept over multiple short sessions and interleaves different types of problems within a practice set. An example would be five addition problems followed by two subtraction problems and one addition problem at the end of the problem set.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can help teachers design their curriculum to incorporate spacing and interleaving. They can also suggest how to balance the rotation of old and new content. Coaches can build a template or calendar of how practice problem sets should be built and then distributed throughout the week. Then, they can support teachers by monitoring the practice they give students and at what intervals the practice is happening to support teachers in building this as a routine in their classroom.

Strategy 6: Scaffolding

Definition: Scaffolding refers to providing temporary support to students as they learn new concepts. Teachers can gradually decrease this support as students develop the skills and understanding to work independently.

Classroom Example: In a writing class, a teacher may initially provide a detailed writing template as the mentor text. Over time, the teacher might reduce the level of detail in the template, eventually only providing a simple outline, and finally asking students to create their own outline from scratch.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can support teachers by sharing effective scaffolding methods and resources. They can also help in determining when and how to reduce scaffolding based on students’ progress. For example, a coach can support teachers in reviewing their assessment data to then determine what support they may need to provide students. Additionally, they can also support a teacher in evaluating when they can begin to gradually release support over time during a given lesson or unit.

Strategy 7: Gradual Release Model (I Do, We Do, You Do)

Definition: The Gradual Release Model is an effective method of instruction that moves from teacher-centered to student-centered learning. The process involves three stages: “I do” (teacher demonstrates), “We do” (teacher and students work together), and “You do” (students work independently). Note: Scaffolding and gradual release tend to go together in tandem during an instructional sequence.

Classroom Example: In a math lesson, the teacher first demonstrates a problem-solving method (I do). The class then works through several similar problems together (We do). Finally, students solve similar problems independently or in small groups (You do). In this sequence, using mini-whiteboards or an interactive digital slideshow is helpful as then a teacher can see student progress over the course of this instructional sequence.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can assist teachers in structuring their lessons around the Gradual Release Model. This might include providing guidance on how to effectively demonstrate new concepts and techniques, facilitate collaborative work, and support independent student work. Coaches can also model how this looks in a teacher’s class as well as then plan a lesson with a teacher and observe the teacher practicing this strategy in action and then provide feedback.

Strategy 8: Modeling Content or Skills During Direct Instruction

Definition: Modeling is an instructional strategy in which the teacher demonstrates a new concept or skill to students in a step-by-step process. The teacher models the thought process as well as the actions so that students can see the “how” and the “why” of what they’re learning. This strategy is part of the gradual release of responsibility model, where the responsibility for task completion shifts gradually from the teacher to the student.

Classroom Example: In a writing lesson, a teacher could use modeling to teach students how to craft a compelling introduction for an essay. The teacher might write an introduction on the board, explaining their thought process out loud—why they chose specific words, how they structured their sentences, what information they included to hook the reader, etc.

Coaching Tip: Instructional coaches can support teachers by providing examples of effective modeling and giving feedback on their modeling techniques. Coaches can also model the modeling process—for instance, they might model a mini-lesson or co-teaching alongside the teacher they are working with, demonstrating not just the content, but also their thought process during the modeling sequence. This meta-modeling can be a powerful way to help teachers understand and apply effective modeling techniques in their own classrooms depending on the content and skills they are teaching their students.

Strategy 9: Formative Assessment throughout Lessons

Definition: Formative assessment is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures conducted by teachers during the learning process to modify teaching and learning activities. These assessments aim to improve student attainment throughout a lesson sequence. They serve as practice for students, check-ins for both student and teacher and a guide for teachers in planning future instruction and interventions in real-time or for a lesson in the future. Note: Mini-whiteboards, interactive slides, and short multiple-choice assessments tend to be some of the easiest mechanisms to deliver formative assessments.

Classroom Example: A science teacher could conduct a formative assessment by giving a short quiz on the material covered in that week’s lessons at the beginning and at the end of the class period. This allows the teacher to see which concepts students have understood and which they might be struggling with. The teacher can then use this information to adjust their lesson plans, providing additional instruction or practice on difficult concepts.

Alternatively, formative assessment can be as informal as a class discussion or a “thumbs up, thumbs down” quick check for understanding. The key is that the information gathered is used to inform instruction.

Coaching Tip: Instructional coaches can guide teachers in using formative assessments effectively by helping them design assessments that are aligned with learning objectives, providing feedback on the use of assessment data, and suggesting modifications or additional supports based on assessment results.

Strategy 10: Reduce Cognitive Load

Definition: Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) is an instructional design theory that uses the science of how the human brain processes information to inform the design of learning materials so they are easy to comprehend and remember. In essence, it emphasizes the importance of understanding and optimizing the cognitive load — the total amount of mental effort used in the working memory — during learning. Note: Many of the strategies discussed can reduce cognitive load, such as modeling in chunks, scaffolding, and gradual release sequences.

Classroom Example: A teacher introducing a complex concept, like photosynthesis, might first present the overall process in a simplified way, then progressively introduce details about each part. They might also use diagrams and real-life examples to help illustrate each part by chunking the information. By doing this, the teacher is intentionally managing students’ cognitive load, ensuring they’re not overwhelmed with too much information at once. Other examples include using only pertinent information in all displays of information to students. Reducing any extraneous information is helpful in managing cognitive load.

Coaching Tip: Coaches can support teachers in managing cognitive load by helping them to break down complex topics into manageable chunks. They can also support teachers in developing a variety of engaging, multimodal resources and teaching strategies, such as using visuals, analogies, and real-world examples, to support students’ understanding and reduce cognitive overload. Additionally, coaches can provide teachers with feedback related to how much extraneous information they may need to be watchful during their lessons – such as cutting out irrelevant information related to the topic during direct instruction.

Conclusion – Think Less is More and Sustainability

As coaches, we need to model why less is more and what sustainable teaching looks like to the teachers we are coaching. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we need to focus on only one major strategy at once. Then, during our coaching sessions with teachers, model how that strategy looks, and how it can be incorporated into lessons, and then provide co-teaching and feedback opportunities to the teacher to support them in practicing the strategy over time in their classrooms. Last, focus on how teachers can use these strategies in a sustainable manner. What this means is developing the classroom routines and workflow in planning that allow these strategies to be readily utilized and practiced. Additionally, ensure teachers that not every lesson needs to have each of these strategies – it’s a matter of having these strategies in their toolkit to be used throughout the week is what ultimately matters most.

References

Agarwal, P. K. (2019). Powerful teaching: Unleash the science of learning. John Wiley & Sons. (Retrieval Practice Techniques)

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guilford Press. (Modeling Strategy)

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and Classroom Learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7-74. (Formative Assessment Strategy)

Brookhart, S. M. (2017). How to give effective feedback to your students. ASCD. (Strategies for Facilitating Feedback)

Brown, P. C., Roediger III, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Belknap Press. (Retrieval Practice Techniques)

Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354. (Spacing and Interleaving Techniques)

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. ASCD. (Gradual Release Strategy)

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2014). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the gradual release of responsibility. ASCD. (Gradual Release Strategy)

Fiorella, L., & Mayer, R. E. (2015). Learning as a generative activity: Eight learning strategies that promote understanding. Cambridge University Press. (Generative Learning Strategies)

Gibbons, P. (2014). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Heinemann. (Scaffolding Strategy)

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. (Strategies for Facilitating Feedback)

Kirschner, P. A., & Hendrick, C. (2020). How learning happens: Seminal works in educational psychology and what they mean in practice. Routledge.

Kirschner, P. A., & Hendrick, C. (2023). How teaching happens: Applying the science of learning in the classroom. Routledge.

Mayer, R. E. (2011). Applying the science of learning. Pearson. (Generative Learning Strategies)

OpenAI’s GPT-4 (2023, July 25). Personal communication. Instructional Coaching and Instructional Strategies.

Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344. (Gradual Release Strategy)

Rohrer, D., Dedrick, R. F., & Stershic, S. (2015). Interleaved practice improves mathematics learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 107(3), 900. (Spacing and Interleaving Techniques)

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249-255. (Retrieval Practice Techniques)

Sweller, J., Ayres, P., & Kalyuga, S. (2011). Cognitive load theory (Explorations in the learning sciences, instructional systems and performance technologies). New York, NY: Springer.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press. (Scaffolding Strategy)

Wittrock, M. C. (1974). A Generative Model of Mathematics Learning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 5(4), 181. (Generative Learning Strategies)

Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an effective teacher. Harry K. Wong Publications. (I Do, We Do, You Do Strategy)

---

Interested in guest blogging or learning more about Rachelle’s work?

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions for your school about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more! Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @Rdene915

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

Join my show on THRIVEinEDU on Facebook. Join the group here